I sat down with Dr. Thompson Day and talked to her about her podcast, Viral Jesus. She talks about how it all started, her motivations behind the podcast, and some aspects of the content. In her podcast, she converses with ministry leaders, content creators, and other social figures about community and sharing faith.
Tell us about yourself! (background, hobbies, interests, what you do at Andrews)
Hello! I am an Associate Professor of Communication at Andrews University. I grew up in Berrien Springs and attended Andrews University as a student. My hobbies include reading, running, and cooking recipes that I find on TikTok for my family.
How did the podcast start? What was the motivation behind it?
I had an idea in my notes app on my phone for a full year before I had any resources to create a podcast or get signed to a network. The show started because I wanted a place for Christian content creators to be more informed about how the messages they were creating were received. The motivation behind this stemmed from the question: What is the representation of Christianity you are putting out into the world?
What is your podcast about? Could you explain more in-depth about what it covers?
The podcast is not so much “How to Create an Instagram Reel” but more so thoughtful conversations about the content you are putting on those reels. It makes you ask yourself: How does my faith inform the content I create? What voices am I listening to that shape my perspective on the Bible? I interview Christians who I think have navigated challenging situations or leadership well and try to expose their thought process and Biblical interpretations to others.
What are the aims/goals of the podcast?
The goal of this podcast is to help Christian content creators be more humble in their approach to Scripture and faith. I would love to see Christian creators be more culturally aware, and listen more to the criticisms of nonbelievers. I think that's how we create better content that reaches outside of our echo chambers and allows us to form social connections.
Who is the target audience that you want to reach for this podcast?
Currently our listener base is 80% women, who are mostly under the age of 35. But, anyone who is interested in expanding their faith perspective would be in our audience market. We like to interview a diverse group of people in the podcast, such as Mike Planeta (a contestant from The Bachelorette) and Kevin ‘KB’ Burgess (an American Christian hip-hop artist). Generally, anyone interested in listening to other people’s views and opinions can listen to the podcast.
Are there any setbacks/challenges you’ve encountered throughout the process?
Yes, of course. In my opinion, if you aren't experiencing challenges and setbacks you probably aren’t creating. Setbacks and challenges are the counterpart to any type of content creation. To help improve from these challenges, you need a team. You have to have people who know what you are trying to do and can give you wise counsel. We’re constantly aiming to improve the podcast and develop new ideas for listeners to hear.
What were some of your favorite discussions/topics covered in the podcast?
We did a series called “What You May Be Getting Wrong” about God, Scripture, faith, etc. The series talked about Biblical womanhood, God’s vision for the church, His character, and the image of God. One concept I touch on is the overlap between evolutionary biology and Christianity from a professor’s perspective. I loved these episodes, and so did our listeners.
Is there anything else you'd like to share or promote?
I send out an encouraging newsletter every Friday night at 7 pm EST! You can subscribe by going to heatherthompsonday.com/links. I encourage everyone to listen to some of my episodes and about the perspectives others give.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.