The Overthinkers

Why Does Beauty Matter? (With Andrew Klavan)

What is beauty? Does it matter? If so, why? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson discuss with bestselling author and podcaster Andew Klavan. Further reading
Beauty definition: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beauty
Philosophers on beauty: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/beauty/
 
Modern people on beauty: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/12/07/opinion/andre-aciman-why-is-beauty-important.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/03/well/live/awe-wonder-dacher-keltner.html
BlessesChrist at the Column (Painting)Fahrenheit 451 (Book)Ecclesiastes (Book in The Bible)Mount Lincoln (Nature)Come Sweet Death (Music)
Conclave (Movie)Keelia Clarkson (Nathan’s wife)Wildcat (Movie)Ode on a Greecian Urn (Poem)Ode to the West Wind (Poem)
 
CursesBlack Painints by Goya (Paintings)Dead Poets Society (Movie)Anything that is untrue 
WebsitesOverthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.worldNathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.meJoseph Holmes: josepholmesstudios.comAndrew Klavan: andrewklavan.com

How Do We Overcome Shame? (With Aimee Byrd)

What is shame? And how do we overcome it? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson discuss with celebrated author Aimee Byrd her book "Saving Face" about her own journey of shame and healing.Further reading:
Shame definition: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shame
 
Shame vs guilt: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/shame#:~:text=Shame%20can%20breed%20feelings%20of,can%20erode%20trust%20over%20time.
 
Is shame bad? https://brenebrown.com/articles/2013/01/15/shame-v-guilt/
 
Is shame good? https://www.vox.com/first-person/2019/4/18/18308346/shame-toxic-productive
 
Overcoming shame: https://www.gottman.com/blog/how-to-deal-with-shame/#:~:text=Instead%20of%20%E2%80%9Cbeing%20shame%2C%E2%80%9D,vulnerable%20stories%20in%20safe%20environments.Blesses
 
The Soul of Shame (Book)Godzilla Minus One (Movie)
The Mule (Movie)Adolescence (TV Show)TIll We Have Faces (Book)Curses
White Lotus Season 3 (TV Show)All Fours (Book)Cabrini (Movie)Yellowstone (TV Show)
Websites:The Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.worldNathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.meJoseph Holmes: josepholmesstudios.comAimee Byrd: https://aimeebyrd.com/

Is Religion in Decline? (With Ryan Burge)

Is religion in decline or are we headed for a revival? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson discuss with America's leading political scientist Ryan Burge.
Further resourcesKarl Marx thought religion would disappear: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2009/jun/29/marx-religion-philosophy-opium
Durkheim thought religion would decline/disappear: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0037768614560959?icid=int.sj-abstract.citing-articles.15#:~:text=While%20Durkheim%20held%2C%20as%20did,Pickering%2C%201984:%20445).
Declining religion around the world:  https://www.worldvaluessurvey.org/WVSNewsShow.jsp?ID=433#:~:text=From%202007%20to%202020%2C%20an,place%20among%20the%20American%20public.https://www.axios.com/2023/10/06/organized-religion-decline-agnostic-atheist-nonreligious
Religious populations having the most kids:https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2022/12/21/key-findings-from-the-global-religious-futures-project/
Religious in America have the most kids: https://ifstudies.org/blog/americas-growing-religious-secular-fertility-divide
Rise of “Nones” appears to have halted: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/26/us/christianity-us-religious-study-pew.html
BlessesThe Pitt (TV Show)Small ChurchesThe American Religious Landscape (Book)Hacksaw Ridge (Movie)Curses
The White Lotus (TV Show)The Righteous Gemstones (TV Show)God’s Not Dead (Movie)The Front Room (Movie)
WebsitesThe Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.worldNathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.meJoseph Holmes: josephholmesstudios.comRyan Burge: graphsaboutreligion.com

Why am I a Christian? (With Nathan Sherrer)

Why do people beome (and stay) Christians or any religion whatsoever? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson welcome Nathan Sherrer on the show to discuss their testimonies and what they think that says about faith and belief in the world. 
Links to more resources:
Reasons why people believe in Godhttps://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-pursuit-peace/201712/the-psychology-religion
 
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/talking-apes/201808/why-do-people-believe-in-god
Intellectuals returning to faith:
 
https://www.thefp.com/p/how-intellectuals-found-god-ayaan-hirsi-ali-peter-thiel-jordan-peterson
 
BlessesThe World Ends with You (Video Game)
Mob Psycho 100 (Anime)
All Fired Up (Song)
Evidence for Chrisitanity (Book)
Mere Christianity (Book)
Blue Like Jazz (Book)
On Guard (Book)
Curses
 
Facing the Giants (Movie)
The Eternals (Movie)
Law of Attraction (Book)
The God Delusion (Book)WebsiteThe Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.worldNathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.meJoseph Holmes: josephholmesstudios.com

What's The Devil Really Like? (With Jared Brock)

What's The Devil really like according to the original Biblical writers who talked about him? We discuss with writer and filmmaker Jared Brock, author of the new book, "A Devil Called Lucifer".Definitions of The Devil:
 
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Satan
 
https://www.history.com/topics/folklore/history-of-the-devil
 
Christiian views of The Devil: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/satan-and-demons/
Blesses
 
Dardevil (TV Show)
Alan Wake 2 (Video Game)
The Screwtape Letters (Book)
Paradise Lost (Book)
Hellboy: The Crooked Man
Michael Hudson (Economist)
Friday Night Lights (TV Show)
 
Curse
 
The Devil’s Advocate (Movie)
Hazbin Hotel (TV Show)
 
Woe Anyone who makes money from lending (Usery)WebsitesOverthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.worldNathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.meJoseph Holmes: josepholmesstuidos.comJared Brock: jaredbrock.com
 

Is Jesus More Than a Historical Figure? (With John Eldredge)

Everyone loves Jesus. But who was Jesus? Was he just a historical figure, or was he someone you can have a relationship with today? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson discuss with beloved author John Eldredge
Americans positive view of Jesus: https://www.barna.com/research/openness-to-jesus/
 
Americans belief in Jesus divinity: https://www.barna.com/research/what-do-americans-believe-about-jesus-5-popular-beliefs/
 
Bart Ehrman on Jesus: https://ehrmanblog.org/who-was-jesus/
 
Personal relationship with Jesus not in Bible: https://theologyintheraw.com/is-having-a-personal-relationship-with-jesus-a-biblical-concept/#:~:text=If%20by%20%E2%80%9Cpersonal%E2%80%9D%20you%20mean,%3B%20it's%20communal%2C%20not%20individualistic.
 
Blesses
 
The Miracle Maker (Movie)
The Jesus I Never Knew (Book)
The Chosen (TV Show)
 
Curses
 
Bad Atheist Arguments (Internet)
Magdelene (Movie)
 
WebsitesThe Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.com
Nathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.meJoseph Holmes: josephholmesstudios.com

How Do You Hear The Holy Spirit? (With Tyler Staton)

The Holy Spirit is a really important part of Christian theology. But he's also the least understood. What's the traditional Christian understanding of the Holy Spirit? And why does that matter? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson invite author and pastor Tyler Staton to discuss.Link to more resources:
 
Catholic/Orthodox Split: https://www.britannica.com/event/East-West-Schism-1054Argument for continuationism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNuEImlg3yU&t=2764s&ab_channel=GavinOrtlund
Argument for cessasionism: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/cessationist/BlessesDisappointment with God (Book)Believe Me (Movie)Curses Holy Ghost (Movie)Noah (Movie)WebsitesThe Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.worldNathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.meJoseph Holmes: josephholmesstudios.comTyler Staton: https://www.tylerstaton.com/about

Should We Fight Culture Wars?

Culture wars seem to dominate life today. Should we participate in them, or abandon them? If we should engage with them, how and why? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson discuss.Links to resources
Definition of culture war: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/culture-war
 
James Davison Hunter on the culture war: 
 
https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2024/08/09/culture-wars-james-davison-hunter-politics
 
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/05/20/culture-war-politics-2021-democracy-analysis-489900
 
Blesses
 
Trial and Death of Socrates (Book)
The Other Two (TV Show)
Eye in the Sky (Movie)
 
Curses
 
The act of announcing to the world you’re taking a break for social media for lent
Captain America: Civil War (Movie)WebsitesThe Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.worldNathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.meJoseph Holmes: josepholmesstudios.com

How Do Movies and TV Change Us? (With Walter Hickey)

Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson talk with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Walter Hickey about what the research says on how the media we consume really does--and does not--affect us and our lives.
 
Time people spend with TV/Media: https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2023/tops-of-2023-tv/
 
Sesame Street improves education outcomes: https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/06/sesame-street-preschool-education/396056/
 
History of the Hayes Code: https://www.britannica.com/art/Hays-CodeBlessesBednobs and Broomsticks (Movie)Spider-Man 2 (Movie)
You Are What You Watch (Book)Through a Screen Darkly (Book)The Truman Show (Movie)FLow (Movie)CursesHeart Eyes (Movie)
La La Land (Movie)The Show Recommended by the Algorithm 
 
WebsitesThe Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.worldNathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.meJoseph Holmes: josephholmesstudios.comWalter Hickey: https://walthickey.com/

What Makes a Great Hero?

We all love heroes. But not all heroes are created equal. What makes a hero that can stand the test of time and also make us better? Nathan Clarkson and Joseph Holmes discuss. Resource Links
 
Hero definition: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hero
 
Different cultural ideas of heroes: https://www.cam.ac.uk/system/files/heroes_teacher_resources_.pdf
 
Why Vince Gilligan thinks we need more heroes: https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/breaking-bad-creator-vince-gilligan-good-guys-walter-white-1236309604/
 
 
 
 
Blesses
 
Gotham Knights
Daredevil
The Incredibles
Chronicles of Narnia
Superman for All Seasons
Dune: Part Two
 
Curses
 
Captain America: Brave New World
The BoysWebsitesThe Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.worldNathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.meJoseph Holmes: josephholmesstudios.com