May 4, 2026

Part II continues the conversation with a deeper look at how evangelicalism shaped political imagination and spiritual formation. It explores transactional faith, the loss of moral imagination, and the need for a third way rooted in participation, original blessing, and unitive centrism.

Apr 27, 2026

Brandon Cook, host of Naming the Real, joins The Vining Center to reflect on growing up evangelical, where faith shaped but eventually constrained him. He explores polarization, collective illusion, and spiritual distortion, proposing a “third way”—unitive centrism—grounded in humility, integration, and love...

Apr 21, 2026

What if the “other side” actually holds something you need? This episode explores how left and right each protect essential values—individual and communal, past and future—and invites a more human way forward. By appreciating both, we can move beyond outrage, soften division, and discover a wiser, more unitive...

Apr 6, 2026

In a culture of distortion and binary thinking, this episode defines “unitive centrism”—the recovery of reality as both/and. Drawing on Aristotle’s golden mean, it shows how truth emerges in tension, not extremes, inviting us beyond tribalism toward a third way that restores nuance, humility, and shared reality.

Mar 30, 2026

As surrounding culture increasingly finds methods of justifying behavior, the pervasive habit of identifying as the victim in any situation (typically contrary to objective reality) creates an environment that renders discourse, disagreement, or debate impossible. How can we free ourselves from this distorted reality in...