On this episode of Our American Stories, while on a mission trip to Thailand, a modern worship band found itself playing an impromptu set inside a brothel in Pattaya, one of the world’s most notorious centers for sex tourism. In that unlikely setting, the song “God of This City” was written in real time by members of the Belfast-based band Bluetree. Our own Greg Hengler tells the story of how that moment gave birth to a powerful worship anthem that later caught the attention of Chris Tomlin and went on to be sung in churches around the world. It is a story about faith, courage, and light appearing in the darkest places.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, In the earliest days of settlement, America became a testing ground for bold ideas about faith, freedom, and self-rule. In this episode of our ongoing Story of America Series, historian Wilfred McClay, author of Land of Hope, examines the colonies founded by Puritans, Quakers, and reformers who believed the New World could perfect what the Old World could not. From Massachusetts Bay to Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and Georgia, these communities pursued religious liberty and social renewal, often with utopian hopes that quickly ran into human limits. McClay explains why these failed experiments still mattered, how they encouraged habits of self-government, and why idealism and adaptability became lasting traits of the American character.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Richard Allen was born into slavery in colonial America and went on to become one of the most influential religious leaders of the early United States. After purchasing his freedom, Allen became a successful entrepreneur, a powerful preacher, and the founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. His stature was such that he was chosen to deliver the eulogy for George Washington, a moment that revealed both his influence and the contradictions of the young nation. Historian Richard Newman of Rochester Institute of Technology shares the remarkable life of Richard Allen, drawing on decades of research and his book Freedom’s Prophet.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Theodore Schwartz, a neurosurgeon at Weill Cornell Medicine and best-selling author of Gray Matters: A Biography of Brain Surgery, shares how he approaches one of the most difficult responsibilities in medicine: delivering bad news to patients with terminal and late-stage brain cancer. Drawing on decades of experience, Dr. Schwartz explains how honesty, compassion, and clarity guide these conversations, even when there is no cure to offer. He reflects on what patients ask when time is short, how doctors prepare for moments medicine cannot fix, and why the way bad news is delivered can matter as much as the news itself.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Carl Montgomery grew up surrounded by neglect, instability, and violence, where a broken childhood pushed him toward gang life and years in prison. What began with poverty and bad choices led to a cycle of crime and incarceration that seemed impossible to escape. But prison became an unexpected turning point. Through faith, accountability, and new purpose, Montgomery began rebuilding his life and breaking free from the path that once defined him. This is a powerful story of redemption, transformation, and what it takes to start over.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, in a town with only one lawyer, every problem comes to the same door. Bill Bryk spent his career deciding when to fight for others and when wisdom meant stepping back. Practicing law in a small community taught him that justice isn’t only about winning cases, but about judgment, restraint, and knowing when to rest.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, the iconic Hanson Brothers from Slap Shot weren’t actors. They were real minor-league hockey players. When Dave Hanson, known as “Killer,” was cast in the 1977 cult classic alongside Paul Newman, one of the most unforgettable trios in sports movie history was born.

Here's Hanson with the true story behind the making of Slap Shot, how real hockey culture shaped the film, and why the Hanson Brothers became enduring symbols of grit, toughness, and comedy in American sports cinema.

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From 1962 to 1992, Johnny Carson defined late-night television as the longtime host of The Tonight Show. Over three decades, hundreds of guests passed through the chair across from him, but only a few appearances became truly legendary.

Two of the most unforgettable belonged to Don Rickles and Ed Ames, whose moments on Carson’s stage are still talked about today. Mark Malkoff, author of Love Johnny Carson: One Obsessive Fan's Journey to Find the Genius Behind the Legend, shares the stories behind these iconic late-night television moments and why they endure in comedy history.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, the origins of the Protestant Reformation trace back to a deceptively simple and deeply personal question. A Catholic monk named Martin Luther wrestled with it for years: Am I a good person? That spiritual struggle would ultimately shake the foundations of Christianity and transform Western civilization. Eric Metaxas, bestselling author of Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World, tells the story of how one man’s search for grace sparked the Protestant Reformation and changed the course of world history.

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