The Better Question with Kaitlyn Schiess

We’re constantly told that happiness is something we can achieve if we just work hard enough, think positively, and make the right choices. But what happens when life doesn’t go according to plan? Kaitlyn is joined by Kate Bowler, Duke University professor and bestselling author of Everything Happens for a Reason (And Other Lies I’ve Loved), to talk about the pressure to be happy, the problem with toxic positivity, and why Christians are often so quick to find a lesson in every hardship. They explore what to do with our unfulfilled desires, why life doesn’t always get better, and how we can experience genuine joy without pretending everything is okay.

0:00 - Theme Song

0:58 - What’s Kate been watching?

3:36 - Happiness and Politics

9:51 - Sponsor - Baker Book House - Check out How (Not) to Be a Tyrant from Brazos Press wherever books are sold! https://link.amazon/B0gwsDDDW

10:44 - Sponsor - With & For: Psychology and Spirituality for Thriving Podcast. Check it out now! https://pod.link/1712333330

11:48 - Pretending to be Happy

29:13 - Sponsor - Tyndale - If you've been longing for a vision of the church that feels more like family than performance, Interwoven Discipleship offers a thoughtful, hope-filled invitation: https://www.tyndale.com/p/interwoven-discipleship/9798898021405?utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Midroll+Ad&utm_campaign=Curiously_Kaitlyn_Midroll&utm_id=Curiously+Kaitlyn+Podcast+Ad

30:03 - The Pressure of Early Success

52:21 - End Credits

Joyful, Anyway by Kate Bowler: https://link.amazon/B09pLSw8m

For years, women's ministry has been a staple of church life, but do we still need it? Kaitlyn welcomes Bible teacher and bestselling author Beth Moore to talk about the good, the bad, and the occasionally ridiculous history of women's ministry. They discuss everything from tea parties and Bible studies to the ways churches have limited women's roles and overlooked their gifts. Beth reflects on her decades of ministry, why she's come to embrace her calling to women, and what younger generations might be missing when they dismiss the traditions of the past. Plus, why Beth thinks some Christians need to lighten up and get a hobby.

0:00 - Technical Difficulties

0:28 - Theme Song

0:38 - Beth Moore Impersonator

3:06 - What’s Beth Reading?

8:25 - Has Women’s Ministry Changed?

23:06 - Sponsor - The Subtext - Want to see pop-culture through the lens of faith and ethics? We’ve got a podcast you need to check out: https://pod.link/1835471106

24:19 - Sponsor - With & For: Psychology and Spirituality for Thriving Podcast. Check it out now! https://pod.link/1712333330

25:22 - Comradery and Gender

39:32 - Sponsor - Baker Book House - Check out How (Not) to Be a Tyrant from Brazos Press wherever books are sold! https://link.amazon/B0gwsDDDW

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41:34 - Segregating Church

53:35 - End Credit

Christians have plenty of opinions about weight loss, beauty standards, and what it means to be healthy, but are we asking the right questions about this thorny topic? In the first episode of The Better Question, Kaitlyn is joined by Kelsey Kramer McGinnis to explore how Christian wellness culture has shaped the way we think about our bodies, why women face so much pressure to look a certain way, and whether our appearance has become a measure of our virtue. Plus, how much should we actually care about how we look, and can we change our bodies while still appreciating them as gifts from God?

0:00 - Theme Song

0:18 - Introducing the Better Question

8:56 - Diet Culture in America

14:20 - Hack or tool?

20:20 - Power and Beauty

27:35 - Sponsor - JIYU - The Korean skincare brand everyone is talking about. Our listeners get 20% off their entire order by using code KAITLYN at https://jiyuskin.com/BETTERQUESTION

28:52 - Sponsor - With & For: Psychology and Spirituality for Thriving Podcast. Check it out now! https://pod.link/1712333330

29:48 - Sponsor - The Subtext - Want to see pop-culture through the lens of faith and ethics? We’ve got a podcast you need to check out: https://pod.link/1835471106

31:08 - How GLP-1 Changes Our Brains

41:48 - Too thin IS possible

54:33 - End Credits

Resources:

Better Living Through Criticism: How to Think About Art, Pleasure, Beauty, and Truth by A. O. Scott:

https://link.amazon/B0grcoD9K

Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of Women’s Soul by John Eldredge:

https://link.amazon/B06R7sh6z

Christians Debate Drugs Versus Discipline in the Age of Ozempic by Kelsey Kramer McGinnis: https://www.christianitytoday.com/2026/06/christians-debate-drugs-vs-discipline-the-age-of-ozempic/

Life rarely gives us simple questions with simple answers. On The Better Question, Kaitlyn Schiess explores the complicated parts of faith, relationships, church, culture, work, family, and everyday life. Instead of telling you what to think, she looks beneath the questions we’re already asking to uncover the assumptions, fears, desires, and pressures shaping our answers. Because sometimes the most helpful thing isn’t finding the right answer. It’s learning to ask a better question.