Persuasion With Erin Straza And Hannah Anderson

In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson discuss Singin’ in the Rain after watching it for the first time ever. To help with the analysis, classic movie enthusiast and Christ and Pop Culture staff writer Gina Dalfonzo joins the conversation. If this movie is on your Never Seen List, you’ll be convicted to watch it just from Gina’s summary alone! Her passion for the film is stirring and her knowledge of the genre as a whole is a tremendous help in understanding this classic.

Erin and Hannah continue their Never Seen series with Mean Girls—a film never seen by either. After watching this 2004 film for the first time, conversation begins with gut reactions, favorite lines, and memorable scenes (some quite cringeworthy!). Then Erin and Hannah hash out the messages that Mean Girls tells. How have these messages shaped our narratives around social interactions? Or are these merely reflective of society? Key to the discussion is what makes us who we are.

Erin and Hannah discuss Casablanca in all its silver screen glory. With its memorable lines and Hollywood glam, Casablanca has shaped our cultural narrative in countless ways. Casablanca is responsible—at least in part—for why we associate Paris with lovers and the feelings that stir when we hear the song “As Time Goes By.” Conversation covers Erin’s gut reaction to seeing this iconic film for the first time and why Hannah returns to the film again and again.

In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson kick off a new series titled Never Seen, exploring a collection of key movies that you might be surprised to learn have never been seen by your Persuasion hosts. To help with the series launch, Vox.com movie critic Alissa Wilkinson joins the conversation to help frame up the role movies play in our lives and the power these silver screen stories can have upon us individually and collectively.

In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson invite Anne Kennedy for a Holy Week Primer. Anne is a writer and serves in an Anglican church in New York with her husband who is the rector. First Anne gives an overview of Holy Week happenings, laced with her trademark wit. Conversation then turns to the push behind the recent interest in high church tradition and how (or if) these observances should be practiced individually.

In this episode Erin and Hannah wrap-up their Ready, Set, Think! series with a conversation about the way our brains can grow and change. And this is good news considering the frustration we can feel about our knee-jerk reactions and negative thought patterns. Because the way we think affects how we engage with our neighbors and cultivate grace in the world, Erin and Hannah passionately argue for Christians to explore the heart-level undercurrents that affect us unaware.

In this episode of Persuasion, Erin and Hannah continue their Ready, Set, Think! series by inviting Laura Turner to the conversation. Laura is a freelance journalist for outlets such as BuzzFeed, the Atlantic, and Politico. Discussion for this episode covers the way that anxiety affects our thinking and decision making, how time scarcity infects our professional and personal pursuits, and why anxiety can actually be an entry point for God’s grace and power.

In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson continue their Ready, Set, Think! series looking at the way our mental frames are shaped by the groups and systems we live within. Despite the way independent thinking is favored in our society, none of us are as detached and neutral as we presume ourselves to be. We do not arrive at any situation free from influence.

In this episode of Persuasion, Erin and Hannah continue their Ready, Set, Think! series with a conversation about taking a fresh look at how the status quo shapes our thinking. Things that have always been a certain way become the normal mode of thinking and living, a thought framework that operates in our subconscious and influences everything we see.

In this episode of Persuasion, Erin and Hannah continue their Ready, Set, Think! series with a conversation about the blocks that form the foundation of our thinking for good or for ill. Our bent to find the good or the bad in a situation is more than mere optimism or pessimism—more than a mere personality bent. The way our brains respond to life goes even deeper. It’s more about having the core of our perspective redeemed and aligned with what’s been true since God created the world and called it goo

In this episode of Persuasion, Erin and Hannah continue their Ready, Set, Think! series by inviting Jen Pollock Michel to the conversation. Together, they explore the benefits of thinking twice about issues and ideas that deserve a second thought. Jen defines today’s context as an “Either-Or World,” one in which we run to the extremes and look for security in certitude. Try as we may, it’s impossible to eliminate the gray areas of daily life! Faith is required.

In this episode, Erin and Hannah kick off a new series titled Ready, Set, Think! “Thinking It Through” is the first discussion, in which Erin and Hannah present a compelling case for rigorously analyzing the way we think about important matters. Discussion covers the way our brains stick to familiar thought patterns and ruts, why our emotional reactions to hot-button issues reveal our biases, and how we all come into situations predisposed to a certain perspective.

In this episode of Persuasion, Erin and Hannah wrap up their holiday mini-series, Lessons & Carols. Here in the finale, they dissect the tension between the peace we sing about and internal chaos we so often experience during Christmas. Can we learn to appreciate the message of Silent Night even when our reality is no match? Is a Silent Night even realistic? Is it possible we have unreasonable expectations for the season that magnify our need for the Prince of Peace?

In this episode of Persuasion, Erin and Hannah continue their holiday mini-series, Lessons & Carols. The first conversation covered the lessons we’ve learned about the way Christmas can meet the soul’s longing for connection and love. And in this installment, the conversation turns to the ways we attempt to buy our Christmas joy for others and even for ourselves.

In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson kick off a holiday mini series called Lessons & Carols. This first conversation covers the lessons we’ve learned about the way Christmas can meet the soul’s longing for connection and love. From Hallmark Christmas specials to receiving the perfect gift from that perfect someone, we’ve all taken in ideals that lead our hearts to unavoidable disappointment. What we see in romance stories and jewelry commercials tells us we’re missing out.

Our digital age allows us to handle a lot of life devoid of live, in-person conversation. Business can be handled remotely. Socializing can be done via social media. Shopping and meals can be ordered online. We simply don’t need to converse with each other face to face. In this episode, Erin and Hannah wrap up their Talking about Talk series with a special LIVE recording. Their discussion covers the pros and cons of face-to-face conversation.

This week's guest is author C. Christopher Smith. The conversation addresses the ways our current church talk is devoid of power because it isn’t viewed as connecting the interdependent parts of one body. How can Christians grow in their conversational skill to relate matters of faith with grace and in truth? Is there hope for a new era that takes pleasure in the art of conversation? What changes must we embrace to see the church take on the role of healer in our relationships and in our society?

Erin and Hannah discuss the pros and cons of tech talk in our conversational bubbles. How does specific system-based language help people connect? How does insider language keep outsiders from participating? When is tech talk appropriate, and when do we need to adopt new words for a new era? Listen in for dialogue on questions like these, and continue the conversation on Twitter @PersuasionCAPC. Be sure to answer our question of day: What’s the most recent slang you had to Google?

We have fun news! Erin and Hannah will be recording a LIVE episode of Persuasion Friday, November 9, at Leaf Institute in Greenville, South Carolina. The live recording is part of a workshop Erin and Hannah are hosting Friday and Saturday, called Word+Craft Weekend. Sessions will explore the fundamentals of communication, help you craft a philosophy of writing, and discover the importance of your story.

Humor can be hard to find with all the heartache we face in the world today. As the weight of life presses down, our ability to kick back and laugh shrinks—to our detriment. Research shows that laughter is still good and needful medicine, strengthening the immune system, boosting your mood, diminishing pain, and protecting you from the damaging effects of stress. Rather than humor being a sign of ignoring life’s troubles, its pursuit is actually a way to combat the world’s troubles from the inside out