Episode #72: Karen Swallow Prior
Rewrite Radio Podcast by the Calvin Center for Faith & Writing
Episode Summary
This week on Rewrite Radio, author and scholar Karen Swallow Prior reflects on the power of imagination—not just as an individual gift, but as a force that shapes communities, cultures, and faith traditions. With insight, humor, and historical perspective, she invites us to notice the stories and symbols we live by and to consider how reimagining them might open the way toward a different future.
Karen Swallow Prior earned her Ph.D. in English at the State University of New York at Buffalo. She is a popular writer and speaker, as well as a columnist for Religion News Service. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Vox, The Washington Post, Christianity Today, and many other places. Her most recent book is You Have a Calling (Brazos, 2025).
This talk was recorded live at the 2024 Festival of Faith & Writing.
Theme music is Modern Attempt by TrackTribe and June 11 by Andrew Starr.
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Episode Transcript
For accessibility and scholarly purposes, we provide written transcripts of every Rewrite Radio podcast. To access this episode’s transcript in full, please download the provided PDF file:
