Insane for the Light
Episodes about this book
4 episodesCNLP 835 | How to Trust God When You Don't Understand: John Ortberg, Ann Voskamp, and Toni Nieuwhof on Wanting to Give Up and What They Would Believe If They Weren't Christians
John Ortberg, prompted by reflection on approaching age 70, shares he has been reading Insane for the Light by Ronald Rollheiser, which argues that aging should be received not as dying but as invitation to new life. He quotes the book directly: each physical diminishment "is designed to mature the soul" and "the aging process eventually turns us all into monks." Ann Voskamp responds by calling it her book of the year and "a gem."
CNLP 830 | AI Parenting Advice: James Kelly on Whether AI Is Sinful in Nature and the Killer App Trap
Carey Nieuwhof mentions that Ronald Rollheiser's book helped him think through the idea of human limits and the temptation to transcend humanity — the notion that God has set up humanity with limits and that beauty is found within them. Nieuwhof notes he and John Mark Comer previously interviewed Rollheiser on the podcast.
CNLP 825 | What Destroys Leaders: Eric Geiger on Preaching to Your Own Sins and On Disappointing Your Staff
Carey Nieuwhof describes reading Insane for the Light by Ronald Rollheiser while reflecting on the dangers of finding identity in achievement. He took detailed notes on Rollheiser's reframing: achievements are not personal trophies but matter for their impact on others and on the kingdom—what actually lasts. Carey also notes that he and John Mark Comer together interviewed Rollheiser for the podcast, and that Comer was the one who introduced him to Rollheiser's work.
CNLP 817 | Grieving Your Ministry Wounds: Father Ronald Rolheiser and John Mark Comer on Getting Past Bitterness and Giving Your Life and Death Away
The central subject of the episode. Carey Nieuwhof, who had just turned 60, describes nearly every page underlined and calls it one of the best books he has read in ages. John Mark Comer, who had recommended it to Carey and then arranged the joint interview, praises Rolheiser's framework for passivity, aging, and giving one's death away. During the conversation Comer and Carey draw on specific content—such as the book's three options at age 70 (pathetic, bitter, or holy) and its teaching that the passion-narrative verbs about Jesus all become passive.
Also on The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast
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All summaries are AI generated based on the original transcript.