Theology on Purpose

In this episode, Sarah talks with Eric Clayton about his new book Where Wonder Leads and the surprising role imagination plays in our life with God. Drawing from Ignatian spirituality, Eric shares how stepping into stories—whether from Scripture, myth, or even fantasy—can become a meaningful way to pray and discern God's presence. Eric shares his insights about how moving beyond a "right answers" faith can open us to deeper encounter and transformation.
In this episode, you'll learn how to:
Use imagination as a tool for prayer and spiritual growth

Move from head knowledge to lived experience with God

Recover a sense of wonder in everyday moments

Recognize God's presence in ordinary life

Get the show notes here

In this episode, Sarah reflects on the limits we resist, the exhaustion that comes from pushing past them, and the invitation to embrace our finiteness as a place of spiritual growth. Rather than barriers to becoming who we're meant to be, our limits may be the very ground where a faithful, embodied life with God takes root.

Take the Connect with God quiz here

If you don't think your body has much to do with your faith, think again! In this episode, Sarah sits down with Anna Rollins, author of Famished, to explore how purity culture and diet culture have shaped women's relationships with their bodies, desires, and God. Anna explains the "rhyming scripts" that taught a generation of women to stay small, silent, and self-controlled (and how those messages can distort both self-image and theology!)
Anna shares her journey toward a more integrated, grace-filled faith—one that embraces the body as good and invites a more compassionate, curious way of living.
In this episode, you'll learn:
How purity culture and diet culture reinforce similar messages about control and worth

Why these systems function like a "prosperity gospel"

How rigid rules can distort your view of God and yourself

Practical ways to discern between health and control

What it looks like to reconnect with your body in a healthy, faith-filled way

Get the show notes here.
Looking to go deeper? Take the Connect with God quiz here.

In this solo episode, Sarah reflects on an unexpected encounter with a few very determined seagulls, and how it reshaped her understanding of silence and attention in the spiritual life. What started as a noisy, ordinary moment became an invitation to release expectations and simply keep quiet company with God. This episode explores why silence can feel uncomfortable, what it reveals beneath the surface, and how it forms us in deeper trust. Along the way, you'll discover a new way to approach encountering God in the middle of everyday life.
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In this episode of Theology on Purpose, Sarah welcomes returning guest Jen Pollock Michel to explore the beauty and practicality of a "rule of life." In her explanation, a rule is a grace-filled framework for living with intention, rather than a rigid, spiritual to-do list. A rule helps you align your daily habits with love for God and neighbor right in the midst of your real, everyday life.
Jen shares how spiritual formation is already happening all around us, often without our awareness, and how a thoughtful rule of life can help us resist those cultural currents. Jen also shared great insights about the role of desire, the importance of community, and how constraints can actually lead to greater freedom, and peace.
In this episode, you'll learn how to:
Reframe a "rule of life" as a flexible, life-giving practice rather than a rigid system

Recognize the cultural forces already shaping your habits and desires

Begin building spiritual practices that fit your current season and limitations

Understand the role of desire in your spiritual formation (and how God reshapes it)

Experience greater freedom by reducing decision fatigue and focusing on what matters most

Lean into community as a vital part of sustaining your faith

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