To be a human is to have a body, and to have a body is to touch and be touched.

The silky softness of a dog’s fur, the grainy roughness of sand, the bracing coolness of water. Touch is the triumph of a high five, the comfort a bear hug, the lurching nervous magic of a kiss. Touch is the shock of a slap to the face, the grief of a hand that slips out of our own, the betrayal of a smack that should be a caress. Touch is safety, danger, pleasure, pain, comfort, courage, human. We are touching creatures, feeling our way through the world. We reach for the world, for each other, for God.

To touch and be touched is to be human.

ABOUT SPEAKING WITH JOY

A podcast that explores pieces of great art and discusses how art shapes our character and our world. Hosted by Joy Clarkson, this wonderful addition to our podcast family gives listeners the chance to delight in classics you might have missed.

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Recent Podcasts
Feasting in Troubled Times
Feasting in Troubled Times

Amy Baik Lee considers what a feast signifies during troubled times.

Neve Foster's Big Reveal
Neve Foster's Big Reveal

Author Neve Foster joins the table to discuss her new novel, Of Ink and Spirit.

On Halloween, Death, and "Traditions of Men"
On Halloween, Death, and "Traditions of Men"

In which we mythbust Halloween and reclaim it (and a bunch of other old things) for Christ.

You Can't Judge a Book . . .
You Can't Judge a Book . . .

Join our cohosts in a discussion of what makes a book cover good, bad, memorable, or even misleading. 

Beneath, Between, Beyond
Beneath, Between, Beyond

Middle grade fantasy author Carolyn Leiloglou returns to the pub table to chat about the conclusion of her award-winning Restorationists trilogy, Beyond the Far Horizon (available 09/09/2025).

The Lost Tools of Singing Part 2
The Lost Tools of Singing Part 2

Brian, Matthew, and Terri continue to consider what elements make up corporate songs that instill confidence in its singers.

The Lost Tools of Singing
The Lost Tools of Singing

Join us as we as explore the lost art of "we" songs—hymns and ballads that connect us to God, to each other, and to the great story we're all part of.

What Our Favorite Colors Say About Us
What Our Favorite Colors Say About Us

Can our favorite colors tell us something about ourselves? Join us as we turn to painter Mark Rothko's masterful approach, using the relationship between color and human brain to engage his audience.

The Happiest Saddest People
The Happiest Saddest People

Author JL Gerhardt and her husband Justin collaborate on the podcast Holy Ghost Stories. Gerhardt joins the table to talk about one of their recent projects: "The Happiest Saddest People."

John Williams and Passing Down the Faith
John Williams and Passing Down the Faith

Brian Brown, Gustav Hoyer, and Benjamin Harding talk about the intergenerational nature of Christian creativity, and explore how film scores and children's stories show us how that works.