Created in the Image of God

Epizode

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  Stoneslayer: Wider Realities with Candace Lynn Talmadge | Created In The Image of God 282 16.09.2026 1h 6min

  Candace Lynn Talmadge is a U.S.-based author of dark high fantasy and nonfiction on spirituality and emotional healing. She is best known for the Stoneslayer series—a politically charged, spiritually rich saga of demonic warfare, intrigue, and awakening that draws on her own past-life memories. Reviewers have praised Stoneslayer: Book One – Scandal as “excellent high fantasy” and noted its rich blend of mysticism, intrigue, and family drama.In this episode of Created In The Image of God, Candace joins Wade to explore the deeper world behind Stoneslayer: Book Four – Outcast. At the center is Helen, a young woman marked by exile and danger, forced to grow into spiritual abilities that may protect not only herself but others around her. Together they discuss reincarnation, the moral cycles individuals and societies repeat, the corruption of institutions, and the clash between domination and compassion in both fantasy worlds and our own.This is a conversation about power, justice, spiritual memory, and the kinds of stories that help us wrestle with realities beneath the surface of ordinary life. Get full access to Created in the Image of God at wadefransson.substack.com/subscribe
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  No More Perfect Marriages with Mark and Jill Savage | Created In The Image of God 281 14.09.2026 54min

  Mark and Jill Savage are authors, speakers, and marriage coaches who are passionate about helping couples and families find hope, healing, and practical encouragement. After decades in church ministry, parenting five children, and walking through a devastating marital crisis that nearly ended their relationship, they now share their story with remarkable honesty and grace to help others pursue restoration. Jill is the founder of Hearts at Home and the author of books including No More Perfect Moms and Empty Nest, Full Life, and together Mark and Jill co-authored No More Perfect Marriages.In this episode of Created In The Image of God, Mark and Jill join Wade for a candid conversation about marriage, redemption, and the importance of getting help before it’s too late. They reflect on the pain of broken trust, the slow work of rebuilding, and the kind of hope that can carry couples through dark seasons. They also share practical insight on intimacy, communication, and why so many marriages stay stuck simply because people wait too long to act.This is a conversation for couples in crisis, couples in repair, and couples who simply want something deeper and healthier. With warmth, humility, and hard-won wisdom, Mark and Jill remind us that perfection was never the goal—healing, honesty, and redemption are. Get full access to Created in the Image of God at wadefransson.substack.com/subscribe
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  God as Father, Mary as Mother with Amy Peeler | Created In The Image of God 280 09.09.2026 1h 15min

  Amy Peeler is a New Testament scholar, pastor, and writer who has devoted her career to exploring Hebrews, gender, and the family of God. She serves as Professor of New Testament at Wheaton College and is the author of Women and the Gender of God, multiple works on Hebrews, and Ordinary Time: The Season of Growth. Trained at Princeton Theological Seminary and Oklahoma Baptist University, Amy brings together rigorous exegesis and theological reflection on how Scripture speaks about God as Father, Mary as mother of God, and men and women as God’s children.In this episode of Created In The Image of God, Amy joins Wade for a rich conversation about gender, holiness, and belonging in the family of God. Drawing from Hebrews, the Gospels, and the wider biblical story, she reflects on why the language of God as Father has been both life-giving and difficult, and why its deepest meaning can only be understood through Jesus. The incarnation stands at the center: we know God as Father because the Son reveals Him, and the Son comes to us born of a woman.Together, they also explore Genesis, spiritual maturity, and the difference between grasping at knowledge apart from God and growing into wisdom with Him. For anyone seeking a more biblically rooted and theologically careful conversation about God, gender, and the church, this episode offers depth, grace, and real substance. Get full access to Created in the Image of God at wadefransson.substack.com/subscribe
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  The Bible for Normal People with Jared Byas | Created In The Image of God 279 08.09.2026 50min

  Jared Byas is a writer, speaker, and co-founder of The Bible for Normal People, where he helps people ask better questions about faith, Scripture, and what it means to be Christian. A former pastor and professor of philosophy and biblical studies, Jared is known for making complex ideas accessible and creating space for honest conversations about doubt, belonging, and spiritual growth. He is the author of Love Matters More, Jonah for Normal People, and co-author of Genesis for Normal People.In this episode of Created In The Image of God, Jared joins Wade for a rich conversation about how we read the Bible, why so many people inherit rigid systems instead of living questions, and what happens when scholarship is kept out of reach of ordinary believers. Drawing from his journey through charismatic, Baptist, Presbyterian, academic, and pastoral worlds, Jared reflects on the shift from defending faith as a system to encountering Scripture as something more mysterious, human, and transformative.Together, they explore interpretation, doubt, wisdom, community, and the danger of pretending we come to the Bible without lenses. This is a conversation for anyone who still cares deeply about Scripture but suspects there may be a more honest, spacious, and faithful way to engage it. Get full access to Created in the Image of God at wadefransson.substack.com/subscribe
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  Shame-Free Conversations with Kelly Edmiston | Created In The Image of God 278 02.09.2026 1h 3min

  Kelly Edmiston is a pastor, teacher, author, and speaker who is passionate about helping people break free from shame and move toward deeper healing and flourishing. Raised in a church tradition where women weren’t expected to preach or lead, Kelly now lives boldly into that calling—creating honest, grace-filled conversations around faith, identity, and topics many churches avoid. She is the author of Shame-Free Sex Talks, a practical and hopeful resource for helping families talk about relationships, emotional health, and sexuality without fear or silence.In this episode of Created In The Image of God, Kelly joins Wade for a thoughtful conversation about spiritual formation, the goodness of the body, and why so many Christians struggle to speak honestly about relationships and sexuality. She explains why everyone is being formed by something, why the church has often treated the body as a barrier instead of a gift, and why healthy conversations have to begin not with panic or moralism, but with a deeper theological vision of what it means to be human.Drawing from her research, interviews, and pastoral work, Kelly offers a more grounded and grace-filled approach to conversations many families desperately need but don’t know how to begin. For anyone longing for a more honest, healing, and faithful way forward, this episode offers clarity, courage, and hope. Get full access to Created in the Image of God at wadefransson.substack.com/subscribe
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  Planet Narnia with Michael Ward | Created In The Image of God 277 31.08.2026 1h 1min

  Michael Ward is a theologian, literary scholar, and leading voice in C.S. Lewis studies, serving as an Associate Member of the Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of Oxford. He is best known as the award-winning author of Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C.S. Lewis and co-editor of The Cambridge Companion to C.S. Lewis, bringing together deep theological insight with a rich appreciation for imagination, literature, and faith. He has also held chaplaincy and research roles at Oxford and Cambridge, and helped lead major public tributes to Lewis, including the memorial in Poets’ Corner at Westminster Abbey.In this episode of Created In The Image of God, Michael joins Wade for a rich conversation about Lewis’s theological imagination, the symbolic world behind Narnia, and why Lewis’s work still matters so powerfully today. Drawing especially on Planet Narnia, Michael explores the medieval vision of the seven heavens and how Lewis wove those cosmic meanings into the Chronicles in ways most readers never notice—but deeply feel.Together, they also touch on That Hideous Strength, The Abolition of Man, the Tower of Babel tradition, and the enduring power of stories to reveal truth. For anyone drawn to Lewis, Tolkien, imagination, or the meeting place of theology and literature, this episode offers both delight and depth. Get full access to Created in the Image of God at wadefransson.substack.com/subscribe
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  Patience, Public Faith & Modern Theology with Paul Dafydd Jones | Created In The Image of God 276 26.08.2026 1h 3min

  Paul Dafydd Jones is a theologian and Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia whose work explores Christian thought, public life, and the enduring questions of theology in the modern world. Educated at Oxford, Harvard Divinity School, Heidelberg, and Harvard University, he has written widely on Protestant theology, Christology, political theology, and the theology of patience. He is the author of The Humanity of Christ and Patience: A Theological Exploration, and co-editor of major volumes including the Oxford Handbook of Karl Barth and Karl Barth and Liberation Theology.In this episode of Created In The Image of God, Paul joins Wade for a thoughtful conversation about theology’s public relevance in a fragmented age. Drawing on his teaching at a major public university, he reflects on why faith must be able to give an account of itself in the modern world—and why the best theology is never cut off from real questions of justice, freedom, discrimination, and ecological responsibility.Together, they explore Calvin, Karl Barth, Schleiermacher, liberation theology, and the challenge of integrating deep Christian tradition with contemporary moral and political concerns. For anyone wrestling with how serious theology can remain both intellectually honest and publicly engaged, this episode offers depth, nuance, and real substance. Get full access to Created in the Image of God at wadefransson.substack.com/subscribe
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  He Is With Me Through the Night with Sarah E. Frazer | Created In The Image of God 275 24.08.2026 49min

  Sarah E. Frazer is an author, Bible teacher, and encouraging voice for women walking through weariness, disappointment, and unexpected turns in life. Through her writing, courses, and Bible studies, she helps readers face fear, stress, and uncertainty with God’s peace and a deeper understanding of Scripture. She is the author of I Didn’t Sign Up for This: How to Rest in God’s Goodness When Your Story Shifts and has been featured by outlets such as Christian Today, First5, and Crosswalk.In this episode of Created In The Image of God, Sarah joins Wade for a tender conversation about anxiety, sleeplessness, and the healing power of God’s Word—especially in the dark hours when fear feels loudest. She shares how a season of depression and spiritual struggle during pregnancy led her to the Psalms, and how hearing Psalm 27 read aloud in the middle of the night became a turning point in her experience of God’s peace.That journey eventually gave rise to her Psalms to Help You Sleep podcast and her upcoming book, He Is With Me Through the Night. Together, they explore why the Psalms speak so powerfully to fear, grief, and uncertainty, and how Scripture can become a place of rest when life does not go as planned. Get full access to Created in the Image of God at wadefransson.substack.com/subscribe
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  The Dark Odor of Death with Dan Allender | Created In The Image of God 274 19.08.2026 53min

  Dan Allender, PhD, is a pioneering therapist, professor of counseling psychology, and co-founder of The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology, known for his groundbreaking work at the intersection of trauma, abuse, and the Christian story. For more than 40 years, the Allender Theory has helped hundreds of thousands engage their stories of harm in light of the gospel, reshaping how pastors, counselors, and ordinary people think about abuse, sexuality, marriage, grief, and healing. He is the author of influential books such as The Wounded Heart, The Healing Path, To Be Told, Redeeming Heartache, and—with Tremper Longman—The Cry of the Soul and Bold Love.In this deeply unusual episode of Created In The Image of God, the conversation becomes something more than an interview. As Wade describes the recent deaths of two sisters and his father, along with the family conflict and legal burdens that have followed, Dan responds not as a distant expert but as a wise guide into the disorienting terrain of grief, trauma, death, and meaning. Together, they explore what it means to read one’s own life honestly, to face the darkness without comparison or escape, and to ask whether even the most painful parts of our story might still be revelatory.This is a raw, searching conversation about death, family, authorship, suffering, and the possibility that even in the most disruptive chapters of life, something true and beautiful is still being revealed. Get full access to Created in the Image of God at wadefransson.substack.com/subscribe
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  Your Jesus Is Too American with Steve Bezner | Created In The Image of God 273 17.08.2026 48min

  Steve Bezner is a pastor, professor, and author who now serves as Associate Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Theology at Truett Seminary at Baylor University. After more than a decade as Senior Pastor of Houston Northwest Church, Steve has become known for helping Christians think more clearly about discipleship, culture, and the ways American values can distort the way we follow Jesus. He is the author of Your Jesus Is Too American: Calling the Church to Reclaim Kingdom Values over the American Dream and has also invested deeply in pastoral training, church collaboration, racial reconciliation, and interfaith bridge-building.In this episode of Created In The Image of God, Steve joins Wade for a conversation about the church, the kingdom of God, and why a growing number of people—especially young adults—seem hungry for a vision of life that is bigger than career success, political identity, or cultural tribalism. Drawing on his pastoral experience, Steve reflects on why the church can still offer something deeply compelling in a fractured age: not a partisan platform, but a different way of living in the world.Together, they explore what makes a healthy church, why politics so easily becomes ultimate, and how Christians can recover a vision of discipleship rooted more deeply in the kingdom of God than in the promises of the American dream. For anyone trying to understand faith, culture, and the church’s relevance right now, this episode offers a wise and needed challenge. Get full access to Created in the Image of God at wadefransson.substack.com/subscribe
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  God in the Neighborhood with Derek Vreeland | Created In The Image of God 272 13.08.2026 51min

  Derek Vreeland is a pastor, author, and discipleship leader who serves as Discipleship Pastor at Word of Life Church in St. Joseph, Missouri. Known for thoughtful, humorous, and authentic teaching, he is the author of several books, including Centering Jesus: How the Lamb of God Transforms Our Communities, Ethics, & Spiritual Lives, a 2024 ECPA Book Award finalist, and the God in the Neighborhood Bible study series. Through his writing, preaching, and Peaceable and Kind podcast, Derek has become a trusted voice on spiritual formation, peacemaking, and the way of Jesus.In this episode of Created In The Image of God, Derek joins Wade to talk about the origins of God in the Neighborhood, a three-book Bible study series built around the unique language and imagination of The Message translation. Inspired by Eugene Peterson’s rendering of John 1:14—“The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood”—the series traces the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus as the story of God joining us fully in our humanity.Together, they explore how fresh language can reopen familiar Scripture, why discipleship must stay centered on Jesus, and how the gospel speaks not only to personal faith, but to the life we share with others right where we live. Get full access to Created in the Image of God at wadefransson.substack.com/subscribe
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  Cultural Witness in a Fractured Age with Graham Tomlin | Created In The Image of God 271 11.08.2026 54min

  Graham Tomlin is a British theologian, author, and former Church of England bishop who now leads the Centre for Cultural Witness, helping the church speak more clearly and imaginatively into public life. He previously served as Bishop of Kensington in the Diocese of London from 2015 to 2022, where he became a key pastoral voice in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire and its national memorial service. Before becoming a bishop, he spent many years in theological education as chaplain of Jesus College, Oxford, and as dean, principal, and now president of St Mellitus College.In this episode of Created In The Image of God, Tomlin joins Wade for a timely conversation about what it means for Christians to offer “cultural witness” in a rapidly changing world. Drawing on books like The Provocative Church, The Widening Circle, and Why Being Yourself is a Bad Idea, he explores how the church can engage a secular, polarized society without surrendering either theological depth or spiritual vitality.Together, they discuss how Christians can listen more carefully, speak more imaginatively, and embody a more faithful public presence in a fractured age. For seekers and believers alike, this episode offers a compelling vision of faith that is intellectually serious, spiritually alive, and publicly relevant. Get full access to Created in the Image of God at wadefransson.substack.com/subscribe
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  In Memory of John Esposito with Wade Fransson | Created In The Image of God 270 05.08.2026 1h 8min

  This special episode of Created In The Image of God is dedicated to the memory of Professor John L. Esposito, the pioneering Georgetown scholar whose work helped generations of students, readers, and leaders think more clearly about Islam, pluralism, public life, and Muslim–Christian understanding. Scheduled to appear on the show, Esposito passed away on July 15, 2026, in Philadelphia as a result of complications from heart surgery. His absence is deeply felt, but so is the enduring influence of his life’s work.Wade Fransson takes this moment to reflect on life, death, and the strange weight of loss when it becomes deeply personal. Having lost two sisters and his father in the last two years, Wade shares thoughts shaped not just by ideas, but by grief, memory, and the reality of saying goodbye.This is a tribute, a meditation, and a personal reflection on what remains after a life ends: the questions, the love, the sorrow, and the legacy. In honoring John Esposito, the episode also opens space for a larger conversation about mortality, remembrance, and how we carry the lives of others forward."In this episode of Created In The Image of God, he reflects on the rise of authoritarianism, the globalization of Islamophobia, and the ways anti-Muslim racism distorts not only religion, but politics, diplomacy, and public life. He shares how Georgetown’s Center for Muslim–Christian Understanding was born out of a concern that Islam would be cast as the next global threat—and why that concern has only become more relevant.Together, we explore Muslim–Christian relations, the fractured legacy of the children of Abraham, and the challenge of building genuine understanding in a world still shaped by fear, rivalry, and inherited mistrust. For anyone looking for a wiser, more historically grounded way to think about Islam, pluralism, and our shared future, this conversation offers clarity, depth, and humanity. Get full access to Created in the Image of God at wadefransson.substack.com/subscribe
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  The Vulnerable Pastor with Mandy Smith | Created In The Image of God 269 03.08.2026 59min

  Mandy Smith is a pastor, author, and one of the clearest voices speaking into the need for sustainable, human‑scaled ministry. Best known for The Vulnerable Pastor: How Human Limitations Empower Our Ministry, she has spent years exploring what it means to take Jesus seriously in a world that prizes power, polish, and control. Her writing asks a simple but disruptive question: if God really shows His strength in our weakness, what would it look like to live and lead as though that were true?In this episode of Created In The Image of God, Mandy reflects on the deep thread running through all her work—from weakness and dependence, to hospitality, emotional honesty, collaboration, and the hidden life of the kingdom. She shares how God has taught her to stop apologizing for being human, and how some of the very qualities often dismissed as “soft” or secondary can become channels of renewal in leadership, church life, and community.This conversation is for pastors, leaders, and anyone exhausted by performance-driven faith. Mandy offers a hopeful reminder that God’s kingdom often grows like yeast in dough—quietly, slowly, and in places the world has learned to overlook. Get full access to Created in the Image of God at wadefransson.substack.com/subscribe
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  Conscience, Evangelicalism & Home with Mark Galli | Created In The Image of God 268 29.07.2026 1h 18min

  Mark Galli is an American Catholic writer, editor, and former Protestant pastor best known for his leadership at Christianity Today, where he served in various roles—culminating in seven years as editor in chief. A California native who moved from Presbyterian ministry into evangelical Anglicanism before returning to the Catholic Church in 2020, he has written widely on evangelicalism, theology, and spiritual life in books like Jesus Mean and Wild, Beyond Smells and Bells, God Wins, Chaos and Grace, Karl Barth: An Introductory Biography for Evangelicals, and With All the Saints: My Journey to the Roman Catholic Church.In this episode of Created In The Image of God, Mark joins Wade for a thoughtful conversation about faith, conscience, and the long spiritual journey through—and beyond—American evangelicalism. Raised Catholic, shaped by evangelical conversion, formed through pastoral ministry and decades of religious journalism, and later received back into the Catholic Church, Mark brings a rare perspective on the tensions between conviction, tradition, public witness, and political power.Together, we explore what happens when loyalty to Christ challenges loyalty to tribe, how conscience is formed in times of cultural and ecclesial upheaval, and what it means to keep seeking truth with humility across the changing landscapes of Christian identity. This is a conversation for anyone wrestling with belonging, integrity, and the cost of spiritual honesty. Get full access to Created in the Image of God at wadefransson.substack.com/subscribe
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  Corporate Soul, Sacred Path with Richard Strilowich | Created In The Image of God 267 27.07.2026 51min

  Richard Strilowich is a corporate SAGE coach who helps conscious professionals treat their careers as a spiritual path—integrating inner wisdom with outer success. Drawing on more than 40 years in IT, including leadership roles in small, medium, and global companies, he brings a systems-thinking mindset and practical depth to questions of work, identity, and purpose. Over three decades of spiritual exploration—through mind-body-spirit modalities, energy-consciousness work, somatic therapy, and spiritual direction—have shaped the way he now guides others through StillPoint Coach.In this episode of Created In The Image of God, Rich joins Wade for a deeply personal conversation about the long road from Catholic boyhood to corporate leadership to spiritual integration. He reflects on formative moments that shaped him—from singing at the Vatican as a 13-year-old and receiving communion from Pope Paul VI, to finding a quiet, wordless communion with God in nature, to losing himself in software development and later discovering that even debugging code could become a kind of mystical focus.Together, they explore what happens when success no longer satisfies, why inner pain can become the beginning of calling, and how the spiritual path sometimes finds us long before we know how to name it. For anyone trying to reconcile ambition, faith, work, and wholeness, Rich offers a thoughtful invitation: your career may not be separate from your soul’s journey after all. Get full access to Created in the Image of God at wadefransson.substack.com/subscribe
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  Building a Kingdom Business Without the Grind with Brian Adamson | Created In The Image of God 266 22.07.2026 1h 18min

  Brian Adamson is a Kingdom business coach, co-founder of Purpose to Profits, and host of the Believers N Biz podcast. He helps faith-driven coaches, consultants, and experts grow to six and seven figures through scalable business models built on biblical principles rather than hustle, burnout, or constant one-to-one effort. After leaving corporate at 35 and building his own online business to nearly $10 million, Brian developed his “1 to Many” system to help purpose-driven entrepreneurs expand their impact without sacrificing what matters most.In this episode of Created In The Image of God, Brian joins Wade for a practical and faith-centered conversation about what it means to grow a business God’s way. Together, they explore how entrepreneurs can move beyond inconsistent income, overwork, and survival mode into models shaped by clarity, conviction, and Kingdom alignment.They also discuss why focusing on the right inputs matters more than obsessing over outcomes, how biblical principles can reshape the way we think about scaling, and what becomes possible when our work is anchored in truth and surrendered to God. For anyone building a business while trying to stay faithful, present, and sane, this episode offers both strategy and encouragement. Get full access to Created in the Image of God at wadefransson.substack.com/subscribe
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  The Spacious Way of Jesus with Jen Pollock Michel | Created In The Image of God 265 21.07.2026 54min

  Jen Pollock Michel is an author, speaker, and writing mentor whose work circles around desire, time, home, and the ordinary practices that shape a life with God. She has written six books—Teach Us to Want and In Good Time (both award‑winners), Surprised by Paradox, Keeping Place, A Habit Called Faith, and her forthcoming A Rule for the Rest of Us. With degrees in French, literature, and an MFA in creative writing, she now mentors writers in Whitworth University’s MFA program and pens a popular Substack of “Monday letters” from her near‑empty nest in Cincinnati.In this episode of Created In The Image of God, Jen and Wade trace the story beneath those books: a childhood spent moving around the Midwest and South as her English‑teacher dad pursued a PhD in communications; a home where poems were written for birthdays and words were the family currency; and a church life rich in Bible drills and doctrine, but—at least at first—thin on joy. As a teen, Jen assumed she’d follow Jesus “later,” once she’d had her fun. Then, at 16, a youth camp encounter shifted everything, turning faith from cramped rules into a spacious path of joy, obedience, and grace.From there, the conversation dives into how we misunderstand God’s law as mere restriction, why “choose to sin, choose to suffer” is more about reality than lightning bolts, and how being re‑storied by Scripture helps us love rightly—God, neighbors, children, and even our own desires—in proper proportion.For anyone who grew up in church but quietly wondered if a life with God would be too small, Jen’s story is an invitation into a bigger, truer way of being human: one where limits are gifts, obedience leads to joy, and every ordinary day can be woven into God’s surprising, spacious grace. Get full access to Created in the Image of God at wadefransson.substack.com/subscribe
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  Cultural Witness from the Midst of Conflict with Vinoth Ramachandra | Created In The Image of God 264 15.07.2026 1h 13min

  Vinoth Ramachandra is a Sri Lankan theologian, writer, and international lecturer who has spent decades helping Christians engage the university and public life with intellectual rigor and social integrity. Trained in nuclear engineering at the University of London, he returned to Sri Lanka rather than pursue an academic career in the West, helping to build an inter-denominational Christian university ministry and later serving on IFES’s Senior Leadership Team as Secretary for Dialogue & Social Engagement. His work has also included civil rights advocacy in Sri Lanka, global networks for development and justice through Micah Network, creation care with A Rocha, and advisory roles with the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion.In this episode of Created In The Image of God, Vinoth joins Wade for a searching conversation about cultural witness shaped not in comfort, but in the midst of conflict. From Sri Lanka’s long civil struggles to the wider myths of nationalism, secularism, and Western modernity, he explores how Christians can resist shallow narratives and recover a more faithful, globally aware discipleship. Drawing on books like Gods That Fail, Subverting Global Myths, and Sarah’s Laughter, Vinoth brings theology into conversation with suffering, doubt, politics, and hope.Together, they ask what faithful public presence looks like in a fractured world—and why genuine witness must be courageous, dialogical, and deeply attentive to the humanity of every person. Get full access to Created in the Image of God at wadefransson.substack.com/subscribe
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  The Pace of Peace with Jay Kim | Created In The Image of God 263 13.07.2026 49min

  Jay Kim is a pastor, author, and cultural observer who serves as lead pastor of WestGate Church in the heart of Silicon Valley. He is the author of The Pace of Peace, Listen Listen Speak, Analog Christian, and Analog Church, where he explores what it means to follow Jesus with depth, attention, and embodied presence in a distracted digital age. A contributor to outlets like Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, and Relevant, Jay also hosts IVP’s Digital Examen Podcast.In this episode of Created In The Image of God, Jay joins Wade for a searching conversation about faith, technology, church hurt, and the pressures of modern life. Born in South Korea and raised in Silicon Valley after his mother’s dramatic conversion to Christianity, Jay grew up in the world of the immigrant church—where faith, belonging, and community were deeply intertwined. But when that world fractured through betrayal and pain, he walked away, only to find his way back through the patient love of friends who embodied Jesus differently.Together, they explore what it means to pursue peace in an anxious age, why digital life so easily fragments our attention, and how a more faithful Christian presence begins not with speed or performance, but with slowness, depth, and love. Get full access to Created in the Image of God at wadefransson.substack.com/subscribe