Reimagining the Good Life with Amy Julia Becker

A podcast about reimagining the good life through the lens of disability, faith, and culture. Host Amy Julia Becker interviews guests in conversations that challenge assumptions about the good life, proclaim the inherent belovedness of every human being, and help us envision a world of belonging.

Reimagining the Good Life with Amy Julia Becker is a religion podcast hosted by Amy Julia Becker, with 198 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Amy Julia Becker hosts Reimagining the Good Life with Amy Julia Becker, a religion show with 198 episodes published.

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  Episode #10

  When God Feels Absent: How Faith Makes Room for Doubt and Hope with Christian Wiman

  Jul 21, 202648 minS10

  If you’ve struggled with questions about God, suffering, or whether faith can make sense of the world’s brokenness, you’re not alone. Poet Christian Wiman joins Amy Julia Becker to talk about pain, joy, doubt, and the lifelong hunger for God. Together, they explore a faith honest enough to hold both questions and hope. S10 E10: 00:00 The Genesis of Glimmerings 04:41 Navigating Differences in Faith 12:24 The Role of Personal Encounters 18:45 The Intersection of Suffering and Longing for God 23:33 The Relationship Between Love, Suffering, and Hope 36:37 Sustaining Faith in Everyday Life 39:53 Cutting Through the Noise: Faith Beyond Differences MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Glimmerings: Letters on Faith Between a Poet and a Theologian by Miroslav Volf and Christian Wiman My Bright Abyss by Christian Wiman Miroslav Volf on Reimagining the Good Life: The Cost of Ambition _ SUBSCRIBE to Amy Julia's Substack: amyjuliabecker.substack.com WATCH this conversation on YouTube: Amy Julia Becker on YouTube JOIN the conversation on Instagram: @amyjuliabecker LISTEN to more episodes: amyjuliabecker.com/shows/ _ ABOUT OUR GUEST: Christian Wiman is the Clement-Muehl Professor of the Arts at Yale Divinity School. He is the author, editor, or translator of fifteen books, including Zero at the Bone: Fifty Entries Against Despair and Hammer Is the Prayer: Selected Poems. His work appears regularly in Harper’s, The New Yorker, and Commonweal. More about Chris: https://divinity.yale.edu/profile/christian-wiman Glimmerings: Letters on Faith Between a Poet and a Theologian We want to hear your thoughts. Send us a text! Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

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  Episode #9

  Love, Guilt, and Care: A Sibling’s Disability Story with Brian Trapp

  Jul 14, 202645 minS10

  When a child grows up with a sibling with a disability, what defines their childhood? Author Brian Trapp reflects on life with his twin brother with cerebral palsy. Brian shares how his childhood was a source of unexpected gifts, deep connection, and lifelong formation. He joins Amy Julia Becker to consider: Limits of labels like “glass child” and “mental age” Family and flourishing together The complexity of identity Sibling and caregiving relationships Range of Motion by Brian Trapp S10 E9: 00:00 The Bond of Brotherhood: Growing Up with Disability 08:55 Glass Child Syndrome and Sibling Experiences 18:23 Analogies for Family Life with Disability 23:27 The Complexity of Identity within Relationships and Caregiving 32:07 Fiction vs. Memoir: Exploring Personal Narratives 35:31 Understanding Mental Age and Its Implications 40:23 Reimagining Disability: A House of Laughter MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Cognoscenti essay by Brian Trapp: My twin brother was disabled, but I don't consider myself a 'glass child' Julia Miele Rodas’ essay: “ Limited Visibility; Or Confessions of a Satellite ” Range of Motion: A Novel by Brian Trapp _ SUBSCRIBE to Amy Julia's Substack: amyjuliabecker.substack.com WATCH this conversation on YouTube: Amy Julia Becker on YouTube JOIN the conversation on Instagram: @amyjuliabecker LISTEN to more episodes: amyjuliabecker.com/shows/ _ ABOUT OUR GUEST: Brian Trapp is the author of Range of Motion . He is director of Disability Studies at the University of Oregon, where he also teaches creative writing and edits the Northwest Review. His essay about being a sibling to his twin brother Danny was featured on NPR’s Here and Now . Find out more at: https://briantrappwriter.com/ __ We want to hear your thoughts. Send us a text! Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

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  Episode #8

  Who Counts as Human? with Brian Brock, PhD

  Jul 7, 202647 minS10

  Difference exposes our tendency to rank people as “better” or “worse.” Theologian Brian Brock, PhD, joins Amy Julia Becker to explore a life rooted in connection, creatureliness, and love. They consider: Social hierarchy and disability stigma Dietrich Bonhoeffer, community, and moral responsibility Human worth and personhood Joining Creation's Praise S10 E8: 00:00 Introduction: Joining Creation's Praise 04:35 Human Beings Are Creatures 11:57 Human Exceptionalism and Disability 16:00 Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Disability, Moral Responsibility, and Community 21:19 Euthanasia and Historical Context 24:07 Creation, Redemption, and Human Worth 32:22 Understanding Personhood in Modern Ethics 40:59 Reimagining the Good Life Through Creation MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Joining Creation's Praise: A Theological Ethic of Creatureliness by Brian Brock _ SUBSCRIBE to Amy Julia's Substack: amyjuliabecker.substack.com WATCH this conversation on YouTube: Amy Julia Becker on YouTube JOIN the conversation on Instagram: @amyjuliabecker LISTEN to more episodes: amyjuliabecker.com/shows/ _ ABOUT OUR GUEST: Brian Brock (DPhil, King’s College, London) is Chair of Moral and Practical Theology at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. He has written scholarly works on the use of the Bible in Christian ethics, the ethics of technological development, the theology of disability and the doctrine of creation. He is founder and managing editor of the academic monograph series T&T Clark Enquires in Theological Ethics , is Managing Editor of the Journal of Disability and Religion and President of the Society for the Study of Christian Ethics. He is also a husband and father of three children, including Adam, who is 21, a delightful human being with Down’s Syndrome and autism. His most recent book is Joining Creation's Praise: A Theological Ethic of Creatureliness . Professor Brian Brock | The University of Aberdeen __ We want to hear your thoughts. Send us a text! Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

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  Episode #7

  Why Forgiveness Isn’t the First Step with Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg

  Jun 30, 202646 minS10

  S10 E7 —Saying "I'm sorry" isn't enough to repair personal or institutional harm. Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, author of On Repentance and Repair , joins Amy Julia Becker to share an ancient framework for repentance and repair that challenges our culture's obsession with quick apologies. Together they discuss forgiveness, institutional responsibility, and breaking cycles of harm. 00:00 Defining Repentance and Repair 04:29 The Current State of Repentance in Society 07:10 Maimonides' Process of Repentance 17:00 The Influence of Distorted Protestantism on American Culture 22:50 The Complexity of Forgiveness and Purpose of Repentance 28:45 Institutional Harm and the Challenges of Repair 41:59 Repentance as a Path to a Good Life MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: On Repentance and Repair: Making Amends in an Unapologetic World by Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg _ SUBSCRIBE to Amy Julia's Substack: amyjuliabecker.substack.com WATCH this conversation on YouTube: Amy Julia Becker on YouTube JOIN the conversation on Instagram: @amyjuliabecker LISTEN to more episodes: amyjuliabecker.com/shows/ _ ABOUT OUR GUEST: Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg is the award-winning author of eight books who now makes her primary writing home at LifeIsASacredText.com She has received the Lives of Commitment Award from Auburn Seminary, and the Rabbinic Human Rights Hero Award from the human rights organization T’ruah, was named by Newsweek as a “rabbi to watch,” and as a “faith leader to watch” by the Center for American Progress. Her newest book, On Repentance and Repair: Making Amends in an Unapologetic World is a National Jewish Book Award winner and an American Library Association’s Sophie Brody Honor Book. It was hailed by Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley as “A must read for anyone navigating the work of justice and healing.” __ We want to hear your thoughts. Send us a text! Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

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  Episode #6

  Who Gets to Tell the Story? Disability, Hollywood, and Family with Craig Thomas

  Jun 23, 202643 minS10

  S10 E6 —Is disability a tragedy to overcome, a burden to bear, an inspirational lesson for everyone else? Or is there a different story to tell, and who gets to tell it? Craig Thomas, co-creator of How I Met Your Mother , joins Amy Julia Becker to discuss That’s Not How It Happened , his novel written from nearly two decades of growing up with a son with a rare genetic condition. Together they explore: Disability representation Overprotective parenting Independence and agency The power of authentic storytelling 00:00 The Story Behind "That's Not How It Happened" 08:15 Character Perspectives and Empathy in Storytelling 10:50 Disability and Family Dynamics: Parents and Siblings 15:26 Exploring Agency, Independence, and Shared Humanity 20:55 The Complexity of Emotions in Disability Narratives 27:42 Challenging Myths Around Disability 29:30 The Importance of Authentic Disability Representation in Media 38:45 Reimagining Life with Disability MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Novel: That’s Not How It Happened by Craig Thomas TV Show: How I Met Your Mother Movie: Champions _ SUBSCRIBE to Amy Julia's Substack: amyjuliabecker.substack.com WATCH this conversation on YouTube: Amy Julia Becker on YouTube JOIN the conversation on Instagram: @amyjuliabecker LISTEN to more episodes: amyjuliabecker.com/shows/ _ ABOUT OUR GUEST: Craig Thomas is the co-creator of the Emmy-winning comedy series How I Met Your Mother . His prose has appeared in The New Yorker, The Boston Globe, McSweeney's, and The Iowa Review . He lives in New York City with his wife, Rebecca, his daughter, Celia, and his son, Elliot, whose unique journey has had a huge impact on his life and work. That’s Not How It Happened is his first novel. https://www.instagram.com/craigtthomas/ and https://craigthomaswriter.com/ __ We want to hear your thoughts. Send us a text! Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

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