# episode stephen (podcasts) — RSS Amplifier Recent posts from the 4 feeds in the RSS Amplifier directory that cover episode stephen. Page: Feed: --- ## The Last Meal Part 1 (1 Samuel 28 & 31) _2026-08-26 · Wisdom for the Heart_ Share a comment One person with the wrong theology and the right access can tilt a whole nation. We start with a surprising historical thread, Rasputin’s shadow over the Russian monarchy, and use it to spotlight a timeless pattern: when a culture gets “all aflutter” with mysticism and the occult, deception doesn’t stay on the fringe. It moves inward, shaping decisions, weakening trust, and leaving… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2545810/episodes/19658132-the-last-meal-part-1-1-samuel-28-31.mp3) ## Misled By A Misguided Heart Part 2 (1 Samuel 27, 29, 30) _2026-08-25 · Wisdom for the Heart_ Share a comment Panic loves to sound like wisdom. It tells you to move fast, trust your gut, and do whatever it takes to feel safe again. That’s exactly where David is in 1 Samuel 27 to 30, and we follow the chain reaction as his “perfect plan” seems to work at first, then traps him: conniving in enemy territory, cornered into an unthinkable battle, crushed by loss at Ziklag, and finally corrected… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2545810/episodes/19658127-misled-by-a-misguided-heart-part-2-1-samuel-27-29-30.mp3) ## Misled By A Misguided Heart Part 1 (1 Samuel 27, 29, 30) _2026-08-24 · Wisdom for the Heart_ Share a comment Discouragement isn’t just a feeling, it’s a lever. When it gets under the edge of your heart, it can pry you open and start rewriting what you believe about God, yourself, and the future. We start with a stark reminder from Scripture: even when we are faithless, God is faithful. That truth doesn’t erase consequences or discipline, but it does give us a solid floor when fear tells… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2545810/episodes/19658120-misled-by-a-misguided-heart-part-1-1-samuel-27-29-30.mp3) ## [Encore: The Signs of Jesus in John-The Feeding of the 5000](https://soundcloud.com/user-756654168/encore-the-signs-of-jesus-in-3) _2026-08-21 · Off Hand: with Stephen & Lydia_ Stephen & Lydia savor Jesus' power over matter [Listen](https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2289943376-user-756654168-encore-the-signs-of-jesus-in-3.mp3) ## Beauty and Two Beasts Part 2 (1 Samuel 25:1-44) _2026-08-21 · Wisdom for the Heart_ Share a comment One careless insult can light a fuse that years of faithfulness never triggered. We watch David, the future king of Israel, go from steady endurance to a sword-strapped march of revenge after Nabal dismisses him with contempt. The shock is the point: character isn’t only tested by massive crises but by smaller slights that poke our pride. If you’ve ever been cheated, overlooked, or… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2545810/episodes/19625383-beauty-and-two-beasts-part-2-1-samuel-25-1-44.mp3) ## Beauty and Two Beasts Part 1 (1 Samuel 25:1-44) _2026-08-20 · Wisdom for the Heart_ Share a comment A single insult can reveal what’s been building in the heart for weeks, maybe years. We start with a haunting phrase, “the disease of me,” and track how selfishness and resentment can spread through a team, a family, or a church until people who should be grateful become petty, reactive, and hard. To make it concrete, we retell an unforgettable sports moment from the 1981 Los… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2545810/episodes/19625379-beauty-and-two-beasts-part-1-1-samuel-25-1-44.mp3) ## Dead Pool World _2026-08-19 · The Stephen Mansfield Podcast_ For the first time in history, the federal government is stepping in to ration water in areas of the western United States. The reality of "dead pools" — when reservoirs drop too low to flow past a dam — is no longer a distant threat: 45 U.S. states are in drought, and 75% of humanity already lives in water-insecure countries. Today, Stephen examines the three ways water powers civilization —… [Listen](https://rss.art19.com/episodes/8c95d345-0b0d-44ac-b4d6-885fbca37fb7.mp3?rss_browser=BAhJIhRSU1NBbXBsaWZpZXJCb3QGOgZFVA%3D%3D--6345a2e4a0991d4cbe92da92e0fa95ff9d12de2e) ## The Cat and the Mouse Part 2 (1 Samuel 23-24) _2026-08-19 · Wisdom for the Heart_ Share a comment You know the moment, the one where you finally have the upper hand. The text in front of us is 1 Samuel 24, and David is hiding in a cave at En Gedi while Saul hunts him with 3,000 elite soldiers. Then the impossible happens: Saul walks in alone, completely vulnerable. David’s men whisper that it’s destiny, that God has handed David the chance to end the threat and take what he’s… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2545810/episodes/19625376-the-cat-and-the-mouse-part-2-1-samuel-23-24.mp3) ## The Cat and the Mouse Part 1 (1 Samuel 23-24) _2026-08-18 · Wisdom for the Heart_ Share a comment One moment. Two completely different conclusions about what “God’s will” must be. That’s the tension we sit in as we follow David’s flight from Saul through 1 Samuel 23 and 24, where the chase feels nonstop, the accusations are unfair, and the danger is real. If you’ve ever felt hunted at work, misjudged by family, or punished for doing the right thing, David’s story meets you… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2545810/episodes/19625368-the-cat-and-the-mouse-part-1-1-samuel-23-24.mp3) ## The World Needs Your Art: The Spiritual Roots of Why Artists Suffer | Stephen Roach _2026-08-18 · Makers & Mystics_ Every great artist from Caravaggio to Frida Kahlo has fought the same invisible war, and Stephen Roach makes the case that it is not a coincidence. In this solo reflection, Stephen traces a decade-long question that has haunted him: why does creative expression seem to attract so much internal and external opposition? Drawing on scripture, church history, and the lives of artists who battled… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2453582/episodes/19658549-the-world-needs-your-art-the-spiritual-roots-of-why-artists-suffer-stephen-roach.mp3) ## [Open directory of blogs (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/X5CRTBKgLllv) _2026-08-18 · **Sponsored**_ Drop URLs or OPML — get per-blog pages plus machine-readable JSON, OPML, text ## The Original Robin Hood (1 Samuel 21-22) _2026-08-17 · Wisdom for the Heart_ Share a comment David’s story takes a hard left when fear takes the wheel. He’s hungry, hunted, and making split-second choices that don’t look like the fearless giant-slayer we remember. We walk through 1 Samuel 21 to 22 as David lies at Nob, eats the holy bread, and then reaches for the one symbol that should have been unnecessary: Goliath’s sword. That moment becomes a mirror for the way our… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2545810/episodes/19625364-the-original-robin-hood-1-samuel-21-22.mp3) ## [Encore: The Signs of Jesus in John-The Healing at the Pool on the Sabbath](https://soundcloud.com/user-756654168/encore-the-signs-of-jesus-in-2) _2026-08-14 · Off Hand: with Stephen & Lydia_ Stephen & Lydia are facinated by Jesus' power over circumstance [Listen](https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2289942278-user-756654168-encore-the-signs-of-jesus-in-2.mp3) ## Storm Clouds Part 2 (1 Samuel 19-20) _2026-08-14 · Wisdom for the Heart_ Share a comment Have you ever felt like life turned against you for no good reason? You did the right thing, obeyed God, and served faithfully, only to watch storm clouds gather where the sun had just been shining. What do you do when doing right leads to being hunted? In this episode, Stephen Davey opens 1 Samuel 19 and 20 and continues his series on the life of David. The pretense is finally… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2545810/episodes/19598535-storm-clouds-part-2-1-samuel-19-20.mp3) ## Storm Clouds Part 1 (1 Samuel 19-20) _2026-08-13 · Wisdom for the Heart_ Share a comment Have you ever felt like life turned against you for no good reason? You did the right thing, obeyed God, and served faithfully, only to watch storm clouds gather where the sun had just been shining. What do you do when doing right leads to being hunted? In this episode, Stephen Davey opens 1 Samuel 19 and 20 and continues his series on the life of David. The pretense is finally… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2545810/episodes/19598530-storm-clouds-part-1-1-samuel-19-20.mp3) ## Behaving Wisely Part 2 (1 Samuel 18:1-30) _2026-08-12 · Wisdom for the Heart_ Share a comment Have you ever wondered what wisdom really looks like in the middle of ordinary life? Not the wisdom of clever answers or shrewd strategies, but the kind that shapes how you respond to praise, criticism, promotion, and setbacks. What does godly wisdom actually look like in flesh and blood? In this episode, Stephen Davey opens 1 Samuel 18 and continues his series on the life of… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2545810/episodes/19598526-behaving-wisely-part-2-1-samuel-18-1-30.mp3) ## Behaving Wisely Part 1 (1 Samuel 18:1-30) _2026-08-11 · Wisdom for the Heart_ Share a comment Have you ever wondered what wisdom really looks like in the middle of ordinary life? Not the wisdom of clever answers or shrewd strategies, but the kind that shapes how you respond to praise, criticism, promotion, and setbacks. What does godly wisdom actually look like in flesh and blood? In this episode, Stephen Davey opens 1 Samuel 18 and continues his series on the life of… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2545810/episodes/19598507-behaving-wisely-part-1-1-samuel-18-1-30.mp3) ## David and the Sitting Duck Part 2 (1 Samuel 17) _2026-08-10 · Wisdom for the Heart_ Share a comment Have you always heard the story of David and Goliath as a message about overcoming your personal giants? What if that popular reading actually misses the whole point of what happened in the Valley of Blood? In this episode, Stephen Davey opens 1 Samuel 17 and walks you through one of the most familiar accounts in Scripture with fresh clarity. Israel is not just facing a military… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2545810/episodes/19598495-david-and-the-sitting-duck-part-2-1-samuel-17.mp3) ## [Encore: The Signs of Jesus in John-Jesus Heals an Official's Son](https://soundcloud.com/user-756654168/encore-the-signs-of-jesus-in-1) _2026-08-07 · Off Hand: with Stephen & Lydia_ Stephen & Lydia marvel at Jesus' first miraculous sign [Listen](https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2289941390-user-756654168-encore-the-signs-of-jesus-in-1.mp3) ## David and the Sitting Duck Part 1 (1 Samuel 17) _2026-08-07 · Wisdom for the Heart_ Share a comment A story you think you know can still confront you. David and Goliath gets retold as a motivational underdog win, but that version can miss the sharpest edge of 1 Samuel 17. We dig into the line that changes everything: the soldiers describe Goliath as defying Israel, while David insists Goliath is defying the armies of the living God. One group sees a giant. David sees a… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2545810/episodes/19487983-david-and-the-sitting-duck-part-1-1-samuel-17.mp3) ## An Unlikely King Part 2 (I Samuel 16:1-13) _2026-08-06 · Wisdom for the Heart_ Share a comment A king is chosen while another king still rules, and almost nobody in the room understands what just happened. We head to Bethlehem with Samuel as God stages a decision that feels backwards to human instincts: not a warrior, not the most impressive brother, not the obvious résumé. The tension is real, too. Saul’s reign is unraveling, enemies are nearby, and a public announcement… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2545810/episodes/19487968-an-unlikely-king-part-2-i-samuel-16-1-13.mp3) ## [Crush Every Threat in Real Time (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/E04c9KYZUjwR) _2026-08-06 · **Sponsored**_ One agent for real-time detection, exposure tracking, and active defense. ## Diplomacy Matters! _2026-08-05 · The Stephen Mansfield Podcast_ Eighteen months into Donald Trump's second term, more than half of all U.S. ambassadorships sit vacant — including 80% of Africa — leaving America without meaningful representation across most of the world as midterm elections approach. This isn't just bureaucratic neglect; it's a pattern of action without follow-through that weakens the very diplomatic infrastructure that keeps trade flowing and… [Listen](https://rss.art19.com/episodes/ae43999f-0a32-4aa4-8a4c-93419d3b66e7.mp3?rss_browser=BAhJIhRSU1NBbXBsaWZpZXJCb3QGOgZFVA%3D%3D--6345a2e4a0991d4cbe92da92e0fa95ff9d12de2e) ## [Encore: The Signs of Jesus in John-Water Into Wine](https://soundcloud.com/user-756654168/encore-the-signs-of-jesus-in) _2026-07-31 · Off Hand: with Stephen & Lydia_ Stephen & Lydia marvel at Jesus' first miraculous sign [Listen](https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2289938975-user-756654168-encore-the-signs-of-jesus-in.mp3) ## [Encore: National Ugly Truck Contest Day](https://soundcloud.com/user-756654168/encore-national-ugly-truck) _2026-07-24 · Off Hand: with Stephen & Lydia_ Stephen & Lydia mash up trucks and beauty contests [Listen](https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2289931265-user-756654168-encore-national-ugly-truck.mp3) ## Our Crisis of Reading _2026-07-22 · The Stephen Mansfield Podcast_ People in today's age are consuming more words than ever; the problem is, they're empty words. Doomscrolling and short-form content have crowded out great literature, and fewer than half of all American adults read a single book in 2022. While the downward trajectory of long form reading may not be as big a crisis as we think in our informational age, reading forms our minds in ways that no other… [Listen](https://rss.art19.com/episodes/75af7e8e-4343-4016-8512-9fd14a00fc72.mp3?rss_browser=BAhJIhRSU1NBbXBsaWZpZXJCb3QGOgZFVA%3D%3D--6345a2e4a0991d4cbe92da92e0fa95ff9d12de2e) ## Evelyn Underhill: Mother of Modern Mystics _2026-07-21 · Makers & Mystics_ Evelyn Underhill: The Mother of Modern Mystics Artist Profile Series 40 Who was Evelyn Underhill, and why does her work continue to shape the modern contemplative movement more than a century later? In this Artist Profile episode of Makers & Mystics , Stephen Roach explores the life of Evelyn Underhill, writer, spiritual director, retreat leader, and one of the most influential voices on Christian… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2453582/episodes/19520591-evelyn-underhill-mother-of-modern-mystics.mp3) ## [Encore: 1st and 2nd Kings](https://soundcloud.com/user-756654168/encore-1st-and-2nd-kings) _2026-07-17 · Off Hand: with Stephen & Lydia_ Stephen & Lydia learn about God by looking at the kings of His special people [Listen](https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2289927023-user-756654168-encore-1st-and-2nd-kings.mp3) ## Making Room at the Table: Art, Justice, and The Stories That Shape Us | Steve Prince _2026-07-14 · Makers & Mystics_ What if art isn't simply something we admire, but something that asks something of us? In this episode, Stephen Roach sits down with acclaimed printmaker, educator, and storyteller Steve Prince for a conversation about the vocation of the artist. Drawing from history, faith, family, and lived experience, Steve shares how his work seeks to preserve memory, confront injustice, and create spaces… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2453582/episodes/19490127-making-room-at-the-table-art-justice-and-the-stories-that-shape-us-steve-prince.mp3) ## [Encore: An Interview with a Lifeguard](https://soundcloud.com/user-756654168/encore-an-interview-with-a) _2026-07-10 · Off Hand: with Stephen & Lydia_ Stephen & Lydia interview a lifeguard [Listen](https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2289925604-user-756654168-encore-an-interview-with-a.mp3) ## Fun Learning in the 250th _2026-07-08 · The Stephen Mansfield Podcast_ Most Americans do not have the time nor the interest to open 1,000-page academic tomes on American history. Thus, it's crucial that we find meaningful, enjoyable, and reliable ways to take in our history. For this 250th year of our great nation, Stephen has 3 recommendations of high-quality, inspiring works that any American can access and appreciate: "John Adams" on HBO "America's God and… [Listen](https://rss.art19.com/episodes/b26d865b-e00d-4a3c-a87e-659f36da6757.mp3?rss_browser=BAhJIhRSU1NBbXBsaWZpZXJCb3QGOgZFVA%3D%3D--6345a2e4a0991d4cbe92da92e0fa95ff9d12de2e) ## Missionaries of Beauty: An Antidote to a Cultural Crisis with Sacred Artist Kate Capato _2026-07-06 · Makers & Mystics_ Can beauty change a person? A community? A culture? Sacred artist Kate Capato believes it can. In this bonus episode of Makers & Mystics, Stephen Roach sits down with Kate to explore why authentic beauty has the power to heal, awaken wonder, and draw people into the presence of God. Together they discuss the modern crisis of beauty, the vocation of the artist, and how sacred art becomes an… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2453582/episodes/19433586-missionaries-of-beauty-an-antidote-to-a-cultural-crisis-with-sacred-artist-kate-capato.mp3) ## [Find what they just said (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/VqadpdySo6rV) _2026-07-06 · **Sponsored**_ Surface recent public signals so you can send policy-aware, relevant outreach ## [Encore: Fear](https://soundcloud.com/user-756654168/encore-fear) _2026-07-03 · Off Hand: with Stephen & Lydia_ Stephen & Lydia confront fears [Listen](https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2289921239-user-756654168-encore-fear.mp3) ## One Last Monster: Gene Kim on Animation, Storytelling, and the Art of Human Transformation _2026-06-30 · Makers & Mystics_ Animation has a unique ability to carry profound truths beneath colorful worlds, unforgettable characters, and compelling adventure. Beneath the spectacle, the best stories invite us into questions of identity, grief, hope, and transformation. In this episode, Stephen Roach sits down with animator and storyboard artist Gene Kim, whose career has included work with Pixar, Blue Sky Studios, and… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2453582/episodes/19422034-one-last-monster-gene-kim-on-animation-storytelling-and-the-art-of-human-transformation.mp3) ## [Encore: Envy](https://soundcloud.com/user-756654168/encore-envy) _2026-06-26 · Off Hand: with Stephen & Lydia_ Stephen & Lydia talk about the sin of envy [Listen](https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2289923483-user-756654168-encore-envy.mp3) ## Principles for Life _2026-06-24 · The Stephen Mansfield Podcast_ Carl von Clausewitz argued that the object of war is always the predetermined end state — not the battle itself. In the midst of peace negotiations with Iran, America has won militarily while fumbling the endgame: no regime change, no Strait of Hormuz renegotiation, no nuclear agreement, and a $300 billion rebuild check on the table. The same strategic clarity we demand of individuals has to… [Listen](https://rss.art19.com/episodes/d8f4951b-b337-4aef-a8af-bb218689f66d.mp3?rss_browser=BAhJIhRSU1NBbXBsaWZpZXJCb3QGOgZFVA%3D%3D--6345a2e4a0991d4cbe92da92e0fa95ff9d12de2e) ## [Encore: Chef Tom's Refrigerator Pickles](https://soundcloud.com/user-756654168/encore-chef-toms-refrigerator) _2026-06-19 · Off Hand: with Stephen & Lydia_ Stephen & Lydia learn about cooking from Chef Tom [Listen](https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2289894965-user-756654168-encore-chef-toms-refrigerator.mp3) ## [Encore: An Interview with Aunt Shirley](https://soundcloud.com/user-756654168/encore-an-interview-with-aunt) _2026-06-12 · Off Hand: with Stephen & Lydia_ In this episode Stephen & Lydia interview Aunt Shirley and talk about the discipleship program at GHH [Listen](https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2289874943-user-756654168-encore-an-interview-with-aunt.mp3) ## Saving American History _2026-06-10 · The Stephen Mansfield Podcast_ Every nation's history contains both beauty and atrocity — America is no exception. Yet increasingly, the American story is being told through only one lens. Recent data suggests that young Americans are being shaped to view their country with contempt rather than complexity. But the root of our failures isn't oppression along lines of race, gender, religion, or class. It's something more… [Listen](https://rss.art19.com/episodes/92495676-22c3-470b-85bf-e149e9044586.mp3?rss_browser=BAhJIhRSU1NBbXBsaWZpZXJCb3QGOgZFVA%3D%3D--6345a2e4a0991d4cbe92da92e0fa95ff9d12de2e) ## Threads of Beauty: On Fashion, Fabric and Theology _2026-06-09 · Makers & Mystics_ In this bonus episode of Makers & Mystics, Stephen Roach revisits The Pace of Beauty series with artist and designer Jennifer Sturrock. Drawing from her background in couture, contemporary art, and theological study, Jennifer shares how fabric and materiality have become a framework for exploring deeper questions of identity, mystery, and communion with God. What begins as a conversation about… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2453582/episodes/19300434-threads-of-beauty-on-fashion-fabric-and-theology.mp3) ## The Problem with Beauty: From The Grotesque to The Sublime _2026-06-02 · Makers & Mystics_ Beauty is one of the most celebrated words in art and faith conversations, but it may also be one of the most misunderstood. Is beauty simply what pleases the eye, or is it something deeper? Can beauty exist alongside suffering, loss, and the grotesque? And what happens when we settle for beauty that comforts us while avoiding the realities that transform us? What if beauty requires darkness,… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2453582/episodes/19276876-the-problem-with-beauty-from-the-grotesque-to-the-sublime.mp3) ## In Defense of the Kurds _2026-05-27 · The Stephen Mansfield Podcast_ The Kurds have been loyal American allies for decades — so why are we getting them so wrong? In this episode, Stephen draws on his book " The Miracle of the Kurds" to set the record straight about one of the most misunderstood people in the world: a moderate, resilient ethnicity spread across the Middle East with no nation to call their own, yet fiercely devoted to their identity and their allies.… [Listen](https://rss.art19.com/episodes/e14e4c87-bdf1-46c3-b776-dbbee1968797.mp3?rss_browser=BAhJIhRSU1NBbXBsaWZpZXJCb3QGOgZFVA%3D%3D--6345a2e4a0991d4cbe92da92e0fa95ff9d12de2e) ## The Beauty of Vulnerability | Zan Fiskum _2026-05-26 · Makers & Mystics_ What does it cost an artist to tell the truth? Singer-songwriter Zan Fiskum has built her entire creative life around finding out. In this episode, host Stephen Roach sits down with Zan to explore how her most personal songs, about a toxic creative relationship, a fractured friendship, and a complicated bond with her mother, became anthems for strangers carrying the same quiet weight. This is a… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2453582/episodes/19234654-the-beauty-of-vulnerability-zan-fiskum.mp3) ## Beauty As Survival: Breath, Embodiment, and The First Instrument _2026-05-19 · Makers & Mystics_ Beauty As Survival: Breath, Embodiment, and The First Instrument A conversation with Whitney Lynn In this episode, I sit down with embodiment coach, creative director, and longtime Breath and The Clay collaborator Whitney Lynn to explore the intersections of breath, beauty, embodiment, and the creative life. Whitney’s work centers on “returning the body to the body,” helping people come home to… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2453582/episodes/19198929-beauty-as-survival-breath-embodiment-and-the-first-instrument.mp3) ## Hear Ben Sasse! _2026-05-13 · The Stephen Mansfield Podcast_ Ben Sasse — Nebraskan, senator, university president, Harvard and Yale scholar — is dying of stage IV pancreatic cancer, and he is using his remaining time to speak truth to America. Staring death in the face, he's declared that Congress is asleep at the wheel, that our neighborhoods matter more than our political tribes, and that "there are no maverick molecules in the universe." You may not… [Listen](https://rss.art19.com/episodes/679949ec-455a-4b19-9523-c398a4152ba3.mp3?rss_browser=BAhJIhRSU1NBbXBsaWZpZXJCb3QGOgZFVA%3D%3D--6345a2e4a0991d4cbe92da92e0fa95ff9d12de2e) ## Make Your Home In This Luminous Dark: Contemporary Art and The Path of the Mystics with James K. A. Smith _2026-05-12 · Makers & Mystics_ Make Your Home In This Luminous Dark A conversation with James K. A. Smith In this episode, I sit down with philosopher and author James K. A. Smith (Jamie) to explore the mystical tradition as a living pathway into deeper faith, creativity, and presence. Jamie shares how his journey into mysticism began not through abstract theology, but through personal crisis, an experience of depression that… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2453582/episodes/19006744-make-your-home-in-this-luminous-dark-contemporary-art-and-the-path-of-the-mystics-with-james-k-a-smith.mp3) ## Whitefield and America _2026-04-29 · The Stephen Mansfield Podcast_ Names like Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, and Adams have become synonymous with the founding of America. But one name, often forgotten, holds just as much influence if we only read the pages of history. The name? Whitefield. George Whitefield, credited with unifying the colonies in the first intercolonial event, preaching the idea of a God-ordained destiny for the colonies, and warning of… [Listen](https://rss.art19.com/episodes/925cc918-687c-4c29-8a6a-6dd77748a7ad.mp3?rss_browser=BAhJIhRSU1NBbXBsaWZpZXJCb3QGOgZFVA%3D%3D--6345a2e4a0991d4cbe92da92e0fa95ff9d12de2e) ## Religion is the Issue _2026-04-15 · The Stephen Mansfield Podcast_ To understand the tensions occurring today in Iran, we must first understand the religious background of the nation's Shiite Muslim leadership. While the U.S. State Department may view the Iranian conflict in political, geographic, and military terms, the nation's leaders interpret it through a profoundly religious and even apocalyptic lens. As a result, any U.S. administration—including that of… [Listen](https://rss.art19.com/episodes/0f501b40-9d59-4a64-a2d8-674d93ae7ec7.mp3?rss_browser=BAhJIhRSU1NBbXBsaWZpZXJCb3QGOgZFVA%3D%3D--6345a2e4a0991d4cbe92da92e0fa95ff9d12de2e)