Michael invites singer-songwriter Carly Taich and producer Jimmy Smith on to the podcast to discuss what it looks like for Christians to pursue art (in this case, music) within the church as a ministry, a hobby, or a profession. They share pers

Deconstruction and the Arts

Oct 27th, 2022 1h 10m

Abbey and Michael get together to discuss how deconstruction within the church is both fed and addressed by the arts. What exactly do we mean by deconstruction? Why is it so prevalent right now? What does it have to do with the arts? Stay tuned

Deep Dive: Wrestling by Warbler

Sep 22nd, 2022 2h 3m

This is the first of a new series for the Renew the Arts podcast, Deep Dive, where we pay very close attention to an entire album or song in all of its parts, from composition to production. In this first of the series, Michael interviews Sean

Do Poor People Make Poor Patrons?

1 Aug 18th, 2022 55m 51s

Abbey Sitterley interviews Michael Minkoff about the historical development and downfall of patronage. What does it mean for Porchlight and Renew the Arts to resurrect the idea of patronage now when its history seems so tied up in elitism? How

What Can We Learn from Intentional Communities?

Jul 21st, 2022 53m 30s

Michael interviews co-host Abbey Sitterley (Chief Storyteller for Porchlight) about three intentional communities (L’Abri, Bruderhof, and L’Arche) to glean some of what we can learn from their successes and failures. Stay tuned at the end to he

The Spirit of the Porchlight Network

Jun 8th, 2022 1h 2m

Justus and Michael discuss the motivations and reasoning behind launching the Porchlight Art and Hospitality Network. They then explain the qualities and virtues they hope to draw together and further cultivate in the network. Stay tuned at the

An Artistic Antidote to Division

Oct 31st, 2020 56m 12s

Justus and Michael finish up their conversation on politics and culture with a few days left for election 2020. Stay tuned at the end for “Worry,” off of Warbler’s self-titled record.

Weep with Those Who Weep with Wendell Kimbrough

Oct 14th, 2020 47m 45s

Justus sat down with singer-songwriter Wendell Kimbrough to discuss how the psalms encourage the church to empathy, why we don’t sing them like we used to, and why we need to sing them again. Stay tuned at the end for “The Hand of God (Psalm 82

Art and Recovery with Cynthia Giles and Alexia Jones

Sep 28th, 2020 58m 43s

Justus and Cynthia talk with Alexia Jones, founder of Rise Theater, about how art made in community can help heal brokenness in pursuit of recovery. Stay tuned at the end for “Dance Hi’s and Lo’s” by Civilized Creature, from the record Steadfas

Art and Trauma with Cynthia Giles and Chi T. Mathias

Sep 9th, 2020 54m 9s

Justus and Cynthia interview Chi T. Mathias, a vocalist, author, speaker, and teacher, who tells her incredible story of overcoming trauma in and through creative expression. Stay tuned at the end for Chi’s single, “Forgiveness.”

Art and Mental Hygiene with Cynthia Giles and Lydia Jones

Aug 6th, 2020 46m 39s

Justus and guest co-host Cynthia Giles (http://creativeactivation.org and http://cynthiasinspirations.com) talk to medical student and aspiring psychiatrist Lydia Jones about making art and staying mentally healthy during the pandemic and after

Ditching DC for Music City with Erik Løkkesmoe

Mar 31st, 2020 1h 10m

Justus sits down with Erik Løkkesmoe, a former DC press secretary and speechwriter who now produces films from his home-base in Nashville, to discuss politics and patronage and how we can contribute to cultural transformation without feeling li

Collaborative Community with Hallowell’s Joseph Pensak

Mar 6th, 2020 45m 12s

Justus Stout talks on the phone with Joseph Pensak, main songwriter for the band Hallowell, about his most recent record, his approach to making music, and running a community art gallery. Stay tuned at the end for “Another World” from Hallowel

Why the Arts Matter More than the Election

Feb 26th, 2020 1h 4m

Your hosts, Justus and Michael, return to launch into this year’s theme at Renew the Arts: Politics and the Arts. In our politics-obsessed climate, cultivating culture can seem like a most ineffective way to affect the future of our polarized n

David Hamilton of RYFO on Keys to Healing the Artist-Church Divide

Dec 17th, 2019 44m 26s

Justus talked with David Hamilton of RYFO to discuss what David sees as some key ways to heal the apparent divide between artists and the church through better community practices. Stay tuned at the end for “Living Water” by Fuel Music off thei

Sex ’n Hip-Hop with Sho Baraka

Nov 11th, 2019 44m 10s

Justus and Michael sat down with hip-hop artist Sho Baraka to discuss his work, his latest collaborative album with Vanessa Hill, and why he thinks the Christian community is so squeamish to discuss sex. Stay tuned at the end for the track “Nas

John Van Deusen: A Different Kind of “Hymn”

Sep 14th, 2019 45m 8s

Justus chats on the phone with singer-songwriter John Van Deusen to discuss his life as a signed artist with Tooth & Nail Records, his testimony, and expanding the boundaries of what Christians are willing to call hymns. Stay tuned at the end t

How to Solve a Puzzle Like Marty Sampson

Aug 23rd, 2019 1h 15m

Your hosts Michael and Rusty get you up to date on the back-and-forth that has ensued from former Hillsong singer Marty Sampson’s announcement that he’s losing his faith. Along the way, they discuss John Cooper (of Skillet) and his viral rebuke

Interview with Michael Wright

Aug 15th, 2019 53m 36s

Justus and Michael talk on the phone with Michael Wright about engaging the arts as a Christian guest in “secular” cultural spaces. As a culture curator who helps develop curriculum resources for Fuller Seminary’s Brehm Center for the Arts, Mic

Interview with George Grant

Jul 29th, 2019 44m 12s

Justus and Michael meet with author and pastor George Grant in his home in Franklin, Tennessee to discuss the relationship between the Reformed church and the arts. If the Reformed church has very good theological reasons for supporting the art

Interview with Anthony Quails

Jun 17th, 2019 49m 54s

Your host Justus sits down with singer-songwriter Anthony Quails who shares stories of becoming a sponsored artist, knowing God’s grace through shortcomings, evangelizing in music, and his new album of his most personal songs yet. Stay tuned to

Interview with Derek Webb

Jun 6th, 2019 1h 11m

Justus sat down with singer-songwriter Derek Webb to discuss his experience in the Christian music industry and how it may have contributed to his loss of faith. Stay tuned at the end for “Wedding Dress” from Webb’s 2003 record She Must and Sha