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.
On a special midweek episode, we share a sermon by CPT co-founder and board chair Gerald Hiestand. This sermon was preached at Calvary Memorial Church outside Chicago on Sunday, January 10, 2021, in response to the deadly assault on the US Capitol by pro-Trump conservatives.
CPT Podcast co-hosts Todd Wilson and Zachary Wagner are joined by CPT Executive Director Joel Lawrence. We discuss the year that was and what its implications are for pastoral ministry and the role of theology in the local church. Join us as we look back on some of the most listened to moments from the podcast in 2020.
How can parents and pastors find a balance between emphasizing the theological significance of Christmas alongside the cultural trappings associated with the holiday? How can this season be an opportunity for discipleship and catechism of children? On this episode, we are joined by CPT fellow Dillon Thornton, author of Give Them Jesus: Raising Our Children on the Core Truths of the Christian Faith.
Is Advent merely an extended Christmas season? What is the function of this season in the liturgical calendar? What is lost when we rush past the penitential season of Advent into the celebratory season of Christmas? CPT fellow Benj Petroelje joins the podcast to discuss the significance of the season of Advent in the church's life – particularly in a year like 2020. How can pastors make the most of this time of year for their congregation?
CPT fellow Tim Fox joins the podcast to share his story of becoming a pastor theologian. Tim Pastor of Christ the King Presbyterian in Austin, TX. We discuss the importance of focused research on the biblical text, the way a love of reading connects to a love of theology, and the significance of staying connected with a local church during academic studies. Tim earn his PhD in New Testament from the University of St Andrews.
How has the Christian faith and its virtue tradition influenced the science of positive psychology and virtue research? Many social scientists acknowledge that virtue reaches its full expression when embedded in a tradition, such as the Christian tradition. Gratitude, for instance, involves the realization that the good that comes to us in our lives often comes from a source outside of ourselves, which Christians often associate with God. We discuss these and other questions, including how pastors and Christians can cultivate the virtue of gratitude.
Now what? What is the significance of the 2020 election going forward? How can the church be a witness for the gospel in a divided age? Todd Wilson and Joel Lawrence discuss division, unity, and hope in the church.
With the 2020 presidential election now upon us, we take some time to slow down and reflect on our spiritual lives. Love desires the good of and union with the other. How does this relate to our calling in Christ in a polarized election and a fractured society? We are joined for this conversation by Eric Johnson, Professor of Christian Psychology at Houston Baptist University.
How has the cultural situation related to justice, religion, and politics change since the founding of the United States? How should the church engage in politics? How should individual Christians think about their political allegiances? These questions and more are explored as we are joined by Jonathan Leeman, Editorial Director of IX Marks and the author of How the Nations Rage: Rethinking Politics in a Divided Age (Zondervan, 2018).
Kaitlyn Schiess is an author and a ThM student at Dallas Theological Seminary. Her writing has appeared at Christianity Today, The New York Times, Christ and Pop Culture, RELEVANT, and Sojourner. Her first book, The Liturgy of Politics: Spiritual Formation for the Sake of Our Neighbor was published with InterVarsity Press in September 2020.
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