Exploring Spirituality and the common good
Complex Creatures
Claim This Podcastby Jarrod Longbons
5.0(9 reviews)
44 episodes
Updated Daily
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Podcast Overview
Exploring Spirituality and the common good
Language
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Publishing Since
10/15/2024
13 verified contact emails on file for Complex Creatures
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Recent Episodes
June 17, 2026
In the Driver's Seat: Nathan Barczi on AI and Staying Human
<p>Is artificial intelligence a tool we steer, or one that is quietly steering us? On this episode of Complex Creatures, Rev. Dr. Jarrod Longbons talks with Nathan Barczi, a pastor and theologian who holds doctorates in theology from Nottingham and economics from MIT, where he also serves as a chaplain. Together they ask what AI is doing to our work, our relationships, and our sense of what it means to be human. They dig into the economics of attention and addiction, Sherry Turkle's idea of settling for "alive enough," the danger of AI substituting for friends and even parents, and why Aquinas's understanding of the soul means you cannot truly befriend a machine. Use the tool. Do not become it.</p><p>#ComplexCreatures #NathanBarczi #FaithAndAI #ArtificialIntelligence #TechnologyAndFaith #WhatMakesUsHuman #HumanFlourishing #TheologyAndTechnology #ChristianPodcast #FaithAndCommunity #SpiritualPodcast</p>
June 10, 2026
Fire Poppies and the Subtext: Savannah Locke on Finding the Sacred in Pop Culture
<p>Can a Netflix series or a Gilmore Girls rerun carry a word from God? On this episode of Complex Creatures, Rev. Dr. Jarrod Longbons sits down with singer, author, and podcaster Savannah Locke, co-host of The Subtext, to talk about reading pop culture for its spiritual undercurrents. Savannah shares the fire poppy that became her life metaphor, why she threw a phone-free album launch for Songs of Peace in Times of War, and how a scene in Gilmore Girls opened up new names for God. They wrestle with shrinking attention spans, Paul Kingsnorth's Against the Machine, the strange success of Theo of Golden, and what it means to read the Bible against ourselves rather than as a weapon. A thoughtful case for paying attention. Look underneath.</p><p>#ComplexCreatures #SavannahLocke #TheSubtext #NoSmallEndeavor #PopCultureAndFaith #FaithAndCulture #TheologyAndPopCulture #PayingAttention #ChristianPodcast #FaithAndCommunity #SpiritualPodcast</p>
June 4, 2026
Portals in Our Pockets: Dillon Thornton on Technology and the Seven Deadly Sins
<p>What is the smartphone in your pocket quietly forming you into? On this episode of Complex Creatures, Rev. Dr. Jarrod Longbons talks with pastor and theologian Dillon Thornton about his book Deathly (De)Vices: Our Ever-Present Portals to Seven Ancient Sins, which reads our screens through the old Christian language of the seven deadly sins. Drawing on Evagrius of Pontus, Aquinas, and a memorable story about violinist Fritz Kreisler, they trace how devices amplify vainglory, envy, sloth, and lust, and how pornography is uniquely deforming young men. Thornton reframes technology not as neutral but as spiritual formation: our phones echo Jesus's call to abide. The takeaway is bracing. You can live without it, and you might be more human if you did.</p><p>#ComplexCreatures #DillonThornton #DeathlyDevices #SevenDeadlySins #SpiritualFormation #TechnologyAndFaith #DigitalDiscipleship #SocialMediaAndFaith #ChristianPodcast #FaithAndCommunity #SpiritualPodcast</p>
44 total episodes available
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Frequently asked questions
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- What is Complex Creatures?
- How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
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This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
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Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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