We all like to believe that we live our lives rationally, deliberately, and consciously. But what if our conscious decision-making is just the tip of the iceberg? ??I feel like I have a full picture of what's happening inside my own mind,? says Shankar Vedantam. But it turns out ?there is a large portion of our mind that's working outside of our conscious awareness.? Shankar founded Hidden Brain Media in order to teach people what science has uncovered about our brains. In this episode, he discusses why we?re not as autonomous as we think we are, and the profound implications for the ways we act, think, and live. ?Show Notes, Resources, and Transcript? for abridged episode with Shankar Vedantam? ????Join NSE+???? ? our subscriber-only community ? for ad-free listening, member-only bonus content, and early access to live show tickets. Your membership helps make No Small Endeavor sustainable. No Small Endeavor: An award-winning podcast that asks what it means to live a good life. Through conversations with leading thinkers across theology, philosophy, psychology, politics, and the social sciences, we explore human flourishing, meaning and purpose, faith and culture, science and religion, virtue and character, religion and spirituality, community, and the practices that help shape a good life grounded in truth, beauty, and goodness. Follow ????@nosmallendeavor????  Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow ????@leeccamp ?? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is our unabridged interview with Rosalind Picard. What if the technologies we build to serve us begin to quietly shape who we become? As part of our series The Human Cost of AI, Rosalind Picard offers a profound window into both the promise and the peril of artificial intelligence. A pioneer in affective computing, her work sits at the intersection of neuroscience, ethics, and the search for meaning raising urgent questions about human dignity, embodiment, and care. We?re sharing the full, unabridged conversation between Rosalind Picard and Lee recorded live at the Baylor Symposium on Faith & Culture: Technology and the Human Person in the Age of Al. ????Show Notes, Resources, and Transcript? for abridged episode 2 of The Human Cost of AI???? ????Join NSE+???? ? our subscriber-only community ? for ad-free listening, member-only bonus content, and early access to live show tickets. Your membership helps make No Small Endeavor sustainable. No Small Endeavor: An award-winning podcast that asks what it means to live a good life. Through conversations with leading thinkers across theology, philosophy, psychology, politics, and the social sciences, we explore human flourishing, meaning and purpose, faith and culture, science and religion, virtue and character, religion and spirituality, community, and the practices that help shape a good life grounded in truth, beauty, and goodness. Follow ????@nosmallendeavor????  Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow ????@leeccamp ?? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when a church starts thinking like a brand, and hires people to protect its image? In this episode, we explore the rise of reputation management inside religious institutions, starting with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its growing ecosystem of influencers, media strategy, and image control. From the ?second Mormon moment? on social media to The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, we ask what it means when faith communities adopt the tools of PR and branding. Along the way, we look at how reputation management can shape not just perception, but truth, connecting it to broader questions of power, storytelling, and what gets protected (or buried) in the name of a larger mission, including the complicated legacy of figures like Cesar Chavez. When reputation matters most, who pays the price? Things we mentioned in this episode: New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton Follow The Subtext: Instagram | Threads | X | YouTube | TikTok Follow Lee: Instagram | Twitter | Lee's Newsletter Follow Savannah: Instagram | Substack Join our Email List: nosmallendeavor.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We?re building smarter, faster tools every day, but are they helping us live better lives or just accelerating us in the wrong direction? In part two of The Human Cost of AI, Lee C. Camp shifts from diagnosing the forces behind the AI revolution to discerning how we might live well within it. Drawing on voices from neuroscience, theology, and philosophy, this episode explores three essential questions around purpose, human dignity, and agency. At stake is nothing less than authentic human flourishing in a technological age. Key Ideas: -Clarify Your Purpose In a culture obsessed with speed and efficiency, we must ask why we are using AI and whether it serves meaningful living or misdirected progress. -Reimagine What?s Human As machines replicate language and reasoning, we are invited to rediscover human dignity through embodiment and relationship. -Practice Courageous Agency Even without control over systems, we can resist, choose differently, and cultivate habits that align technology with the common good. ???Show Notes, Resources, and Transcript? for abridged episode 2 of The Human Cost of AI??? ???Join NSE+??? ? our subscriber-only community ? for ad-free listening, member-only bonus content, and early access to live show tickets. Your membership helps make No Small Endeavor sustainable. No Small Endeavor: An award-winning podcast that asks what it means to live a good life. Through conversations with leading thinkers across theology, philosophy, psychology, politics, and the social sciences, we explore human flourishing, meaning and purpose, faith and culture, science and religion, virtue and character, religion and spirituality, community, and the practices that help shape a good life grounded in truth, beauty, and goodness. Follow ???@nosmallendeavor???  Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow ???@leeccamp ?? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is our unabridged interview with Josh Brake. What if the tools shaping our future are also reshaping our humanity? As part of our series The Human Cost of AI, Josh Brake stands out as a uniquely thoughtful voice, bringing together engineering, philosophy, and theology to ask deeper questions about technology and human flourishing. We wanted to bring you the full, unabridged conversation that Josh and Lee had. This is a rich and honest exploration of what it means to live wisely, faithfully, and humanly in an age of artificial intelligence. ????Show Notes, Resources, and Transcript? for abridged episode 1 of The Human Cost of AI???? ????Join NSE+???? ? our subscriber-only community ? for ad-free listening, member-only bonus content, and early access to live show tickets. Your membership helps make No Small Endeavor sustainable. No Small Endeavor: An award-winning podcast that asks what it means to live a good life. Through conversations with leading thinkers across theology, philosophy, psychology, politics, and the social sciences, we explore human flourishing, meaning and purpose, faith and culture, science and religion, virtue and character, religion and spirituality, community, and the practices that help shape a good life grounded in truth, beauty, and goodness. Follow ????@nosmallendeavor????  Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow ????@leeccamp ?? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lee and Savannah welcome a guest on this week?s episode to discuss why everyone hates poetry! In the hot seat is professor and poet Donovan McAbee, who recently published Holy the Body, a collection of poems exploring loss, grief, and doubt. Together, they talk about the beauty of uncertainty and how poetry can be the translator of life?s darkest experiences. If you liked the selected poems McAbee read on this episode, make sure to pick up a copy of Holy the Body! Things we mentioned in this episode: Holy the Body by Donovan McAbee Selected Poems by Seamus Heaney Endurance by Alfred Lansing The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon Viola Davis on Good Hang with Amy Poehler Falling by James L. Dickey Praying Drunk by Andrew Hudgins Models of the Church by Avery Dulles Follow Donovan McAbee: Instagram Follow The Subtext: Instagram | Threads | X | YouTube | TikTok Follow Lee: Instagram | Twitter | Lee's Newsletter Follow Savannah: Instagram | Substack Join our Email List: nosmallendeavor.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the greatest danger of AI isn?t that it becomes human, but that it reshapes what it means to be one? In part one of this series, we explore artificial intelligence through a sobering insight: every ship we build also creates the possibility of a shipwreck. The question is not whether AI will save us or destroy us, but how our own formation may already be the collateral damage of its rise. To trace the human cost of AI, we follow three fault lines: tools, sex, and money. We examine how these technologies shape our habits and desires, and how they are shaped by the systems of power we live within. Along the way, we hear from leading scholars and technologists, including computer scientist Josh Brake, philosopher Joe Vukov, MIT professor Rosalind Picard, journalist Garrett Graff, and data scientist Rumman Chowdhury. Together, they challenge the idea that AI is merely a neutral tool, revealing how it quietly directs our attention, relationships, and sense of purpose and inviting us to reconsider what it means to live well and remain human, in an age of powerful machines. Key Ideas: -Rethink ?Just a Tool? Technologies are never neutral; their design subtly shapes our habits, attention, and even our sense of agency. -Ask Who You?re Becoming The deeper question isn?t what we use AI for, but how it forms our character and communities over time. -Resist the Illusion of Understanding AI systems can mimic human thought, but they do not understand meaning?reminding us to value uniquely human forms of knowing. -Guard Your Desire AI?s ability to simulate intimacy risks reshaping our longings, training us toward convenience over genuine relationship. -Follow the Incentives Behind every AI system are economic forces that prioritize engagement and profit, often at the expense of human flourishing. -Recover a Fuller Humanity Being human is more than intelligence?it includes embodiment, relationships, and moral responsibility that no machine can replicate. Show Notes, Resources, and Transcript? for abridged episode 1 of The Human Cost of AI Join NSE+ ? our subscriber-only community ? for ad-free listening, member-only bonus content, and early access to live show tickets. Your membership helps make No Small Endeavor sustainable. No Small Endeavor: An award-winning podcast that asks what it means to live a good life. Through conversations with leading thinkers across theology, philosophy, psychology, politics, and the social sciences, we explore human flourishing, meaning and purpose, faith and culture, science and religion, virtue and character, religion and spirituality, community, and the practices that help shape a good life grounded in truth, beauty, and goodness. Follow @nosmallendeavor  Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow @leeccamp  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is our unabridged interview with Matt Lee. What if flourishing isn?t something you achieve, but something you share? Sociologist and human flourishing scholar Matthew T. Lee reflects on his unlikely journey from studying homicide to exploring love as a social practice. Drawing on research, philosophy, and lived experience, he challenges individualistic definitions of success and offers a richer vision rooted in community, dialogue, and mutual care. He insists that all flourishing is mutual. Key Ideas: -Flourish Together or Not at All True human flourishing is mutual, it cannot exist at the expense of others or the world around us. -From Isolation to Interdependence His ?forest? metaphor reveals that our lives are deeply interconnected, sharing resources and meaning beneath the surface. -Love as a Social Practice Flourishing grows through lived practices of love, not just ideas, especially in restorative justice and everyday relationships. -Rethink Success and Happiness The Global Flourishing study has found that material wealth and personal satisfaction alone are insufficient; flourishing includes virtue, relationships, and contribution to others. -Dialogue Over Monologue Transformation begins when we move beyond certainty and enter into genuine dialogue that reshapes how we see others and ourselves. -Build Small Communities of Hope Change doesn?t start at scale; it begins with small, intentional communities practicing a better way of being human. ????????Show Notes, Resources and Transcript?? for abridged episode with Matt Lee ?????????????????????Join NSE+????????????????????? ? our subscriber-only community ? for ad-free listening, member-only bonus content, and early access to live show tickets. Your membership helps make No Small Endeavor sustainable. No Small Endeavor: An award-winning podcast that asks what it means to live a good life. Through conversations with leading thinkers across theology, philosophy, psychology, politics, and the social sciences, we explore human flourishing, meaning and purpose, faith and culture, science and religion, virtue and character, community, and the practices that help shape a good life grounded in truth, beauty, and goodness. Follow ?????????????????????@nosmallendeavor?????????????????????  Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow ?????????????????????@leeccamp ???????? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is being an influencer on social media a calling? Can public-facing work align with a life of service? In this episode, Savannah and Lee unpack a viral influencer video and explore what it means to have a dream, how it connects to vocation, and what it really means to make an impact in the world. Things we mentioned in this episode: NYT Cooking Black Sesame Rice Krispies Treats Dept. Q Paradise Cup of Tea by Kacey Musgraves Who is My Enemy by Lee C. Camp  The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton The Summer Day by Mary Oliver Markings by Dag Hammarskjold The Pretender by Jackson Browne Follow The Subtext: Instagram | Threads | X | YouTube | TikTok Follow Lee: Instagram | Twitter | Lee's Newsletter Follow Savannah: Instagram | Substack Join our Email List: nosmallendeavor.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if flourishing isn?t something you achieve, but something you share? Sociologist and human flourishing scholar Matthew T. Lee reflects on his unlikely journey from studying homicide to exploring love as a social practice. Drawing on research, philosophy, and lived experience, he challenges individualistic definitions of success and offers a richer vision rooted in community, dialogue, and mutual care. He insists that all flourishing is mutual. Key Ideas: -Flourish Together or Not at All True human flourishing is mutual, it cannot exist at the expense of others or the world around us. -From Isolation to Interdependence His ?forest? metaphor reveals that our lives are deeply interconnected, sharing resources and meaning beneath the surface. -Love as a Social Practice Flourishing grows through lived practices of love, not just ideas, especially in restorative justice and everyday relationships. -Rethink Success and Happiness The Global Flourishing study has found that material wealth and personal satisfaction alone are insufficient; flourishing includes virtue, relationships, and contribution to others. -Dialogue Over Monologue Transformation begins when we move beyond certainty and enter into genuine dialogue that reshapes how we see others and ourselves. -Build Small Communities of Hope Change doesn?t start at scale; it begins with small, intentional communities practicing a better way of being human. ? ????????Show Notes, Resources and Transcript?? for abridged episode with Matt Lee? ??????????????????????Join NSE+?????????????????????? ? our subscriber-only community ? for ad-free listening, member-only bonus content, and early access to live show tickets. Your membership helps make No Small Endeavor sustainable. No Small Endeavor: An award-winning podcast that asks what it means to live a good life. Through conversations with leading thinkers across theology, philosophy, psychology, politics, and the social sciences, we explore human flourishing, meaning and purpose, faith and culture, science and religion, virtue and character, community, and the practices that help shape a good life grounded in truth, beauty, and goodness. Follow ??????????????????????@nosmallendeavor??????????????????????  Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow ??????????????????????@leeccamp ???????? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is our unabridged interview with Laurie Santos. Many of us spend years chasing the things we believe will make us happy, success, recognition, the next promotion, the perfect relationship, only to discover they don?t satisfy the way we expected. Why are we so often wrong about what will make our lives better? Yale psychologist Dr. Laurie Santos, creator of the most popular course in Yale?s history, Psychology and the Good Life, joins Lee C. Camp to explore the science of well-being. Drawing from decades of research in psychology and happiness science, Santos explains why our minds often ?miswant? things we think will make us happy, but won?t actually do so. We cover how social comparison continually moves the goal post of our satisfaction and why practices like gratitude, social connection, and self-compassion actually do move the needle on well-being.  Key Ideas Correct Our ?Miswanting? Humans consistently mispredict what will make them happy, often overvaluing achievements, money, or status while underestimating the power of relationships, gratitude, and meaningful activity. Practice the Bronze Mindset Happiness often depends on our reference point; learning to focus on what we have rather than what we narrowly missed can transform how we experience success and disappointment. Invest in Real Connection Genuine social interaction?from deep friendships to small conversations with strangers?remains one of the strongest predictors of long-term well-being. Embrace Negative Emotions as Signals Feelings like sadness, loneliness, or overwhelm are not failures of happiness but important psychological signals that guide us toward needed changes. Turn Knowledge Into Practice Knowing the science of happiness isn?t enough; lasting flourishing comes through habits?small, repeated behaviors like gratitude, rest, and time affluence. Take Baby Steps Toward Well-Being Even small practices?ten minutes of meditation, a gratitude journal entry, or a meaningful conversation?can gradually shift our lives toward greater happiness. ???????Show Notes, Resources and Transcript?? for abridged episode with Laurie Santos? ????????????????????Join NSE+???????????????????? ? our subscriber-only community ? for ad-free listening, member-only bonus content, and early access to live show tickets. Your membership helps make No Small Endeavor sustainable. No Small Endeavor: An award-winning podcast that asks what it means to live a good life. Through conversations with leading thinkers across theology, philosophy, psychology, politics, and the social sciences, we explore human flourishing, meaning and purpose, faith and culture, science and religion, virtue and character, community, and the practices that help shape a good life grounded in truth, beauty, and goodness. Follow ????????????????????@nosmallendeavor????????????????????  Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow ????????????????????@leeccamp ???????? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back by popular demand! Class is back in session this week as Lee and Savannah walk through Dispensationalism for Dummies, Christian Nationalism, and Just War Tradition in light of our current moment. So grab your notebooks and pens because you?re going to need them! What do you think? Do we need a part 3? Things we mentioned in this episode: Theo of Golden by Allen Levi Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser Man in the High Castle The Just War Tradition by Daniel Bell Follow The Subtext: Instagram | Threads | X | YouTube | TikTok Follow Lee: Instagram | Twitter | Lee's Newsletter Follow Savannah: Instagram | Substack Join our Email List: nosmallendeavor.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many of us spend years chasing the things we believe will make us happy, success, recognition, the next promotion, the perfect relationship, only to discover they don?t satisfy the way we expected. Why are we so often wrong about what will make our lives better? Yale psychologist Dr. Laurie Santos, creator of the most popular course in Yale?s history, Psychology and the Good Life, joins Lee C. Camp to explore the science of well-being. Drawing from decades of research in psychology and happiness science, Santos explains why our minds often ?miswant? things we think will make us happy, but won?t actually do so. We cover how social comparison continually moves the goal post of our satisfaction and why practices like gratitude, social connection, and self-compassion actually do move the needle on well-being.  Key Ideas Correct Our ?Miswanting? Humans consistently mispredict what will make them happy, often overvaluing achievements, money, or status while underestimating the power of relationships, gratitude, and meaningful activity. Practice the Bronze Mindset Happiness often depends on our reference point; learning to focus on what we have rather than what we narrowly missed can transform how we experience success and disappointment. Invest in Real Connection Genuine social interaction?from deep friendships to small conversations with strangers?remains one of the strongest predictors of long-term well-being. Embrace Negative Emotions as Signals Feelings like sadness, loneliness, or overwhelm are not failures of happiness but important psychological signals that guide us toward needed changes. Turn Knowledge Into Practice Knowing the science of happiness isn?t enough; lasting flourishing comes through habits?small, repeated behaviors like gratitude, rest, and time affluence. Take Baby Steps Toward Well-Being Even small practices?ten minutes of meditation, a gratitude journal entry, or a meaningful conversation?can gradually shift our lives toward greater happiness. ???????Show Notes, Resources and Transcript?? for abridged episode with Laurie Santos? ????????????????????Join NSE+???????????????????? ? our subscriber-only community ? for ad-free listening, member-only bonus content, and early access to live show tickets. Your membership helps make No Small Endeavor sustainable. No Small Endeavor: An award-winning podcast that asks what it means to live a good life. Through conversations with leading thinkers across theology, philosophy, psychology, politics, and the social sciences, we explore human flourishing, meaning and purpose, faith and culture, science and religion, virtue and character, community, and the practices that help shape a good life grounded in truth, beauty, and goodness. Follow ????????????????????@nosmallendeavor????????????????????  Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow ????????????????????@leeccamp ???????? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is our unabridged interview with Sonja Lyubomirsky. What if the secret to happiness isn?t success, status, or even positive thinking, but the simple act of letting yourself be known? Psychologist and bestselling author Sonja Lyubomirsky has spent more than three decades studying human happiness. She shares from her new book, ?How to Feel Loved: The Five Mindsets That Get You More of What Matters Most?, about what science reveals about gratitude, kindness, hedonic adaptation, and the surprising limits of life circumstances. Her newest research goes even deeper: happiness flourishes when we feel genuinely loved, and that begins not by impressing others, but by becoming known. Key Ideas: Rethink What Happiness Is: Happiness is both feeling good in your life and feeling satisfied with your life?an interplay of emotion, meaning, and progress toward what matters. Don?t Chase Circumstances: Beyond basic needs, new cars, promotions, and bigger houses bring only temporary boosts because of hedonic adaptation. Practice What You Can Control: Gratitude, acts of kindness, and intentional habits can measurably increase well-being?even influencing immune health. Lead With Curiosity: The first step to feeling loved is helping someone else feel loved?through genuine questions, deep listening, and real presence. Choose Vulnerable Connection: We feel loved not when we impress others, but when we allow ourselves to be seen in our full humanity. Adopt the Multiplicity Mindset: No single behavior defines you?or anyone else; compassion grows when we remember we are all complex, unfinished quilts of strengths and flaws. ?????Show Notes, Resources and Transcript?? for abridged episode with Sonja Lyubomirsky? ??????????????????Join NSE+?????????????????? ? our subscriber-only community ? for ad-free listening, member-only bonus content, and early access to live show tickets. Your membership helps make No Small Endeavor sustainable. No Small Endeavor: An award-winning podcast that asks what it means to live a good life. Through conversations with leading thinkers across theology, philosophy, psychology, politics, and the social sciences, we explore human flourishing, meaning and purpose, faith and culture, science and religion, virtue and character, community, and the practices that help shape a good life grounded in truth, beauty, and goodness. Follow ??????????????????@nosmallendeavor??????????????????  Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow ??????????????????@leeccamp ??????? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let?s talk about the billion-dollar industry that turns friendship into a sales funnel, and women into its favorite target. They show up in your DMs with compliments before they show up with a pitch. They promise community, purpose, and financial freedom. But behind the glossy before-and-afters and the "girl boss" energy, multi-level marketing companies have a darker history, and a devastatingly predictable math. This week, Savannah and Lee trace the origins of MLMs from a vitamin salesman in the 1930s all the way to your Instagram inbox, unpack why women have always been the primary target, and ask the harder questions: what happens when community gets weaponized for profit, and what does it mean that 99% of recruits lose money, and keep recruiting anyway? Things we mentioned in this episode: Strangers by Belle Burden Savannah's new album Songs of Peace in Times of War Apple Music | Spotify Humoresque by Antonín Dvo?ák AI Series on No Small Endeavor releases on April 6th! Follow The Subtext: Instagram | Threads | X | YouTube | TikTok Follow Lee: Instagram | Twitter | Lee's Newsletter Follow Savannah: Instagram | Substack Join our Email List: nosmallendeavor.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the secret to happiness isn?t success, status, or even positive thinking, but the simple act of letting yourself be known? Psychologist and bestselling author Sonja Lyubomirsky has spent more than three decades studying human happiness. She shares from her new book, ?How to Feel Loved: The Five Mindsets That Get You More of What Matters Most?, about what science reveals about gratitude, kindness, hedonic adaptation, and the surprising limits of life circumstances. Her newest research goes even deeper: happiness flourishes when we feel genuinely loved, and that begins not by impressing others, but by becoming known. Key Ideas: Rethink What Happiness Is: Happiness is both feeling good in your life and feeling satisfied with your life?an interplay of emotion, meaning, and progress toward what matters. Don?t Chase Circumstances: Beyond basic needs, new cars, promotions, and bigger houses bring only temporary boosts because of hedonic adaptation. Practice What You Can Control: Gratitude, acts of kindness, and intentional habits can measurably increase well-being?even influencing immune health. Lead With Curiosity: The first step to feeling loved is helping someone else feel loved?through genuine questions, deep listening, and real presence. Choose Vulnerable Connection: We feel loved not when we impress others, but when we allow ourselves to be seen in our full humanity. Adopt the Multiplicity Mindset: No single behavior defines you?or anyone else; compassion grows when we remember we are all complex, unfinished quilts of strengths and flaws. ?????Show Notes, Resources and Transcript?? for abridged episode with Sonja Lyubomirsky? ??????????????????Join NSE+?????????????????? ? our subscriber-only community ? for ad-free listening, member-only bonus content, and early access to live show tickets. Your membership helps make No Small Endeavor sustainable. No Small Endeavor: An award-winning podcast that asks what it means to live a good life. Through conversations with leading thinkers across theology, philosophy, psychology, politics, and the social sciences, we explore human flourishing, meaning and purpose, faith and culture, science and religion, virtue and character, community, and the practices that help shape a good life grounded in truth, beauty, and goodness. Follow ??????????????????@nosmallendeavor??????????????????  Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow ??????????????????@leeccamp ?????? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is our unabridged interview with Ronald Rolheiser. What if the final chapter of your life could become your greatest gift? In this deeply wise conversation, Father Ronald Rolheiser joins Lee C. Camp to explore the spiritual invitation of aging. Drawing from his latest book ?Insane for the Light: A Spirituality for Our Wisdom Years?, Rolheiser reflects on loneliness, diminishment, forgiveness, and what it means to give not only our lives?but our deaths?away. This episode offers profound wisdom for anyone seeking authentic human flourishing in the final seasons of life. Key Ideas: Give Your Death Away The final stage of life invites us to offer our vulnerability and diminishment as a gift, leaving behind a spirit of peace rather than resentment. Choose Your Old Fool Aging makes us all ?old fools??but we can become pathetic, angry, or holy, depending on whether we cling, resent, or receive with grace. Grieve So You Don?t Grow Bitter Unhealed wounds harden into anger over time, but grieving what cannot be undone allows the soul to mellow. Live from the ?Above Mind? Jesus? call to metanoia invites us out of defensive paranoia into open-handed trust, courage, and love. Practice Gratitude and Forgiveness In the wisdom years, the spiritual vocabulary simplifies. Two words remain: gratitude and forgiveness.??????? ?? ???Show Notes, Resources and Transcript?? for abridged episode with Ronald Rolheiser??? Thank you to our sponsors: Boll and Branch: Get 20% off plus free shipping by visiting ?????????????????BollAndBranch.com/NSE????????????????? ????????????????Join NSE+???????????????? ? our subscriber-only community ? for ad-free listening, member-only bonus content, and early access to live show tickets. Your membership helps make No Small Endeavor sustainable. No Small Endeavor: An award-winning podcast that asks what it means to live a good life. Through conversations with leading thinkers across theology, philosophy, psychology, politics, and the social sciences, we explore human flourishing, meaning and purpose, faith and culture, science and religion, virtue and character, community, and the practices that help shape a good life grounded in truth, beauty, and goodness. Follow ????????????????@nosmallendeavor????????????????  Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow ????????????????@leeccamp ?????? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when dispensational theology or Christian nationalism directly informs foreign policy without critical reflection or moral accountability?  In this episode, we get to hear from the Professor himself, Lee C. Camp, as he takes the podium to trace the historical roots of Christian nonviolence, exploring how followers of Jesus have wrestled with war and peace across the centuries. Savannah and Lee examine reports that more than 200 complaints have been filed by members of the U.S. armed forces regarding commanding officers invoking ?God?s divine plan? to justify military action. These stories raise a pressing question at the intersection of faith, power, and policy: War?what is it good for? Things we mentioned in this episode: Jemar Tisby on No Small Endeavor Christian Attitudes Toward War and Peace by Roland H. Bainton Christian attitudes to war, peace, and revolution: a companion to Bainton by John Howard Yoder Who Is My Enemy? by Lee C. Camp With God on Our Side by Bob Dylan Also: pre-save Savannah's album! Some of our sources! US troops were told war on Iran was ?all part of God?s divine plan?, watchdog alleges (The Guardian) MRFF Inundated with Complaints of Gleeful Commanders Telling Troops Iran War is ?Part of God?s Divine Plan? to Usher in the Return of Jesus Christ (MRFF) Jemar Tisby on Threads Why Would Some Christians Be Excited About War With Iran? Benjamin Cremer on Substack Follow The Subtext: Instagram | Threads | X | YouTube | TikTok Follow Lee: Instagram | Twitter | Lee's Newsletter Follow Savannah: Instagram | Substack Join our Email List: nosmallendeavor.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the final chapter of your life could become your greatest gift? In this deeply wise conversation, Father Ronald Rolheiser joins Lee C. Camp to explore the spiritual invitation of aging. Drawing from his latest book ?Insane for the Light: A Spirituality for Our Wisdom Years?, Rolheiser reflects on loneliness, diminishment, forgiveness, and what it means to give not only our lives?but our deaths?away. This episode offers profound wisdom for anyone seeking authentic human flourishing in the final seasons of life. Key Ideas: Give Your Death Away The final stage of life invites us to offer our vulnerability and diminishment as a gift, leaving behind a spirit of peace rather than resentment. Choose Your Old Fool Aging makes us all ?old fools??but we can become pathetic, angry, or holy, depending on whether we cling, resent, or receive with grace. Grieve So You Don?t Grow Bitter Unhealed wounds harden into anger over time, but grieving what cannot be undone allows the soul to mellow. Live from the ?Above Mind? Jesus? call to metanoia invites us out of defensive paranoia into open-handed trust, courage, and love. Practice Gratitude and Forgiveness In the wisdom years, the spiritual vocabulary simplifies. Two words remain: gratitude and forgiveness.??????? ?? ???Show Notes, Resources and Transcript?? for abridged episode with Ronald Rolheiser??? Thank you to our sponsors: Boll and Branch: Get 20% off plus free shipping by visiting ?????????????????BollAndBranch.com/NSE????????????????? ????????????????Join NSE+???????????????? ? our subscriber-only community ? for ad-free listening, member-only bonus content, and early access to live show tickets. Your membership helps make No Small Endeavor sustainable. No Small Endeavor: An award-winning podcast that asks what it means to live a good life. Through conversations with leading thinkers across theology, philosophy, psychology, politics, and the social sciences, we explore human flourishing, meaning and purpose, faith and culture, science and religion, virtue and character, community, and the practices that help shape a good life grounded in truth, beauty, and goodness. Follow ????????????????@nosmallendeavor????????????????  Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow ????????????????@leeccamp ?????? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is our unabridged interview with Kim Stanley Robinson. Do you feel the weight of climate dread?and wonder whether hope is still intellectually honest? Acclaimed science fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson joins Lee C. Camp to name our shared fear about the future without surrendering to despair. Drawing from ?The Ministry for the Future?, Robinson offers a sober, deeply hopeful vision of change, one rooted not in heroics or denial, but in ordinary people, communal action, and the slow work of making things better. Together they explore how science, faith, and moral imagination can help us live well, even in a warming world. Key Ideas: Hope Without Illusion Robinson shows how genuine hope can coexist with fear, grounding optimism in science, collective action, and moral resolve rather than denial. Ordinary People Matter History often turns not on heroes or villains, but on everyday people, bureaucrats, scientists, neighbors, who do the right thing at critical moments. Utopia as Process A better future isn?t a flawless destination, but a continual movement toward less suffering, greater justice, and deeper solidarity. The Sacredness of the Biosphere Care for the planet is not just technical or political work, but a form of devotion rooted in humility, wonder, and reverence for life. Community Over Individualism Human flourishing depends on shared systems, food, labor, science, and governance that remind us how deeply we rely on one another. ??????? ?? ?Show Notes, Resources and Transcript?? for abridged episode with Kim Stanley Robinson? Thank you to our sponsors: Boll and Branch: Get 20% off plus free shipping by visiting ???????????????BollAndBranch.com/NSE??????????????? ??????????????Join NSE+?????????????? ? our subscriber-only community ? for ad-free listening, member-only bonus content, and early access to live show tickets. Your membership helps make No Small Endeavor sustainable. No Small Endeavor: An award-winning podcast that asks what it means to live a good life. Through conversations with leading thinkers across theology, philosophy, psychology, politics, and the social sciences, we explore human flourishing, meaning and purpose, faith and culture, science and religion, virtue and character, community, and the practices that help shape a good life grounded in truth, beauty, and goodness. Follow ??????????????@nosmallendeavor??????????????  Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow ??????????????@leeccamp ????? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With their new EP Days of Ash, U2 turns up the volume on grief, protest, and hope. What exactly are they trying to say? This week on The Subtext, we dive into U2?s new Days of Ash EP. From Holocaust memory and lament in ?The Tears of Things,? to Iranian resistance in ?Song of the Future,? to questions about politics, rights, and God?s power in ?American Obituary,? we explore how theology, politics, and art intertwine in U2?s latest offering to the world. Things we mentioned in this episode: Theo of Golden by Allen Levi Surrender by Bono Days of Ash - U2 Night by Elie Wiesel The Tears of Things by Richard Rohr With God on Our Side - Bob Dylan Stream Savannah's new single "God Have Mercy" (it's beautiful!)  Follow The Subtext: Instagram | Threads | X | YouTube | TikTok Follow Lee: Instagram | Twitter | Lee's Newsletter Follow Savannah: Instagram | Substack Join our Email List: nosmallendeavor.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you feel the weight of climate dread?and wonder whether hope is still intellectually honest? Acclaimed science fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson joins Lee C. Camp to name our shared fear about the future without surrendering to despair. Drawing from ?The Ministry for the Future?, Robinson offers a sober, deeply hopeful vision of change, one rooted not in heroics or denial, but in ordinary people, communal action, and the slow work of making things better. Together they explore how science, faith, and moral imagination can help us live well, even in a warming world. Key Ideas: Hope Without Illusion Robinson shows how genuine hope can coexist with fear, grounding optimism in science, collective action, and moral resolve rather than denial. Ordinary People Matter History often turns not on heroes or villains, but on everyday people, bureaucrats, scientists, neighbors, who do the right thing at critical moments. Utopia as Process A better future isn?t a flawless destination, but a continual movement toward less suffering, greater justice, and deeper solidarity. The Sacredness of the Biosphere Care for the planet is not just technical or political work, but a form of devotion rooted in humility, wonder, and reverence for life. Community Over Individualism Human flourishing depends on shared systems, food, labor, science, and governance that remind us how deeply we rely on one another. ??????? ?? ?Show Notes, Resources and Transcript?? for abridged episode with Kim Stanley Robinson? Thank you to our sponsors: Boll and Branch: Get 20% off plus free shipping by visiting ???????????????BollAndBranch.com/NSE??????????????? ??????????????Join NSE+?????????????? ? our subscriber-only community ? for ad-free listening, member-only bonus content, and early access to live show tickets. Your membership helps make No Small Endeavor sustainable. No Small Endeavor: An award-winning podcast that asks what it means to live a good life. Through conversations with leading thinkers across theology, philosophy, psychology, politics, and the social sciences, we explore human flourishing, meaning and purpose, faith and culture, science and religion, virtue and character, community, and the practices that help shape a good life grounded in truth, beauty, and goodness. Follow ??????????????@nosmallendeavor??????????????  Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow ??????????????@leeccamp ????? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is our unabridged interview with Paul Rosolie. He?s been dragged through the Amazon on the back of a giant anaconda, stood in seventy-foot flames trying to save burning animals, and slept on jungle floors for decades to protect a forest most of us will never see. Conservationist and author Paul Rosolie joins Lee C. Camp to tell the extraordinary story of how a dyslexic kid from Brooklyn followed a calling into the Amazon rainforest ? and gave his life to protecting it. From near-death encounters and viral moments to faith, sacrifice, and hope, this conversation explores what it truly takes to change the world and why the future of human flourishing is inseparable from the fate of the wild. Key Ideas: -Answer the Call: Paul?s life shows how vocation often begins not with credentials, but with saying yes to the next faithful step placed before you. -Love What You Protect: Conservation, Paul argues, is not driven by ideology but by intimacy ? knowing rivers, animals, and people well enough to fight for them. -Stay Human in Crisis: Facing ecological collapse without despair requires resisting cynicism and choosing hope as a disciplined, courageous act. -Courage Is Costly: Following a true calling often demands sacrifice ? financial, relational, and personal ? but meaning grows precisely in that cost. -The World Is Connected: The Amazon is not ?out there?; it regulates climate, water, and life everywhere, binding New York, Bangalore, and the jungle canopy together. ?????? ??Show Notes, Resources and Transcript?? for abridged episode with Paul Rosolie? Thank you to our sponsors: Boll and Branch: Get 20% off plus free shipping by visiting ?????????????BollAndBranch.com/NSE????????????? ????????????Join NSE+???????????? ? our subscriber-only community ? for ad-free listening, member-only bonus content, and early access to live show tickets. Your membership helps make No Small Endeavor sustainable. No Small Endeavor: An award-winning podcast that asks what it means to live a good life. Through conversations with leading thinkers across theology, philosophy, psychology, politics, and the social sciences, we explore human flourishing, meaning and purpose, faith and culture, science and religion, virtue and character, community, and the practices that help shape a good life grounded in truth, beauty, and goodness. Follow ????????????@nosmallendeavor????????????  Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow ????????????@leeccamp ???? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it actually look like to take responsibility when you?ve shaped a culture that harmed people? Is saying ?I?m sorry? enough? This week on The Subtext, we revisit the cultural reckoning around America?s Next Top Model and ask what meaningful accountability looks like for those who shaped, and benefited from, harmful beauty standards. Is acknowledging harm enough, or does repentance require repair? Turning to the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19, we explore a biblical model of costly repentance that doesn?t just confess wrongdoing but restores what was taken. Things we mentioned in this episode: Ben Cohen on No Small Endeavor (don't forget to leave us a review!) Follow The Subtext: Instagram | Threads | X | YouTube | TikTok Follow Lee: Instagram | Twitter | Lee's Newsletter Follow Savannah: Instagram | Substack Join our Email List: nosmallendeavor.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He?s been dragged through the Amazon on the back of a giant anaconda, stood in seventy-foot flames trying to save burning animals, and slept on jungle floors for decades to protect a forest most of us will never see. Conservationist and author Paul Rosolie joins Lee C. Camp to tell the extraordinary story of how a dyslexic kid from Brooklyn followed a calling into the Amazon rainforest ? and gave his life to protecting it. From near-death encounters and viral moments to faith, sacrifice, and hope, this conversation explores what it truly takes to change the world and why the future of human flourishing is inseparable from the fate of the wild. Key Ideas: Answer the Call Paul?s life shows how vocation often begins not with credentials, but with saying yes to the next faithful step placed before you. Love What You Protect Conservation, Paul argues, is not driven by ideology but by intimacy ? knowing rivers, animals, and people well enough to fight for them. Stay Human in Crisis Facing ecological collapse without despair requires resisting cynicism and choosing hope as a disciplined, courageous act. Courage Is Costly Following a true calling often demands sacrifice ? financial, relational, and personal ? but meaning grows precisely in that cost. The World Is Connected The Amazon is not ?out there?; it regulates climate, water, and life everywhere, binding New York, Bangalore, and the jungle canopy together. ????? ??Show Notes, Resources and Transcript?? for abridged episode with Paul Rosolie Thank you to our sponsors: Boll and Branch: Get 20% off plus free shipping by visiting ????????????BollAndBranch.com/NSE???????????? ???????????Join NSE+??????????? ? our subscriber-only community ? for ad-free listening, member-only bonus content, and early access to live show tickets. Your membership helps make No Small Endeavor sustainable. No Small Endeavor: An award-winning podcast that asks what it means to live a good life. Through conversations with leading thinkers across theology, philosophy, psychology, politics, and the social sciences, we explore human flourishing, meaning and purpose, faith and culture, science and religion, virtue and character, community, and the practices that help shape a good life grounded in truth, beauty, and goodness. Follow ???????????@nosmallendeavor???????????  Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow ???????????@leeccamp ??? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is our unabridged interview with Alexandra Solomon.  Is your love life in need of a tune-up?  Just in time for Valentine's Day, renowned relationship expert Dr. Alexandra Solomon joins us to share powerful insights from her book, "Loving Bravely."  Discover how self-awareness and understanding your past can dramatically improve your present relationships.  Dr. Solomon unpacks the secrets to thriving intimacy, from mastering the art of apology to staying truly present with your partner.  Plus, get practical tools for navigating the inevitable challenges of long-term love.  Tune in for this insightful conversation that will empower you to build stronger, more fulfilling relationships. ????? ??Show Notes, Resources and Transcript?? for abridged episode with Alexandra Solomon Thank you to our sponsors: Boll and Branch: Get 20% off plus free shipping by visiting ?????????????BollAndBranch.com/NSE????????????? ????????????Join NSE+???????????? ? our subscriber-only community ? for ad-free listening, member-only bonus content, and early access to live show tickets. Your membership helps make No Small Endeavor sustainable. No Small Endeavor: An award-winning podcast that asks what it means to live a good life. Through conversations with leading thinkers across theology, philosophy, psychology, politics, and the social sciences, we explore human flourishing, meaning and purpose, faith and culture, science and religion, virtue and character, community, and the practices that help shape a good life grounded in truth, beauty, and goodness. Follow ????????????@nosmallendeavor????????????  Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow ????????????@leeccamp ??? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the artists, authors, and celebrities we admire disappoint us, where?s the line between appreciating their work and endorsing their behavior? After the Grammys reignited the ?stay in your lane? debate, we revisit the question: Do we tell celebrities to be quiet because we don?t want to wrestle with what they believe? A listener email pushes us deeper, prompting us to ask what we do when artists we admire act immorally or hold views we reject. From Philip Yancey?s recent confession to pop culture figures like Andrew Huberman and Brad Pitt, we explore whether moral failure cancels insight, whether grace eliminates consequences, and how social media tribalism intensifies the dilemma. Can we separate art from the artist? Or are we always participating in what we platform? Things we mentioned in this episode: Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey Against the Machine by Paul Kingsnorth Theo of Golden by Allen Levi Hunter Biden on the Shawn Ryan Show You've Got Mail Follow The Subtext: Instagram | Threads | X | YouTube | TikTok Follow Lee: Instagram | Twitter | Lee's Newsletter Follow Savannah: Instagram | Substack Join our Email List: nosmallendeavor.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we?re sharing a conversation originally recorded for Preston Sprinkle?s podcast, Theology in the Raw. It?s a wide-ranging, thoughtful dialogue that digs into political theology, Christian nationalism, just war theory, technology, and the deeper question underneath it all: What kind of people are we becoming? Lee joins Preston for an honest and at times searching conversation about the pressures facing the church in our current political and technological moment. Key Themes: Christian Nationalism ? Then and Now Why Christian nationalism is not just a ?right-wing? problem The surprising history of progressive Christian nationalism (Woodrow Wilson and World War I) How allegiance to a nation can distort allegiance to Christ The church?s temptation to baptize political power Recovering Forgotten Christian Traditions The pacifist roots of the Stone-Campbell movement How World War I reshaped American Christianity Why most Christians have never actually been taught the Just War tradition The difference between claiming Just War and being morally formed by it Violence, War, and Christian Witness Why the Just War tradition is far more rigorous than most assume The danger of defaulting to state power without serious moral discernment What it might mean to ?bear witness to the way of Christ? in a violent world Why the church?s formation matters more than hypothetical ?what would you do?? scenarios Social Media, Anger, and the Business Model of Outrage How the ad-revenue model rewards anger Why social platforms amplify division by design The spiritual consequences of living online Why disengaging can sometimes be an act of wisdom Technology, AI, and Moral Formation Drawing on Jacques Ellul?s concept of ?technique? Why the real question isn?t whether technology is a tool The deeper question: What kind of character is being formed in us? Why Christians need to think more seriously about AI and moral responsibility A Life Without a Cell Phone Why Lee hasn?t owned a cell phone in eight years The ?serenity tax? of opting out Anxiety, distraction, and what it means to be present The difference between using technology and being shaped by it Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do we have to change something fundamental in ourselves to make a marriage work? In this Valentine's Day special episode of The Subtext, Savannah and Lee discuss the show Couples? Therapy and the balance between self-betrayal and people-pleasing. And as Stanley Hauerwas says, ?Love is not all you need.?  Things we mentioned in this episode: Curt Thompson: The Work Beneath Lasting Love on No Small Endeavor Follow The Subtext: Instagram | Threads | X | YouTube | TikTok Follow Lee: Instagram | Twitter | Lee's Newsletter Follow Savannah: Instagram | Substack Join our Email List: nosmallendeavor.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is our unabridged interview with Curt Thompson. What if the deepest work of love isn?t finding the right person, but becoming someone who can truly be known? Psychiatrist and author Dr. Curt Thompson joins Lee C. Camp for a Valentine?s Day conversation about desire, shame, and suffering, and how each shapes our capacity for authentic relationships. Drawing from neuroscience, theology, and lived experience, Dr. Curt Thompson invites us to consider not just what we want, but who we are becoming as we pursue it. This episode explores how being seen, staying present, and walking together through pain can open the way to healing, beauty, and human flourishing. Key Ideas: Desire Shapes Us Our longings are not just about what we want, but about the kind of people we become in the pursuit of those wants. Learn to Be Seen The human need to be known and soothed never disappears, and our healing begins when we risk letting others see the parts we try hardest to hide. Name Shame Honestly Shame thrives in secrecy, but loses its power when the truth of our lives is spoken and met with presence rather than abandonment. Heal in Community Transformation happens when others see the worst of us, and remain, helping us reconnect to ourselves and one another. Suffering with Meaning Pain does not have the final word. When shared and honored, suffering can become a crucible that forms wisdom, compassion, and courage. ???? ??Show Notes, Resources and Transcript?? for abridged episode with Curt Thompson? Thank you to our sponsors: Boll and Branch: Get 20% off plus free shipping by visiting ???????????BollAndBranch.com/NSE??????????? ??????????Join NSE+?????????? ? our subscriber-only community ? for ad-free listening, member-only bonus content, and early access to live show tickets. Your membership helps make No Small Endeavor sustainable. No Small Endeavor: An award-winning podcast that asks what it means to live a good life. Through conversations with leading thinkers across theology, philosophy, psychology, politics, and the social sciences, we explore human flourishing, meaning and purpose, faith and culture, science and religion, virtue and character, community, and the practices that help shape a good life grounded in truth, beauty, and goodness. Follow ??????????@nosmallendeavor??????????  Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow ??????????@leeccamp ??? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Subtext, Lee and Savannah break down the rival Super Bowl halftime shows. From Bad Bunny?s vibrant homage to Puerto Rican culture and global pop influence to an ?All American? showcase filled with country anthems and faith imagery, these events turned into a mirror for something much bigger. Beneath the spectacle, they explore what these shows say about who we are, who we think we are, and who gets to define what ?America? means. Follow The Subtext: ?Instagram? | ?Threads? | ?X? | ?YouTube? | ?TikTok? Follow Lee: ?Instagram? | ?Twitter? | ?Lee's Newsletter? Follow Savannah: ?Instagram? | ?Substack? Join our Email List: ?nosmallendeavor.com? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the deepest work of love isn?t finding the right person, but becoming someone who can truly be known? Psychiatrist and author Dr. Curt Thompson joins Lee C. Camp for a Valentine?s Day conversation about desire, shame, and suffering, and how each shapes our capacity for authentic relationships. Drawing from neuroscience, theology, and lived experience, Dr. Curt Thompson invites us to consider not just what we want, but who we are becoming as we pursue it. This episode explores how being seen, staying present, and walking together through pain can open the way to healing, beauty, and human flourishing. Key Ideas: Desire Shapes Us Our longings are not just about what we want, but about the kind of people we become in the pursuit of those wants. Learn to Be Seen The human need to be known and soothed never disappears, and our healing begins when we risk letting others see the parts we try hardest to hide. Name Shame Honestly Shame thrives in secrecy, but loses its power when the truth of our lives is spoken and met with presence rather than abandonment. Heal in Community Transformation happens when others see the worst of us, and remain, helping us reconnect to ourselves and one another. Suffering with Meaning Pain does not have the final word. When shared and honored, suffering can become a crucible that forms wisdom, compassion, and courage. ??? ??Show Notes, Resources and Transcript?? for abridged episode with Curt Thompson Thank you to our sponsors: Boll and Branch: Get 20% off plus free shipping by visiting ??????????BollAndBranch.com/NSE?????????? ?????????Join NSE+????????? ? our subscriber-only community ? for ad-free listening, member-only bonus content, and early access to live show tickets. Your membership helps make No Small Endeavor sustainable. No Small Endeavor: An award-winning podcast that asks what it means to live a good life. Through conversations with leading thinkers across theology, philosophy, psychology, politics, and the social sciences, we explore human flourishing, meaning and purpose, faith and culture, science and religion, virtue and character, community, and the practices that help shape a good life grounded in truth, beauty, and goodness. Follow ?????????@nosmallendeavor?????????  Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow ?????????@leeccamp ?? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode has been living rent-free in our heads leading up to the Super Bowl, so we're dropping it back in your feed.  What does it mean when the Super Bowl Halftime Show has become a front line in the latest culture wars? When Turning Point USA launches an ?All-American Halftime Show? to rival Bad Bunny?s Super Bowl performance, it?s more than a musical critique; it?s a signal of a culture war. In this episode, Savannah and Lee unpack why something as ordinary as a halftime show can feel like a referendum on faith, family, and freedom. From the backlash that followed Reconstruction to Reagan?s alliance with the religious right, to today?s debates over gender, race, and education, the culture wars have always been about who stays in power. How can we interact with culture wars better? How should we treat ?hot topic? issues? Things we mentioned in this episode: Revisionist History: The Alabama Murders The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton James by Percival Everett All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert Awake by Jen Hatmaker The Courage to be Disliked by Fumitake Koga and Ichiro Kishimi The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin Bad Faith by Randall Balmer Mere Discipleship by Lee C. Camp All the Buried Women podcast Ed Larson on No Small Endeavor Randall Balmer on No Small Endeavor Garrett Graff on No Small Endeavor Follow The Subtext: Instagram | Threads | X | YouTube | TikTok Follow Lee: Instagram | Twitter | Lee's Newsletter Follow Savannah: Instagram | Substack Join our Email List: nosmallendeavor.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is our unabridged interview with Judith Moskowitz. Judith Moskowitz didn?t begin her research career to prove people could thrive in the middle of devastating grief. But that?s where her work led. In the 1990s, Moskowitz was part of a research team studying men caring for partners dying of AIDS. As expected, participants described the overwhelming stress and sorrow. But then something unexpected happened: they asked why no one was asking about the good things in their lives.  Judith Moskowitz has spent decades studying the emotional lives of people under intense life stress. In this episode, she joins host Lee C. Camp for a deeply practical conversation about emotional nuance, the science of positive psychology, and eight research-backed practices anyone can use to increase positive emotion and foster flourishing relationships, even when life is hard. Key Ideas Hold Joy and Sorrow Together Even under extreme stress, positive emotions can coexist with grief and fear?and this emotional diversity strengthens our capacity to cope. Let Emotions Inform You Negative emotions are not enemies to eliminate but signals that offer information about what matters and where change is needed. Notice What Still Shines Learning to notice small positive events?even fleeting ones?can meaningfully increase well-being during difficult seasons. Practice Gentle Awareness Mindful, non-judgmental attention to emotions helps people recognize their inner life without shame or suppression. Choose Compassion Daily Small acts of kindness and self-compassion can interrupt stress cycles and reconnect us to the common good. ?Show Notes, Resources, and Transcript? for abridged episode with Judith Moskowitz? Join our subscriber-only community called NSE+ BY ?CLICKING HERE?  Get ad-free listening, great member-only bonus content, and early access to tickets for our live shows. AND, you're helping make NSE sustainable by becoming a member! No Small Endeavor: An award winning podcast exploring what it means to live a good life, with thought provoking conversations about human flourishing, theology, politics, faith, social sciences, search for meaning, meaning and purpose, practices, common good, truth beauty and goodness, productivity, habit formation, neuroscience, science and religion, social justice, the cardinal virtues, the how of happiness, theology and culture, self development, virtue theory, being human, moral philosophy, and community.Follow ?@nosmallendeavor? Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow ?@leeccamp ? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You?re not stuck with the mind you have. In this episode of No Small Endeavor, Lee C. Camp speaks with Dr. Lee Warren, neurosurgeon, Iraq War veteran, and author of The Life-Changing Art of Self Brain Surgery, about a hopeful but challenging idea: your mind and your brain are not the same thing. Drawing on neuroscience, faith, and his own experience with trauma and grief, Dr. Warren explores why change is still possible, even when old patterns feel permanent, and what it looks like to reclaim agency over how we respond. This episode is a preview of a longer conversation. The full discussion is available in the NSE+ community. ? Join NSE+ HERE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when betting, profit, and addiction blur into everyday life? Sports betting has moved from the margins into everyday life. It is dominating our phones, our sports, and even our teenagers. In this episode, Savannah and Lee unpack how legalized gambling and prediction markets are shaping culture, forming us, and turning everything from sports to politics into a commodity. Things we mentioned in this episode: ?Against the Rules Season 5 with Michael Lewis? ? More from Michael Lewis? Follow The Subtext: ?Instagram? | ?Threads? | ?X? | ?YouTube? | ?TikTok? Follow Lee: ?Instagram? | ?Twitter? | ?Lee's Newsletter? Follow Savannah: ?Instagram? | ?Substack? Join our Email List: ?nosmallendeavor.com? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Judith Moskowitz didn?t begin her research career to prove people could thrive in the middle of devastating grief. But that?s where her work led. In the 1990s, Moskowitz was part of a research team studying men caring for partners dying of AIDS. As expected, participants described the overwhelming stress and sorrow. But then something unexpected happened: they asked why no one was asking about the good things in their lives.  Judith Moskowitz has spent decades studying the emotional lives of people under intense life stress. In this episode, she joins host Lee C. Camp for a deeply practical conversation about emotional nuance, the science of positive psychology, and eight research-backed practices anyone can use to increase positive emotion and foster flourishing relationships, even when life is hard. Key Ideas Hold Joy and Sorrow Together Even under extreme stress, positive emotions can coexist with grief and fear?and this emotional diversity strengthens our capacity to cope. Let Emotions Inform You Negative emotions are not enemies to eliminate but signals that offer information about what matters and where change is needed. Notice What Still Shines Learning to notice small positive events?even fleeting ones?can meaningfully increase well-being during difficult seasons. Practice Gentle Awareness Mindful, non-judgmental attention to emotions helps people recognize their inner life without shame or suppression. Choose Compassion Daily Small acts of kindness and self-compassion can interrupt stress cycles and reconnect us to the common good. Show Notes, Resources, and Transcript? for abridged episode with Judith Moskowitz Join our subscriber-only community called NSE+ BY CLICKING HERE  Get ad-free listening, great member-only bonus content, and early access to tickets for our live shows. AND, you're helping make NSE sustainable by becoming a member! No Small Endeavor: An award winning podcast exploring what it means to live a good life, with thought provoking conversations about human flourishing, theology, politics, faith, social sciences, search for meaning, meaning and purpose, practices, common good, truth beauty and goodness, productivity, habit formation, neuroscience, science and religion, social justice, the cardinal virtues, the how of happiness, theology and culture, self development, virtue theory, being human, moral philosophy, and community.Follow @nosmallendeavor Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow @leeccamp  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is our unabridged interview with Rumman Chowdhury. What if the greatest danger of artificial intelligence isn?t what it might do someday, but the power it already wields today? Social scientist and AI ethics leader Dr. Rumman Chowdhury joins Lee C. Camp to challenge popular narratives about artificial intelligence, arguing that the real story is not superintelligence or apocalypse, but power, incentives, and responsibility. Drawing on her work at Twitter and her nonprofit Humane Intelligence, Chowdhury explores how systems of surveillance, corporate profit, and moral outsourcing shape our technological future and what it will take to build AI that serves authentic human flourishing. Key Ideas: Learn to Ask ?Who Benefits??Behind every AI system are incentive structures and power arrangements within for-profit companies. Cultivating the habit of asking who gains and who pays the cost helps us see technology more truthfully. Refuse to Blame the MachineCalling harm ?the AI?s fault? allows humans and institutions to evade responsibility, so ethical clarity begins by keeping people accountable. Pay Attention to What?s Already HereFears about future AI apocalypse distract us from the real effects already shaping culture, labor, democracy, and community right now. Be Wary of Convenience That Watches YouSurveillance almost always arrives disguised as safety or ease, but recognizing how data collection concentrates power helps us protect human dignity and freedom. ??????  ??Show Notes, Resources and Transcript?? for abridged episode with Rumman Chowdhury Thank you to our sponsors: Ka?Chava: Go to ?????????????https://kachava.com????????????? and use code NSE for 15% off your next order Boll and Branch: Get 20% off plus free shipping by visiting ?????????????BollAndBranch.com/NSE????????????? AquaTru: Go to  ?????????????AquaTru.com????????????? and use promo code NSE Piper and Leaf: Get a 10% off discount to the Advent Calendar by using my code 'NSE' at ??????????piperandleaf.com?????????? ????????????Join NSE+???????????? ? our subscriber-only community ? for ad-free listening, member-only bonus content, and early access to live show tickets. Your membership helps make No Small Endeavor sustainable. No Small Endeavor: An award-winning podcast that asks what it means to live a good life. Through conversations with leading thinkers across theology, philosophy, psychology, politics, and the social sciences, we explore human flourishing, meaning and purpose, faith and culture, science and religion, virtue and character, community, and the practices that help shape a good life grounded in truth, beauty, and goodness. Follow ????????????@nosmallendeavor????????????  Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow ????????????@leeccamp ???? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Should celebrities ?stay in their lane? when it comes to political or moral matters? Who gets to speak in public, and why do we only object when it makes us uncomfortable? When Mark Ruffalo spoke out at the Golden Globes about American politics, some applauded his honesty while others told him to ?stay in his lane.? In this episode, Savannah and Lee unpack why celebrity activism is celebrated by some and condemned by others, exposing the double standards around fame, faith, politics, and who we think is allowed to speak in public. Things we mentioned in this episode: ?Down There by the Train? by Tom Waits ?Come On Up To The House? by Tom Waits ?Tehran? on Apple TV ?Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ by John Bunyan? ?The One On The Right Is On The Left Live at the Ryman Auditorium? by Johnny Cash Follow The Subtext: ?Instagram? | ?Threads? | ?X? | ?YouTube? | ?TikTok? Follow Lee: ?Instagram? | ?Twitter? | ?Lee's Newsletter? Follow Savannah: ?Instagram? | ?Substack? Join our Email List: ?nosmallendeavor.com? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the greatest danger of artificial intelligence isn?t what it might do someday, but the power it already wields today? Social scientist and AI ethics leader Dr. Rumman Chowdhury joins Lee C. Camp to challenge popular narratives about artificial intelligence, arguing that the real story is not superintelligence or apocalypse, but power, incentives, and responsibility. Drawing on her work at Twitter and her nonprofit ?Humane Intelligence?, Chowdhury explores how systems of surveillance, corporate profit, and moral outsourcing shape our technological future and what it will take to build AI that serves authentic human flourishing. Key Ideas: Learn to Ask ?Who Benefits??Behind every AI system are incentive structures and power arrangements within for-profit companies. Cultivating the habit of asking who gains and who pays the cost helps us see technology more truthfully. Refuse to Blame the MachineCalling harm ?the AI?s fault? allows humans and institutions to evade responsibility, so ethical clarity begins by keeping people accountable. Pay Attention to What?s Already HereFears about future AI apocalypse distract us from the real effects already shaping culture, labor, democracy, and community right now. Be Wary of Convenience That Watches YouSurveillance almost always arrives disguised as safety or ease, but recognizing how data collection concentrates power helps us protect human dignity and freedom. ??????? ? ???Show Notes, Resources and Transcript?? for abridged episode with Rumman Chowdhury? Thank you to our sponsors: Ka?Chava: Go to ??????????????https://kachava.com?????????????? and use code NSE for 15% off your next order Boll and Branch: Get 20% off plus free shipping by visiting ??????????????BollAndBranch.com/NSE?????????????? AquaTru: Go to  ??????????????AquaTru.com?????????????? and use promo code NSE Piper and Leaf: Get a 10% off discount to the Advent Calendar by using my code 'NSE' at ???????????piperandleaf.com??????????? ?????????????Join NSE+????????????? ? our subscriber-only community ? for ad-free listening, member-only bonus content, and early access to live show tickets. Your membership helps make No Small Endeavor sustainable. No Small Endeavor: An award-winning podcast that asks what it means to live a good life. Through conversations with leading thinkers across theology, philosophy, psychology, politics, and the social sciences, we explore human flourishing, meaning and purpose, faith and culture, science and religion, virtue and character, community, and the practices that help shape a good life grounded in truth, beauty, and goodness. Follow ?????????????@nosmallendeavor?????????????  Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow ?????????????@leeccamp ????? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is our unabridged interview with Amishi Jha. Is it possible that for half of our waking life, we are not paying attention to what we?re doing? In today?s fast-paced, technology-driven world, many of us are coming to terms with the fact that our capacity for paying attention is laughably weak. Our work, mental health, and relationships suffer because of it. But what if there was a tried-and-true way to change this, something like ?push-ups for your brain?? Neuroscientist Amishi Jha has dedicated her career to studying this question, and the results are in. In this episode, she describes the practice of mindfulness meditation - why it can work for everyone (not just the spiritual folks), and how it only takes 12 minutes each day to reach one?s ?Peak Mind.? ??? Show Notes, Resources and Transcript?? for abridged episode with Amishi Jha??? Thank you to our sponsors: Ka?Chava: Go to ?????????????https://kachava.com????????????? and use code NSE for 15% off your next order Boll and Branch: Get 20% off plus free shipping by visiting ?????????????BollAndBranch.com/NSE????????????? AquaTru: Go to  ?????????????AquaTru.com????????????? and use promo code NSE Piper and Leaf: Get a 10% off discount to the Advent Calendar by using my code 'NSE' at ??????????piperandleaf.com?????????? ????????????Join NSE+???????????? ? our subscriber-only community ? for ad-free listening, member-only bonus content, and early access to live show tickets. Your membership helps make No Small Endeavor sustainable. No Small Endeavor: An award-winning podcast that asks what it means to live a good life. Through conversations with leading thinkers across theology, philosophy, psychology, politics, and the social sciences, we explore human flourishing, meaning and purpose, faith and culture, science and religion, virtue and character, community, and the practices that help shape a good life grounded in truth, beauty, and goodness. Follow ????????????@nosmallendeavor????????????  Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow ????????????@leeccamp ????? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When fear becomes the price of being ?informed,? how do we tell the difference between paying attention and being emotionally hijacked? After a trio of viral Threads posts seem to declare that terror is the only appropriate response to our moment, we dig into how social media turns unprocessed fear into a public spectacle, and why outrage and panic are increasingly treated as signs of intelligence or moral seriousness. Drawing on mental health research, media studies, and theology, we ask whether constant distress actually helps us engage the world more faithfully or quietly numbs our capacity for compassion and action. Things we mentioned in this episode: Books + Articles: ?We Survived the Night by Julian Brave NoiseCat? ?Against the Machine by Paul Kingsnorth? ?The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson? ?A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson? ?Night by Elie Wiesel? ?A Testament of Devotion by Thomas Kelly? ?Media and compassion after digital war: Why digital media haven't transformed responses to human suffering in contemporary conflict by Andrew Hoskins? ?We Have Never Been Woke by Musa al-Gharbi? Shows + Movies: ?Run Away? on Netflix ?Stranger Things? on Netflix ?The Prince of Egypt? Songs + Podcasts: ?If You Believe by Rachael Lampa (A Walk to Remember Soundtrack)? ?Dare You To Move by Switchfoot (A Walk to Remember Soundtrack)? ?Musa al-Gharbi interview on No Small Endeavor? ?Munther Isaac interview on No Small Endeavor? Follow No Small Endeavor to be notified when Lee's episode with Kim Stanley Robinson drops! Follow The Subtext: ?Instagram? | ?Threads? | ?X? | ?YouTube? | ?TikTok? Follow Lee: ?Instagram? | ?Twitter? | ?Lee's Newsletter? Follow Savannah: ?Instagram? | ?Substack? Join our Email List: ?nosmallendeavor.com? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is it possible that for half of our waking life, we are not paying attention to what we?re doing? In today?s fast-paced, technology-driven world, many of us are coming to terms with the fact that our capacity for paying attention is laughably weak. Our work, mental health, and relationships suffer because of it. But what if there was a tried-and-true way to change this, something like ?push-ups for your brain?? Neuroscientist Amishi Jha has dedicated her career to studying this question, and the results are in. In this episode, she describes the practice of mindfulness meditation - why it can work for everyone (not just the spiritual folks), and how it only takes 12 minutes each day to reach one?s ?Peak Mind.? ???? Show Notes, Resources and Transcript?? for abridged episode with Amishi Jha???? Thank you to our sponsors: Ka?Chava: Go to ??????????????https://kachava.com?????????????? and use code NSE for 15% off your next order Boll and Branch: Get 20% off plus free shipping by visiting ??????????????BollAndBranch.com/NSE?????????????? AquaTru: Go to  ??????????????AquaTru.com?????????????? and use promo code NSE Piper and Leaf: Get a 10% off discount to the Advent Calendar by using my code 'NSE' at ???????????piperandleaf.com??????????? ?????????????Join NSE+????????????? ? our subscriber-only community ? for ad-free listening, member-only bonus content, and early access to live show tickets. Your membership helps make No Small Endeavor sustainable. No Small Endeavor: An award-winning podcast that asks what it means to live a good life. Through conversations with leading thinkers across theology, philosophy, psychology, politics, and the social sciences, we explore human flourishing, meaning and purpose, faith and culture, science and religion, virtue and character, community, and the practices that help shape a good life grounded in truth, beauty, and goodness. Follow ?????????????@nosmallendeavor?????????????  Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow ?????????????@leeccamp ?????? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is our unabridged interview with Malcolm Gladwell. What causes suffering in our society? Intentional evil? Or something less apparent and possibly more unsettling?indifference? In this conversation, master storyteller Malcolm Gladwell and host Lee C. Camp explore the moral power of storytelling in light of Gladwell?s latest Revisionist History series, ??The Alabama Murders??. What begins as a devastating true crime account of a 1988 murder in northwestern Alabama unfolds into something far more unsettling: a decades-long moral failure cascade marked not by villainy alone, but by indifference.  Malcolm corresponded and interviewed Lee for the series to understand the religious and cultural context of the narrative. Together, they examine how stories can awaken our capacity to see, care, and imagine a different world. Key Ideas: How Story Can Awaken Moral Vision Stories do moral work by helping us see what we have learned to accept as normal?and revealing it instead as a distortion. Good Stories Betray Expectations Well Powerful stories disrupt our predictions about the world, forcing us to imagine alternative possibilities for justice and goodness. Take Indifference Seriously Drawing on the insight that ?sin is often a failure to bother to care?, Gladwell argues that indifference may be the defining moral danger of modern life. Honor Beauty Without Blindness Truthful storytelling can hold together love for communities and traditions while honestly naming the harm they sometimes produce. Forgiveness Should Have an Action Is forgiveness without action actually forgiveness? ????? ??Show Notes, Resources and Transcript?? for abridged episode with Malcolm Gladwell?? Thank you to our sponsors: Ka?Chava: Go to ????????????https://kachava.com???????????? and use code NSE for 15% off your next order Boll and Branch: Get 20% off plus free shipping by visiting ????????????BollAndBranch.com/NSE???????????? AquaTru: Go to  ????????????AquaTru.com???????????? and use promo code NSE Piper and Leaf: Get a 10% off discount to the Advent Calendar by using my code 'NSE' at ?????????piperandleaf.com????????? ???????????Join NSE+??????????? ? our subscriber-only community ? for ad-free listening, member-only bonus content, and early access to live show tickets. Your membership helps make No Small Endeavor sustainable. No Small Endeavor: An award-winning podcast that asks what it means to live a good life. Through conversations with leading thinkers across theology, philosophy, psychology, politics, and the social sciences, we explore human flourishing, meaning and purpose, faith and culture, science and religion, virtue and character, community, and the practices that help shape a good life grounded in truth, beauty, and goodness. Follow ???????????@nosmallendeavor???????????  Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow ???????????@leeccamp ???? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do Stranger Things conspiracy theories, failed prophecies, and religious history have in common? A deep human struggle to face disappointment without rewriting reality. After the finale, many Stranger Things fans convinced themselves a secret ninth episode was hiding in plain sight. In this episode, Lee and Savannah use ?Conformity Gate? as a surprisingly rich case study in how humans respond to disappointment and unmet expectations. From the Great Disappointment of 1844 to classic research on cognitive dissonance, we explore why people so often reinterpret failure instead of accepting it. Things we mentioned in this episode: ? When Prophecy Fails by Leon Festinger, Henry W. Riecken, Stanley Schachter? Follow The Subtext: ?????Instagram????? | ?????Threads????? | ?????X????? | ?????YouTube????? | ?????TikTok????? Follow Lee: ?????Instagram????? | ?????Twitter????? | ?????Lee's Newsletter????? Follow Savannah: ?????Instagram????? | ?????Substack????? Join our Email List: ?????nosmallendeavor.com???? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What causes suffering in our society? Intentional evil? Or something less apparent and possibly more unsettling?indifference? In this conversation, master storyteller Malcolm Gladwell and host Lee C. Camp explore the moral power of storytelling in light of Gladwell?s latest Revisionist History series, The Alabama Murders. What begins as a devastating true crime account of a 1988 murder in northwestern Alabama unfolds into something far more unsettling: a decades-long moral failure cascade marked not by villainy alone, but by indifference.  Malcolm corresponded and interviewed Lee for the series to understand the religious and cultural context of the narrative. Together, they examine how stories can awaken our capacity to see, care, and imagine a different world. Key Ideas: How Story Can Awaken Moral Vision Stories do moral work by helping us see what we have learned to accept as normal?and revealing it instead as a distortion. Good Stories Betray Expectations Well Powerful stories disrupt our predictions about the world, forcing us to imagine alternative possibilities for justice and goodness. Take Indifference Seriously Drawing on the insight that ?sin is often a failure to bother to care?, Gladwell argues that indifference may be the defining moral danger of modern life. Honor Beauty Without Blindness Truthful storytelling can hold together love for communities and traditions while honestly naming the harm they sometimes produce. Forgiveness Should Have an Action Is forgiveness without action actually forgiveness? ??? ??Show Notes, Resources and Transcript?? for abridged episode with Malcolm Gladwell Thank you to our sponsors: Ka?Chava: Go to ??????????https://kachava.com?????????? and use code NSE for 15% off your next order Boll and Branch: Get 20% off plus free shipping by visiting ??????????BollAndBranch.com/NSE?????????? AquaTru: Go to  ??????????AquaTru.com?????????? and use promo code NSE Piper and Leaf: Get a 10% off discount to the Advent Calendar by using my code 'NSE' at ???????piperandleaf.com??????? ?????????Join NSE+????????? ? our subscriber-only community ? for ad-free listening, member-only bonus content, and early access to live show tickets. Your membership helps make No Small Endeavor sustainable. No Small Endeavor: An award-winning podcast that asks what it means to live a good life. Through conversations with leading thinkers across theology, philosophy, psychology, politics, and the social sciences, we explore human flourishing, meaning and purpose, faith and culture, science and religion, virtue and character, community, and the practices that help shape a good life grounded in truth, beauty, and goodness. Follow ?????????@nosmallendeavor?????????  Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow ?????????@leeccamp ?? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is our unabridged interview with Carlos Whittaker. Carlos Whittaker was spending the equivalent of 100 full days a year on his phone. You might not be far behind. Carlos?an author and social media influencer who has raised millions for charity online?realized he was scrolling his life away. So he tried something drastic. In his book ?Reconnected: How 7 Screen-Free Weeks with Monks and Amish Farmers Helped Me Recover the Lost Art of Being Human?, he recounts the experiment that changed everything: seven weeks completely unplugged. The results were startling. According to before-and-after brain scans and cognitive testing from Dr. Daniel Amen, Carlos? cognitive performance shot from the 50th percentile to the 99th, and his cerebellum showed the equivalent of five years of healing. But the deeper transformation happened in the quiet space that screens had been drowning out. He relearned how to wonder?at a monk?s prompting to ?behold,? he climbed a mountain, then later found himself lying on the ground studying a single roly-poly. He picked up life-altering questions from Amish communities about when to embrace or reject new technology. He rediscovered the simple joy of savoring a cup of coffee. If you feel fogged, distracted, or numb from living through a screen, this episode might be the reset you need. Key Ideas How do you decide whether to adopt new technology? The Amish ask one clarifying question: ?Will this bring us closer together or drive us further apart?? When was the last time you wondered about anything? With answers always seconds away, we?ve lost the mental and spiritual muscle of curiosity?along with the connection and clarity it creates. Tech isn?t neutral. It?s shaping our brains. After seven screen-free weeks, Carlos? memory score jumped from the 50th to the 99th percentile, and his cerebellum showed dramatic healing. ?? ??Show Notes, Resources and Transcript?? for abridged episode with Carlos Whittaker? Thank you to our sponsors: Ka?Chava: Go to ?????????https://kachava.com????????? and use code NSE for 15% off your next order Boll and Branch: Get 20% off plus free shipping by visiting ?????????BollAndBranch.com/NSE????????? AquaTru: Go to  ?????????AquaTru.com????????? and use promo code NSE Piper and Leaf: Get a 10% off discount to the Advent Calendar by using my code 'NSE' at ??????piperandleaf.com?????? ????????Join NSE+???????? ? our subscriber-only community ? for ad-free listening, member-only bonus content, and early access to live show tickets. Your membership helps make No Small Endeavor sustainable. No Small Endeavor: An award-winning podcast that asks what it means to live a good life. Through conversations with leading thinkers across theology, philosophy, psychology, politics, and the social sciences, we explore human flourishing, meaning and purpose, faith and culture, science and religion, virtue and character, community, and the practices that help shape a good life grounded in truth, beauty, and goodness. Follow ????????@nosmallendeavor????????  Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow ????????@leeccamp ?? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

????In the first episode of 2026, we are diving into Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery to explore what it reveals about faith, leadership, hypocrisy, presence, and how competing visions of Christianity shape real people and communities. In this episode of The Subtext, we dive beneath the mystery of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery to explore what the film exposes about faith, church culture, power, and human nature. Through the contrast of Father Jud?s vision for self-giving love and Monsignor Wicks? manipulative, rage-driven religiosity, we unpack themes of projection and hypocrisy, insecure versus secure spiritual leadership, and how love shows up through presence. We also read critiques that the film presents two ?toothless? versions of Christianity and ask what the story ultimately suggests about God, church, and culture wars. Things we mentioned in this episode: ? The Gospel Coalition "2 Corrupted Christianities in ?Wake Up Dead Man?"? ? The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse by David Johnson and Jeff VanVonderen? ?Holy Hurt: Understanding Spiritual Trauma and the Process of Healing by Hillary L. McBride? Follow The Subtext: ???Instagram??? | ???Threads??? | ???X??? | ???YouTube??? | ???TikTok??? Follow Lee: ???Instagram??? | ???Twitter??? | ???Lee's Newsletter??? Follow Savannah: ???Instagram??? | ???Substack??? Join our Email List: ???nosmallendeavor.com??? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carlos Whittaker was spending the equivalent of 100 full days a year on his phone. You might not be far behind. Carlos?an author and social media influencer who has raised millions for charity online?realized he was scrolling his life away. So he tried something drastic. In his book Reconnected: How 7 Screen-Free Weeks with Monks and Amish Farmers Helped Me Recover the Lost Art of Being Human, he recounts the experiment that changed everything: seven weeks completely unplugged. The results were startling. According to before-and-after brain scans and cognitive testing from Dr. Daniel Amen, Carlos? cognitive performance shot from the 50th percentile to the 99th, and his cerebellum showed the equivalent of five years of healing. But the deeper transformation happened in the quiet space that screens had been drowning out. He relearned how to wonder?at a monk?s prompting to ?behold,? he climbed a mountain, then later found himself lying on the ground studying a single roly-poly. He picked up life-altering questions from Amish communities about when to embrace or reject new technology. He rediscovered the simple joy of savoring a cup of coffee. If you feel fogged, distracted, or numb from living through a screen, this episode might be the reset you need. Key Ideas How do you decide whether to adopt new technology? The Amish ask one clarifying question: ?Will this bring us closer together or drive us further apart?? When was the last time you wondered about anything? With answers always seconds away, we?ve lost the mental and spiritual muscle of curiosity?along with the connection and clarity it creates. Tech isn?t neutral. It?s shaping our brains. After seven screen-free weeks, Carlos? memory score jumped from the 50th to the 99th percentile, and his cerebellum showed dramatic healing. ? ??Show Notes, Resources and Transcript?? for abridged episode with Carlos Whittaker Thank you to our sponsors: Ka?Chava: Go to ????????https://kachava.com???????? and use code NSE for 15% off your next order Boll and Branch: Get 20% off plus free shipping by visiting ????????BollAndBranch.com/NSE???????? AquaTru: Go to  ????????AquaTru.com???????? and use promo code NSE Piper and Leaf: Get a 10% off discount to the Advent Calendar by using my code 'NSE' at ?????piperandleaf.com????? ???????Join NSE+??????? ? our subscriber-only community ? for ad-free listening, member-only bonus content, and early access to live show tickets. Your membership helps make No Small Endeavor sustainable. No Small Endeavor: An award-winning podcast that asks what it means to live a good life. Through conversations with leading thinkers across theology, philosophy, psychology, politics, and the social sciences, we explore human flourishing, meaning and purpose, faith and culture, science and religion, virtue and character, community, and the practices that help shape a good life grounded in truth, beauty, and goodness. Follow ???????@nosmallendeavor???????  Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow ???????@leeccamp ? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is our unabridged interview with Charles Duhigg. What if the biggest lever to your happiness isn?t found in your big decisions, but in the small, automatic things you do every day? Pulitzer Prize?winning journalist and bestselling author Charles Duhigg joins Lee C. Camp to explore how habits quietly shape our character, our choices, and our capacity for authentic human flourishing. Drawing on Aristotle, neuroscience, and his book ??The Power of Habit??, Duhigg unpacks the classic ?cue?routine?reward? loop, keystone habits, and why willpower alone so often fails us. He then turns to his book ??Supercommunicators?? to show how changing the way we speak and listen can transform our relationships, our communities, and our search for meaning and purpose. Key Ideas: Habits shape character: How Aristotle?s vision of virtue and excellence as ?what we repeatedly do? connects with modern habit science and the quest for a flourishing, ethical life. The roadmap of habit formation: The habit loop of cue, routine, and reward?and why lasting change comes not from white-knuckled willpower, but from redesigning our cues and rewards to support authentic living and habits for happiness. Keystone habits lead to other better habits: Keystone habits like exercise, making your bed, or food journaling that trigger chain reactions in finances, procrastination, self-control, and our sense of identity and agency. Classifying types of conversations can help you connect: From Supercommunicators: the three kinds of conversations (practical, emotional, social), the ?Matching Principle,? and the looping-for-understanding practice that can heal conflict, deepen empathy, and nurture flourishing relationships. Understanding cues for connection: How laughter, curiosity, and deep questions signal ?I want to connect with you,? and why Duhigg believes anyone can learn practices of communication that contribute to the common good and true happiness. ??? ??Show Notes, Resources and Transcript?? for abridged episode with Charles Duhigg?? Thank you to our sponsors: Ka?Chava: Go to ??????????https://kachava.com?????????? and use code NSE for 15% off your next order Boll and Branch: Get 20% off plus free shipping by visiting ??????????BollAndBranch.com/NSE?????????? AquaTru: Go to  ??????????AquaTru.com?????????? and use promo code NSE Piper and Leaf: Get a 10% off discount to the Advent Calendar by using my code 'NSE' at ???????piperandleaf.com??????? ?????????Join NSE+????????? ? our subscriber-only community ? for ad-free listening, member-only bonus content, and early access to live show tickets. Your membership helps make No Small Endeavor sustainable. No Small Endeavor: An award-winning podcast that asks what it means to live a good life. Through conversations with leading thinkers across theology, philosophy, psychology, politics, and the social sciences, we explore human flourishing, meaning and purpose, faith and culture, science and religion, virtue and character, community, and the practices that help shape a good life grounded in truth, beauty, and goodness. Follow ?????????@nosmallendeavor?????????  Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow ?????????@leeccamp ?? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices