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

Who Continues the Lore? 06/02/2026

Who Continues the Lore? Dovetailing with last week's episode on the ownership of stories, Matt, Mandy, and Sarah discuss the mysterious and oft-maligned world of fanfiction. Is it a silly way for mostly young women to get validation and fix the problems they see in other stories? Or is it a low-stakes environment to hone skills and experiment with identity? What is fanfiction's appeal and value, and what can it show us about its subjects? Join the digital pub table to learn more about fanfiction and its purpose in continuing the conversation with the works it pays homage to. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/41510620

Who Owns the Lore? 05/26/2026

Who Owns the Lore? For most of human history, nobody “owned” the great stories. Nobody owned Achilles, Beowulf, or King Arthur. These tales belonged to civilization itself—passed down, expanded, and reinterpreted generation after generation. Every age added something new, and every storyteller helped keep the stories alive. In many ways, the old myths survived precisely because people kept taking up the tale. But today, our greatest myths are often locked behind copyright law and corporate canon. Spider-Man, Darth Vader, and even Middle-earth exist as carefully controlled intellectual property guarded by massive entertainment companies and teams of lawyers. So which approach creates healthier culture? Are stories better protected as private property, or shared as a cultural inheritance? At the digital pub table, we explore the history of intellectual property, the evolution of mythology and fan fiction, and how Christians should think about storytelling, creativity, and what it really means to “own” a story. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/41425550

The Other Inklings 05/12/2026

The Other Inklings What if we’ve misunderstood the Inklings? When most of us think of the Inklings, we picture C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien: two brilliant minds meeting in an Oxford pub and changing literature forever. But that’s only one part of a much bigger story. G. Connor Salter joins the Anselm Digital Pub table to discuss his new book, The Other Inklings. It explores the often-overlooked members of the Inklings, and how they shaped Lewis, Tolkien, and the Christian imagination. What emerges is a powerful idea--great stories don’t come from isolated geniuses. They come from communities. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/41265510

The Theology of Vampires and Zombies 05/05/2026

The Theology of Vampires and Zombies We love a good vampire yarn, or speculating about how we would react to a zombie apocalypse. Pop culture loves them too: vampires sexy, zombies scary. But what is the value in telling these kinds of stories? Is there more to it than just Hollywood trying to make more money? Dr. Amy Hughes, a theology professor, scholar, and author joins the pub table to discuss our favorite supernatural creatures and what they have to say about humanity and God. , Dr. Hughes' two books: , and the just-released /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/41165835

Peculiar Purpose 04/30/2026

Peculiar Purpose It's human to want to fit in. And it's human to fail at fitting in. What if our peculiarities aren't necessarily weaknesses to be overcome, but gifts from God that He wants us to use? Join us at the virtual pub table as we discuss the pain of feeling like a weirdo, and the joy of finding our purpose (among our fellow weirdos). /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/41069620

The Case for Toilet Humor 04/21/2026

The Case for Toilet Humor Why do our greatest stories—Chaucer, Shakespeare, and even the Bible—include moments that feel . . . a little crude? In this episode, we make a surprising case: what we call “toilet humor” isn’t just childish—it may actually serve a deeper purpose in storytelling. From the shocking story of Ehud in Judges, to Chaucer laughing at farts, to G. K. Chesterton reminding us to “take ourselves lightly,” we explore how humor rooted in the body can humble our pride, reconnect us to reality, and remind us all that we’re physical creatures with physical bodies. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/40955840

The Saints As Stand-Up Comedians 04/14/2026

The Saints As Stand-Up Comedians Stand-up comedy has become one of our culture’s most important artistic forms. And that sounds strange. How can something as simple as a single person telling funny observations and anecdotes be one of our most important art forms? But look around. Stand-up is all over Netflix and other major streamers. Comedians dominate both the podcast arenas and the YouTube clip arenas. They also have an outsized importance in the national conversation on a broad range of culture issues. How did this all happen? Where did all these comedians come from? Is there a significance to stand-up comedians beyond a few laughs? More fundamentally, how should we, as Christians, view the (surprisingly ancient) tradition of the comedian? Joining us at the table to discuss this issue is Jason Crawford. He‘s a professor of English at Union University, where he specializes in early modern literature and culture. He has also written a fantastic new book called God’s Fools: Saints, Prophets, Martyrs, and the Making of Modern Comedy. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/40869885

Jim vs. The Future 03/18/2026

Jim vs. The Future Theoretical physicists are debating whether the multiverse is plausible or bonkers. But regardless of the math, the idea of multiple realities is endlessly compelling for storytellers—from classic literature and pulp science fiction to contemporary film and television. At the digital pub table, we’re joined by filmmaker and culture critic Joseph Holmes to explore why the multiverse captivates us. His new film Jim vs. The Future explores the moral and theological implications of the multiverse. It asks what responsibility, choice, and hope look like when every possibility is open. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/40530710

Writing Music for Video Games (And Movies. And TV.) 03/10/2026

Writing Music for Video Games (And Movies. And TV.) Video game music has come a long way. Simple electronic beeps have evolved into some of today’s most ambitious musical scores. In this episode, we explore how music shapes storytelling across all sorts of visual media, and why video game scores deserve to be taken as seriously as their movie counterparts. Joining the Anselm Society Digital Pub table is Vinicius Barbosa Pippa, a composer and conductor whose work spans film, television, and video games. He delves into his process for creating music to tell stories across many different genres. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/40384210

The Bible Is a Story About Dragons 03/04/2026

The Bible Is a Story About Dragons Throughout church history, having a Christian imagination meant telling stories about dragons. If that sounds a bit strong, then look at your Bible. From the opening verses of Genesis to the climactic battle at the end of Revelation, dragons play an important role in the story of Scripture. So how should we as Christians place dragon stories within the Great Story? Author and podcaster Laurie Christine joins the digital pub table to sort this out. She has written a series of middle grade books called the Dragon Slayer Bible Series. She discusses the ways that the Bible’s understanding of dragons can shape our stories today. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/40312535

Truth Is Stranger . . . 02/26/2026

Truth Is Stranger . . . Is it possible to stumble into the Upside Down and come back with a handful of transcendent truths? Join Mandy, Christina, and Matt at the pub table as they discuss the themes and characters of the series Stranger Things—beauty in weakness, strength in fragility, the power of story, and more. Please note: if you have not watched the series, this episode is spoiler-filled! /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/40241495

On Birds and Grief and Hope -- Courtney Ellis 02/17/2026

On Birds and Grief and Hope -- Courtney Ellis Courtney Ellis—author, pastor, and podcaster—joins Mandy at the pub table to discuss all things feathered (including hope) and how God speaks to our hearts through the wonder and beauty of His creation. (Find Courtney's books and podcast: ) /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/40139195

When Bad People Make Good Art 02/10/2026

When Bad People Make Good Art We’ve all been there at some point. There’s an artist who does great work. We admire their talent, and we use their art as a model for our own. And then we learn the artist did something terrible in their personal life. How should we respond as Christian artists? Can we enjoy the art on its own terms and sift out the artist’s mistakes? Or are the artist and the art so intertwined that we can’t separate them? It turns out—shocker!—that this is a complicated issue with a lot of moving parts. But Matt, Mandy, and Christina do their best to walk through the different considerations and to give a framework for approaching the issue with care and intentionality. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/40060745

Our Stories Need "Undaunted Joy" 02/03/2026

Our Stories Need "Undaunted Joy" Our world has more material prosperity than ever. So why does everybody seem so dour? And why are so many of our culture’s stories devoid of hope? Author Shemaiah Gonzales’s latest book is Undaunted Joy: The Revolutionary Act of Cultivating Delight. This collection of essays makes the case that, as Christians, our stories need more joy. But not the naïve or fake kind of joy. The real, brave kind. She joins the pub table to discuss the implications of telling stories that cultivate authentic joy. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/39981250

Why Should We Care About Jane Austen's Bookshelf? 01/27/2026

Why Should We Care About Jane Austen's Bookshelf? It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen is one of our greatest novelists. Her place in the literary canon is secure. Her influence on later generations is profound. But what about the novelists who influenced Jane Austen? Hardly anybody reads them nowadays, and they are not in the canon. Using Rebecca Romney’s book Jane Austen’s Bookshelf as a guide, Sarah, Matt, and Mandy discuss how strange this situation is. If Jane Austen thought a novel was great, shouldn’t we want to read it? The co-hosts make the case for adding these forgotten authors into the literary canon. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/39900440

Shakespeare and the Dallas Cowboys 01/20/2026

Shakespeare and the Dallas Cowboys Even people who don’t follow sports know about the Dallas Cowboys. They’re “America’s Team.” Giant stadiums and superstar players and Super Bowl victories. The team that’s always in the news because of drama with their owner. But here’s the thing: the Cowboys haven’t been to a Super Bowl in 30 years. The images we have about the Cowboys’ greatness come from a four-year run between 1992 and 1995. How could such a powerful story emerge from such a short span of winning? Matt invites Luke Moja—his friend and resident 90s sports expert—to the digital pub table to discuss the enduring myth-making and real-life Shakespearean drama that is the Dallas Cowboys. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/39799575

Do Audiobooks Count As Reading? 01/13/2026

Do Audiobooks Count As Reading? For many people, audiobooks are the primary way they engage with novels. Other people view audiobooks as something lesser that doesn’t really “count” as reading. What are the benefits (and drawbacks) of audiobooks? Of e-readers? Of old-fashioned paper books? The cohosts debate all this and more during this roundtable. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/39717635

Daughters of Bronze--Ashlee Cowles 01/06/2026

Daughters of Bronze--Ashlee Cowles Ashlee Cowles returns to the digital pub table. She’s both an Arts Guild member and one half of the AD Rhine writing duo. Their latest novel, Daughters of Bronze, concludes their retelling of the Trojan War from the viewpoint of four Trojan women. Cowles discusses the ways she grounded the novel in history, and how she was able to find hope—even in the doom of Troy. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/39628485

BEST OF Believe to See: Is It a Christmas Movie? 12/30/2025

BEST OF Believe to See: Is It a Christmas Movie? To celebrate the holidays, Believe to See is re-airing episodes from past Christmases. Or should we say from Christmas Past? "Is It a Christmas Movie?" first aired on December 3, 2022. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/39567565

BEST OF Believe to See: 12 Days of Christmas Carol 12/23/2025

BEST OF Believe to See: 12 Days of Christmas Carol To Celebrate the week of Christmas, Believe to See is re-airing episodes from past Christmases . . . Should we say from Christmas Past? “12 Days of Christmas Carol” first aired on December 29, 2020. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/39522685

Are Today’s Literary Novels Only for Women? 12/16/2025

Are Today’s Literary Novels Only for Women? The clear majority of literary novels are read by women. The clear majority are written by women, too. Women also dominate the publishing industry around these books. As a result, more and more men are feeling alienated by this new literary landscape. What’s led to this shift in the literary world? Is the development good, bad, or neutral? Matt, Mandy, and Christina delve into this multi-faceted issue. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/39428385

From Rend Collective to Children’s Author 12/09/2025

From Rend Collective to Children’s Author Ali Gilkeson is a founding member of Rend Collective. She’s also a best-selling children’s author. Her latest book, “Keeping the Light,” is newly-published from WaterBrook Multnomah. Gilkeson joins the digital pub table to discuss how her background with Rend Collective has influenced her writing. She also explores the enduring symbolic power of the lighthouse. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/39339275

Harry Potter in 500 Years 12/02/2025

Harry Potter in 500 Years How will people in the future, say 500 years from now, view today’s art? What are the novels, movies, and songs that will still be relevant and important to people in the year 2525? Each of the co-hosts offers their best guess. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/39238395

Why the Hammered Dulcimer Is the Greatest Instrument You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of 11/25/2025

Why the Hammered Dulcimer Is the Greatest Instrument You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of When most of us hear “ dulcimer,” we think of Irish peasants in the Middle Ages. Or maybe that “damsel with a dulcimer” in the poem “Kubla Khan.” The actual hammered dulcimer, however, is something else entirely. It’s a unique blend of percussion and stringed instruments with ancient roots across the world. And it’s capable of creating gorgeous music. Musician and composer Joshua Messick joins the table to discuss all things hammered dulcimer. He’s composed ten albums of hammered dulcimer music, and played for the soundtracks of major movies and video games. He explains the hammered dulcimer’s unique ability to tell a story through its music. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/39168645

Neve Foster's Big Reveal 11/04/2025

Neve Foster's Big Reveal Author Neve Foster joins the table to discuss her new novel, Of Ink and Spirit. Along the way, she makes a shocking revelation. Neve Foster is, in fact, the pen name for Anselm’s own Evangeline Denmark! Evangeline—err, Neve—discusses her novel’s long journey to print and its grounding in Japanese folklore. She also talks about co-founding a new publishing co-op: Unity Inkworks. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/38909105

You Can't Judge a Book . . . 10/21/2025

You Can't Judge a Book . . . You know the saying, but is it accurate? Perhaps if we said shouldn't instead of can't, it would ring true. The fact is, we do judge books by their covers, all the time. Join our cohosts in a discussion of what makes a book cover good, bad, memorable, or even misleading. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/38727975

Beneath, Between, Beyond--Carolyn Leiloglou 10/17/2025

Beneath, Between, Beyond--Carolyn Leiloglou Middle grade fantasy author Carolyn Leiloglou returns to the pub table to chat about the conclusion of her award-winning Restorationists trilogy, Beyond the Far Horizon (available 09/09/2025). Carolyn grew up surrounded by the paintings of her art collector grandparents and took that love into her stories. But her characters are not only surrounded by art--they climb into the paintings themselves and travel between them. Join us for a conversation about the God-given impulse to create, what stops young people (and old) from pursuing that impulse, famous paintings, infamous art heists, and more. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/38624745

What Our Favorite Colors Say About Us 10/07/2025

What Our Favorite Colors Say About Us Did you know that your everyday experience with color has a deep effect on your brain? And why have you always hated yellow, anyway? Popular psychology argues that our favorite colors say a lot about us, often claiming that our favorite colors are linked to our personality profiles. Is there any truth to that? Can our favorite colors tell us something about ourselves? Join our roundtable as we discuss this question and more, turning to painter Mark Rothko's masterful approach, using the relationship between color and the human brain to engage his audience. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/38502250

The Happiest Saddest People 09/30/2025

The Happiest Saddest People JL Gerhardt is an author and partner at Hazefire Studios, where she and her husband, Justin Gerhardt, collaborate on the podcast Holy Ghost Stories. Gerhardt joins the table to talk about one of Hazefire’s recent podcast projects: "The Happiest Saddest People." JL Gerhardt writes and narrates these episodes, which are a memoir of her own life, with reflections of faith, memory, and loss. It’s also really excellent. Just the first episode alone is emotionally gutting and profound. And this memoir—which is also a theological reflection—takes place in the context of a beautifully produced podcast. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/38411890

All Aboard the Grandparents Express 09/23/2025

All Aboard the Grandparents Express Chapter books are important. Their target audience is kids between about ages 6 and 10, and they play a major role in developing young readers. Author Leilani Mueller knows all about writing for this age group. She’s the author of a brand-new chapter book called All Aboard the Grandparents Express. The book explores grief, loss, and imagination from the perspective of its 8-year-old narrator. Leilani describes the process of writing a good and beautiful book for the youngest readers. /episode/index/show/believetosee/id/38333365

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