Forefront 360

Cody and Rich interview Dr. Benjamin Myers about his new book of essays, Ambiguity & Belonging. The conversation covers, among other things, the formation that comes from sticking in a community; the balance of particularity and ambiguity in the arts; whether reading classics is important; the benefits of sports; and whether non-Scripture poetry ought to be part of church services.

In this quick episode, we summarize two special opportunities coming up this month: Art for Ukraine benefit event on June 6 at Browncroft Community Church. Admission is free. RSVP here. Bombadil: A Four-Week Study of Vocation, Calling, and Mastery. Sign up here.

Cody, Nate, and special guest Megan Mancini discuss the new hit series on Prime Video, House of David.

Nate and Rich discuss Season 5, Part 1 of The Chosen, the acclaimed series about Jesus and his disciples. The first 15 minutes of this podcast episode is spoiler-free, so you can listen even if you haven't yet seen The Chosen Season 5. 

Cody talks to singer/songwriter Jesse Dean Boland about Canada, church music, drums, and his new single, Old Church Pew.

Nate talks to Matthew Mellema about his new middle-grade novel, RED REX—how Matthew crafted the story, how he was informed by history, and how he thinks about the integration of faith and literature. Matthew Mellema is the author of RED REX (Bandersnatch Books). He was born and raised in Colorado Springs: a place surrounded by dinosaur bones. After studying literature at Oxford and law at Yale, Matthew returned to Colorado. Once back home, the dinosaur bones of his childhood reignited his imagination.

Zack speaks with Cary Brege of Havenwood about hospitality, house shows, and the essential role of beauty in the world. 

In this special Christmas episode, Dr. Benjamin Myers reads his essay Advent in Oklahoma. His new book, Ambiguity and Belonging, is now available from Belle Point Press.

Now that Cody has just finished reading The Lord of the Rings for the first time, he and Nate discuss its brilliance, its quirks, and its enduring appeal.  

Heather speaks to Jennifer E. Greenman, a landscape watercolor painter who explores the moody and temporal landscapes of our world. Her impressionist-style brushwork and harmonious color schemes connect the viewer to a world that is endlessly being created again and again by its Maker.

Rich, Nate and Megan discuss Season 2 of the Prime Video series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The first 20 minutes are spoiler-free reactions, so you can listen before you watch. After that, we move to our detailed thoughts on the season.

Heather speaks to mixed media artist Cody F. Miller about his art, experiences, and inspirations.

Rich, Nate and special guest Dan Christman review The Chosen Season 4. The first 17 minutes are spoiler-free, so you can listen even if you haven't watched the season yet.

Zack talks to singer/songwriter Benjamin Daniel. They discuss the process of becoming a songwriter, artistic influences, goals & passions, and holding on to Christ.

Rich and Heather discuss various art they've been experiencing recently: Polaroid Lovers by Sarah Jarosz Dr. Who The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again by The Decemberists

Nate, Cody, and special guest Luke Rosamilia review Leif Enger's latest novel, I Cheerfully Refuse. The first 30 minutes of the episode are spoiler-free, then we dive into plot details.

The Forefront crew & guest stars gather to discuss the question "Is it time for hero movies to end?" We talk about our favorite superhero films, the difference between a hero and a superhero, and why hero movies could have lasting value for society.

Cody and Nate discuss Josh Garrels' new single, Watchman, and then rank their favorite songs in Josh Garrels' entire discography.

Rich, Nate and Gage discuss whether all artistic mediums are welcome in church. 00:00 - Introduction 03:33 - What artistic mediums are you used to seeing in worship services? 13:40 - Why do many churches emphasize music over every other art form? 21:40 - A brief history of images & icons in church  40:09 - Should we expand our understanding of what "worship" means in the gathered church?  01:00:19 - Are there limits to the mediums or styles of art that would be appropriate in a church space (outside of corporate worship)?

Nate talks to Goldenwood founders David Kim and Amilee Watkins about Spiritual Formation for artists. This is the first episode in a special series based on the Goldenwood Institute. Rev. Dr. David Kim is the CEO and co-founder of Goldenwood. Over the past several decades, he has trained, consulted, and counseled hundreds of leaders and organizations in developing a robust integration of faith and work. David's past roles include Executive Director of the Center for Faith & Work, Director of the Gotham Fellowship, and editor of the NIV Faith and Work Bible. He was also our keynote speaker at Forefront Festival 22. Amilee Watkins is the COO and co-founder of Goldenwood. Her work in the faith and work space has spanned over a decade, focusing on leadership development and spiritual formation at the Center for Faith & Work, and helping lead the Gotham Fellowship program.

Zack and Nate discuss the art they've been experiencing recently: The Jingle Workshop by Raymond Scott and the movie Father Stu.

Cody talks to Ilana Reimer about faith, editing, and the arts. Ilana Reimer is the editor of Love Is Moving. She studied journalism at Algonquin College and has worked as a freelance journalist and book editor since 2015. Her essays, poetry, and articles have appeared in a number of publications including Ekstasis, Breaking Ground, Faith Today, and Mutuality. In 2022, she was named a Cardus NextGEN Fellow. Ilana is passionate about championing and equipping Christian creators, believing they can be voices of influence, prophecy, and wisdom in our culture. She lives in Vancouver with her husband.

Rich, Nate and Megan discuss the all-new film from director Denis Villeneuve, Dune Part Two. 02:47 - Spoiler-free reactions 23:23 - Spoilers begin 28:43 - Paul's character journey 34:30 - Faith & politics in Dune 48:57 - Questions & nitpicks 01:12:51 - Chani's character journey 01:19:47 - Closing thoughts

Cody, Zack & Gage discuss how they first became captivated by the arts.

Cody, Nate and Zack gather for an arts review, discussing the following: Neutral Milk Hotel, esp. The King of Carrot Flowers The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in Turkish Kings Kaleidoscope by Kings Kaleidoscope We also mention Zack's article on the Forefront blog, "Jesus etc."

The Forefront crew gathers to discuss the classics: what are they, does it matter if we read them, and how do we read them well? Spoiler alert; here are the ones that made the draft list at the end: Pride and Prejudice Little Women Treasure Island The Grapes of Wrath The Lord of the Rings A Tale of Two Cities The Metamorphosis  The Odyssey Things Fall Apart The Count of Monte Cristo Anna Karenina The Joy Luck Club The Great Gatsby  Charlotte's Web The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Cody, Rich and Nate gather for the first arts review of the year to discuss: Sacred Strides book by Justin McRoberts The Bear TV series The Boy and the Heron film Memories in Old Age poem by Maryann Corbett  

Since Advent is a perfect season to begin rhythms of prayer & meditation, today Rich talks to Taylor Buckley, Director of Influencer & Brand Marketing at Hallow. Hallow is a popular Christian prayer & meditation app.  If you'd like to try Hallow free for 3 months: Hallow.com/Forefront

Rich, Cody, Nate, Zack, and special guest Lauren Lowin gather to discuss C.S. Lewis's beloved series, The Chronicles of Narnia. We cover what Narnia means to us personally, whether Narnia is for kids, whether we like the "allegorical" elements of the Chronicles, what adaptations we like and dislike, what we hope for the Netflix adaptations, and of course, our favorite passages from the books. We're doing it on this occasion because the podcast Pints with Jack has established C.S. Lewis's birthday, November 29, as "C.S. Lewis Reading Day." It's the perfect day to talk about Narnia, and the perfect day to pick up the books for yourself!

Cody talks with Veronica McDonald about the enjoyment of surprising stories, the beauty of the Gospel, and the challenges of running a literary journal.  Veronica McDonald is a published fiction writer, poet, visual artist, and editor. She graduated from American University in Washington D.C. with an M.A. Degree in Literature, and has since accumulated a growing list of published work. In 2019, Veronica started a literary and art journal called Heart of Flesh, where she publishes Christian-themed literature, poetry, art, and photography by writers and artists from around the world. In 2021, she began a literary magazine for kids and families, called Pure in Heart Stories. Veronica became a born-again Christian in July 2016 when Jesus saved her from anxiety, depression, and a nihilistic worldview.  Since then, she has been fascinated with good and evil, love and fear, life and death, and the various ways the Gospel and biblical themes shine out of secular literature, movies, and storytelling. This fascination is often reflected in her writing and art. You can read her full testimony on the Heart of Flesh website here. Veronica currently lives in Mobile, Alabama with her husband and three children.

Nate, Rich and Dan discuss the art they've been experiencing recently: Anastasia Trusova's paintings The Hallow app Brother to Brother by Michael Card & John Michael Talbot Ordinary Ways by Jon Guerra

Nate, Rich and Dan give their takes on the summer blockbusters of 2023. We keep it free of major spoilers. 00:04:23 - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 00:12:46 - Across the Spider-Verse 00:20:25 - John Wick 4 00:26:28 - The Flash 00:31:44 - Asteroid City 00:34:06 - Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny 00:45:11 - Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning: Part One 00:49:55 - Barbie 01:02:38 - Oppenheimer

The Forefront crew continues and broadens their discussion about AI's impact on the arts: How will widely accessible AI tools affect education? To what extent will AI displace jobs, and should we be concerned? Will using AI negatively affect our spiritual formation?

The Forefront crew discusses AI's impact on the arts: Why has AI become so important recently? What are some positive use cases of new AI tools? What are our biggest concerns about the use of AI in the arts?

Rich Christman and guest host Houston Arledge interview Dr. Karen Swallow Prior about the ideas in her all-new book, The Evangelical Imagination: How Stories, Images, and Metaphors Created a Culture in Crisis (Brazos, 2023). Karen Swallow Prior, Ph. D., is a reader, writer, and professor. In addition to The Evangelical Imagination, she is the author of On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Books (Brazos 2018); Fierce Convictions: The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More—Poet, Reformer, Abolitionist (Thomas Nelson, 2014); and Booked: Literature in the Soul of Me (T. S. Poetry Press, 2012). She is co-editor of Cultural Engagement: A Crash Course in Contemporary Issues (Zondervan 2019) and has contributed to numerous other books. She has a monthly column for Religion News Service. Her writing has appeared at Christianity Today, New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, First Things, Vox, Think Christian, The Gospel Coalition, and various other places. She hosted the podcast Jane and Jesus. 

Heather and Cody interview Chris Wheeler, a writer and poet rooted in Middlebury, IN. His nonfiction, liturgies, and poetry have been published in Barren, Fathom, Story Warren, Reformed Worship, Think Christian, Banner, and The Rabbit Room, among others. He published his first collection of poetry, Solace, in 2020. His second collection, Masks & Mirrors, came out in spring 2023.

Cody and Nate discuss The Chosen, the hit multi-season series about the life of Jesus, told from the perspective of His followers. Topics include: How The Chosen came to be Does it improve upon other recent Scripture-to-screen adaptations? Favorite scenes Is the show ever sacrilegious? Does The Chosen "bring Scripture to life"? Bonus nitpicks

Cody and Rich talk to Laura Reece Hogan. She is the author of Butterfly Nebula (Backwaters, University of Nebraska Press, forthcoming October 2023), winner of the Backwaters Prize in Poetry, Litany of Flights (Paraclete Press, 2020), winner of the Paraclete Poetry Prize, the chapbook O Garden-Dweller (Finishing Line Press, 2017), and the award-winning nonfiction spiritual theology book I Live, No Longer I (Wipf & Stock, 2017). She is one of ten poets featured in the anthology In a Strange Land (Cascade Books, 2019). You can preorder Butterfly Nebula today.

Jennifer Greenman interviews Josh & Zac Tiessen, live at Forefront Festival's A Night of Art. They discuss questions of faith, conservation, artistic process, elitism, and dealing with success and failure. 

In this special episode, Nate talks to artists Josh & Zac Tiessen about two upcoming events based on Josh's new painting series, Vanitas and Viriditas. Click below to learn more or get tickets. Grand Opening Exhibition at Rehs Contemporary in NYC, April 28 Forefront Festival: A Night of Art with Josh & Zac Tiessen in Rochester NY, May 4  

Live from the 2022 Catholic Imagination Conference in Dallas, TX, Nate and Rich interview Dr. James Matthew Wilson. James Matthew Wilson is Cullen Foundation Chair in English Literature and the Founding Director of the Master of Fine Arts program in Creative Writing, at the University of Saint Thomas, Houston. He is an award-winning scholar of philosophical-theology and literature, and he is a poet and critic of contemporary poetry. His work appears regularly in First Things,  The Wall Street Journal​, The Hudson Review, and many other publications. He has published twelve books, including six books and chapbooks of poetry.

Cody, Rich, and Nate discuss how their career journeys intersected with the arts, and whether art is done best as a hobby or a career.

Live from the 2022 Catholic Imagination Conference in Dallas, TX, Nate and Rich interview James K. A. Smith. James K. A. Smith is professor of philosophy at Calvin University, where he holds the Gary & Henrietta Byker Chair in Applied Reformed Theology and Worldview. He is also the Editor in Chief of Image Journal. Trained as a philosopher with a focus on contemporary French thought, Smith has expanded on that scholarly platform to become an engaged public intellectual and cultural critic. An award-winning author and a widely traveled speaker, he has emerged as a thought leader with a unique gift of translation, building bridges between the academy, society, and the church.  In this conversation we discuss a number of topics at the intersection of Christianity, philosophy, and the arts, with a focus on James's new book, How to Inhabit Time: Understanding the Past, Facing the Future, Living Faithfully Now.

Live from the 2022 Catholic Imagination Conference in Dallas, TX, Nate and Rich interview Paul J. Pastor. Paul J. Pastor is a poet, writer, and editor from Oregon. His work uncovers the inner life of the world, as experienced in nature, literature, and the rich traditions of historic Christian spirituality. Paul is the author of several books, including Bower Lodge: Poems, A Kids Book About God, The Listening Day series, and The Face of the Deep. His work has been widely published in many fine outlets, including Books & Culture, The Los Angeles Review of Books, The Windhover, Christianity Today, Fathom, Ekstasis, Solum Literary Press, and has been anthologized by The New York Quarterly Review.

Forefront Festival and the Why God Why Podcast continue the second annual Christmas Variety Show! Act II features these artists: The Kenaniah Project Kathryn Sullo The Houghton Choir Join us as we celebrate Christmas together.

Forefront Festival and the Why God Why Podcast are back for the second annual Christmas Variety Show! Act I features these artists: M. Jerome Bell Sarah Collins The Houghton Choir Join us as we celebrate Christmas together.

Nate sits down with author & pastor Jared C. Wilson (while Jared was in Rochester!) to discuss the art of pastoring, Jared's fiction novels (including a secret unpublished one), combat with snakes, and beyond. Jared C. Wilson is Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Author in Residence at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, General Editor of For The Church (and host of the FTC Podcast), and a pastor and Director of The Pastoral Training Center at Liberty Baptist Church in Kansas City, Missouri. He is an award-winning author of over 20 books. Jared also co-hosts The Art of Pastoring Podcast published by Christianity Today.

Live from the 2022 Catholic Imagination Conference in Dallas, TX, Nate and Rich interview Dr. Glenn Arbery.  Glenn Arbery is a teacher, writer, and novelist currently working as the president of Wyoming Catholic College. Some of his famous works include the oft taught Why Literature Matters; What is a Teacher; and his recent novel, Boundaries of Eden. He has successfully written journalistically, academically, and creatively for decades, to the glory of God. 

Cody interviews Ryan Diaz, a writer and poet from Queens, NY, about his new book Skipping Stones. In Skipping Stones, Ryan writes about many things, long-dead saints, personal tragedy, everyday observations, and the nature of prayer. But what connects this collection is Ryan's desire for a transcendent experience. His vivid and story-driven poems create a secondary world for the reader to explore, worlds in which belief is possible and the divine looms large. For Ryan, "the Christian poet, and storyteller as well, is like the blind man whom Christ touched," and poetry "an invitation to deeper and stranger visions."

Live from the 2022 Catholic Imagination Conference in Dallas, TX, Nate and Rich interview Gregory Wolfe.  Gregory Wolfe is a writer, editor, publisher, and teacher. He has been a pioneer in the resurgence of interest in the relationship between art and religion. He is the founder & editor of Slant Books, which is an independent, not-for-profit literary press. In 1989, Wolfe founded Image, which Annie Dillard has called “one of the best journals on the planet.” Now one of America's top literary quarterlies, Image is a unique forum for the best writing and artwork that is informed by—or grapples with—religious faith. 

Heather and Rich talk to Gage Forster, a photographer living in Southern California with a unique penchant for travel. Gage takes us through the unique joys & challenges of being a freelancer who is focused on building relationships with people rather than simply gaining industry clout.