Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
What if joy doesn’t mean pretending everything is fine?
In this deeply honest conversation, Kate Bowler sits down with poet, priest, and theologian Malcolm Guite to talk about depression, prayer, Lent, language, and why clichés like “everything happens for a reason” can actually deepen our suffering.
Together they explore:
- Why poetry can say what prayer sometimes can’t
- The difference between toxic positivity and real hope
- How depression affects faith (and why it’s not a spiritual failure)
- What Lent teaches us about sitting with what’s already gone
- Why sharp, honest language matters more than easy answers
If you’ve ever struggled with doubt, grief, or the feeling that faith should feel easier than it does — this conversation is for you.
This episode is part of Everything Happens with Kate Bowler, where we tell the truth about suffering, joy, and the mystery of being human.
📖 Kate’s new book Joyful, Anyway is available for preorder now (releasing April 7, 2026). Preorders help more than you know.
What if joy doesn’t mean pretending everything is fine?
In this deeply honest conversation, Kate Bowler sits down with poet, priest, and theologian Malcolm Guite to talk about depression, prayer, Lent, language, and why clichés like “everything happens for a reason” can actually deepen our suffering.
Together they explore:
- Why poetry can say what prayer sometimes can’t
- The difference between toxic positivity and real hope
- How depression affects faith (and why it’s not a spiritual failure)
- What Lent teaches us about sitting with what’s already gone
- Why sharp, honest language matters more than easy answers
If you’ve ever struggled with doubt, grief, or the feeling that faith should feel easier than it does — this conversation is for you.
This episode is part of Everything Happens with Kate Bowler, where we tell the truth about suffering, joy, and the mystery of being human.
📖 Kate’s new book Joyful, Anyway is available for preorder now (releasing April 7, 2026). Preorders help more than you know.
