PODCAST · education
The Good Life
by Matt Carpenter
What is a good life? The answer is as old as the world itself. We were made to love God and our neighbor, to learn wisdom, and to be good stewards of our gifts. Here we'll talk with everyday people who have thought and written about these topics.
Episodes
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Opting Out to Live Well with Chris Moody
My guest today is Chris Moody, a professor of journalism at Appalachian State University. Chris was a senior correspondent for CNN and writes for major publications like The Atlantic but our reason for speaking today has much more to do with his choices - four years ago, he and his wife chose to...
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The Christian College We Need Most - Jason Cherry and New Trinity College
Today I am joined by Jason Cherry, founding board member of New Trinity College in Huntsville, Alabama. Jason is a historian, teacher, church elder, and is a part of an exciting new venture in higher education: he and several others are starting a Christian liberal arts college that emphasizes…
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Sacred Seasons with Danielle Hitchen
Today I talk with Danielle Hitchen, the author of Sacred Seasons: A Church Calendar Family Guide for Celebrating Advent, Lent, Easter, and Christ All Year. This is the best book I have read when it comes to practical ways to practice the church calendar throughout the year. Danielle is a wife,...
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What St. Anthony can teach us about A.I. - C.R. Wiley
Today I welcome C.R. Wiley back to the show to talk about his most recent book, Manmade: Saint Anthony’s Guide to Surviving the AI Apocalypse. We discuss the life of St. Anthony, why it still matters for Christians today, and the surprising lessons we can learn from him about dealing with A.I.…
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Josh Herring and the Logres Institute
I am joined today by Dr. Josh Herring, the director of the Logres Institute. Logres is a organization created to help classical teachers, parents, and anyone else who wants to grow in the wisdom of our fathers. We discuss what Logres does, the reason for its unique name, and why Christianity and...
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A Faithful Agrarian - Wendell Berry
Today I talk about the importance of Wendell Berry's writing, his faithfulness as farmer, and some of his works that I appreciate the most. I also talk about a couple of other books that I read recently and how they contribute to thinking about a good life. Books mentioned on today's podcast:...
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The Intentional Household - Dr. John Cuddeback
It was a delight for me to talk today with Dr. John Cuddeback, a man who greatly influenced my thinking of what it means to be a good parent. Dr. Cuddeback is a philosophy professor at Christendom College and he has written an excellent book titled, The Intentional Household. He also developed…
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The Little Things of Life
Today I read and elaborate on an article by the late Dr. Gary North titled, "The Little Things in Life." He wrote this in 1979 but it is as relevant today as when he wrote it. In it he talks about the often overlooked foundation for the cultural growth of the Medieval era (500 A.D. to 1500 A.D.):...
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Forming Boys into Men with Thomas Fickley and Fr. Mark Perkins
On this episode I spoke with Mr. Thomas Fickley and Fr. Mark Perkins, the founders of St. Dunstan's Academy in Virginia. St. Dunstan's is an Anglican boarding school for your men that started three years ago. They emphasize helping young men grow spiritually, intellectually, and physically…
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Moving Mountains with Ross Byrd
My guest today is Ross Byrd, a writer, musician, surfing instructor. Recently he wrote a series of articles called "On Moving Mountains: Why Miracles are Not What We Think." It captured my imagination and I have been meditating on it for several weeks. It was a delight to talk with Ross about why...
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Leadership in a Change of Age with Dr. John Seel
I've been looking forward to this interview for a long time. Dr. John Seel is a writer, entrepreneur, teacher, administrator, and cultural analyst. He is the son of a medical missionary whose life was changed at the age of eighteen by an short meeting with Dr. Francis Schaeffer. Later he worked...
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Glenn Sunshine - Learning to See the Grandeur of God
Hello! Today I welcome Glenn Sunshine from the Theology Pugcast to talk about re-enchanting our worldview. The word "re-enchantment" is prominent right now and there are many poor interpretations of what it means, but as Glenn points out, it has nothing to do with paganism or the occult. We…
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A Christmas Message
This is a brief message of gratitude for all of you who listen. Book Recommendation Winter Fire - Ryan Whitaker Smith
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The Home as a Place of Formation with Ryan Pugliese
Ryan Pugliese is a husband, father, and history teacher in New Jersey. Recently he wrote an article called "The Modern Home is Anti-Catechism" on his Substack site, Pugliese's Paideia. We had a great discussion on what makes a home, what influenced Ryan toward teaching history, and why busyness…
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The Torah - Deuteronomy
In our last lesson on the Torah, we look at the book of Deuteronomy, the final sermons of Moses to prepare Israel for entering the land. Moses reminds them of their past, their special calling from God, and the blessings and curses that come as a part of their covenant with Him. We even answer…
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The Torah - Numbers
By the end of Leviticus, God had finished giving His ceremonial laws to His people. Now it was time for them to enter the Promised Land. Except they weren't ready. Instead they rebelled and had to face the consequences. The book of Numbers is the story of their rebellion and God's faithfulness in...
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The Torah - Leviticus, Part 2
Why did God give us holidays? In this second lesson on Leviticus, we discuss the major holy days of ancient Israel. We focus especially on the Day of Atonement and what it tells us about our lives now, as well as how the holy days were a guide to the future of God's people.
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The Torah - Leviticus, part 1
Today we look at the first part of the book of Leviticus, a book the discourages many in their Bible reading because of its complexity. We dig into the early chapters, particularly the five offerings and the purity laws, discussing how they are viewed in the New Covenant.
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The Torah - Exodus 18-40
Today we consider the second and lesser-known half of Exodus. We consider the purpose of the law, the building of the tabernacle, and the relevance of both to Christians today.
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The Torah - Exodus 1-17
We continue our study of the Torah with a look at the first half of Exodus.
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Healing with a Heavenly Instrument - Sophia Abraham
Today I am interviewing Sophia Abraham, a harpist living in Cambridge. Sophia is a harpist, playing the harp since she was young. She has an MA in music therapy and is quite gifted, using her talents to help people recovering from various sorts of trauma. She and her husband have created Wisdom...
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The Torah - Genesis 18-32
This is the latter-half of the story of Abraham, in which we see Yahweh change his name and he will face his greatest test on Mt. Moriah.
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The Torah - Genesis 12-17
We come now to the life of Abraham, a new Adam figure called to leave the land of his fathers and go to the land God would show him.
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The Torah - Genesis 1-11
What makes the first eleven chapters of Genesis so foundational for Christians? How do they form the identify of ancient Israel? These are just some of the questions we try to answer in this first Sunday School lesson on the first five books of the Bible.
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Living in a Postliberal World with Susannah Black Roberts
What is the difference between being liberal and postliberal? Who better to talk with than Susannah Roberts, a writer, editor, and podcaster. We talk about her life growing up in New York City (where she still lives part of the year), her conversion to Christianity from agnosticism, and why...
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The Legacy of Jonathan Edwards with Gerald McDermott
Today I enjoyed visiting with Dr. Gerald McDermott. Dr. McDermott is an Anglican priest as well as a church historian and scholar who specializes in the theology of Jonathan Edwards. He has written dozens of books, eight of which focus on various elements of the life and legacy of Jonathan…
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Navigating the Negative World with Aaron Renn
Today I get to speak with Aaron Renn, an author and social commentator. He recently wrote a book called, Life in the Negative World about how life has changed for Christians in the last fifty years and what Christians must do in the twenty-first century to thrive. Aaron has an excellent Substack...
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Can Christendom Return? - John Ehrett
John Ehrett is a lawyer in Washington, D.C. He returns today to talk with me about a recent article of his entitled, "Christendom After Comcast." We talk about the desire to return to a better way of life, the paths many people suggest, and what prevents that return from happening. Specifically…
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Mere Humanity with Dr. Donald Williams
Today I interview Dr. Donald Williams, former Literature professor at Toccoa Falls College. We discuss his book, Mere humanity : G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien on the Human Condition. We discuss what those men have to say about being human and even why their writings effect us...
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An American Classical Education with Nathan Gill
Today I spoke with Nathan Gill, a Hillsdale graduate, classical education teacher, and administrator. He wrote an article at The American Reformer titled, "Toward a More American Classical Education." We talk about why it's important to not only give your children an education steeped in the…
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How Your Eschatology Affects Your Life
What is eschatology and how does it affect your life? Some think your view of the millennium determines your level of social and cultural action, but is that true? Today I talk about a Ben Dunson article at the American Reformer that provides a partial answer to that question. But I suspect…
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A New Political Spectrum - How Being a Political Nerd Actually Helps Me Love My Neighbor
Have you ever taken a quiz to know where you fall on the political compass? Are you liberal, conservative, authoritarian, or libertarian? Thankfully there are more options than those. Today I talk about how we can know where we call on the spectrum and how that knowledge can better help me to…
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Craftsmanship that will last - Joshua Klein
Joshua Klein is a woodworker, furniture maker, author, church elder, and editor of Mortise and Tenon magazine. He has written a fascinating biography of Jonathan Fisher, an eighteenth-century jack-of-all-trades pastor titled, Hands Employed Aright. He also works with the Greystone Theological...
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Five books on marriage you've never read
Having just celebrated Valentine's Day, here are five good books of marriage that can help any married couple, no matter how long they've been married.
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Delighting in the Seasons - Ryan Anderson
The Christmas season is almost here and who better to talk about it than a man who hails from the capital of the white Christmas (Vermont) - Ryan Anderson. Ryan grew up in Vermont, moved to Washington state, and recently returned to the land of his fathers. I met him through Twitter (now "X") and...
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The Rise and Fall of the Christian West - John Ehrett
What is "the West"? What is the role of Christians today in preserving our Western heritage? How does liberalism fit into the decline of Christendom? What is leading to the rise of Anti-Semitism among some on the right? I am joined today by John Ehrett to discuss these and other topics relating…
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A Small Farm Republic - John Klar
John Klar is a jack of all trades. A lawyer, farmer, pastor, and public servant, he took on government bureaucracy and won, restoring the right of Vermont farmers to butcher their animals on their own farms. His most recent book, Small Farm Republic, describes the collusion of corporate farming...
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Against the World - For the World
How should Christians treat the world? Are we against it, for it, or something in between? In this episode, I discuss the two views and who from Scripture successfully achieves both.
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Life in Old Ireland with John Waters
My guest today is Mr. John Waters, a journalist and Christian convert in Ireland. He has written several books, the most recent being Give Us Back the Bad Roads, which tells the story of how Ireland changed from being the most conservative country in Europe to one of the most liberal in a period…
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The Best Folk Tale in Scripture with Pastor Rich Lusk
Most people approach the book of Ruth with simplicity, thinking they already know it. In my interview with Pastor Rich Lusk, we discuss the beauty, wisdom, and delight to be found in this little book. It is a folk tale, a love story, and a picture of the gospel spreading to the nations, all…
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Looking Into the Cosmos with Edgar Allan Poe - Dr. Harry Poe
Today I had the privilege to speak with Dr. Hal Poe, a professor at Union University in Jackson, TN. Dr. Poe is a distant relation to Edgar Allan Poe, the poet and short story writer. Dr. Poe is the author of Evermore, a fascinating book about his older cousin. Today we discuss the wide-ranging...
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Money, Politics, and the Rise of Evangelicalism with Jake Nelson
How did Evangelicalism become the cultural force that it is? How did it come to be associated with conservatism? What role does money play in the growth of religious consciousness in America? These are just some of the questions I discuss with today's guest, Jake Nelson. Jake has an M.A. from the...
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Wholly Citizens with Joel Biermann
How do we serve God and live in the world? What relationship should the church have with the state? My guest today, Joel Biermann, answers those questions and more in his book, Wholly Citizens. Joel is a professor at Concordia Seminary, where he teaches systematic theology. Our discussion…
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The Season of Lent
Why do some Christians observe Lent? What is the point of fasting/asceticism? In this podcast, I talk briefly about the purpose of Ash Wednesday/Lent in the Church calendar and how it can help us become more like Christ.
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Becoming Aggressively Happy with Joy Clarkson
Today I am joined by Joy Clarkson. You may recognize her last name (she's the daughter of Sally Clarkson), but her writing stands on its own. She's written a wonderful book by the title of, Aggressively Happy. In this episode, we discuss why she would call her book such a unique name, the…
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The Reactionary Mind with Michael Warren Davis
What is a reactionary and why would anybody claim to be one? That's the question I discuss today with Michael Warren Davis, author of The Reactionary Mind: Why Conservative Isn't Enough. Michael has written for Crisis, The American Conservative, and many other magazines. He describes a…
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The Gift of Christmas
In this bonus episode, I read an article by David Frost, entitled, "Christmas Offers a Glimpse of a World That is Lost" from The Telegraph, a UK newspaper. He tells the story of a Christmas carol written in 1400 and later lost but was rediscovered in the mountains of Appalachia. There is a deeper...
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What Are Christians to Do? - Rod Dreher
Rod Dreher joins me for a wide-ranging discussion of his previous book, The Benedict Option , and his most recent book, Live Not By Lies. We talk about what changed between his writing the two books, how Christians choose to sleepwalk through much of the cultural onslaught, and what we should do…
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Inoculation vs. Insulation: How do we prepare our children for living in the world?
In our recent paideia sermon series, we looked at many passages that give us wisdom when training our children. This article by John Stonestreet at the Colson Center speaks to that topic. He contrasts inoculation with indoctrination as two methods of preparing our children to be "in the world but...
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Grace and Gratitude
These are just a few thoughts on the need to cultivate gratitude since it doesn't come naturally. I read a brief article by my friend Brandon Meeks on showing God's love to the least around us and talk about our responsibility to look beyond ourselves and see how we too can show God's grace to...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
What is a good life? The answer is as old as the world itself. We were made to love God and our neighbor, to learn wisdom, and to be good stewards of our gifts. Here we'll talk with everyday people who have thought and written about these topics.
HOSTED BY
Matt Carpenter
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Good Life have?
The Good Life currently has 83 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Good Life about?
What is a good life? The answer is as old as the world itself. We were made to love God and our neighbor, to learn wisdom, and to be good stewards of our gifts. Here we'll talk with everyday people who have thought and written about these topics.
How often does The Good Life release new episodes?
The Good Life has 83 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Good Life?
You can listen to The Good Life on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Good Life?
The Good Life is created and hosted by Matt Carpenter.
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