Soul Care Conversations S1E10: How a Leader’s Body Signals Spiritual Fear w/ Jason Malec

In this episode, host Mindy Caliguire is joined by longtime friend and advisor Jason Malec to discuss the deep integration of spiritual formation and leadership. Jason shares his personal journey from a Catholic upbringing to a period of severe deconstruction during seminary, and his eventual move into church planting and leading major non-profits. The conversation explores the manifestation of fear and stress in a leader's life, the power of breath prayer, and a thoughtful perspective on how AI can be used for human flourishing. 00:00 Introduction to SoulCare Conversations 05:30 Jason’s Journey into Ministry and Early Faith 10:10 Deconstruction in Seminary: The Metaphor of Dangling Garments 14:48 Finding Safe Spaces for Doubt and Prayer 19:07 Four Phases of Spiritual Development 22:20 The Power of Breath Prayer and the Jesus Prayer 25:22 Creating Safe Places for Seekers 27:23 The Physical Manifestation of Leadership Stress and Fear 33:02 AI and Faith: Confronting the Singularity and Existential Fear 37:52 Redemptive Technology: AI as a Mirror of Human Character 41:11 The Future of AI in Human Flourishing and Disease Correction 42:59 Trusted Resources for Faith and Technology 45:16 Connecting with God through Sacred Pathways 49:30 Closing Remarks and Contact Information Resources Mentioned Thomas Merton’s Prayer: A prayer about the comfort of not knowing everything and the desire to please God being enough. https://reflections.yale.edu/article/... Sacred Pathways by Gary Thomas: A book exploring the diverse ways individuals connect with God (e.g., naturalist, intellectual, activist). https://garythomas.com/books/sacred-p... The Jesus Prayer: A traditional breath prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_P... Links & Connections Jason Malec: You can connect with Jason at ide8.org or find him on LinkedIn, where he is currently running a series on AI and human flourishing. You can reach out to him directly at jason dot malec at gmail dot com. Jeremy Utley: For more on technology and faith, visit jeremyutley.com or listen to his podcast (details available in his web resources). SoulCare Conversations: Join the mailing list for weekly scripture engagement and guidance.