Show Summary

For all the thinking we do, we usually don’t think twice about the preconceived notions we use to keep life simple. We like to place ideas into categories and give everyone a label according to their personality type or their social leanings. It’s a sort of shorthand, relieving us of the effort it takes to explore other people or ideas in full. It’s easier to apply the categories we’ve already figured out to make sense of every mystery or unknown. While it may be easier, such rigid thinking can trivialize the important.

In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson continue their Ready, Set, Think! series by inviting Jen Pollock Michel to the conversation. Together, they explore the benefits of thinking twice about issues and ideas that deserve a second thought. Jen defines today’s context as an “Either-Or World,” one in which we run to the extremes and look for security in certitude. Try as we may, it’s impossible to eliminate the gray areas of daily life! Faith is required. Referencing her forthcoming book, Surprised by Paradox: The Promise of “And” in an Either-Or World (May 2019, InterVarsity Press), Jen explains the beauty and wonder of paradox in the life of a Christian and how its embrace allows us to be at rest in a tumultuous age. Because the way we think affects how we engage with our neighbors and cultivate grace in the world, it’s crucial to think twice about how we think in order to grow and bear hope to a desperate world.

Listen in for dialogue on questions like these, then continue the conversation on Twitter @PersuasionCAPC or in the CAPC members-only community on Facebook.

Your Hosts

Erin Straza: Web / Twitter
Hannah Anderson: Web / Twitter

Episode 157 Resources & Links

Jen Pollock Michel: jenpollockmichel.com / Twitter @jenpmichel
Surprised by Paradox: The Promise of “And” in an Either-Or World (May 2019, InterVarsity Press)
Persuasion 110 | Keeping Place with Jen Pollock Michel
Persuasion | You Go Girl! Desire and Ambition in the Life of Faith

Did you enjoy this episode of Persuasion? Give these a listen!

Persuasion 156 | Thinking It Through
Persuasion 96: The Abundance of Childlessness, with Karen Swallow Prior
Persuasion 31 | Goodbye Clutter and Chores, Hello Joy and Beauty

Theme music by Maiden Name. Produced by Jonathan Clauson.

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