Give and Take

Conversations at the Heart of the Matter

About the show

Someone once observed that if Howard Stern and Krista Tippett had a love child, it would be Scott Jones. Scott liked that.

At "Give and Take,” Scott Jones talks with artists, authors, theologians, and political pundits about the lens through which they experience life. With empathy, humor, and a deep knowledge of religion, current events, and pop culture, Scott engages his guests in a free-flowing conversation that's entertaining, unexpected, occasionally bizarre, and oftentimes enlightening. He likes people, and it shows.

Past interviewees include Mark Oppenheimer, Melissa Febos, David French, Miroslav Volf, Dan Savage, Nadia Bolz-Weber, Rob Bell, and (yes) Krista Tippett.

Scott is the former host and producer of the popular Mockingcast podcast (https://themockingcast.fireside.fm) and an in-demand consultant on all things “pod.” He’s also the co-host, with Bill Borror, of New Persuasive Words (https://npw.fireside.fm). Scott is also a prolific writer, a frequent conference speaker, a PhD candidate in Theology, and an ordained minister.

Give and Take on social media

Episodes

  • Episode 30: Movies Are Prayers, with Josh Larsen

    June 13th, 2017  |  36 mins 11 secs

    My guest is Josh Larsen, host of the "Filmspotting" podcast and author of "Movies Are Prayers: How Films Voice Our Deepest Longings."

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    Episode 29: Embodied Hope: A Theological Meditation on Pain and Suffering, with Kelly Kapic

    June 6th, 2017  |  49 mins 20 secs

    My guest is Kelly Kapic. He teaches theology at Covenant College and is the author of "Embodied Hope: A Theological Mediation on Pain and Suffering."

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    Episode 28: The Collapse of American Identity, with Robert P. Jones

    June 5th, 2017  |  40 mins 40 secs

    My guest today is Robert P. Jones. He's the CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute, and the author of several books, including "The End of White Christian America."

  • Episode 27: The Congressional Dish, with Jennifer Briney

    June 1st, 2017  |  52 mins 53 secs

    My guest is Jennifer Briney. She's the creator and host of the wildly popular "Congressional Dish" podcast. It's like C-Span meets Comedy Central, resisting the corporate takeover of the world.

  • Episode 26: How to Love Your Ideological Enemy, with Karen Swallow Prior

    May 27th, 2017  |  43 mins 35 secs

    My guest is Karen Swallow Prior. Karen is an award-winning Professor of English at Liberty University. She's the author of several books, numerous scholarly articles and just wrote a piece for Christianity Today entitled "How to Love Your Ideological Enemy".

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    Episode 25: Cancer Is Funny, with Jason Micheli

    May 27th, 2017  |  49 mins 9 secs

    My guest is Jason Micheli. He's the author of "Cancer Is Funny: Keeping Faith in Stage-Serious Chemo". He a Methodist pastor and co-hosts the "Crackers and Grape Juice" podcast.

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    Episode 24: The Vulnerable Pastor, with Mandy Smith

    May 26th, 2017  |  41 mins 27 secs

    My guest is Mandy Smith. She's the author, most recently, of the "The Vulnerable Pastor". She is also the lead pastor of University Christian Church in Cincinatti, Ohio.

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    Episode 23: Talking Life, Loss and Love, with Jace Broadhurst

    May 23rd, 2017  |  1 hr 4 mins

    My guest is Jace Broadhurst is a biblical scholar, a Baptist minister, and someone who has spent some time in the school of suffering over the past few years. He shares his thoughts on faith and the life of the mind, baptist culture and dealing with the death of a spouse.

  • Episode 22: What's Your Story? Seeing Your Life Through God’s Eyes, with Sarah Heath

    May 22nd, 2017  |  39 mins 37 secs

    My guest is Sarah Heath. Sarah is the pastor of First United Methodist Church in Costa Mesa, California. She's the author of a new book "What's Your Story?
    Seeing Your Life Through God’s Eyes".

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    Episode 21: Saved By Design...Talking Architecture, with Duo Dickinson

    May 20th, 2017  |  36 mins 50 secs

    My guest is renowned architect (and my friend) Duo Dickinson. Duo's work has received more than 30 awards, including the 2015 Sacred Landscape Award from the Interfaith Forum on Religion, Art and Architecture. His design work has been published in more than 70 publications including The New York Times, Architectural Record, and House Beautiful.

  • Episode 20: Reclaiming Hope, with Michael Wear

    May 19th, 2017  |  48 mins 5 secs

    My guest is Michael Wear. Michael is the author of "Reclaiming Hope: Lessons Learned in the Obama White House About the Future of Faith in America." He's the co-host of the "Church Politics" podcast, and was one of the youngest White House staffers in modern American history.

  • Episode 19: Getting Jesus Wrong, with Matt Johnson

    May 18th, 2017  |  42 mins 17 secs

    My guest today is Matt Johnson. Matt is a husband, father to two little girls, and is an armchair student of theology living in Seattle. He is also a freelance writer and editor. Until recently, Matt spent 7 years as an associate volunteer pastor in counseling and recovery ministry. He's the author of "Getting Jesus Wrong: Giving Up Spiritual Vitamins and Checklist Christianity".

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    Episode 18: The Death of Expertise, with Tom Nichols

    May 17th, 2017  |  43 mins 46 secs

    Tom Nichols is Professor of National Security Affairs at the US Naval War College, an adjunct professor at the Harvard Extension School, and a former aide in the U.S. Senate. He is also the author of several works on foreign policy and international security affairs. His most recent book is "The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why it Matters."

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    Episode 17: Considering Conservatism, with David French

    May 16th, 2017  |  1 hr 2 mins

    David French is a senior writer for National Review, a senior fellow at the National Review Institute, an attorney (concentrating his practice in constitutional law and the law of armed conflict), and a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is the author or co-author of several books including, most recently, the No. 1 New York Times bestselling Rise of ISIS: A Threat We Can’t Ignore.

    Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/author/david-french

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    Episode 16: Mel Talks, with Melissa Shoshahi

    May 14th, 2017  |  1 hr 48 secs

    Melissa Shoshahi is an Iranian-American stand-up comedian and writer based in Los Angeles. Her weekly podcast "Mel Talk" can is on iTunes and she can currently be seen in the upcoming indie flick Lost in Austin.

  • Episode 15: Religionless Christianity, with Jeffrey Pugh

    May 11th, 2017  |  48 mins 11 secs

    My guest today is Jeffrey Pugh. He is the Maude Sharpe Powell Professor of Religious Studies at Elon University. He's written numerous books, including "Religionless Christianity: Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Troubled Times".