We love the theologian Kate Bowler's allergy to every platitude and her wisdom and wit about the strange and messy fullness of what it means to be in a human body. She's best known for her 2018 book Everything Happens for a Reason (And Other Lies I've Loved) — a poetic and powerful reflection on learning at age 35 that she had Stage IV colon cancer.
From a ... Show More
Mar 12
Arab Aramin, Robi Damelin, Liora Eilon, Mohamed Abu Jafar — Turning Unbearable Loss Into Ground of Shared Life
From Krista: A few months ago, I was invited to sit with four people sharing a very different Israeli-Palestinian story than that which comes to us in headlines. They are members of the Parents Circle - Bereaved Families Forum, a very special community. It's composed of hundreds ... Show More
1h 6m
Dec 2021
56. What to Do with Our Short, Precious Life with Kate Bowler
1. Kate describes the overwhelming feeling of love—not anger—that she felt when she was sure she was near death.
2. Why it’s time we throw out expressions like “Everything is possible” and “What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger,” and rewrite our cultural cliches.
3. Why Kat ... Show More
1h 6m
Jun 2024
Heather Lanier: Whole and Holy
What if your life hasn’t turned out like you thought it would? When writer Heather Lanier’s daughter, Fiona, was born with a rare genetic syndrome, she learned that the world will not always see her beloved as good. In this conversation, Kate and Heather discuss how it’s okay tha ... Show More
37m 3s
Apr 2024
Judy Woodruff: How Will We Live Our Beautiful, Terrible Days?
How do we navigate life within these beautiful, terrible days? In this special live episode of the Everything Happens podcast, Kate sits down with American broadcast journalist Judy Woodruff at the historic Sixth & I Synagogue in Washington, DC to discuss Kate’s latest book, Have ... Show More
44m 59s
Dec 2023
New Year, Same Grief (and the Math of Suffering) with Kate Bowler - Part 1
Is acceptance overrated? What happens when you have to face a new year without your person in it (or without the health you used to have!)? In this special two-part episode, we face the new year together - with special guest, historian, author, and queen of awkward conversations, ... Show More
23m 39s
Apr 2020
Does Everything Happen For a Reason?
“You’re desperate to find causality even where there is none,” says Kate Bowler. She’s a historian at Duke Divinity School and the author of a memoir called Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I’ve Loved. And she makes us laugh, even when she’s talking about death, dy ... Show More
45m 28s
May 2024
451. Navigating Belief, Skepticism, and the Afterlife | Alex O'Connor
Dr. Jordan B. Peterson sits down in-person with philosophical-oriented YouTuber and podcaster Alex O’Connor. They discuss the proper use of skepticism, the true meaning of belief and prayer, the mythological and historical nature of the Bible, the level-of-analysis problem, and t ... Show More
2 h
Dec 2018
Karen Armstrong: Steps to a Compassionate Life, Part 2
Former Catholic nun, world-renowned religious scholar and author, Karen Armstrong discusses her memoir, "The Spiral Staircase." Karen discusses the details of her fascinating spiritual journey, which began when she joined a convent at the age of 17. Hoping to forge a deep connect ... Show More
34m 23s