233: Jonathan Merritt - Learning to Speak God from Scratch: Why Sacred Words Are Vanishing and How We Can Revive Them

Acclaimed religion and culture writer Jonathan Merritt joins me on this episode to explore the reasons sacred language is declining and talk about why it's high time we breathe new life into our spiritual conversations.

About the Book:  As America rapidly becomes a pluralistic, postmodern society, many of us struggle to talk about faith. We can no longer assume our friends understand words such as grace or gospel. Others, like lost and sin, have become so negative they are nearly conversation-enders.
 
Jonathan Merritt knows this frustration well. After Jonathan moved from the Bible Belt to New York City, he discovered that whenever conversations turned to spirituality, the words he'd used for decades didn't connect with listeners anymore. In a search for answers and understanding, Jonathan uncovered a spiritual crisis affecting tens of millions. 
 
In this groundbreaking book, one of America's premier religion writers revives ancient expressions through cultural commentary, vulnerable personal narratives, and surprising biblical insights. Both provocative and liberating, Learning to Speak God from Scratch will breathe new life into your spiritual conversations and lure you into the embrace of the God who inhabits them.

About the Author:  Jonathan Merritt is one of America's most prolific religion and culture writers. An award-winning contributor for The Atlantic, he has published thousands of articles in outlets such as USA Today, Buzzfeed, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. As a sought-after commentator, Jonathan has appeared on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, ABC News, and NPR. He holds two graduate degrees in religion and resides in Brooklyn, NY.

Connect with Jonathan:

• JonathanMerritt.com
• Facebook
• Twitter (@JonathanMerritt)
• Instagram (@Jonathan_Merritt)
• YouTube

For additional show notes, visit ShaunTabatt.com/233.