"You Are Not a Machine" with Joy Marie Clarkson

Joy Marie Clarkson holds a PhD in theology from the University of St. Andrews and is the author of two books, Aggressively Happy and, most recently, You Are a Tree. She is also a research associate in theology and literature at King's College London and the books editor for Plough Quarterly.

In our time together, Joy shares about how teaching a course on the idea of beauty in Western Theology has shaped her views on the topic, as well as her study of how art can prepare us for death. Joy also explains the power of the metaphors we use. In our discussion, and in her latest book, You Are a Tree, she helps us move away from impersonal, productivity-oriented metaphors to help us live into more life-giving and generative ways of being human.

Melissa KucharskiApril 29, 2024joyclarkson, joymarieclarkson, impossiblebeauty, impossiblebeautypodcast, beauty, theology, authenticbeauty, truebeauty

"The Beauty of Bread" with Kendall Vanderslice

Kendall Vanderslice is a professionally trained baker, speaker, and author, including her most recent title, By Bread Alone: A Baker’s Reflections on Hunger, Longing, and the Goodness of God. Kendall is the founder of the Edible Theology Project, and holds a master’s degree in Gastronomy (Food Studies) from Boston University and a Master’s of Theological Studies from Duke Divinity School. Both personally and professionally, Kendall explores how God meets us in preparing food and sharing food with others.

In today’s episode, Kendall shares how she has come to love bread, how being a baker has shaped her faith, how what we do with our bodies shapes us spiritually, and how she has come to see food as a gift, after experiencing a disordered relationship with food.

Melissa KucharskiNovember 13, 2023kendallvanderslice, baker, baking, bread, theology, foodstudies, gastronomy, impossiblebeauty, impossiblebeautypodcast, spiritualformation, disorderedeating, communion