Emerge: Questions that Matter for Young Adult Spirituality

The young adults we know wonder why, in the midst of everything they have going on, they should bother with serving others. Falon and Rachel are talking to Dr. Christin Shatzer Roman — a nonprofit and student life professional — about how generosity with time and energy for the sake of others can shape the lives, careers, and faith of young adults.

The young adults we know wonder why they and their peers often feel depressed and anxious. Falon and Rachel are talking to Shaya Aguilar — a therapist and young adult mental health expert — about how to navigate mental, emotional, and spiritual health and offer support to others.

The young adults we know wonder why they aren’t connecting with God in the ways that used to “work” for their faith, and they feel at a loss for what to do about it. Falon and Rachel sit down together for an “Ask Me Anything” mini-episode to talk about how to navigate the spiritual disconnection and dryness that often characterize faith in young adulthood.

The young adults we know wonder whether faith is really only about souls, or if their bodies matter to God, too. Falon and Rachel are talking to Jonathan Opsahl — a personal trainer, fitness coach, and gym owner — about how to think about spirituality holistically, integrating faith, body, fitness, nutrition, and health, especially on a college campus.

The young adults we know wonder whether the stories they encounter in their everyday lives, in their favorite shows, movies, books, and even podcasts, can help shape their faith and identity for the better. Falon and Rachel are talking to Jess Wall-Smith — an English teacher and devoted follower of Jesus — about how even the most unlikely stories can help us better know God, the world around us, and even ourselves.

The young adults we know wonder why tensions seem to rise between them and their families as they go through the college years. Falon and Rachel are talking to Gus Peterson — a conflict mediator and student life professional who has lived and worked on college campuses for two decades — about how to prepare for and navigate changing family dynamics as young people emerge into adulthood.This episode of Emerge is lovingly dedicated to Seymour the Dog.

The young adults we know wonder why faith can feel so fragile in college, even when they thrived in youth group as teens. Falon and Rachel are talking to Joel Foster — a youth minister who also works on a college campus — about how to bridge the gap between the world of youth ministry and the realities of faith formation in young adulthood.

The young adults we know wonder why so many pastors and parents seem to shut down hard questions about faith, God, and the Bible. Falon and Rachel are talking to Sara Barton — a university chaplain, professor, and student life professional — about how to understand and navigate deconstruction and doubt so that it can grow and strengthen our faith, instead of threatening it.

For the first season finale of Emerge, Falon and Sara are talking to three emerging adults — Natalie Alderton, Aidan Hulbert, and Katrina Gallardo Palma — about the episodes that were most meaningful for them and what they would add to the ongoing conversation about emerging adult spirituality.

The young adults we know wonder why it is so difficult to find food that is good for our bodies and for the planet. Falon and Sara are talking to Norman Wirzba — a prolific author and professor — about how to reignite the joy of eating and participate in food systems that honor God and our neighbor. Dr. Norman Wirzba works at Duke Divinity School as a Distinguished Professor of Christian Theology, a Senior Fellow of the Kenan Institute for Ethics, and the Director of Research for the Office of Climate and Sustainability. He researches, speaks, teaches, and publishes books at the intersection of theology, philosophy, ecology, and agrarian and environmental studies. Follow Norman on Instagram @normwirz, and click here for Norman’s author page on Amazon.

The young adults we know wonder why there never seems to be enough time. Falon and Sara are talking to Makoto Fujimura — a world-renowned artist and author — about how slow art can enrich our lives and our faith. Makoto Fujimura is a leading contemporary artist whose process-driven, refractive “slow art” has been described by David Brooks of The New York Times as “a small rebellion against the quickening of time.” His art has been featured in galleries and museums globally, and he is one of the first artists to paint live on stage at Carnegie Hall. Fujimura is also an arts advocate, writer, and speaker who is recognized as a worldwide cultural influencer. He founded the international arts movement, IAMCultureCare, and he serves as an Artist Advocate for Embers International. Click here for Mako’s author page on Amazon.

The young adults we know wonder why everyone they know, from their parents to their friends to themselves, seems so broken. Falon and Sara are talking to Rick Gibson about how the enneagram can help shed light on our inner turmoil. Rick Gibson, MBA, is senior vice chancellor at Pepperdine University, where he develops relationships with philanthropists, businesses, politicians, religious leaders, and other community leaders. He guides the team that produces regular ministry training programs and Harbor: The Pepperdine Bible Lectures each year. Drawing from his experience as a minister, senior executive, and board member, as well as his training through Pepperdine's Key Executive MBA program, Rick coaches ministers and executives to help them discover the resources to strengthen their personal and professional lives. Learn more about Rick’s work here. The following books are helpful additional resources for the enneagram: The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective by Richard Rohr and Andreas Ebert, and The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile.

The young adults we know wonder why news about the climate crisis weighs on them so heavily, and if there is anything at all they can do about it. Sara is talking to Falon — the co-host of this podcast, who studied environmental justice for her Doctor of Ministry — about why daily spiritual practices matter for connecting with God and caring for the earth, each other, and ourselves. Dr. Falon Barton is the Campus Minister at the University Church of Christ Malibu at Pepperdine University, focusing primarily on the spiritual formation of college students. She has her Doctor of Ministry from the Hazelip School of Theology at Lipscomb University and an MA in Theology and Ethics. She is especially interested in the calling on disciples of Jesus to love our neighbors by caring for God's earth. She gave a keynote on this topic, “Created in Love,” at Harbor: The Pepperdine Bible Lectures in 2023. She is also the co-host of this podcast.

The young adults we know wonder why spiritual growth can be so difficult. Falon and Sara are talking to Richard Beck — a psychologist, professor, and prolific author — about how to grow in experiencing transcendence and enchantment when darkness is rife in ourselves and in the world. Dr. Richard Beck is a professor of psychology and the department chair at Abilene Christian University in Texas. Check out his author page on Amazon and learn more about him here.

The young adults we know wonder how people of faith can practice justice, both systemically and interpersonally, when it comes to immigration. Falon and Sara are talking to Jennifer Koh — an immigration lawyer and a devoted Jesus follower — about how to balance complex national concerns with the biblical command to love our neighbor — including the foreigner among us. Jennifer Koh, JD, is Associate Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Nootbaar Institute for Law at Pepperdine University’s Caruso School of Law. She earned her JD from Columbia Law School after doing her undergraduate work at Yale. Learn more about her work here.

The young adults we know wonder why struggling in their faith causes so much distress and makes us feel so alone. Falon and Sara are talking to Liz Mancuso — a clinical psychologist, professor, and researcher — about how to grow in our faith through spiritual struggle. Dr. Elizabeth Krumrei Mancuso is a professor of psychology at Pepperdine University. Check out Liz’ author page on Amazon and learn more about her work here.

The young adults we know wonder why it is so challenging to navigate experiences of deep sadness and loss. Falon and Sara are talking to Earl Turner — a clinical psychologist and grief expert — about how to care for ourselves and grow, even through life’s most difficult challenges. Dr. Erlanger Turner is Associate Professor of Psychology at Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology. He has his PhD from Texas A&M and has a book titled Mental Health among African Americans: Innovations in Research and Practice. Learn more about his work here.

The young adults we know wonder why there is so much violence in the Bible. From sacrifice to murder to genocide, there is a lot of disconcerting stuff in a book that we often go to for comfort and peace. Falon and Sara are talking to Rick Marrs — a Bible professor and Hebrew scholar — about how to navigate the messy and disturbing stories of the Bible. Dr. Rick Marrs is a professor of Old Testament and the former provost at Pepperdine University. He has his PhD from Johns Hopkins University, and he has a book titled Embracing the Call of God: Finding Ourselves in Genesis. Learn more about his work here.

The young adults we know wonder why preaching matters, especially when so many sermons are boring, narcissistic, judgmental, or just plain hard to understand. Falon and Sara are talking to Jaclyn Williams — who is a professional preacher and storyteller — about how to preach sermons and hear sermons in a way that builds community and transforms our lives. Dr. Jaclyn Patrice is Assistant Professor of the Practice of Preaching and Chaplaincy, at Fuller Theological Seminary. She has her PhD from the University of Birmingham in the UK, and she is an American-Baptist ordained minister. Her research interests include incarnational and embodied preaching. Follow Jaclyn on Instagram @thejaclynpatrice, and learn more about Jaclyn here.

The young adults we know wonder why it is so hard to figure out what they believe, why they believe it, and what it all means for their lives. Falon and Sara are talking to Steve Argue, who loves and knows emerging adults better than anyone, about how to spiritually flourish and find identity during the confusing, unstable, and complicated season of being an 18-30-ish-year-old. Dr. Steve Argue is Associate Professor of Youth, Family, and Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary and the Applied Research Strategist at the Fuller Youth Institute. He researches, speaks, consults, and writes regularly on topics surrounding adolescence, emerging adulthood, faith, and spiritual struggle. Follow Steve on Instagram ⁠@stevenargue⁠. Check out Steve’s author page on ⁠Amazon⁠ and learn more about his work ⁠here⁠.

We take seriously the questions that young people have about faith, religion, and their spiritual journeys. Two Christian ministers have conversations with guests about what matters most to emerging adults so that they — and the people who care for them — can be equipped to flourish. Coming in October!