Nuance: Being Faithful in the Public Square

You believe faith belongs in the public square, and you've tried to be a faithful presence, but you are simply tired. What happens when your neighbors aren't interested in connecting, or your workplace treats your convictions as a liability? Facing a culture that is increasingly hostile to faith can be exhausting, tempting many to adopt a posture of grievance or to withdraw into their comfortable homes. In this episode of Nuance, regular host Case Thorp takes the hot seat as guest host Katie Shook asks the hard questions about faith under pressure. Case gets honest about the real cost of showing up in the public square, sharing a personal story about a neighborhood dispute over backyard chickens that tested his commitment to loving his neighbors. They unpack the difference between engaging culture with grace versus angrily fighting back, the temptation to make faith overly palatable, and why creating new things is a better response than endless critique. From finding hope in the longevity of institutions to learning how to focus on the micro when national issues feel overwhelming, Case and Katie provide a practical roadmap for staying grounded and kind in an angry world. 🔑 Key Topics Covered in This Episode:🐔 The Cost of Presence: A firsthand look at what it costs to stay engaged, featuring a story about zoning laws, backyard chickens, and maintaining a Christian witness when neighbors push back. 🎨 Creating vs. Critiquing: Why Christians should focus on creating art, beauty, and positive environments rather than just sitting back and complaining about cultural shifts. 🏛️ The Power of Institutions: Exploring why society has lost trust in organizations, and why investing in healthy, long-lasting institutions is still crucial for stability. 🔬 Focusing on the Micro: Practical encouragement to stop stressing over massive national headlines and start serving the people directly in front of you. 🚪 Knowing When to Step Back: How to exercise wisdom and discernment when someone isn't ready for a deeper conversation, and learning to trust God's timing. For more resources, including ways to get involved with The Collaborative, visit wecolabor.comTimestamps0:00 Do You Know Your Neighbors?0:21 Case Thorp Takes the Hot Seat 2:54 Exploring Faith In The Public Square 3:17 The Real Cost Of Faithful Presence 4:06 Navigating Zoning Laws and Backyard Chickens 9:09 Maintaining Righteousness During Conflict 10:21 When Christians Should Withdraw From Culture 11:58 Staying Kind In A Tacky Culture 14:09 Assessing Cultural Hostility Toward Faith 16:47 Avoiding a Posture of Grievance 18:13 The Danger of Making Faith Too Palatable 19:50 Creating New Culture Instead of Critiquing 21:47 Escaping The Comfort of Netflix Homes 25:10 Handling People Who Reject You 28:58 Why Society Needs Long Term Institutions 32:25 Knowing When To Shut Down Failing Institutions 35:54 Finding Real Rest When You Feel Burned Out 38:26 Solving Overwhelm By Focusing on the Micro 40:30 The Powerful Lessons of Staying in One Place 43:21 The Biggest Fear for the Modern Church 44:43 Final Thoughts

In this follow-up episode of Nuance, Case continues his conversation with historian Dr. Karen Johnson, author of Ordinary Heroes of Racial Justice. Building on the previous discussion of everyday Christians who worked for justice, this episode explores how discipleship shapes moral courage, how churches can renew civic life, and why racial justice belongs within the Christian calling to love our neighbors well.Dr. Johnson reflects on how historical formation shapes Christian faithfulness over time, explaining how ordinary believers have learned to act without certainty of outcomes, trusting God rather than control. Through stories of figures such as John Perkins, Clarence Jordan, and the ongoing witness of Koinonia Farm, the conversation highlights how public faithfulness has often grown out of community, hospitality, and costly obedience rather than comfort or recognition.The episode also examines the church’s role in moments of social tension, including conversations around immigration, racial identity, and national belonging. Dr. Johnson draws on Christian history to show how these debates are not new, and how the church has struggled to hold together evangelism, discipleship, and social responsibility without fragmenting the gospel. Throughout the discussion, she emphasizes the importance of faithfulness over outcomes, patience over certainty, and humility in the face of complex moral decisions.This conversation invites listeners to consider how Christian public witness is formed through long obedience, communal life, and trust in God’s work across generations. It offers a hopeful and historically-grounded vision of how churches and ordinary believers can participate faithfully in the public square today.Episode Resources:Ordinary Heroes of Racial Justice: A History of Christians in Action: https://www.ivpress.com/ordinary-heroes-of-racial-justiceKaren Johnson's website: https://www.karenjohnsonhistory.com/Learn more about John M. Perkins: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_M._PerkinsLearn more about Koinonia Farm: https://koinoniafarm.org/Nuance is a podcast of The Collaborative where we wrestle together about living our Christian faith in the public square. Nuance invites Christians to pursue the cultural and economic renewal by living out faith through work every facet of public life, including work, political engagement, the arts, philanthropy, and more. Each episode, Dr. Case Thorp hosts conversations with Christian thinkers and leaders at the forefront of some of today's most pressing issues around living a public faith.

When algorithms shape truth, justice, and daily decision-making, what does Christian public witness look like?In this second part of their conversation on Nuance, Case continues his discussion with author and researcher Dr. Todd Korpi about artificial intelligence, Christian ethics, and public witness. They explore how discipleship, wisdom, and faithful presence are formed in a world increasingly governed by code.They also discuss how AI affects our understanding of truth, justice, and human responsibility, and why Christians must resist confusing knowledge with wisdom. From hiring algorithms and bias to digital discipleship and public policy, this conversation helps listeners think carefully about how faith is lived publicly in technological systems we often take for granted.Watch Part 1 of this interview here: https://youtu.be/4mq8p4-OGtkEpisode Resources:AI Goes to Church: Pastoral Wisdom for Artificial Intelligence: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1514011247/Todd Korpi's website: https://www.toddkorpi.com/The Anchor Forward Project: https://anchorforward.com/Gloo: https://gloo.com/aihttps://jesus.net/homeNuance is a podcast of The Collaborative where we wrestle together about living our Christian faith in the public square. Nuance invites Christians to pursue the cultural and economic renewal by living out faith through work every facet of public life, including work, political engagement, the arts, philanthropy, and more. Each episode, Dr. Case Thorp hosts conversations with Christian thinkers and leaders at the forefront of some of today's most pressing issues around living a public faith.

What does Christian public witness actually look like at work, beyond arguments and answers?In this follow-up conversation, Dr. Joshua Chatraw and Tanner move from diagnosing fear to exploring a more grounded vision of faith at work. Instead of focusing on winning arguments or having everything figured out, they reflect on how Christian witness is formed through character, humility, and presence in everyday professional life.Through real-world case studies, including AI and technology ethics, nonprofit leadership, and workplace decision-making, they show how faith becomes visible not primarily through what we say, but through how we live and work alongside others.Episode Resources:Apologetics at the Cross: An Introduction for Christian Witness: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310524687/Telling a Better Story: How to Talk About God in a Skeptical Age: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310108632/Augustine of Hippo: The Doubter Who Became a Church Father: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DF4GQY7Z/Nuance is a podcast of The Collaborative where we wrestle together about living our Christian faith in the public square. Nuance invites Christians to pursue the cultural and economic renewal by living out faith through work every facet of public life, including work, political engagement, the arts, philanthropy, and more. Each episode, Dr. Case Thorp hosts conversations with Christian thinkers and leaders at the forefront of some of today's most pressing issues around living a public faith.

What does it mean to live securely as a child of God—especially as we enter a new year?In this episode of Formed for Faithfulness, we reflect on God’s adoption of believers into His eternal family through Jesus Christ. Anchored in the truth of our identity as God’s sons and daughters, we explore how Christians can live boldly and faithfully in 2026—confident in salvation, guided by love, and free to serve in daily life.From education and community service to workplaces, politics, and family life, this episode offers insight into walking in Christlike humility, speaking truth in love, and living out your faith with courage. Learn how embracing God’s adoption transforms your identity, your confidence, and your witness in a world often driven by fear, opinion, and comparison.Nuance's Formed for Faithfulness is a weekly liturgy to encourage all of us to be faithful to Christ in the public square. Join Case Thorp and other guests as they follow the Church calendar through the reading of Scripture, prayer, and short reflections on faith in all facets of public life. For more on being faithful in the public square, make sure to subscribe for Nuance's bi-weekly interviews with Christian leaders as they discuss everything from policy making to difficult conversations across worldviews at work to Christian art-creation.Nuance's podcasts are presented by The Collaborative, which provides diverse Christian media and collaboration services to equip industry/sector Christian leaders for effective contribution to the common good.Learn more about The Collaborative: Website 👉 https://wecolabor.comGet to know Case 👉 https://collaborativeorlando.com/team/