Believe to See

The podcast of the Anselm Society's Arts Guild. Join host Matt Mellema and a rotation of guests at the digital pub table for conversations about faith and storytelling. “Some things have to be believed to be seen." -Madeleine L'Engle

Man Behind The Mythmakers 05/30/2025

Man Behind The Mythmakers John Hendrix creates graphic novels that beautifully blend prose and illustrations to tell complex stories. His latest work, The Mythmakers, delves into a subject near and dear to the heart of the Anselm Society: the friendship of CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien. Hendrix joins the table to discuss how he conveyed the lives and impact of these two authors in his own unique style. John Hendrix’s website: Buy The Mythmakers: /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/36791755

The Enduring Appeal of YA 05/23/2025

The Enduring Appeal of YA Sarah Hendricks is the author of a new YA fantasy novel called Ella. A few years ago, Matthew accidentally became something of a YA fantasy expert (long story). Now, he’s checking in on the state of the genre. What’s encompassed by the term “YA Fantasy”? What are its different niches and sub-genres? And why does it have such enduring popularity with so many readers? Sarah Hendricks has the answers. Buy Ella: /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/36695875

Sirens Everywhere! Not the Singing Kind 05/16/2025

Sirens Everywhere! Not the Singing Kind We know there's "nothing new under the sun," but must there be so many TV shows with a first responder, life-or-death, emergency services premise? Join Mandy, Matt, and Christina as they discuss the plethora of shows like these. Why are writers and viewers drawn to these stories--and what differentiates those worth saving from those that ought to be DOA? /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/36599455

The Green Ember Video Game 05/09/2025

The Green Ember Video Game SD Smith has recently announced a Green Ember video game. He joins the digital pub table to discuss this exciting new project. So strap in for a deep dive into the Green Ember video game: its origin, its design, and how families can play video games in an enriching way. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/36514700

Where Folk Meets Jazz 05/04/2025

Where Folk Meets Jazz Jacob Herold is a multi-instrumental musician whose music interweaves folk and jazz. He also happens to be a member artist of the Anselm Society Arts Guild. He joins the table to discuss his new album, The Train & The River. What’s it like to fuse two styles like jazz and folk? Why should we worry about fusing different styles in the first place? And how did Jacob find the time to learn to play all of those instruments? Buy The Train & The River: /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/36422890

Road Trip! Interview With Isaac Hans 04/25/2025

Road Trip! Interview With Isaac Hans Isaac Hans joins Mandy and Christina at the pub table to talk about his journey with photography--literally. What is "road trip photography," and what drew Isaac to it in the first place? How does his faith inform his work? Who are some of his biggest influences? He also sheds light on some of the equipment and techniques that photographers use, and why. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/36318950

Back to Carrick Hall--Sarah Arthur 04/18/2025

Back to Carrick Hall--Sarah Arthur Author Sarah Arthur has previously joined the digital pub table to talk about her YA fantasy novel Once a Queen. But it turns out this was only the first book in her Carrick Hall series. She returns to the pub table to discuss the brand new second book: Once a Castle. Matt and Mandy ask Sarah about her process for creating a second book in a series, and where she plans to take Carrick Hall from here. Buy Once a Castle: Believe to See audience survey: /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/36227055

Who's the Anselm-iest Artist? Finale 04/12/2025

Who's the Anselm-iest Artist? Finale It all comes down to this. In the final installment of our three-part series, Matt, Mandy, and Christina determine once and for all which artist is most representative of the Anselm Society artists' guild. Did you call it, or will you be surprised? /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/36111365

Who's the Anselm-iest Artist? Part Two 03/28/2025

Who's the Anselm-iest Artist? Part Two Matt continues forcing Mandy and Christina, championship bracket-style, to decide which famous artists most represent the values of the artists' guild. Part 2 of a three-part series. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/35915020

Who's the Anselm-iest Artist? 03/15/2025

Who's the Anselm-iest Artist? In Part 1 of a three-part series, Matt forces Mandy and Christina, championship bracket-style, to decide which famous artists most represent the values of the artists' guild. They also coin a new word: "Anselm-y." /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/35704690

How to Destroy a Child's Imagination 03/08/2025

How to Destroy a Child's Imagination Fostering a healthy imagination in kids is a worthy goal--but what are the obstacles in today's society actively making that difficult, and what do we do about them? In this episode, we discuss several arguments in Anthony Esolen's satirical book "10 Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child" and ask the question, "How can we give kids a world where creatively engaging their environment is the norm--not the exception?" /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/35584995

Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue, Is It a Good Love Story? 02/28/2025

Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue, Is It a Good Love Story? It's Valentine's Day, so of course we want to talk about the best and worst love stories of all time! Join the hosts as we delve into what qualities make for a good love story annnnnd what qualities produce a bad one. Pulling from sources such as Shakespeare's famous sonnets and modern cinematic rom-coms, we explore it all. And there might be something about a little Scarlet Pimpernel flower mentioned . . . Listen to find out! (Due to technical difficulties, this episode slated for Valentine's Day is appearing after the fact. Our apologies for the diminished sound quality.) /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/35488480

Effective Christian Characters 02/15/2025

Effective Christian Characters Where Are the “Good Christian” Characters? Too often, the broader culture portrays Christians as narrow-minded hypocrites. We can all imagine plenty of explanations for this. But that leads to a more fundamental question. Why is it so hard to create a character who is both: (1) well-developed and compelling, and (2) a sincere Christian? On this roundtable, the hosts discuss why it’s so difficult to create a “Good Christian” character. They also offer their candidates for best Christian characters in fiction. And in case you’re wondering—yes, Matt dresses up as his favorite Christian character from pop culture. So stay tuned for the big reveal, neighborinos! /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/35291805

"Insert Perfect Title Here" 02/01/2025

"Insert Perfect Title Here" From paintings to novels, titles can guide expectations of viewers and readers, for good or for ill. And for some artists, coming up with a title can be as challenging as making the art itself. Join the hosts at the roundtable as they talk about titles — and “untitles” and subtitles and more — and see how you handle Mandy’s genre quiz! /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/35105575

Art that’s Cool to Hate 01/18/2025

Art that’s Cool to Hate Ever feel like there was a band, tv show, or book that you were “supposed” to hate? Like hating it was required to prove you’re cool and sophisticated? When Matt was in college, that band was Nickelback. And he’s wondered why ever since… Why do we do things like this? Is this a good impulse, or something we should fight against? On this roundtable, the hosts explore the art that’s cool to hate. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/34901755

Can Kids’ Cartoons be Great Cinema? 01/04/2025

Can Kids’ Cartoons be Great Cinema? It never fails. Whenever someone on the internet complains that an animated film is bad, someone else on the internet replies: “It’s a kids’ cartoon. Who cares?” On this roundtable, the hosts discuss whether we should expect children’s animation to be serious art. They do this primarily by analyzing some of their favorite animated films. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/34717190

Solitude and Community 12/20/2024

Solitude and Community Artists need solitude to create (or “conjure”), but we need one another too. Mandy and Matt and Christina discuss finding a balance between these seemingly contradictory needs. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/34558045

SD Smith and the Found Boys 12/07/2024

SD Smith and the Found Boys Author SD Smith has previously joined the Anselm pub table to talk about his classic Green Ember series (an Anselm Society staple), and the Jack Zulu series that he’s writing along with his son. Now, SD Smith returns to the table to discuss his new book, The Found Boys. It’s a middle grade story that touches on a lot of complex issues—racial tension, forgiveness, reconciliation, and more. It’s also a fun and funny adventure. Join us as SD Smith shares the heart and purpose behind The Found Boys. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/34329155

The Hosts Debrief: Naming - We Just Can't Escape It! 11/23/2024

The Hosts Debrief: Naming - We Just Can't Escape It! Matt, Mandy, and Christina gather together to debrief about our . There may be more than a little talk about best and worst fantasy football names and houseplants christened after famous authors, but what can we say? Names matter. And when you sit down to talk about it? You may be startled to discover how much the power of names - ( and the human instinct to name everything from our cars to our kids) - is inextricably linked to the identity God gave you. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/34115886

Sense of Wonder: Delighting in God’s Presence Throughout the Holiday Season 11/10/2024

Sense of Wonder: Delighting in God’s Presence Throughout the Holiday Season Another holiday season is upon us, bringing with it the potential for wonder—or for stress, consumerism, and detachment. Amanda Luedeke and Hannah Oplinger have created a new devotional that walks us from Thanksgiving through the new year, engaging all six of our senses (yes! There are six!). Join Mandy as she talks with Amanda about how we might “reclaim the holidays for [our] heart’s formation and the glory of God”. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/33869817

Halloween: Should Christians Celebrate this Iconic Holiday? 10/24/2024

Halloween: Should Christians Celebrate this Iconic Holiday? Christina didn't celebrate Halloween growing up. But every October, her children parade around the neighborhood trick-or-treating in their favorite super-hero costumes with their buddies, school-mates, and neighbor-friends. So what changed? Christina dives deep into the history and significance of Halloween. Is it an "evil" holiday? Are we "inviting darkness" or participating in "devil worship" by handing out candy in ghoul costumes? Together with Matt and Mandy, she explores how a proper understanding of Halloween fits into the larger Christian story. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/33603717

Flip the Pub Table: Matt Mellema Interview 10/17/2024

Flip the Pub Table: Matt Mellema Interview Matt’s debut middle-grade fantasy novel, Red Rex, is here! Join Mandy and Christina as they talk with Matt about the dream, the process, the plot, the characters, the illustrations — and the footnotes. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/33503677

Obligated to Create? 10/04/2024

Obligated to Create? Calvin and Hobbes may be the greatest comic strip ever. But there’s a problem. Its creator, Bill Watterson, quit after only ten years. At age 38. Did Watterson squander his incredible talent? Matt thinks so. Mandy and Christina aren’t so sure. Together, they discuss whether artists have a responsibility to share their talent with others. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/33336737

Taylor Swift’s Storytelling Power 09/19/2024

Taylor Swift’s Storytelling Power Taylor Swift is the most popular musician since the Beatles. And Matt doesn’t understand. Don’t get him wrong—he doesn’t dislike Taylor Swift. He’s just not the target audience. What he needs is a thoughtful fan to show him the ways of the Swifties. Matt has found that fan in his cousin, Alyssa. She explains the appeal of Taylor Swift as a musician, and the power of Taylor Swift as a storyteller. Can she win Matt over to the Swifties? /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/33127227

Encouraging Our Young Storytellers 09/07/2024

Encouraging Our Young Storytellers We all have young storytellers in our lives. Maybe it’s a first-grade nephew drawing comic books in crayon. Maybe it’s a teenage granddaughter writing her first short story. How can we best encourage them? Millie Florence is here to help. The 21-year-old author is about to publish her third novel. She gives insight on fostering a love of stories with the kids in our lives. Learn more about Millie’s work at: /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/32953902

The Power of Naming 08/23/2024

The Power of Naming In this conversation, Cultivating founder Lancia Smith joins Christina and Evangeline to discuss the power of naming and its impact on our identity and relationships. They explore how naming can be an act of love and reclamation, allowing us to see and be seen. They also discuss the importance of naming our fears and how it can take away their power. They emphasize the need for humility, listening, and recognizing the belovedness of others. They conclude by highlighting the role of myth-making and storytelling in reflecting eternal truth. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/32719317

Jacoby Elliott Interview: How Beauty Can Point Us Back to God 07/27/2024

Jacoby Elliott Interview: How Beauty Can Point Us Back to God Matt and Mandy interview fellow Anselm Guild member Jacoby Elliott, who is a musician, writer, and visual artist. Jacoby talks about his desire to make beautiful things and how a longing for beauty helped point him back to God. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/32311552

Interview with Jane Scharl 07/20/2024

Interview with Jane Scharl Mandy interviews poet, playwright, and critic Jane Scharl to discuss poetry. Learn more about Jane at https://jcscharl.com/ /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/32222502

Dune 06/29/2024

Dune Matt, who has never been able to get into Frank Hebert's classic science fiction Novel Dune or the films adaptations, brings Brian Brown and Peter Houk to the digital pub table to convince him of the merit of Dune. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/31940207

Interview with Jody Collins 06/20/2024

Interview with Jody Collins Matt interviews Jody Collins about poetry, and why people should like poetry and it shouldn't be so hard to do so. Find Jody at and writing on Substack at /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/31831247

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