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Bringing diverse voices together to explore faith, leadership, and justice
Hosted by Princeton Theological Seminary President Jonathan Lee Walton, PhD, Expanding the Table gathers leading voices in history, theology, and public life to explore questions of faith, leadership, and justice. As a learning community, Princeton Seminary strives to continuously expand the table by welcoming new and diverse perspectives and offering accessible resources to educate and enrich the church and the larger world. This podcast series encourages listeners to contemplate matters of spirituality and theology through different lenses, as they shape their own ministries, churches, and communities, guided by faith, scholarship, integrity, competence, compassion, and joy.
Listen to our Featured Episode
President Walton is joined by Dr. Peniel Joseph, The University of Texas at Austin professor of public affairs, to discuss how 1963 became a turning point in America’s civil rights struggle, bringing conversations about race, human dignity, and morality to the forefront in this episode of Expanding the Table. Joseph shares how leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. used themes of Christian morality and redemption to envision a multiracial democracy, shaping the future of American civil rights.
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Episode 1 Guest | Sen. Raphael Warnock U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock joins President Walton on Expanding the Table to discuss how his identity as a pastor shapes his work in the Senate — and why American politics desperately needs a moral imagination.
In this episode, Senator Warnock reflects on his new book, “The Crooked Places Made Straight: Reflections on the Moral Meaning of America,” drawn from his longtime sermon inspired by Isaiah 40. He breaks down the moral stakes behind the issues affecting everyday Americans: voting rights and voter suppression, healthcare access, mass incarceration, gun violence, Climate change, and more.
A history-maker, Warnock is the first African American elected to the U.S. Senate from the state of Georgia and only the second African American to represent a southern state in the Senate since Reconstruction. For the past two decades, he has also served as senior pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, in Atlanta, Georgia — the youngest person to ever hold that role at the spiritual home of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Episode 2 Guest | Dr. Lisa Miller President Walton welcomes Dr. Lisa Miller to discuss the connection between spirituality, adolescent mental health, and emotional well-being in this episode of Expanding the Table.
In this episode, Dr. LIsa Miller, a professor of psychology and education at Columbia University’s Teachers College and founder of the Spirituality Mind Body Institute, shares research on how spiritual development can strengthen resilience and protect against depression and substance abuse in teenagers.
Drawing on insights from her books “The Awakened Brain: The New Science of Spirituality and Our Quest for an Inspired Life” and “The Spiritual Child: The New Science on Parenting for Health and Lifelong Thriving,” Miller explains how spirituality — regardless of religious affiliation — can be a powerful protective factor for adolescent mental health.
Episode 3 Guest | Dr. Howard Koh How do faith, religion, and spirituality affect mental and physical health? Dr. Howard K. Koh, Harvard University professor and former U.S. assistant secretary for health, joins President Walton to discuss the powerful connection between spirituality and overall well-being in this episode of Expanding the Table. Together they explore how faith and health intersect, why spirituality matters for public health, and the relationship between religion, wellness, and purpose.
Koh is the Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. He also serves as the inaugural chair of Harvard’s Initiative on Health and Homelessness and co-director of the Initiative on Health, Spirituality and Religion. Koh served as the 14th assistant secretary for health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from 2009-14, after his appointment as the commissioner of public health for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Episode 4 Guest | Dr. Nathan Stucky What life lessons does farming teach about productivity, rest, and faith? Dr. Nathan Stucky, director of The Farminary Project at Princeton Theological Seminary, and President Walton explore how regenerative agriculture and working on a 21-acre farm reveal the rhythm between effort, failure, and renewal in this episode of Expanding the Table.
At the Farminary, students learn how faith, sustainability, and food justice intersect with the cycles of nature, challenging society’s 24/7 culture of unending productivity. This discussion emphasizes the spiritual, ecological, and practical lessons that farming provides for personal growth, leadership, and wellness.
Episode 5 Guest | Dr. Almeda Wright Christian spiritual formation and teen faith development are critical topics for churches, youth ministers, and parents seeking meaningful ways to engage young people in the life of the church.
President Walton and Dr. Almeda Wright, professor of religious education at Yale Divinity School, explore how mentorship and apprenticeship in the church can support Christian spiritual formation and faith development among teens in this episode of Expanding the Table. The conversation also examines how Christian formation can help young adults grow spiritually while remaining open, intellectually curious,and respectful toward people of other faiths.
Episode 6 Guest | Rev. Dr. Suzanne Watts Henderson How can healthcare providers better support patients’ religious beliefs, faith traditions, and spiritual needs? The Rev. Dr. Suzanne Watts Henderson, MDiv ’90, senior director of faith and health for Interfaith America, joins President Walton to explore how understanding religious diversity in healthcare can improve patient well-being and health outcomes in this episode of Expanding the Table.
Episode 7 | Dr. Peniel Joseph President Walton is joined by Dr. Peniel Joseph, The University of Texas at Austin professor of public affairs, to discuss how 1963 became a turning point in America’s civil rights struggle, bringing conversations about race, human dignity, and morality to the forefront in this episode of Expanding the Table. Joseph shares how leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. used themes of Christian morality and redemption to envision a multiracial democracy, shaping the future of American civil rights.
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