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PODCAST

Design and Religion

Van Shea Sedita And Rev Dr. Nate Phillips

We envision a world where design and religion work together to spread love, empathy, and charity faster than divisiveness, selfishness, and hate. To achieve this, we aim to bring the stories of those driving this change—both big and small—into the spotlight, allowing ideas for positive transformation to spread quickly and reach those who need them most.

society & culture philosophy

All Episodes

46:03

Look for the Helpers 4: Children and the American...

Design and Religion ·

2026/02/20

In this episode of Design and Religion – Look for the Helpers, Van and Pastor Nate welcome Dan McGarvey Esq., a criminal youth defense attorney in Colorado. Dan works daily with children charged in the juvenile system—and sometimes prosecuted as adults. He explains the profound gap between how the legal system treats youth and what neuroscience tells us about adolescent brain development. The brain, he notes, is not fully formed until at least age 25, sometimes later. Yet teenagers often face...

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57:25

Look for the Helpers 3: Empathic Witness

Design and Religion ·

2026/02/16

In this Look for the Helpers episode, Van and Pastor Nate sit down with researcher and social scientist Julie Krohner, who defines her work simply: helping people cultivate self- and other-empathy. Julie’s premise is: Safety and attention can create transcendence. When order enters the nervous system, it frees cognitive bandwidth. That’s when people feel expansion, unity, and source-connection. It doesn’t require supernatural causation to be sacred. There is only one “you,” and yet you ...

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55:11

Look for the Helpers 2: Courage Without Applause

Design and Religion ·

2026/01/31

In this episode of Design and Religion: Helpers, we sit with Jason Baxley, a police lieutenant, tactical flight officer, and paramedic whose work exists at the intersection of authority and compassion. Baxley describes a nontraditional path into law enforcement, beginning in medicine rather than criminal justice. That decision shaped how he approaches crisis. Not as a problem to control, but as a human moment that demands judgment, restraint, and care under pressure. In the aviation unit, he ...

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60:55

Look for the Helpers 1: Dignity and the Math of Poverty

Design and Religion ·

2026/01/27

In the first episode of Look for the Helpers, we talk with Jamie Moulthrop of Table of Plenty about what food insecurity actually looks like in suburban America. Jamie shares what he’s seeing on the ground, including how demand has grown since COVID, how housing costs have outpaced income for working families and seniors, and why dignity and relationships matter as much as food itself. This is a quiet, honest conversation about care, constraint, and the everyday work of helping where systems ...

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54:39

Innovation

Design and Religion ·

2026/01/13

This episode examines religious innovation through three distinct lenses. Philip Jones, a retired Presbyterian pastor, brings institutional honesty. He names the anxiety beneath the language of innovation: declining membership, aging volunteers, and a shrinking financial runway. From inside the church, he explains how innovation often functions as a survival strategy, and why small groups, digital formats, and community service have become central attempts to rebuild connection—sometimes with...

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69:58

Islam & First Impressions

Design and Religion ·

2025/12/05

Van invites Drew Marshall to explore the world of Islam through the lens of architecture as a living expression of belief, migration, conflict, humility, community behavior, and identity. Drew, an Islamic Studies expert and community advocate, guides us through the evolution of mosque design from Abraham and early Mecca to its global adaptations across the centuries. The conversation delves into the lived experience of entering a mosque, exploring transitional spaces, ritual washing (wu...

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50:18

Spiritual Maintenance

Design and Religion ·

2025/11/21

This episode brings together Rev. Dr. Pamela Adams, Van, and Pastor Nate for a deep, candid conversation about what actually happens at the intersection of mental health, spirituality, accountability, and human struggle. What emerges is a picture of healing that is warm and joyful, but also grounded, gritty, and human. Pam begins by breaking down why therapy scares people: not because therapy is dramatic, but because sitting in a room and talking about yourself is uncomfortable. And she doesn...

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59:44

Heart of Judaism

Design and Religion ·

2025/11/10

In this thought-provoking episode, Van Sedita and retired Presbyterian pastor Phil Jones speak with Mark Friedman, author of Come Now, Let Us Reason Together. The conversation explores what authentic Judaism means beyond stereotypes of rigid law and ritual. Friedman recounts his journey from Reform Judaism through years among Chabad communities, describing how neither liberal editing nor strict orthodoxy fully capture Judaism’s heart. He argues that after the Second Temple’s destruction, the ...

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54:13

Men's Health

Design and Religion ·

2025/11/02

In this candid conversation, Van Sedita, Nate Phillips, and John Molina-Moore take on men’s health through stories of stress, faith, and vulnerability. What starts with beard lotion jokes quickly opens into a serious and deeply honest exchange about how men process—or avoid processing—emotions. John shares how stress physically manifested as back pain despite being in the best shape of his life, revealing how the body often tells the truth before we do. Nate connects that experience to learne...

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45:14

Indelible Experiences

Design and Religion ·

2025/09/25

What makes an experience unforgettable—and how do we design for it? In our latest Design & Religion, Van and Pastor Nate sit down with UX legend Jared Spool to unpack “indelible experiences.” From Disney’s crisis-ready hospitality to tissues in the pew and playful product micro-moments, we explore how the best teams: Exceed expectations (the stuff people can’t stop talking about)Anticipate latent needs (needs users don’t know they have—yet)Eliminate burden (so meaning, not friction, takes...

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47:19

Artificial Intelligence

Design and Religion ·

2025/09/19

In this lively episode, Van and Pastor Nate dive into the hype and hope of AI—asking what it means for creativity, conscience, and the Church. From Black Mirror-style “hollow people” to very real ways AI can prep you for doctor visits, job interviews, and tough conversations, they wrestle with the promise and the peril: Can a tool that doesn’t “feel” still help us live better lives? Send us a text message letting us know what you think of this episode! We envision a world where design and rel...

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50:55

Endurance

Design and Religion ·

2025/09/12

Nate and Van are joined by design researcher Oxana Loseva to explore endurance—how we keep going without losing ourselves. They contrast resilience with endurance, and Nate shares how gratitude in pastoral work turns burden into privilege. Oxana reflects on stress, health, and identity, while Van reframes tough days as “things we get to do.” Together they discuss removing small choices to save energy, the limits of helping—especially in abusive situations—and Edwin Friedman’s “bridge” fable a...

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49:47

Technology

Design and Religion ·

2025/08/07

Nate and Van are joined by Charlie Hannagan, Tech Support Specialist about the role of technology in modern church services, particularly regarding live streaming and digital content creation. They talk about the balance between maintaining traditional church values while leveraging technology for outreach and pastoral care, with emphasis on avoiding over-reliance on digital presence at the expense of genuine human connection. Send us a text message letting us know what you think of thi...

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24:38

Information

Design and Religion ·

2025/07/23

Nate and Van engage in a wide-ranging conversation covering misinformation, and political discourse, while expressing concerns about leadership and the spread of false information on social media. They discussed personal experiences and shared perspectives on simple-living, sobriety, the importance of controlling what one can in challenging times, and the value of education and peaceful action over violence. Send us a text message letting us know what you think of this episode! We env...

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53:00

Memorials

Design and Religion ·

2025/07/10

Nate and Van interview Jeffrey Miller, a renowned church organist, about his career and experiences in church music and opera. They cover the planning and execution of memorial services, including the importance of music selection, personal preferences, and setting boundaries for family contributions. Finally, they explore the challenges of funeral attendance and community involvement, emphasizing the need for personal boundaries and policies in religious services. Send us a text message lett...

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25:56

Performance

Design and Religion ·

2025/06/12

Rachele Gilmore joins Nate and Van to discuss their personal experiences with performing and focus on the challenges and rewards of their respective careers. They also explored the psychological and therapeutic aspects of performing and leading worship services, emphasizing the importance of authenticity, subtlety, and interactivity. The conversation ended with a discussion on the significance of singing and prayer in personal and communal experiences, and the potential for finding joy and a ...

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53:35

Competition

Design and Religion ·

2025/05/29

Rev. Dr. Jason Santos joins to discuss popular media and social influencers on religious views, and the challenges of tribalism in communication. We also explore the potential for rethinking how the gospel is communicated and proclaimed in the worship service, the importance of engaging with the world beyond their religious community, and the need for a more nuanced approach to understanding and addressing varieties of social issues. The conversation also touched on the responsibility of reli...

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40:38

Pastor Perspective

Design and Religion ·

2025/05/15

Nate and Van discuss the importance of creativity, positive change, and inclusivity in their work. They explore various topics including community engagement, selflessness, and the potential impact of current events on people's well-being, while also touching on the influence of different voices and media on their congregation. The conversation concludes with reflections on personal beliefs, the value of diverse perspectives, and the importance of raw, unstructured conversations in challengin...

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53:45

Equity

Design and Religion ·

2025/05/08

Oxana Lesova, a User Researcher, joins Nate and Van to discuss her everyday work in diversity, equity, and inclusion, with individuals and communities with disabilities. The conversation concluded with reflections on the importance of allowing individuals to tell their own stories, the value of empathy in pastoral counseling, and the significance of unity and connection that comes when we invite everyone -their whole self "to the table". Send us a text message letting us know what you think o...

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49:47

Inclusion

Design and Religion ·

2025/05/01

David Franklin an Accessibility Expert, joins Nate and Van to discuss the importance of inclusivity and accessibility. They also explore the challenges of ensuring inclusivity in web design and the importance of receiving feedback from users and audience members in a church service. The conversation touches on the importance of understanding the context and potential biases in the Bible, the need for a two-way approach to inclusion, and the challenges of balancing change with tradition in chu...

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43 results

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