The Puddcast hosted by Jonathan Puddle — Jonathan Puddle

Provocative, non-religious conversations about life, love and God.
Hosted by Jonathan Puddle and Tryphena Perumalla-Gagnon.

Text transcriptions are available for most episodes.
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#107: The Life of Eugene Peterson (with Winn Collier)

#107: The Life of Eugene Peterson (with Winn Collier)

This week I have the great delight of discussing the life and faith of Eugene Peterson, with Winn Collier, who wrote his authorized biography. Winn has pastored for 25 years and was deeply impacted by Eugene’s work, both in The Message and in his many pastoral books. Winn now directs the Eugene Peterson Center for Christian Imagination at Western Theological Seminary. We discussed the holy ordinary, a major theme of Eugene’s life, and we reflected on a life lived in pursuit of divine love. Expect warmth and encouragement and hope.

Jonathan PuddleMarch 25, 2021eugene peterson, story, pastoring, bible, life, theology, churchComment

#106: The Enneagram types under stress (with Ian Morgan Cron)

#106: The Enneagram types under stress (with Ian Morgan Cron)

This week we are joined by Enneagram teacher, Ian Morgan Cron. Ian is a bestselling author, psychotherapist, and host of the Typology podcast. Ian’s book, The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery is one I highly recommend, and so I was thrilled to welcome Ian to the show. We talked about the doctrine of original goodness, the mystery of God in our lives, the unconscious motivations of each Enneagram type, the Enneagram types under stress, dying to the false self and more.

Jonathan PuddleMarch 18, 2021enneagram, brokenness, healing, restoration, covid-19, buddhism, self-loveComment

#105: What the humanity of Jesus means for our pain (with Kurt Willems)

#105: What the humanity of Jesus means for our pain (with Kurt Willems)

This week we are joined by pastor, podcaster and author Kurt Willems, to discuss how Jesus’ humanity redeems and transforms our human suffering. Kurt is a delightful blend of the academic, the pastoral, and deep spiritual formation. We talked about how Jesus meets us in our brokenness and leads us through the traumas of our life, renewing our humanity in the process. And a whole lot more, as usual!

Jonathan PuddleMarch 11, 2021trauma, suffering, deconstruction, jesus, hope, sinComment

#104: You are seen, heard and loved by God (with Melinda Estabrooks)

#104: You are seen, heard and loved by God (with Melinda Estabrooks)

This week, my guest is Melinda Estabrooks. Melinda is a Canadian television host, conference speaker and editor of the new book, “Always Know.” Melinda’s career in Canadian broadcast TV and radio spans over 20 years and while we had interacted at industry events in the past, this was the first time we really got to actually talk with one another. I asked her to share her story of being abandoned as a baby, then adopted by a Canadian family, experiencing racism growing up, depression and mental health difficulties, and even walking through a divorce while in public Christian ministry. If you’ve ever felt like God and everyone else doesn’t see you… then Melinda’s story is for you.

Jonathan PuddleMarch 5, 2021adoption, divorce, depression, story, race Comment

#103: The Great Sex Rescue (with Sheila Wray Gregoire & Rebecca Gregoire Lindenbach)

#103: The Great Sex Rescue (with Sheila Wray Gregoire & Rebecca Gregoire Lindenbach)

This week, popular Christian sex blogger and author Sheila Wray Gregoire returns to the show with her daughter Rebecca Gregoire Lindenbach to discuss their groundbreaking research on harmful Evangelical teachings about sex. They conducted a survey of 22,000 Christian women to test many popular evangelical teachings about sex and see how they corresponded with women’s sexual and marital satisfaction. Their findings are important and powerful, and they’re available in their new book, The Great Sex Rescue: The Lies You’ve Been Taught and How to Recover What God Intended. Content warning: contains a discussion on sexual assault in marriage, and is not appropriate for children. This interview offers hope to anyone who grew up in purity culture, or who has experienced sexual difficulties in marriage and wondered whether it was all their fault.

Jonathan PuddleFebruary 25, 2021sex, marriage, love, restoration, relationships, deconstructionComment

#102: Introducing The Puddcast B-Side: Jesus & Trauma (with Chris Long)

#102: Introducing The Puddcast B-Side: Jesus & Trauma (with Chris Long)

This week you get to enjoy a brand-new piece of content, the first Puddcast B-Side! I sat down (virtually) with my good friend Chris and we unpacked the ways that episodes 100 and 101 (the panel on Jesus & Trauma) impacted us. I also shared some behind-the-scenes discussion on how the panel came together, some challenges I faced running it and more. Going forward, I’ll be releasing a B-Side for every episode, where a friend of mine and I discuss the topics in further depth. You may also get some funny bloopers, mistakes, gotchas and various other things. It's gonna be fun!

Jonathan PuddleFebruary 18, 2021emotions, trauma, healing, church, b-sideComment

#101: Panel - Jesus & Trauma Pt. 2 (with Wm. Paul Young, Alison Cook, Ph.D, Dr. Jerome D. Lubbe, Ahmeda Mansaray-Richardson)

#101: Panel - Jesus & Trauma Pt. 2 (with Wm. Paul Young, Alison Cook, Ph.D, Dr. Jerome D. Lubbe, Ahmeda Mansaray-Richardson)

This week we dive into the 2nd half of our panel discussion on Jesus & Trauma. Once again, my guests are Wm. Paul Young, Alison Cook, Ph.D, Dr. Jerome D. Lubbe and Ahmeda Mansaray-Richardson. Building on the discussion in the first half, where the lenses of psychology, neurology, theology, and cultural studies were applied to matters of identity, brokenness, colonialism, institutional religious structures, diversity and more, we went after forgiveness and reconciliation next. The conversation is shorter but no less robust.

Jonathan PuddleFebruary 11, 2021brokenness, trauma, healing, race, forgiveness, reconciliationComment

#100: Panel - Jesus & Trauma Pt. 1 (with Wm. Paul Young, Alison Cook, Ph.D, Dr. Jerome D. Lubbe, Ahmeda Mansaray-Richardson)

#100: Panel - Jesus & Trauma Pt. 1 (with Wm. Paul Young, Alison Cook, Ph.D, Dr. Jerome D. Lubbe, Ahmeda Mansaray-Richardson)

Welcome to the 100th episode of The Puddcast! As I looked back over the first 3 years I realized that the intersection of Jesus & trauma formed a throughline across many conversations. I wanted to do something special and so I assembled a panel to discuss this subject. My guests are Wm. Paul Young, Alison Cook, Ph.D, Dr. Jerome D. Lubbe and Ahmeda Mansaray-Richardson. Using the lenses of psychology, neurology, theology, cultural studies, and more we look at identity, brokenness, colonialism, institutional religious structures, diversity and more. If you’ve ever wished to know precisely why it’s so hard to believe that God loves you, if you’ve wanted to understand yourself better, to know why our societies are so busted right now, why we struggle to put ourselves in other’s shoes, and more… then this is the discussion for you.

Jonathan PuddleFebruary 4, 2021brokenness, emotions, trauma, healing, race, anxiety, identityComment

#99: Highlights from the first 100 episodes (Aundi Kolber, Luke Gifford & Stephanie Tait)

#99: Highlights from the first 100 episodes (Aundi Kolber, Luke Gifford & Stephanie Tait)

This week we do a bit of a retrospective and I highlight some of the most popular episodes since The Puddcast began, as well as those that were the most impactful in my own life. As promised, I also reveal the guests of my upcoming panel on Jesus + Trauma! Inside, you’ll find a replay of the very first episode of The Puddcast (“God is Everywhere”) as well as clips from my interviews with Luke Gifford, Aundi Kolber and Stephanie Tait. There’s also lots of further commentary from me looking back on the first 3 years of The Puddcast. Tune in to hear the exciting news of what I’ll be able to do once I hit 70 Patrons!

Jonathan PuddleJanuary 28, 2021brokenness, emotions, trauma, healing, suffering, aundi kolberComment

#98: Poems of Disappointment and Discovery (with David Tensen)

#98: Poems of Disappointment and Discovery (with David Tensen)

My guest on the show this week is poet David Tensen. Once upon a time, David was the worship director at a megachurch… then he led a large inner healing prayer ministry… then his life fell apart and he started writing poetry. David recently released his first book The Wrestle: Poems of Divine Disappointment and Discovery. We talked all about breakdown, disappointment and surprising joy. David read a few of his poems for us—if you’ve ever experienced your life falling apart then this will be a blessing for your heart’s journey.

Jonathan PuddleJanuary 22, 2021poetry, brokenness, emotions, suicideComment

#97: Masks of Masculinity (with Brendan Kwiatkowski)

#97: Masks of Masculinity (with Brendan Kwiatkowski)

Brendan Kwiatkowski is a PhD candidate, researching adolescent males’ levels of emotional restriction and related pressures. I’ve loved the work that Brendan shares on his Instagram and so he joined me on the show to discuss the masks that men & boys wear, trust vs vulnerability, issues of identity and sense of purpose, and the fragmentation that results from not being our true selves. If you have a male in your life, listen in.

Jonathan PuddleJanuary 15, 2021masculinity, embodiment, emotions, suicideComment

#96: Your God, your body and your temple

#96: Your God, your body and your temple

This week on The Puddcast I’m giving you 3 readings from the audiobook of You Are Enough: Learning to Love Yourself the Way God Loves You. I’ve included the first 3 days: Your God, Your Body and Your Temple. If you enjoy it, you can buy a copy of the full audiobook directly from my website, at jonathanpuddle.com/store. It will also be available on Audible, Apple Music, etc. in the coming weeks.

Jonathan PuddleNovember 26, 2020god's love, embodiment, theology, god, contemplativeComment

#95: Forgiving what you can't forget (with Lysa TerKeurst)

#95: Forgiving what you can't forget (with Lysa TerKeurst)

Popular author Lysa TerKeurst returns to the show this week to catch us up on the reconciliation of her marriage and how to forgive things that can’t be forgotten. We discussed dealing honestly with grief and acknowledging pain instead of spiritual bypassing. We talked at length about forgiveness, why it’s important for our healing, and how to give forgiveness to someone who really doesn’t deserve it… and why maybe the matter of their deserving-ness is the wrong question. I highly recommend you check this out along with her new book, Forgiving What You Can’t Forget. I was moved, y’all.

Jonathan PuddleNovember 19, 2020forgiveness, grief, trauma, boundaries, marriageComment

#94: Abortion, politics and God (with Maija Puddle)

#94: Abortion, politics and God (with Maija Puddle)

This week we welcome the most specialist guest ever, Maija Puddle, my better half! Maija’s undergrad was in Political Science specializing in Public Policy and her masters’ thesis (in development and cooperation) was on power and language. So in the aftermath of the US election, Maija and I had an in-depth discussion on abortion, democracy, representation, the dangers of spiritualizing politics, and how God does and doesn’t work within society to bring about change. Expect hope, fire and lots of love.

Jonathan PuddleNovember 12, 2020politics, abortion, love, jesus, cultureComment

#93: Honest Advent (with Scott Erickson)

#93: Honest Advent (with Scott Erickson)

Scott Erickson (AKA scottthepainter) is a touring painter, visual storyteller and creative curator who I am very excited to welcome to The Puddcast this week. We discussed a number of the themes from his new Christmas book, Honest Advent: Awakening to the Wonder of God-With-Us Then, Here, and Now. Specifically, we talked about honesty in the face of pain and how vulnerability itself is the doorway to connection with God. Expect a jovial, lighthearted conversation that suddenly takes a beautiful, sacred turn as Scott hits reset on our understanding of a very familiar story.

Jonathan PuddleNovember 6, 2020authenticity, deconstruction, hope, vulnerability, artComment

#91: When God is silent (with Pete Greig)

#91: When God is silent (with Pete Greig)

This week I’m thrilled to welcome Pete Greig, one of the founders of the 24-7 Prayer movement and author of a number of books that have deeply impacted me. My friend and pastor Amy Ryan co-hosted the discussion and we asked Pete to help us understand how to pray and how to handle the silence that often happens in response to our prayers. His answers to us were deep and powerful and his comments on the church were insightful! Make sure to grab a copy of his latest book (republished for the COVID context), God on Mute: Engaging the Silence of Unanswered Prayer. It’s honestly wrecking me right now.

Jonathan PuddleOctober 22, 2020covid-19, holy spirit, jesus, prayer, silence, lamentComment

#90: Encountering the transforming presence of God (with Duncan & Kate Smith)

#90: Encountering the transforming presence of God (with Duncan & Kate Smith)

This week on The Puddcast we welcome Duncan & Kate Smith, the leaders of the Catch The Fire movement of churches. I’ve known Duncan & Kate for many years and I asked them to share what it means to encounter the Holy Spirit and have the Spirit revolutionize your life. We took our time to get there, building up a beautiful framework for knowing God has a loving Father and taking on the life of Jesus into our own lives. If you’ve ever wondered what the deal was with those crazy Charismatics, then have a listen to this and see if you too don’t catch an excitement for the experienceable presence and tangible love of God.

Jonathan PuddleOctober 15, 2020covid-19, holy spirit, catch the fire, god's love, jesusComment

#89: Marriage, Mayoralty + The Opioid Crisis (with Rachel + Cam Guthrie)

#89: Marriage, Mayoralty + The Opioid Crisis (with Rachel + Cam Guthrie)

I’m honoured to welcome to The Puddcast this week, my city’s mayor, Cam Guthrie! Cam and his wife Rachel shared some of their life story along with insights on managing hectic schedules, putting in boundaries, dealing with criticism, supporting one another’s career goals, the COVID rollercoaster and the opioid overdose crisis. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with them.

Jonathan PuddleOctober 1, 2020covid-19, marriage, story, family, drugs, opioid crisisComment

#88: You Are Never Alone (with Max Lucado)

#88: You Are Never Alone (with Max Lucado)

This week we are joined once more by Max Lucado, one of the most prolific Christian authors of our time. Max and I briefly discussed some themes from his new book, You Are Never Alone: Trust in the Miracle of God's Presence and Power before we moved on to examining the intensity and pain of the moment we find ourselves in, how so many of our systems are failing us and how we desperately need help from the Holy Spirit. There’s a little something in here for everyone.

Jonathan PuddleSeptember 24, 2020covid-19, race, jesus, loneliness, isolation, max lucado, justice (theological)Comment