Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Have You Ever Met a Secular Professor Who Became a Christian?
In this episode of Good Faith, Curtis Chang talks with historian and UNC professor Molly Worthen about her surprising journey from secular skeptic to Christian believer—and what her story reveals about faith, doubt, college, and perceived crises in higher education. They explore why so many Christian students struggle with faith on secular campuses, how parents can help college-bound kids find mentors and community, and how Christian study centers are creating spaces for honest questions, intellectual formation, and spiritual growth. Molly also explains why the search for meaning in the age of AI may open new doors for Christian faith to thrive.
02:58 - Professor Molly Worthen Describes Her Faith Journey
06:22 - Is The Resurrection a Historical Truth?
10:23 - Molly’s Leap of Faith Was Intellectual
11:25 - Why Do Students Leave Church in College?
13:48 - The Role of Christian Study Centers
19:49 - Students Seeking Mentorship
25:41 - Faith, Politics, and Crisis of Meaning
29:43 - The Timeless Questions of Faith Are Still the Dominant Ones
31:14 - What’s The Professional Cost of Being a Public Christian on Campus?
34:01 - Can You Have a Healthy Relationship With Doubt?
39:28 - Advice for Parents of College-Bound Students
More about the Consortium of Christian Study Centerscscmovement.org
More About the North Carolina Study Center: ncstudycenter.org
Register for our America 250 episode recording with Russell Moore and David French: luma.com/vndleyh1
Mentioned in This Episode:
Molly Worthen’s Spellbound: amazon.com/Spellbound-Charisma-American-History-Puritans/dp/0593729005
LifeWay Research: Most Teenagers Drop Out of Church as Young Adults: research.lifeway.com/2019/01/15/most-teenagers-drop-out-of-church-as-young-adults
Tim Keller’s The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism: amazon.com/Reason-God-Belief-Age-Skepticism/dp/1594483493
More From Molly Worthen:
Molly Worthen’s faculty page at UNC: https://history.unc.edu/person/molly-worthen/
Molly Worthen’s website: mollyworthen.com
Molly Worthen’s Apostles of Reason: The Crisis of Authority in American Evangelicalism: amazon.com/Apostles-Reason-Authority-American-Evangelicalism-ebook/dp/B00DY3FFLY/ref=books_amazonstores_desktop_mfs_author_smart_catalog_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=TXaX1&content-id=amzn1.sym.aec507cb-142c-4f68-9ae5-803b8e7b33f1&pf_rd_p=aec507cb-142c-4f68-9ae5-803b8e7b33f1&pf_rd_r=144-1804719-1229710&pd_rd_wg=u3l9H&pd_rd_r=4ac5b4ef-0bfe-4fb7-83b6-9485c0e7db7f
Follow Us:
Good Faith on Instagram: instagram.com/goodfaithnetwork
Good Faith on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/_good_faith
Good Faith on Facebook: facebook.com/goodfaithpod
The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.
Have You Ever Met a Secular Professor Who Became a Christian?
In this episode of Good Faith, Curtis Chang talks with historian and UNC professor Molly Worthen about her surprising journey from secular skeptic to Christian believer—and what her story reveals about faith, doubt, college, and perceived crises in higher education. They explore why so many Christian students struggle with faith on secular campuses, how parents can help college-bound kids find mentors and community, and how Christian study centers are creating spaces for honest questions, intellectual formation, and spiritual growth. Molly also explains why the search for meaning in the age of AI may open new doors for Christian faith to thrive.
02:58 - Professor Molly Worthen Describes Her Faith Journey
06:22 - Is The Resurrection a Historical Truth?
10:23 - Molly’s Leap of Faith Was Intellectual
11:25 - Why Do Students Leave Church in College?
13:48 - The Role of Christian Study Centers
19:49 - Students Seeking Mentorship
25:41 - Faith, Politics, and Crisis of Meaning
29:43 - The Timeless Questions of Faith Are Still the Dominant Ones
31:14 - What’s The Professional Cost of Being a Public Christian on Campus?
34:01 - Can You Have a Healthy Relationship With Doubt?
39:28 - Advice for Parents of College-Bound Students
More about the Consortium of Christian Study Centerscscmovement.org
More About the North Carolina Study Center: ncstudycenter.org
Register for our America 250 episode recording with Russell Moore and David French: luma.com/vndleyh1
Mentioned in This Episode:
Molly Worthen’s Spellbound: amazon.com/Spellbound-Charisma-American-History-Puritans/dp/0593729005
LifeWay Research: Most Teenagers Drop Out of Church as Young Adults: research.lifeway.com/2019/01/15/most-teenagers-drop-out-of-church-as-young-adults
Tim Keller’s The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism: amazon.com/Reason-God-Belief-Age-Skepticism/dp/1594483493
More From Molly Worthen:
Molly Worthen’s faculty page at UNC: https://history.unc.edu/person/molly-worthen/
Molly Worthen’s website: mollyworthen.com
Molly Worthen’s Apostles of Reason: The Crisis of Authority in American Evangelicalism: amazon.com/Apostles-Reason-Authority-American-Evangelicalism-ebook/dp/B00DY3FFLY/ref=books_amazonstores_desktop_mfs_author_smart_catalog_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=TXaX1&content-id=amzn1.sym.aec507cb-142c-4f68-9ae5-803b8e7b33f1&pf_rd_p=aec507cb-142c-4f68-9ae5-803b8e7b33f1&pf_rd_r=144-1804719-1229710&pd_rd_wg=u3l9H&pd_rd_r=4ac5b4ef-0bfe-4fb7-83b6-9485c0e7db7f
Follow Us:
Good Faith on Instagram: instagram.com/goodfaithnetwork
Good Faith on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/_good_faith
Good Faith on Facebook: facebook.com/goodfaithpod
The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.
