Childhood is often when we are first introduced to religion. Faith can be passed down from parents to children, especially when religious services and holidays serve as a central pillar of family life. But growing older leads many people to take a different path on their faith journey. Some question and even abandon their religious upbringing as they come of age. Others find solace in faith traditions not part of their family heritage. Our relationship to faith can change as we discover who we are and how we want to interact with the world. In this collection of conversations, people reflect on how their faith has changed as they have grown older.
The interviews below were recorded by StoryCorps, a national nonprofit whose mission is to preserve and share humanity’s stories in order to build connections between people and create a more just and compassionate world.
November 13, 2023
More stories about: Gender Christianity
Friends and peers Emma "Scout" Wood and Amanda Mullennix talk about their paths to their religious studies academic program, exploring their academic and personal interests in the moral frameworks built by religious traditions and the ways religious and community belonging can be complicated by queer identity.
This story was produced by David Dault at Sandburg Media, LLC.
November 13, 2023
More stories about: Christianity Buddhism
Married couple Allie Marshall and Henry Schliff discuss how the unresolved longing of Henry's childhood eventually led him to find peace in Christianity, while Allie finds wholeness in Buddhist-inspired meditation that reveals her tiny role in an enormous, interconnected universe.
This story was produced by David Dault at Sandburg Media, LLC.
November 1, 2022
More stories about: Catholicism Education
Friends Daniel d'Abreu Noronha and Alejandro "Sasha" Eros share the practices that connect them to their Catholic faith and how they wrestle with faith and doubt when confronted with religious skepticism and past atrocities committed by the Catholic Church.
This story was produced by David Dault at Sandburg Media, LLC.
October 31, 2022
More stories about: Christianity
Friends Jeremiah Rufus and May W. talk about their conceptions of destiny and divine presence.
This story was produced by David Dault at Sandburg Media, LLC.
October 31, 2022
More stories about: Catholicism Race
Friends and colleagues Alison Benders and Margaret contrast the place of joy and community (or lack thereof) in their childhood Catholic education and their experiences building relationships across racial boundaries.
This story was produced by David Dault at Sandburg Media, LLC.
October 31, 2022
More stories about: Christianity Race
In a conversation with his wife, Tesenga "Shá" Smith, Tony Smith contrasts his father's Seventh-day Adventist church with his mother's African Methodist Episcopal congregation, recalling how their profoundly different ways of expressing faith impacted his childhood.
This story was produced by David Dault at Sandburg Media, LLC.
February 28, 2020
More stories about: Catholicism Education
Emma Coley and Matthew Igoe both majored in religion at Princeton University, where they were active in Catholic life on campus. In this conversation, the friends discuss how they approach questions of theology, justice, and reform as the next generation of laypeople in the Church.
This story was produced by David Dault at Sandburg Media, LLC.
February 28, 2020
More stories about: Christianity Immigration
Andrew Brown and Rebecca Ngu were active in church life and moved frequently during childhood because their fathers were Methodist and Pentecostal clergy, respectively. In this conversation, the friends discuss how being raised as the children of clergy has shaped how they approach their Christian faith as adults.
This story was produced by David Dault at Sandburg Media, LLC.
May 3, 2019
Sunghee Kim speaks with William “Bill” Ickstadt about the role of music and liturgy in her faith, and how structure can foster creativity.
This story was produced by David Dault with Kristen Balzer at Sandburg Media, LLC.
May 3, 2019
Elizabeth “Liz” Wuerffel interviews her friend and colleague, Richard “Dick” Brauer, about his photography, collage, and multimedia art that focuses on religious themes, as well as the inspirations and personal fulfillment he finds through his art practice.
This story was produced by David Dault with Kristen Balzer at Sandburg Media, LLC.
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