Jonathan Huggins joins us on the podcast today with a sermon for the season of Advent reflecting on peace. How does the Gospel redefine shalom—peace—with God, within ourselves, and with others? How can we maintain relational and psychological rest in our souls when facing the anxiety-producing situations of our modern world?
For our December episode on books, we, the CPT staff, have been reading (and, on this occasion, watching):
JRR Tolkien, Return of the King, (1955)
Mark A. Noll, The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind (1995)
Stephen King, Carrie (1974)
Cormac McCarthy, The Border Trilogy, (1999)
Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen, American Nietzsche: A History of an Icon and His Idea, 2011
Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin. (2024)
Today, Chris Ganski shares a sermon on Acts 17:1-9. In the wake of the 2024 election, the book of Acts can be an excellent resource to consider the relationship between church and politics. In the context of Acts 17, does Caesar have anything to fear from the church? What is the church, and what does it mean to belong to the church? How does the church’s identity influence our understanding of the gospel as political? This and more on today’s podcast.
Pastor Caleb Campbell joins the podcast to discuss how pastors might guide their congregations through the results of the 2024 election, drawing from his experience pastoring in Phoenix, AZ. He also discusses his book "Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor." How can we helpfully engage those in their community who align with combative political perspectives? How can pastors support members who are struggling to have conversations with family members, or for whom the election stirs up difficult emotions? This and more on today's episode.
Douglas Estes joins the podcast once again to discuss the second volume of a collection of essays he edited on theology in the works and worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien. We talk about the role of narrative fiction in shaping pastoral theology and how works like The Lord of the Rings can serve those who lead the church in the present day.
Paul Taylor, Teaching Pastor and Elder at Peninsula Bible Church in Palo Alto, CA, joins the podcast to discuss the intersection of theology and technology. How should the church respond as technological advance continues and accelerates? How does the Christian theological narrative interact advances in artificial intelligence and the philosophies of post-humanism?
How can Christians and pastors benefit from literary reading? Karen Swallow Prior, author of On Reading Well, joins the podcast. Dr. Prior is a Professor of English at Liberty University. In these episodes she discusses her childhood fascination with reading. She also talks about her career as a professor and the distinction between fiction, non-fiction, literary and non-literary writings. She also discusses her recent book on virtue, literature, and the good life––as well as ways that pastors and churches can benefit from exploring literary reading and writing.
Eric Johnson, professor of Christian psychology at Houston Baptist University, joins the podcast to discuss the integration of scripture, theology, and psychology. How should Christians think about the scientific conclusions of secular disciplines governed by naturalistic worldviews? What are the philosophical and methodological concerns when relating biblical wisdom with scientific inquiry?
Our conversation with CPT fellow Dr. Edward "Mickey" Klink, Senior Pastor of Hope Evangelical Free Church in Roscoe, IL. Mickey joins the podcast to tell the story of how he transitioned from his role as a professor at Talbot Theological Seminary to the senior pastorate of a church in northern Illinois.
Owen Strachan, Professor of Christian Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, joins the podcast to discuss his upcoming book Reenchanting Humanity: A Theology of Mankind (B&H Academic). Owen argues that the nature of human beings is and will continue to be one of the most pressing questions not only in the church but in the Western culture as a whole in the 21st century. He hopes that the book will help fill what he sees as a shortage of quality theological texts on theological anthropology. The book will release on August 1, 2019.
Gerald Hiestand, Senior Pastor of Calvary Memorial Church and Co-Founder of the CPT, joins the podcast again to discuss the inception of the CPT as an organization. What was its original vision for the organization and what is the vision for its future? What opportunities are there for those who love theological scholarship but do not have opportunity or feel called to the academy?
Dr. Beth Felker Jones outlines a theological vision of sexuality and gender through the lens of our created embodiment. This conference lecture was given at the CPT's 2016 theology conference on human sexuality, Beauty, Order, and Mystery: A Christian Vision of Sexuality. Dr. Jones is a professor of theology at Wheaton College.
Jeremy Treat, a member of the St. John Fellowship of the Center for Pastor Theologians, joins the podcast. Jeremy is Pastor for Preaching and Vision at Reality LA, joins our host Todd Wilson to discuss his story of church planting, pastoring, and studying theology. How does the discipline of theological study interface with youth ministry? Preaching? Contextual ministry in Los Angeles?
Joel Lawrence, a CPT Fellow, joins the podcast again to discuss the man he studied as a PhD student, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer was a pastor as well as a gifted theologian from German who lived during the first half of the 20th century before he was ultimately martyred at the hands of the Third Reich in a concentration camp in 1945.
Pastor Joel Lawrence, a CPT fellow, shares his story of coming to faith, theological education, and calling to pastoral ministry. Joel serves as the Senior Pastor of the Central Baptist Church in St. Paul, MN. This is the second episode of its type, featuring interviews with CPT fellows and other pastors on their story, their call to ministry, and how they have lived into the call of pastoring as a theologian.
ARTICLE: Life Is Hard, Be Humble: Thomas Aquinas on Humility
NATHAN BARCZI
PODCAST: What We’re Reading — December 2024
CPT STAFF
ARTICLE: Christians and the Virtues
BENJAMIN BURKHOLDER
NEWS: Announcing Two New Learning Cohorts
CPT NEWS UPDATE
