Viva La Joy: The Podcast

Carmen loves Mike Winger and watches his videos. He posted a short video speculating about why authoritarian governments target Christians since Christians are called to "be submissive" and "obey the government," and Carmen made a comment on the vid that got a lot of attention. You can watch Mike's video here: (Mike's words, you can watch the video here: https://www.instagram.com/p/C5Ozp-MKcLl/) Carmen's comment: "Christians are a threat to authoritarian governments because Christ commands his followers to pursue goodness and justice and those governments work to undermine both of those things. Sadly, most governments expand and become authoritarian over time, so Christians almost always find themselves in the difficult position of having to make significant relational/political sacrifices in the short-term or be persecuted in the long-term." In a longer video (dropping tonight!) Carmen and Ian discuss why authoritarian governments hate Christianity, as well as wh

It is common for new Christians, or newly serious Christians, who want to deepen their relationship with scripture to set out to “read the whole Bible cover-to-cover.” This practice, while well-intentioned, can lead to one of two problems. First, many Christians make it through the exciting, narrative story of Genesis and Exodus before losing interest somewhere in the legal sections of the Pentateuch. This is unsurprising. As a lawyer familiar with legal treatises and codes, Ian can tell you that even the best jurist usually does not intend his treatise to be a pleasant cover-to-cover reading experience even for other lawyers, let alone the lay reader. A legal treatise is designed to be consulted, not read like a novel. Because all legal treatises are boring to read, Christians at first riveted by the generational drama of Jacob, Joseph, and Moses usually founder in discouragement when they collide with Mosaic dietary and agricultural laws. Sadly, this prevents many Christians from ever truly discovering bibl

Carmen Schober and Ian Huyett discuss How Reason Can Lead to God by Philosopher Joshua Rasmussen. Book Summary: Do you value reason, science, and independent thinking? Are you skeptical of beliefs that people maintain merely "on faith," yet you remain interested in the big questions of life? Do you hope there could be a greater purpose to the universe, if only that were realistic? If so, then philosopher Joshua Rasmussen can encourage you in your journey. Beginning with his own story of losing faith and the belief in any ultimate purpose in life, he then builds a bridge to a series of universal truths about ultimate reality. Using only the instruments of reason and common experience, Rasmussen constructs a pathway—step by step, brick by brick—that he argues can lead to meaning and, ultimately, a vision of God. Purchase the book here: https://amzn.to/3Hc32MB Read our full review at https://www.staseos.net/ Follow Staseos on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Staseos/

Carmen and Ian discuss Andrew Huberman's recent interview about his belief in God on the Cameron Hanes Show, as well as the growing trend towards theism among western intellectuals in Ian's latest essay, Deus Ex Machina. You can also watch the discussion on the Staseos YouTube Channel. Please subscribe and like our videos. Follow Staseos on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and sign up to receive our email newsletter If you enjoy Staseos, please leave us a review or consider making a donation so more people can find our work. Thank you for tuning in!

At the zenith of the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, a totalitarian party remembered as the “Jacobins” forged a powerful centralized state, launched the Reign of Terror, implemented a “Cult of Reason” as the official state religion, publicly beheaded and drowned countless Christians as part of a national program of “dechristianization,” and committed the first modern genocide—targeting the intransigent Catholic population of the Vendee. Despite its anti-Christian character, the Enlightenment has been so influential that present-day Christians themselves often operate within an unconscious framework of Enlightenment assumptions. Carmen and Ian discuss a few examples.

Staseos Founders Ian Huyett and Carmen Schober discuss Carmen's latest book, Pretty Little Pieces. Carmen shares what inspired her to become a writer, how Christianity intersects with romance in her novels, and why young Christian professionals should be active and uncompromising about sharing their faith rather than passive and people-pleasing.  Carmen's books are available everywhere, but we recommend purchasing them from Baker Book House, an independent Christian bookstore. Use the code SCHOBER50 at check out to get them both for $20 plus free shipping. After She Falls: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/277355 Pretty Little Pieces: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/405423

Carmen chats with Dr. Levi Russell, a Kansas-based economist, about the reasons behind our record inflation and rising gas prices. Russell explains how these issues could be addressed but likely won't be due to political reasons, but he also offers Americans some hope for the future. 

Lawyer Ian Huyett discusses the legal realities regarding Roe vs. Wade and how the controversial Texas Heartbeat Law utilized an unexpected loophole. He also explains what we should expect to happen next. If you enjoy No Apologies, please leave us a review.

Peter (a Christian therapist) joins Carmen for another candid chat. This time, they discuss how Christians can honestly and effectively face disappointments on a personal and national scale. Peter offers a much more nuanced approach than the usual suggestion to simply "be more positive," so we think you'll find this conversation interesting and helpful!

In this episode of No Apologies, Carmen Schober chats with artist Haleigh DeRocher about her experience as a Bookstagram influencer. Haleigh owns Sweet Sequels, a popular shop that specializes in literary-themed art and novelty goods. Recently, she made the decision to share pro-life content on her popular Instagram account and angry progressives tried to "cancel" her. However, her decision to boldly stand by her convictions actually made her shop even more popular, and she's been a growing Christian influence in the Bookstagram world ever since. Please share this encouraging conversation with fellow Christian artists and creators! There are many blessings awaiting those who are willing to be bold in their defense of the truth. If you enjoy No Apologies, please leave us a review!

In this episode, Carmen chats with the Executive Director of the Winthrop House--a budding Christian Community located in eastern New Hampshire. Roger Tindall shares some helpful background on the Intentional Christian Community movement, as well as resources for those who want to dig deeper. Most importantly, he shares his own personal insights into building a community after years of trial and error.   Additional Resources:  By Rod Dreher Crunchy Cons:  How Birkenstocked Burkeans, gun-loving organic gardeners, evangelical free-range farmers, hip homeschooling mamas, and their diverse tribe of countercultural conservatives plan to save America (or at least the Republican Party) Includes a discussion of conservative counterculturalism with some initial thoughts on the "Benedict Option" concept at the end of the book  The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation A discussion of why we lost the culture war and why intentional community is the best

Lawyer Ian Huyett discusses the Trump campaign's litigation efforts and explains how one law firm's cowardice has irreparably damaged the fact-finding process. He also revisits the looming danger of court packing and shares a few different ways to prepare for a Biden presidency if Trump doesn't prevail. If you enjoy No Apologies, please leave us a review and help others find our work!

In this episode of No Apologies, Carmen and Ian discuss the Democrats' openly endorsed court-packing strategy and why it would effectively eliminate Americans' constitutional rights.  Ian originally wrote about court-packing at length in an essay for The Stream. If you enjoy No Apologies, please leave us a review so others can find our much-needed cultural commentary from an informed Christian perspective.

In this episode Carmen chats with Family Advocate Kim Borchers about a slanderous article that was recently published by the Kansas Reflector. A Kansas politician got caught in her own mess of misinformation, so a liberal journalist raced to cover for her. His solution? Make Kim the boogeyman. We hope you enjoy this conversation about police reform, ethical journalism, and deconstructing leftist rhetoric. Listen here or wherever podcasts are found. If you enjoy No Apologies, please leave us a review!

In this episode, Carmen makes a new friend. Abbey Sitterley writes great essays (like this one), writes great music (like this song), and (wait for it...) appreciates the glory of mixed martial arts! She and Carmen discuss what it's like being bold, creative Christians in a confusing culture--both in and out of the church. If you enjoy No Apologies, please leave us a review! Intro song: "Love Somebody" by The Local Hangups

Carmen Schober discusses the Christian version of the social justice movement with OG cultural commentator/YouTuber AD Robles. We cover questions about equity, God's justice, racism, Tim Keller's level of wokeness, and more.  We also discover that we have the same favorite Disney song. You can find AD's work here.  If you enjoy No Apologies, please leave us a review!

A few weeks ago Tim Dukeman gave listeners an overview of Marxism, and that conversation became our most popular episode ever! Today, Tim and I dug into a specific kind of Marxism known as Critical Race Theory that explains most of the confusion and hostility surrounding our culture's ideas about race, oppression, and power.   If you enjoy no apologies, please leave us a review. Intro Song "Commies are Coming" by Shane Simonsen

Carmen enjoys a much-needed conversation with Therapist Peter Anderson about how to deal with emotional manipulation and blame in today's woke world. 

In this episode, Carmen chats with Dr. Melissa Macaraeg about her experience fighting COVID-19 in New York during its peak. Public figures and the media have spread many contradictory messages about the virus, but one thing is still certain: there will be serious repercussions in the form of emotional and economic devastation for months and years to come. Melissa offers insights into how Christians can serve in the midst of so much suffering. Listen here or wherever podcasts are found. If you enjoy the podcast, please leave us a review.

In this episode, Carmen chats with Tim Dukeman about Marxism in culture and the Church. We define it, discuss how it applies to just about everything in mainstream American discourse, and explain why Christians should destroy it.