Listen "Episode 119: Learning To Speak God From Scratch, with Jonathan Merritt"
Episode Synopsis
My guest is Jonathan Merritt. His newest book is Learning to Speak God from Scratch: Why Sacred Words Are Vanishing--and How We Can Revive Them. (https://www.amazon.com/Learning-Speak-God-Scratch-Vanishing/dp/1601429304)
As America rapidly becomes a pluralistic, postmodern society, many of us struggle to talk about faith. We can no longer assume our friends understand words such as grace or gospel. Others, like lost and sin, have become so negative they are nearly conversation-enders.
Jonathan Merritt knows this frustration well. After Jonathan moved from the Bible Belt to New York City, he discovered that whenever conversations turned to spirituality, the words he'd used for decades didn't connect with listeners anymore. In a search for answers and understanding, Jonathan uncovered a spiritual crisis affecting tens of millions.
In this groundbreaking book, one of America's premier religion writers revives ancient expressions through cultural commentary, vulnerable personal narratives, and surprising biblical insights. Both provocative and liberating, Learning to Speak God from Scratch will breathe new life into your spiritual conversations and lure you into the embrace of the God who inhabits them.
Special Guest: Jonathan Merritt.
As America rapidly becomes a pluralistic, postmodern society, many of us struggle to talk about faith. We can no longer assume our friends understand words such as grace or gospel. Others, like lost and sin, have become so negative they are nearly conversation-enders.
Jonathan Merritt knows this frustration well. After Jonathan moved from the Bible Belt to New York City, he discovered that whenever conversations turned to spirituality, the words he'd used for decades didn't connect with listeners anymore. In a search for answers and understanding, Jonathan uncovered a spiritual crisis affecting tens of millions.
In this groundbreaking book, one of America's premier religion writers revives ancient expressions through cultural commentary, vulnerable personal narratives, and surprising biblical insights. Both provocative and liberating, Learning to Speak God from Scratch will breathe new life into your spiritual conversations and lure you into the embrace of the God who inhabits them.
Special Guest: Jonathan Merritt.
More episodes of the podcast Give and Take
Episode 307: Hamilton vs. Jefferson: The Battle That Still Shapes America, with Jeffrey Rosen
13/10/2025
Episode 306: Nations Apart: How Clashing Regional Cultures Shattered America, with Colin Woodard
24/09/2025
Episode 304: Playback, with Carla Malden
16/09/2025
Episode 301: Morbidly Curious: A Scientist Explains Why We Can't Look Away, with Coltan Scrivner
07/09/2025
Episode 300: My Guest Is Scott Jones...
02/09/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.