Listen in as I interview journalist and author Cathleen Falsani. Cathleen and I discuss how grace is a counter-cultural concept, the role of Christianity in America, and how people can have dialog on contentious issues like religion.

Cathleen Falsani, author of Sin Boldly, The Dude Abides, and The God Factor, is the award-winning religion columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times. She attended Wheaton College and also holds masters degrees in journalism and theology. She lives in Laguna Beach, California, with her husband and fellow journalist, Maurice Possley.

Items discussed in this interview:

• Vasco Sylvester
• The Dude Abides
• Sin Boldly: A Field Guide for Grace
• The God Factor: Inside the Spiritual Lives of Public People
• The Dude Abides: The Gospel According to the Coen Brothers

Listen in as I interview Richard Doster, author of the new book, Safe At Home. Safe At Home is the story of how a small town in the South in the 1950s grapples with having its minor league baseball team integrated. Not only did this book rekindle my love of baseball but it illuminated race relations in the pre-Civil Rights era in an authentic and compelling voice. Richard and I discuss his inspiration for the book, how he dealt with writing about sensitive issues of race, and how sometimes ordinary people can change things.

Listen in as I interview David Houle futurist and author of the book The Shift Age. David and I discuss future trends including the democratization of information and media, why the traditional definition of "recession" is irrelevant, peak oil, alternative energy, the end of the age of "unlimited", and David's hope for the future.

"We will survive collectively or die individually" "We should try to be the parents of our future rather than the offspring of our past"

Listen in to this week's interview with S.E. Cupp, co-author of Why You're Wrong About The Right: Behind The Myths: The Surprising Truths About Conservatives. In it, we discuss common myths about conservatives (they are mean-spirited, uptight, humorless, homophobic, etc), the role of pundits such as Ann Coulter and Neil Boortz in perpetuating certain myths, the presidential campaign, Bush's legacy, and what the future holds for conservatism. I'm generally not inclined to read books like this, but after this interview I likely will read it.

Listen in to my interview with Bill Strickland, CEO of the Manchester Bidwell Corporation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Manchester Bidwell is an arts and job training organization in inner city Pittsburgh that Bill started in 1968. Bill has a new book out, Make The Impossible Possible that I highly recommend. In light of my conversation with Andy Crouch earlier this week, I would say that Bill is a leading expert on "culture making". Every city needs a "Bill Strickland" who eschews conventional wisdom and just goes about the business of helping people and treating those who are often ignored with tremendous respect.

Listen in to an interview with my friend Andy Crouch, editorial director of for The Christian Vision Project at Christianity Today. Andy has written a new book released this week called Culture Making: Rediscovering our Creative Calling. In this interview, Andy and I discuss an alternative to Christians seeking to change culture through politics, why non-Christians shouldn't fear Christians seeking to create culture, and examples of culture making. I highly recommend checking out Andy's new website, Culture Making, and getting his new book.

Referenced in this interview:

• Chick-Fil-A
• In-N-Out Burger
• Kiva
• Prison Entrepreneuership Program

I am in the midst of reading Os Guinness's new book, The Case for Civility. I have had high expectations for this book and so far I am not disappointed. In my mind, Guinness is the foremost expert of this topic, which is too often misunderstood. He makes this point in the first chapter.

"This short essay is a proposal for restoring civility in America, as one model for fostering civility around the world and helping to make the world safe for diversity. But civility must truly be restored. Is it not to be confused with niceness and mere etiquette or dismissed and squeamishness about differences. It is a tough, robust, substantive concept that is a republican virtue, critical to both democracy and civil society, and a manner of conduct that will be decisive for the future of the American republic."