The Living Church Podcast

What do bluegrass, bourbon, and Bible have in common? How about a group of Hillbilly Thomists? Today, we share an episode from the Signal Award-winning podcast, No Small Endeavor. Produced by PRX and Great Feeling Studios, No Small Endeavor explores what it means to live a good life.In this episode, you'll hear from the Hillbilly Thomists, the Billboard-charting bluegrass band made up entirely of Catholic Dominican Friars. They talk about their theology and vocation, as well as how they manage life on the road as priests who have taken a vow of poverty. Plus, they give live performances of some of their finest songs.When they are not contemplating, studying, and preaching, the Hillbilly Thomists are writing songs. They've released four albums includingHillbilly Thomists, Living for the Other Side, Holy Ghost Power, andMarigold. Marigold spent 3 weeks on the Billboard bluegrass charts, debuting at #2. The friars also have a Christmas album in the works.Proceeds from album sales, donations, and merchandise sales allow the friars to continue to produce and perform music, while providing ongoing support to the formation of friars at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C.Thanks to No Small Endeavor for sharing this episode with us.For other episodes like this one, follow No Small Endeavor on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast app.Learn more about the Hillbilly ThomistsLearn more about No Small EndeavorAttend a Living Church conferenceGive to support this podcast

What can Christians on the right and left continue to learn about the experience and discipleship of trans people and those with gender incongruence?Today we'll be looking into some of the tough questions of transgender anthropology and pastoral care. But instead of debating directly over the questions (Should we use preferred pronouns? What is just legislation? How do we talk to kids? To affirm, or not to affirm?), we concentrate on how to care for people.Our two guests today, while not in substantial theological disagreement about trans topics, bring to their different experiences, approaches, and relationships lots of much-needed nuance, and some timely new questions, to a conversation grounded in traditional Christian theology.Can we question aspects of trans-anthropology as needed, or question current rhetoric or practices, but in the cause of charity, honesty, and human flourishing rather than against it? How do the right and left get caught in echo chambers here? How do we affirm the flawed gifts of the human body, while engaging its most painful experiences? How can we learn better to love and trust people?Our guests today are Dr. Abigail Favale and Pieter Valk. Abby is a writer and professor in the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame. She has an academic background in gender studies and feminist literary criticism, and now writes and teaches on topics related to women and gender from a Catholic perspective. Her latest book is The Genesis of Gender: A Christian Theory. Pieter is a sought-after author and speaker on discernment, vocational singleness, and LGBT+ topics. Pieter is also the Founder and Director ofEquip, the leading coaching and training solution for theologically-traditional churches aspiring to be places where LGBT+ people thrive according to God's wisdom. He is also a teacher and diaconate explorer in the Anglican Church in North America.Pieter's Christianity Today article with stats from the Us Versus Us reportAbby's websitePieter's websiteRegister for a Living Church conferenceGive to support this podcastMentioned in this episode:Click here to learn more about the Transforming Leaders Program

Today is a conversation between a pastor and a farmer. What might working the land, protecting local economies, and nurturing Christian communities have in common?We'll be speaking with Mary Berry, executive director of the Berry Center, and daughter of poet, farmer, and essayist Wendell Berry. My fellow interviewer today is the Rev. Clint Wilson, rector of St. Francis in the Fields, Harrods Creek, KY, not far from the Berry Center. We talk about joy of hard work, and hard work that is good work. Growing up with Wendell Berry as a dad. Faith and farming. Decisions to live with or against a given landscape. What is home? How do you make a home and dedicate yourself to it? The thick fabric of a place, and how work might be interwoven with neighbors, family, and seasons.What does it mean to actually "Love your neighbor as yourself"? We'll also touch on special challenges the suburbs pose to meaningful life together.Mary Berry, Executive Director of The Berry Center, grew up at Lanes Landing Farm in Henry County, KY. She has farmed for a living in Henry County, and started The Berry Center in 2011 to continue the agricultural work of John Berry, Sr. and his sons, author Wendell Berry and former Kentucky state senator, the late John M. Berry, Jr. The Berry Center focuses on issues confronting small farming families in Kentucky and around the country.Hear Mary speak at the Living Church conferenceLearn more about the Berry Center or Home Place MeatGive to support this podcast

With the death of Pope Francis, today's bonus episode is a reflection on his ministry, particularly as it relates to Christian unity.Fr. Matthew Olver and Amber Noel chat with Fr. Martin Browne, who serves at the Vatican's Dicastery for Promoting Christian unity. Martin shares his first impressions of the pope and what it was like working for him. We discuss the pope's choices and charisms, his passion for shared leadership with other Christians, his inability and refusal to fit into a political box, and the fruit this has borne in personal relationships and the global scene, as well as some of the hype, frustration, and bewilderment in the wake of Francis' leadership style and its very public preference for the poor. We'll also chat a bit about the movie, Conclave, and what it might get right and wrong about how the new pope will be selected.The Rev. Martin Browne, OSB, is a Benedictine monk of Glenstal Abbey in Ireland. He currently lives at the Primatial Abbey of Sant' Anselmo in Rome, and serves as an official in the Western Section of the Vatican's Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity. In the Dicastery he is the desk officer for relations with the Anglican Communion and the World Methodist Council. He is also responsible, in collaboration with the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches, for the preparation of the prayers and reflections for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. He serves as the Catholic Co-Secretary of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) and the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commision for Unity and Mission (IARCCUM).A brief note on when we recorded this: it was just after the pope's death and before his funeral. So take any details or speculations about the funeral proceedings with a grain of salt.TLC Podcast: Dispatch from RomeArticle: "Pope Francis and the Power of the Symbolic"Give to support this podcast

How can Christian leaders face the "overwhelm" of our times, in politics and national life, in personal life and relationships, and in ministry? We live in an age of what our guest today calls "polycrisis." Issues interconnect, pile on, and come hard and fast, faster than we can fix or, often, respond to in a thoughtful or Christian way.How do we avoid either inaction or anxiousness?We'll seek what our guest today calls "apocalyptic clarity." And we'll ask, "How do we recognize what's true, despite appearances, resist what's false, and participate joyfully in what God is doing?" This turns out to be a helpful window to perspective and practical decision making in a 21st-century Christian life. Our guest today is the Rev. Dr. Jesse Zink, principal of Montreal Diocesan Theological College and canon theologian in the Diocese of Montreal. And we'll be discussing his latest book, Faithful, Hopeful, Creative: 15 Theses for Christian Witness in a Crisis-Shaped World. He's also the author of four books about Christian history and global Christianity, as well as an introduction to theology and mission in the Episcopal Church called A Faith for the Future. Jesse's bio and booksStudy guide for Faithful, Creative, HopefulBook Jesse mentioned: What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets

How did a Swedish Pentecostal find himself called to the beauties, benefits, and dangers of an institutional church? Today we join the Rev. Magnus Persson of the Church of Sweden, which is a Full Communion Partner with the Episcopal Church. We discuss the "Three streams" of Swedish Lutheranism and it's intersections with Anglicanism, how God led Magnus away from charismatic success to priestly divesment, the painful transformations of grace, and saunas and the Holy Spirit. Finally, we talk about the place of the Swedish Evangelical Mission (EFS), the organization Magnus is a part of, within the larger Church of Sweden, and what it's like to work patiently and cheerfully for change from within an ancient institution.Magnus is an ordained minister in the Church of Sweden and works as a pastor for the Swedish Evangelical Mission. He is also the network co-ordinator of Re:formera, a network and think tank for reformational whole-churchism, and he's the host for its weekly podcast (which Amber appeared on as a guest).Whether you're struggling to serve in an older institution, wondering whether God might be calling you to a vocational leap of faith, or if you just enjoy a good story, we hope you enjoy the conversation.More about the Swedish Evangelical Mission (EFS)Magnus's book, Reclaiming the ReformationAmber on the Re:formera podcastEpisode with Matthew Riegel (ELCA)Living Church events

Executive Director of TLC, the Rev. Dr. Matthew S.C. Olver, interviews the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, the Most Rev. Sean Rowe.Presiding Bishop Sean has been in office now for a few months. We talk about his priorities for his term, and what slimming down some of the structures and programs of the Episcopal church might look like. We also ask what he'd say to Episcopalians who disagree about same-sex marriage, what Christian unity means, and what he most wants the Anglican Communion and the Anglican Church in North America to know about him.From TREC to the Nairobi-Cairo Proposals, this conversation should perk the ears of Episcopalians, but will be of interest to anyone in the Anglican family, or any Christian curious about institutional work and hope in a divided Church.More about Presiding Bishop Sean Nairobi-Cairo Proposals and IASCUFOJoin a Living Church conferenceGive to support this podcast

For a topic that's truly "on pointe," our guest today reminds us of the joys and rewards of freedom and discipline, just in time for Lent: ballet dancer and choreographer Silas Farley.We discuss his early journey in discipleship and liturgical dance, holy coincidences that connected him with his Russian ballet hero, how discipline can lead to freedom in the Spirit both in dance and liturgical life, and understanding the meaning of "grace."We hope you've done your work at the barre, because Silas will stretch our imaginations for worship and discipleship, and even what's possible when it comes to dance in church. Hold on to your leotards. Silas is Armstrong Artist in Residence in Ballet in the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He's been a teacher and choreographer at places like the New York City Ballet, the Guggenheim, the Washington Ballet, the Met, and all over the world.More about SilasJoin a Living Church conferenceGive to support this podcast

Poet Christian Wiman said of today's guest: “She has a rare ear, a keen mind, and a vivid spirit. Like the faith that is her chief subject, her poems cut and console in equal measure.” What Wiman says about her poetry is true about her conversation, too.Today's episode features a chat with writer Kate Kilcup Marsh. Kate is a poet, priest's wife, and mother, and is working on a memoir. Her story is one of continual surprises with God, incuding a head over heels Eastern Orthodox conversion, followed by a call to enter the Anglican world. We talk about how Jesus finds us, how to be with kids in church, sobriety and asceticism, and what Eastern and Western Christians learn from each other. This is one woman's journey into the church, into a clergy marriage, into an Episcopal community and now motherhood — a dialogue delightful and instructive.Kate is a poet and essayist. She's also served as a Russian linguist for the U.S. Army, a janitor, a firefighter, an editor, a farm hand, and a factory worker, among other things. Kate's writing addresses matters of faith, addiction, motherhood, mental illness, work, gender, and prayer. Her yet-untitled memoir will be published by Eerdman's in 2026. You can keep up with her work and news on her websitekathleenkilcup.com. Now brush off your Chrysostom and your Augustine. We're going East and West on a journey of healing. We hope you enjoy the conversation.More about Kate and her writingSubscribe to the Living Church magazineJoin a Living Church conferenceGive to support this podcast

What hath Martin Luther to do with Thomas Cranmer? This episode explores a fascinating shared history between Anglicans and Lutherans. These two Reformation-born groups were not only finding their feet at the same time, they were also interested in friendship from early on. We'll also be learning what it means to be Lutheran, and what Anglicans and Lutherans continue to do together and learn from each other today.We talk about Lutheran "distinctives"; how politics can be a way of holiness; how Henry VIII was asked to sign the Ausburg confession; and why the Lutherans are asking for an 8th ecumenical council (which might put them out of a job).This is part of our series on Episcopal Church Full Communion Partners. You can warm up to these conversations by listening to our interview with Christopher Wells, "Who Cares About Communion?," Episode 129.Our guest today is Lutheran Bishop, Reformation scholar, and motorcycle man, the Most Rev. Matthew Riegel. Matthew is Bishop of the West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. As a scholar, his primary research interest is the sanctification of ecclesiastical politics. Matthew serves on the West Virginia Council of Churches' Civic Life and Faith Task Force, and in a previous life has worked as a park ranger. Who Cares About Communion? with Christopher WellsWittenberg articles of 1536Fraternal Appeal to the American ChurchesLiving Church EventsGive to support this podcast

Ever wonder how we got to "this moment" as a country, as a church? Many people are thinking about these questions. Many of them are evangelicals, who stand out in American culture as a group of incredible influence: lots of sucess growing churches, and, as our politicians know, lots of power in the polls.Among the evangelicals thinking, "How did we get here?", is Mike Cosper. You may know Mike from the Christianity Today podcast, The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. Today we discuss his new book, The Church in Dark Times: Understanding and Resisting the Evil that Seduced the Evangelical Movement. This isn't an episode to pile on to evangelicals, but to learn together from mistakes Christians might, with God's grace and wisdom, learn better to recognize and resist. We talk about dangerous ideologies in politics and church, how they work their way into leadership, and what we might learn more broadly from church leadership downfalls. Then we pivot: what makes churches and communities healthy? What might renewal look like? Can American Christians live for the long game instead of worshipping hype and shortcuts?Mike Cosper is a Louisville-based writer and podcaster focused on faith and culture and Senior Producer of Podcasts at Christianity Today. Along with The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill, he has hostedCultivated: A podcast about faith and work and the weekly “news and issues” podcast, The Bulletin, to name a few. He is also a music producer and author of several books including The Church in Dark Times. The Church in Dark Times: Understanding and Resisting the Evil that Seduced the Evangelical MovementThe Rise and Fall of Mars Hill podcastMore from Mike CosperLiving Church EventsGive to support this podcast.

Happy birthday, Council of Nicaea! She was born in 325 AD and was the biggest gathering of Christian leaders of that time, and still known as the foundational meeting of Christians to make decisions about doctrines of the faith after the time of the apostles.Today we are celebrating the 1700th birthday of the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, who is looking incredibly good at her age.At today's kickoff birthday bash we welcome two very special guests: The Rev. Dr. Matthew Olver is Executive Director of The Living Church and Affiliate Professor of Liturgics and Pastoral Theology at Nashotah House Theological Seminary.Prof. Lewis Ayers is McDonald Agape Distinguished Chair in Early Christian Theology at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, also known as the Angelicum, and Professor of Catholic & Historical Theology at Durham University. His books include Nicaea and Its Legacy: An Approach to Fourth Century Theology and the Oxford Handbook of Catholic Theology (co-editor). We're also airing this episode in anticipation of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This special week offers an invitation to enter more deeply into the faith and fellowship that unites all Christians.Participate in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.Give to support this podcast.

The real miracle of Christmas is not the title of a Hallmark movie. And it's not very cozy. We indulge in some cozy chat today (Cambridge at Christmas time!), but the heart of our conversation is about the Incarnation in the arts, and how music, painting, poetry can help to unstick us, to remind us who our Incarnate Lord really is, in all the puzzling and startling smallness of his Nativity.The Rev. Dr. Jeremy Begbie is the Thomas A. Langford Distinguished Research Professor of Theology at Duke Divinity School, and McDonald Agape Director of Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts. He is Senior Member at Wolfson College, Cambridge, and an Affiliated Lecturer in the Faculty of Music at the University of Cambridge. He's the author of several good books, books including Resounding Truth: Christian Wisdom in the World of Music (Baker/SPCK) and Abundantly More: The Theological Promise of the Arts in a Reductionist World (Baker). Now get yourself a mug of something, crank up the fire, crack out the mince pies, but don't get so cozy that you neglect to be discomfited by Christmas. We hope you enjoy the conversation.Jeremy Begbie's booksRecipe for mince pieGive to support this podcast.

There are people who tend to be on the fringes in church: the unhoused, those with mental illness, teens and kids, single people, those with dementia, and those with no family. But all of these folks are in the center of church life at St James the Less, Pimlico, in London. Today we'll speak with the rector, the Rev. Lis Goddard, about how this came about, and how it works.This is a conversation about radical hospitality. Maybe you've used that phrase; maybe your denomination does. What does that mean? The word "family" is key. Much about a healthy family is being able to share safe space. If baptismal water is truly thicker than blood, how does that require radical hospitality, maybe especially, with those who are vulnerable? And how can it also invite parishioners into a deeper, rather than more tenuous, sense of security?Today we'll be talking about open doors and open homes, as well as the boundaries and practical policies that make radical hospitality possible. We'll learn about Sabbath, how saying no is an invitation to mutual honor, and ways to equip volunteers for joyful service. The Rev. Lis Goddard has been Vicar of St James the Less, Pimlico (London), since September 2010. Other ministry roles have included university chaplain and Tutor for Ministerial Formation at Wycliffe Hall, and Assistant Minister at St Andrew's Church in North Oxford. She leads missions, mentoring, and spiritual direction initatives, and was the Chair of Awesome/The Junia Network, a network of ordained women evangelicals. She is now Cochair of the Church of England Evangelical Council and is co-author of The Gender Agenda, a book of charitable debate on women's ordination.When you get off at Pimlico station, be sure to mind the gap. And maybe become more aware of how we can help close the gaps between God's beloved people. We hope you enjoy the conversation.Give to support this podcast.

Today we'll be talking about the material of worship. The literal material. We sat down with Robert Hoare, the managing director of vestment maker, Watts & Co, to talk about its venerable and sometimes quirky history, and the ancient and unbelievable craftsmanship of the chasubles, cassocks, copes, surplices, maniples, mitres, stoles, and humeral veils Christian clergy wear today, to lead the people of God into the presence of God. And this episode isn't just for people who know what a maniple is. Anyone interested in history, art, sustainable industry, English stuff, or a good yarn will also enjoy this episode.We'll hear about commissions for the royal family, the formidable women of Watts & Co, the flood that took out several centuries of hand embroidery, secrets of the craft, how vestments might be attracting young people to church, and our longing for beauty in a world of technologized homogeneity. Robert Hoare and his sister, Marie-Severine de Caraman Chimay, are fifth-generation owners of Watts.Is this a conversation about art and worship, or a sales pitch for beautiful vestments? We hope we thread that needle. We hope you enjoy the conversation.Watts & Co websiteOpus Anglicanum needleworkSubscribe to The Living Church for $9.95.Give to support this podcast.

How are Anglicans persevering in ministry and life together in the face of climate change?The Bishop of Puerto Rico, the Rt. Rev. Rafael Morales Maldonado, has a passion for creation-care ministries, outreach, and evangelism. What's up in ministry in Puerto Rico? And especially how are they integrating concern for climate change into ministry there?Bishop Rafael is the diocesan bishop of Puerto Rico, currently provisional bishop in Cuba, and bishop advisor on the Virgin Islands. He is the president of Episcopal Health Services, Inc., which includes the island's most significant home care and hospice service, as well as president of the Episcopal Funeral Services. Bishop Rafael has also been a key leader in responding to natural disasters that have affected Puerto Rico in recent years.Today we'll talk about: how the island is finding their place in the Lambeth Call on the Environment, saying prayers before planting trees, why good weather reports are a ministry, stepping up mental health services for the voiceless, and learning from St. Francis. This is a joyful conversation on creation and loving the neighbor. The Lambeth Call on the Environment and Sustainable DevelopmentPrograma REDESGive to support this podcast

Today we'll be touching down in Kansas, Japan, Africa, China, and the middle east, for some global lessons in leadership.How are Christians formed as effective leaders, and how do they in turn form effective leaders? How do we learn leadership from beyond our home turf to serve in fearlessly contextualized ways?My guest today is Dr. Mary Ho. Mary is an expert in strategic leadership, and she is the International Executive Leader of All Nations International, a global Christian missions training and sending organization. She is currently co-teaching a 3-year class on leadership in the global Christian context at Gordon Conwell. Mary is also the author of a number of articles that I'll link today in the show notes including, "When Leaders Drink Tea Together," "The Transcendent Culture of Servant Leadership," and "Growing Global Women Leaders from the Majority World." Are there Western leadership models that can be exported elsewhere? When and why?How do we lead with vision, or even with a charismatic personality, while building nurture rather than going toxic?What can global north organizational leadership learn from global south Christianity?And what are some benefits and limits to reading leadership books? Take off that leadership cap for just a second. Sit back, relax. Maybe have a cup of tea. We hope you enjoy the conversation.Check out these articles by Mary Ho:Global Leadership for Global MissionsThe Transcendent Culture of Servant Leadership: Principles for 21st Century Global MissionsWhen Leaders Drink Tea Together: A Critique of Western Christian Leadership in Light of Global TrendsGrowing Global Women Leaders from the Majority WorldGive to support this podcast.

Two bishops in Bermuda give us a glimpse at a gesture of Christian unity that's making a difference in a diverse community.We'll hear today how the Anglican and Roman Catholic bishops of the island both found their call into island ministry, how their friendship started, and some of the fruit it's bearing in their dioceses in sweet and surprising collaborations. We'll also hear some advice on how to make friends with other Christian leaders in your own community, across divides of history and tradition.The Rt. Rev. Nicholas Dill has been the Anglican Bishop of Bermuda since 2013. Bishop Nick started as a barrister in London, then became a priest, before accepting a call as bishop of his home island of Bermuda. He is looking to see where God is leading the Church, but knows it includes a greater emphasis on work with Christian brothers and sisters of every denomination.The Most Rev. Wiesław Śpiewak has been the Roman Catholic Bishop of Bermuda since 2015. A native of Poland, Bishop Wes first served there at a seminary, before teaching and serving in Rome, then serving as Provincial of the Polish Province before coming, unexpectedly, to Bermuda. Hang on to your mitres and your mai tais. We hope you enjoy the conversation. Give to support this podcast.Videos of Bishop Nick and Bishop Wes:(20+) Video | Facebook , (20+) Facebook, (20+) Facebook

What or who are angels? Why does it matter? Some of you may be coming to today's episode with some skepticism or at least curiosity. Why are we talking about angels and demons? Should we bother thinking or talking about invisible creatures? Is it possibly to not be scary or weird about it?As we'll discover today, Christians have always been concerned with angels, because angels are deeply concerned with us — with our wellbeing and our journey toward — or away from — the love and likeness of Christ.Fear not: today will not include impressive or spooky stories, or anecdotes of spiritual experiences. Instead, we focus on the goodness of God, the hospitality of heaven, and how the holy angels help us along the way. And little about how the naughty angels try to trip us up, how we can catch them at it, and the gifts God gives us to resist their tricks. No campfire stories. Just some good doctrine, simple advice, and a lot of Thomas Aquinas.Our guest today is the Rev. James Dominic Brent, OP. Fr. James is a Dominican Friar who lives and teaches at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C. He is the author of The Father's House: Discovering Our Home in the Trinity. He frequently lectures for the Thomistic Institute, and appears on their YouTube series Aquinas 101 as well as on the Dominican podcast Contemplata, A Podcast for Contemplative Souls.You can find more of his work on Soundcloud. Now forget your harps and halos for just a second. From the Desert Fathers to alcoholic's anonymous, we're going to find out about those blessed creatures who were made to be busy for God on our behalf. We hope you enjoy the conversation.Give to support this podcast.

With election season heating up in the U.S., many Christian leaders feel the extra strain. With churches and nations dealing with painful divisions, how might Christians — and anyone else — learn to enjoy and share life together? What does that take?Today it takes us to the virtues, ways to live at peace with ourselves and others through the exercise of certain habits.The cardinal virtues are four specific means and wisdoms for flourishing that God makes available to humans universally, to discern "the good" and experience some of that goodness in our social and material lives.How do humans share life across divides? How do we make the life of grace visible, and how does God make it visible through us, and accessible to others, even in tricky times? And how are the cardinal virtues a time-tested paradigm for knowing and sharing, through prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude, God's goodness in our life together?Dr. Elisabeth Rain Kincaid is our guest today. She is the Director of the Institute for Faith and Learning at Baylor University, where she also serves as associate professor of ethics, faith, and culture. Her first book, Law From Below, was recently published with Georgetown University Press. Her research interests include questions at the intersection of theology, business, and law, as well as natural law theory, virtue ethics, socially responsible investment, Anglican and Catholic Social Teaching, and questions of human flourishing.We hope you enjoy the conversation. Read Elisabeth's book.Register for The Human Pilgrimage conference, where Dr. Elisabeth Kincaid will be one of our keynotes.

How can poetry teach us to read Scripture?Everything within creationSpeaks of Jesus' Incarnation.Likewise too, his saving PassionIs shown forth in all that's fashioned.The Word God spoke before all agesCan be traced in Scripture's pages.The Bible tells one vast narrationfrom Genesis to Revelation.So begins "Figural Graffiti," a delightful instructional poem by theology professor Joe Mangina. "Figural Graffiti" is sincere and playful, and it's a little ditty on the method and gift of reading scripture figurally. We discuss today this ancient and lively method of reading Scripture, what we lose when we lose the knack of figural reading, and what freedom figural reading gives us as disciples and Christian leaders.Dr. Joseph Mangina is professor of theology at Wycliffe College, Toronto. His scholarly interests include ecclesiology, ecumenism, sacramental theology, and theological interpretation of Scripture. For several years in the 2000s he served on the Anglican-Roman Catholic dialogue commission for Canada. Among other books, he's written two on Karl Barth, the Revelation commentary for the Brazos Theological Commentary series, and most recently, he's co-edited a book called Figural Reading and the Fleshly God: The Theology of Ephraim Radner.Read "Figural Graffiti" on the Living Church's free online journal, Covenant.Check out Joe's new book.Register for the Living Church's upcoming conference.

Clergy couples: How do they work? Where are the tensions and the graces? Even highly functional, loving, clergy marriages can look so different. Knock, knock – can we come inside your marriage for a peek?In this episode, host Amber Noel gets really nosy. Here are three couples willing to come on the podcast and talk honestly about their clergy couple marriages – what makes them tick, what ticks them off, and how they've learned to value differences, protect each other, and learn grace in community.In this episode we'll hear from:The Rev. Tish Harrison Warren and her husband, the Rev. Dr. Jonathan Warren Pagán. Tish is a priest in the Anglican Church in North America. She is the author of Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life and Prayer in the Night: For Those Who Work, or Watch, or Weep. She's written for The New York Times and Christianity Today. Jonathan is planter and rector of Immanuel Anglican Church in Austin, Texas. Together they cowrote the book, Advent: The Season of Hope.The Rev. Dr. Lilian and the Rt. Rev. Given Gaula: Bishop Given has been Bishop of Kondoa, Tanzania, since 2012. Mother Lilian serves in various roles in the diocese of Kondoa, including teaching at the theological college and running a ministry for women's empowerment.The Rev. Melissa and the Very Rev. Randy Hollerith. Melissa has 30 years of ordained ministry under her belt, much of it serving schools. For the past two years, she has been the upper school Chaplain and teacher at St. Albans School in Washington. Randy has served as the Dean of Washington National Cathedral since 2016, and was rector of St. James's Episcopal Church in Richmond, Virginia, for 16 years.We hope you enjoy the conversation.If you haven't yet, register now for TLC's Human Pilgrimage Conference.

What is Christian Communion? And who cares? If you listen to this podcast, you probably do. Today we're not talking about the Lord's supper, but the longing for and practical work toward Christian unity. What does this have to do with the average Christian? Or the average pastor trying to focus on local ministry? How do Anglicans care about (and struggle with) Christian unity especially? What the heck is a Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral?Joining us to discuss is Dr. Christopher Wells. Christopher is Director of Unity, Faith and Order for the Anglican Communion. He oversees the Communion's ecumenical relations and serves as secretary of the Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Unity, Faith and Order (IASCUFO). For 13 years, Christopher was executive director and publisher of the Living Church Foundation.Here are some key terms we'll learn about today, answering some of our questions above:The ecumenical movement or ecumenism The Lambeth Conference Lambeth Conference 1920 Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral Vatican II Primate Today we'll learn how any ecumenical work must serve the life of the average Christian, or it's no good. We'll find out why ecumenical work is putting Christopher more in touch with his evangelical side. And we'll ponder why "Anglican" exists in the first place. Is it to tickle our "via media" fancies, or to become another religious option? Or might we learn to serve Christian unity so well that one day, maybe, Anglicans work themselves out of a job?We hope you enjoy the conversation. Read the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral.A few other cool documents on Christian unity: http://www.christianunity.va/content/unitacristiani/en/news/2024/2024-06-13-il-vescovo-di-roma-nuovo-documento-dpuc.htmlhttps://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2024/06/13/bishop-rome-study-document-dicastery-promoting-christian-unity-248153https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2024-06/rethinking-the-primacy-in-an-ecumenical-sense.html?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2RbXk-L3mXpkT9WZKyqQF3HbsPaG-nKdSsWQosOMSe18VOSpCazmy3u1o_aem_p7a_pInr-MDXSnjpgtFhJARegister for the Human Pilgrimage conference.

Ever run out of preaching material for a major feast day? May today's episode inspire you.It's funny how the gospel unveils and then veils itself to us in seasons of our ministry and preaching. There are so many times when there's more than we can capture. And then other times it feels lilke the well runs dry on the same passage we've come to for years. But this "dryness" may just be an invitation to dig in a new direction or to a new depth.Today we've got a fascinating dispatch from the Rev. Dr. Sarah Hinlicky Wilson, a Lutheran pastor in Tokyo who got tired of trying to find something new to preach about the Transfiguration. Sarah trusted the abundance of God's word to not return void, and kept digging, and that digging turned into a whole book about what she found: Seven Ways of Looking at the Transfiguration.Turns out, the Transfiguration is the center point of the Gospel of Mark. Turns out, St. Paul is very interested in the Transfiguration, and the Transfiguration is very interested in Jewish pilgrimage festivals and the end times. And the Gospel of John might keep the Transfiguration on the DL for a very good reason. Today we'll learn why we've got two of these feasts a year, where apples and grapes come in, and a little about ancient laundering practices — all just in time, maybe, to give you some inspiration for you own festal sermon.Sarah is Associate Pastor at Tokyo Lutheran Church and the Founder of Thornbush Press. She has written, edited, and contributed to numerous books of both theology and fiction and has published hundreds of articles. She hosts the podcasts Queen of the Sciences, Sarah Hinlicky Wilson Stories, and The Disentanglement Podcast, and writes the e-newsletter Theology & a Recipe. They may not be "whiter than a fuller could bleach them," but get ready for some brilliant insights nevertheless. We hope you enjoy the conversation.

Today we've got live music in the studio, reminding us of God's faithfulness in conflict and pain, and why beauty, the arts, and artists are so vital to and for the Church. Singer-songwriters Leila Way and Ryan Flanigan join us from Resurrection South Austin to play some new tunes for us and talk about the intersections of music with church life, family life, and life with God.Between sets we'll chat about the stories behind the songs, and about what art might teach ministry, especially about inviting others into the pain and the gift of faith in Christ.Leila Way is a songwriter in Austin, Texas, writing and recording songs for the Church. She likes to set Scripture and heartfelt prayers to music.Ryan Flanigan serves as music director at Resurrection Church South Austin and as theological artist-in-residence at Baylor University. Ryan is also the founder of Liturgical Folk, which seeks to create beautiful and believable sacred music for the Church and the world. Leila's songs are from her new album, You Don't Carry It Alone, and Ryan's are from his new collaboration with musician Jon Guerra, Three Gifts.Set list: "You Don't Carry It Alone" - Leila "Walking On" - Leila "Faith" - Ryan "Hope" - Ryan "Prayer for Unity" - Leila "Be Still My Soul" - Ryan and Leila We hope you enjoy the conversation, and the music. Special thanks to Michael Way and Resurrection South Austin for their technical assistance on this episode.Read Ryan's interview with Leila.Visit Leila's website.Visit Ryan's website.Join us at the God at 'I' Level photography exhibit.

Listen to our first Conversation Across Difference, Episode 102. Join us at the God at 'I' Level photography exhibit. Progressive and conservative: do ever the twain meet? What are safe spaces across current divides on topics that matter? And, when we do talk across divides, how do we get below the surface?Today's Conversation Across Difference is about a hot topic in the Episcopal Church, and nearly every church right now: human sexuality and marriage. How do we engage a topic in which each side believes this isn't just about difference of opinion, but, as one of our guests points out today, also about sin. Can say what we really believe and stay at the same table? If we don't condone one another's beliefs, even about self, love, or family life, can we still love and respect one another? If so, what are the difficulties? And what unexpected discoveries might be made if we keep talking?The Episcopal Church has a Communion Across Difference Task Force that talks about these things, prays together, and takes action to preserve safe spaces for these diagloues within the church. Two guests join us today, both priests in the Episcopal Church, members of the task force, and friends. The Rev. Dr. Jordan Hylden is our guest who affirms Christian marriage as the union of male and female, and the Rev. Kelli Joyce is our guest who affirms Christian marriage regardless of gender. They join us today to describe their work together.Wherever you're coming from, I hope this episode helps you to have more fruitful, honest relationships with others with whom you disagree. The Rev. Kelli Joyce is a priest of the Diocese of Arizona, currently living and ministering in the Diocese of Tennessee. She is a candidate for the Ph.D. in Theological Studies at Vanderbilt University.The Rev. Dr. Jordan Hylden is vice rector at Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Lafayette, Louisiana. Jordan has served churches in South Carolina and Texas, and also as canon theologian and vocations director for the Diocese of Dallas.Our executive director, Matthew Olver, also joined us as co-host.We hope you enjoy the conversation.Listen to our first Conversation Across Difference, Episode 102. Join us at the God at 'I' Level photography exhibit.

What's the proper scope of Christian politics?Should Christians be politically active, and if so, how? Is the political sphere and its options a place of anxiety and ceaseless activity that should be avoided? Is it a place of possibility to "bring heaven to earth"? Does it have value as a place of failure and limitation? And what do politics have to do with loving neighbors, worshipping God, or writing letters to our children? Much -- perhaps. And maybe most effectively in the spheres that are smallest, least ambitious, and closest to home. Today we talk with the Rev. Dr. Ephraim Radner about his new book, Mortal Goods: Reimagining Christian Political Duty. We'll discuss how our daily, imperfect lives and the mortal goods that make them up can help us define and limit the scope of Christian political vision and action. If our hope does not rest in this world, how are we then freed to take care in this world, and take care of this world, with sobriety, joy, and thankfulness? Ephraim is professor emeritus of historical theology at Wycliffe College, Toronto. His range of ministerial experience includes ministry and teaching in Burundi, Haiti, inner-city Cleveland, Connecticut, and Colorado. He's the author of several books including Mortal Goods, which we discuss today, A Time to Keep, A Brutal Unity, and The End of the Church. He is married to the Rev. Annette Brownlee and they are the parents of Hannah and Isaac.Hold that NPR newsfeed for just a minute. We're going to step back to ancient Israel to remember what exactly God asks of human beings. We hope you enjoy the conversation.Register for The Human Pilgrimage conference.

Episcopalians have a love-hate relationship with evangelism. Everyone is welcome into an Episcopal church, but how do they get there? Is it true that "everyone who should be an Episcopalian, is"? Isn't evangelism what other Christians do who have lots of enthusiasm but less natural restraint and good taste? Is there an Episcopal, or even an Anglican, way to be an evangelist? According to the Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers, you bet. There is very much a way for Episcopalians to be active evangelists. It's not about being selling vacuum cleaners, and it's not about building it and they will come. You don't even have to leave your Episcopal hat behind. But you may need to be willing to lay aside some preconceptions.Today we'll pop in on a conversation with Canon Stephanie, who is basically the current evangelist in residence and evagelism teacher for the whole Episcopal Church. We talk about how she came to the Episcopal Church, and how she came to have the heart she does for wanderers and seekers, and how discovering Jesus in every step of every person's spiritual journey is part and parcel of the Anglican way. Stephanie serves as Canon to Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry and spearheads Episcopal efforts around evangelism, racial reconciliation and creation care. Her newest books are The Church Cracked Open: Disruption, Decline and New Hope for Beloved Community and an updated 15th anniversary edition Radical Welcome: Embracing God, The Other and the Spirit of Transformation. She has served as Chaplain to the Episcopal House of Bishops, taught mission and evangelism at General Theological Seminary, and served as a canon in the Diocese of Long Island. We'll talk about more of her story in the episode today and include a link in the show notes to learn more about her recent work.Now shod those feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace, tie the laces tight. But stay loose. Today we're going to drop the E Word, then pick it up and run with it. We hope you enjoy the conversation.See more of Canon Stephanie's recent work.Register for The Human Pilgrimage conference.

Learn more about the Human Pilgrimage conference. Learn more about Steve Prince's work. Learn more about Jessica Hooten Wilson's work.A disgruntled white southern intellectual named Walter lives on his family's farm. They all think his fancy learning makes him good for nothing. On top of that, Walter thinks he's dying. Walter decides to pretend, through a penpal relationship with a social justice activist, that he is Black. A story unfolds from the deceit. This is a Flannery O'Connor story that you have probably never read, and we'll discuss it today on the podcast.Unlike Flannery's other works, a conversion and baptism come early in this story, and the rest of the book, which was never finished, was intended to ask, "What next?" Instead of the one fell swoop of the Holy Ghost readers are used to, what does the radical work of grace look like over time?Fragments of the unfinished novel have just been released, along with context-setting essays and commentary, by literary scholar and writer, Jessica Hooten Wilson. The book is called Why Do the Heathen Rage?, and it is further illuminated with powerful artwork by artist Steve Prince.The story fragments are fascinating, but the gloss Steve and Jessica provide help us unpack what's going on with Flannery. Sorry megafan, but she was not a saint. And in this broken text, we actually watch her come up against her limits as a white southerner of her times and as a writer. What was she doing? What, maybe, was God doing? And what can we learn from her today? We discuss O'Connor's work, intersections with Malcolm X and James Baldwin, what stories do to harm or heal, and what art and artistic collaborations make possible. Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson is the Fletcher Jones Endowed Chair of Great Books at Pepperdine University. She is the author or editor of several books, including Flannery O'Connor's Why Do the Heathen Rage? A Behind-the-Scenes Look at a Work in Progress, Reading for the Love of God, and two award-winning books of literary scholarship: The Scandal of Holiness, and Giving the Devil His Due: Demonic Authority in the Fiction of Flannery O'Connor and Fyodor Dostoevsky.Steve A. Prince is a mixed media artist, master printmaker, lecturer, educator, and art evangelist with his MFA in Printmaking and Sculpture from Michigan State University. He is the Director of Engagement and Distinguished Artist in Residence at the Muscarelle Museum at William and Mary. A native of New Orleans, he currently resides in Williamsburg, Virginia. Now pour yourself a big ol' glass of sweet tea and hold on to your rocking chair. This exploration of Flannery O'Connor won't be what you're used to. We hope you enjoy the conversation.

Donate to the Ahli Arab Hospital. Today's is a short and very special conversation captured on the fly at the Episcopal Parish Network Conference in Houston, Texas, with Dr. Suhaila Tarazi.If you haven't heard of Suhaila, then you have certainly heard of her workplace. She is the director of the Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, which was recently in the news for a bomb that fell in their parking lot. How did Suhaila receive a call from God, three times, to direct the hospital? What is the state of the hospital now? What is she praying for? And how has her friendship with Nicholas served a mutual mission for flourishing life for Arab and Jewish neighbors?Special thanks to Joe Swimmer, La'Zendra Danforth, and their team, for carving out a space to record in a very busy conference center. Thanks to Nicholas Porter for arranging the conversation.Lean in for the short but sweet privilege of hearing from a woman it was an incredible honor to meet. We hope you enjoy the conversation. Donate to the Ahli Arab Hospital.

Follow Philip Yancey's blog.Read Philip's new book, Undone.No man is an island,Entire of itself.Each is a piece of the continent,A part of the main.If a clod be washed away by the sea,Europe is the less.As well as if a promontory were.As well as if a manor of thine ownOr of thine friend's were.Each man's death diminishes me,For I am involved in mankind.Therefore, send not to knowFor whom the bell tolls,It tolls for thee.Welcome back podcast listeners. Quite a Lenten poem, eh? For Western listeners, we are in the last week of Lent before Holy Week, first week for our Eastern brethren.Meeting here in Lententide, we thought it would be a good time for a conversation about someone who has reflected deeply on sin, suffering, pain, and the faithful presence of God. Well, two people actually. The 17th-century priest and poet, John Donne, whose famous poem we opened with, and author Philip Yancey.The poem above is actually an excerpt from a longer work called Devotions that Donne wrote from his sickbed, in a time of plague, disorientation, and deep discouragement. Where and how did he find God with him? TLC had the joy of talking with Philip Yancey about his new book, a modern paraphrase of Devotions called Undone, and about Phillip's own story, particularly as it relates to a recent diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.Philip Yancey has explored questions and mysteries of the Christian faith for decades in best-selling works such as Disappointment with God, Where is God When it Hurts?, and What's So Amazing About Grace? Philip has written more than 25 books, and his latest release is Undone: A Modern Rendering of John Donne's Devotions. Philip and his wife live in the foothills of Colorado.

Check out John Behr's new translation of Gregory of Nyssa's On the Human Image of God.What does it mean to be human? We pay attention to our broken humanity more during Lent. And there's that phrase, when we make a mistake, "I'm only human!" True. But what about the glory and promise of being human? What kind of humanity we see in the pattern of Christ? How do we live now, if our destiny is to be, as the saints tell us, "raised with Christ" who is "seated at the right hand of God"?Today we'll talk with theologian John Behr about St. Gregory of Nyssa's work, On the Human Image of God, and John's new translation of it. We'll listen in as Gregory, like the theological rock star he is, takes a melody from Plato and riffs hard, but with a Christian anthropology, and creates nothing less than an anthem to God's saving work in Jesus.What is a human? How do humans have a special relationship with death? And how does the gospel, and especially John's gospel, peel back the curtain on what Jesus' humanity is doing for all creatures?The Rev. Dr. John Behr is Regius Professor of Humanity at the University of Aberdeen. He previously taught at St. Vladmir's Seminary, where he served as dean from 2007-17. John is also the Metropolitan Kallistos Chair of Orthodox Theology at the Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam and the Amsterdam Center for Orthodox Theology. (Finally a quick shout-out: if you're interested in this question, What does it mean to be human?, then save the date, friends! The Living Church is hosting a conference this September 26-28 in Oklahoma City entitled The Human Pilgrimage: A Conference on How to Live. We've got a beautiful slate of speakers, including Katherine Sonderegger, Amy Peeler, Victor Austin, and Graham Tomlin. Watch any Living Church space for registration coming soon.)Now brush up on your Greek, because there will be a test on the Timaeus at the end of this. (Just kidding.) We hope you enjoy the conversation.

Get in touch with Fr. Nate for further conversation. Check out Fr. Nate's book, Festive School.Read Fr. Nate's article on neurodivergence in the classical classroom. Learn more about Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI).When trying to consider budget as well as mission and ministry, churches of many sizes offer educational service, from a small daycare to a prestigious Episcopal prep school. And these are often built on a classical school models.Classical education refers specifically to a model of education centered on the Western classical trivium of grammar, logic, and rhetoric. If you can do a classical school well, you can provide a great education and do very well for your budget. But does it produce snobby kids? Put another way, does it shelter privileged kids even further, and prevent kids with disadvantages from experiencing a remarkable community of learning?One way to negotiate this is through scholarships, or through careful intentionality in enrollment or curriculum development. But our guest today has also explored ways to make sure that kids with disabilities -- including neurodivergence -- are welcomed and integrated into a classical community. What they've discovering is an unusual model for classical education, and an unexpected ministry of healing.My guest today is the Rev. Nathan Carr. Nate is a bi-vocational priest serving as vicar of St. John's Oklahoma City and headmaster of The Academy of Classical Christian Studies, a multi-campus school serving 1,000 PreK-12 students across the Oklahoma City metro. He's the author of Festive School (Classical Academic Press), on the importance of festivity in Christian education. He and his wife Sarah have six children who bless their home, including kiddos with neurodivergence.He's also written a related article on the Living Church's award-winning blog, Covenant. Now sharpen your pencils and warm up your singing voice. We're headed to school. We hope you enjoy the conversation.

Buy the Roads of Hurt and Hope Holy Land Lenten study. (All proceeds go to the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem.)All eyes are on the Holy Land right now, as the conflict between Hamas and Israel continues, over a hundred kidnapped Israelis still missing, over a thousand Israeli civilians dead, and tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians killed in the crossfire.As many of you will know, the Living Church postponed a pilgrimage to the Holy Land until further notice. The name of this pilgrimage is In the Footsteps of Jesus. Today we'll be talking with someone who has walked in the footsteps of Jesus many times, as a pilgrimage leader, as well as a resident of Jerusalem. And not only in the footsteps of Jesus, but in the footsteps of Abraham and Sarah, Jacob, David, the apostles, the woman at the well, and many more ancestors in the faith, as well as citizens of the land today.What is it about this place that people have fallen in love with for thousands of years? Why has God met so many people on its roads? What do these roads teach us, not only in human footsteps, but in the rocks and water, plants and animals along the way, about God's presence and faithfulness? And what can we see there now, especially in time for Lent?We enjoyed speaking about all this with the Rev. Canon Dr. Andrew D. Mayes. Andrew has served as spirituality adviser to the Diocese of Chichester and to the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf. He has lived several years in Jerusalem, as a theological researcher and later as director of courses of St. George's College, of which he is an associate professor. He is the author of 16 spirituality books including the award-winning Learning the Language of the Soul, Beyond the Edge, and, most recently, Roads of Hurt and Hope: Transformative Journeys in the Holy Land. (This last book is a Lent study, and all the proceeds will go to the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem for the rebuilding of the Anglican hospital in Gaza.) Tighten your hiking shoes and pack a lunch, and don't forget, if you get a moment, to buy a souvenir. We're going on a journey today, across time and an ancient, beloved landscape. Sometimes strenuous, sometimes quiet. Often surprising. We hope you enjoy the conversation.Check out some of our favorite episodes of the podcast.

Learn more about the Living Church and check out some of our favorite podcast episodes.Happy Epiphany!I love seasons, the changes of seasons. The distinct character of each one.Different seasons and times bring out different flavors, different inner lives of the land and landscapes. I think humans are similar. Even whole cultures. Different eras show up or play down certain shapes that human life can take, certain imaginative landscapes and possibilities.But across space and seasons we do have one Lord. That's the crazy revelation of Epiphany. But how does this same Lord show up differently in different times and places? Today we'll be talking with Dr. Grace Hamman, author of the new book, Jesus Through Medieval Eyes. Grace is a writer and independent scholar of Middle English contemplative writing and poetry and hosts the literature podcast, Old Books with Grace. Jesus through Medieval Eyes is a remarkably enjoyable book. Jesus jousting. Jesus giving birth. Jesus as judge, lover, mother, or knight were common images for Christ in the middle ages. How might they help us in our time, heal our contemporary views of justice and judgment, love and lovers, gender and sex?Now brush up on your middle English. We hope you enjoy the conversation.Read Jesus Through Medieval Eyes.Learn more about the Living Church and check out some of our favorite podcast episodes.

Learn more about the Living Church and check out some of our favorite podcast episodes.Welcome back, podcast listeners. A happy Epiphany to you. Let's start off the year with a bang. This episode is from a conversation between Dr. Stanley Hauerwas and the Rev. Dr. Ephraim Radner at the Radical Vocation (RADVO) conference at Church of the Incarnation, Dallas, in September 2023.Amber asked Stanley and Ephraim to share their responses to the conference, and it all went wonderfully off-book, deep into the territory of attention and martyrdom.The conversation will reference other keynotes and conversations, including the Rev. Dr. Christopher Beeley on Christology, Dr. Jeremy Begbie on the Holy Spirit, Dr. John Behr on the Church, the Rev. Tish Harrison Warren on Christianity and Politics, and other panels on church unity and evangelism. Stanley Hauerwas is Gilbert T. Rowe Professor Emeritus of Divinity and Law at Duke Divinity School and was named "America's Best Theologian" by Time magazine in 2001. His book, A Community of Character: Toward a Constructive Christian Social Ethic, was selected as one of the 100 most important books on religion of the 20th century.Ephraim Radner is Professor Emeritus of Historical Theology at Wycliffe College, Toronto, and has ministered in various places, including Burundi, Haiti, inner-city Cleveland, Connecticut, and Colorado. His many books include Hope among the Fragments: The Broken Church and its Engagement of Scripture (2004) andA Time to Keep: Theology, Mortality, and the Shape of a Human Life (2016).Learn more about the Living Church and check out some of our favorite podcast episodes.

Give to The Living ChurchGift the Magazine for $9.95Welcome podcast listeners. Today we've got an episode that will lightly leap from Advent to Christmastide. We'll revisit four conversations we've had over the years: James K. A. Smith on time and ImmanuelNovelist H.C. Cross on boarding schools and world-buildingLauren Winner on books and readingAmy Peeler and Wes Hill on Mother MaryDr. James K.A. Smith is a public philosopher and editor in chief of IMAGE journal, and author of many well-known books including You Are What You Love and How to Inhabit Time.Heather Cross is the author of two novels, Wilberforce and Grievous.The Rev. Dr. Lauren Winner is associate professor of Christian spirituality at Duke Divinity School and the author of many books, including Girl Meets God, A Cheerful and Comfortable Faith, andCharacteristic Damage.The Rev. Dr. Wesley Hill and Dr. Amy Peeler are both associate professors of New Testament, Amy at Wheaton College and Wes at Western Theological Seminary.In two weeks, we're taking a break from the podcast (Merry Christmas). In 2024 we're rolling out conversations with Stanley Hauerwas and Ephraim Radner, a book chat with John Behr, an exploration of Jesus Through Medieval Eyes, a look at neurodivergence in the classical classroom, and much more. Give to The Living ChurchGift the Magazine for $9.95

Make an Advent donation to the Living Church.Get 84% off a gift subscription to The Living ChurchIn the beginning, creation. Millennia pass. Creatures alternately live peacefully then get it horribly wrong. Long geneologes. The rise of evil kings, good kings, battles and prophecies. A savior riding in on a white horse. And in between the exciting parts, lots and lots of waiting.Is this the Bible? The spiritual life? Or The Lord of the Rings and Middle Earth legendarium? Yes. And it's chock-full of good stuff for Advent.So is JRR Tolkein's own life. Today we'll talk with one of Tolkein's biographers, Dr. Holly Ordway. Holly is the Cardinal Francis George Professor of Faith and Culture at the Word on Fire Institute, visiting professor of apologetics at Houston Christian University, and a subject editor for the Journal of Inklings Studies. She has two books you should know about: the award-winning Tolkien's Modern Reading: Middle-earth Beyond the Middle Ages (Word on Fire Academic, 2021) and her newest book, Tolkien's Faith: A Spiritual Biography (Word on Fire Academic, 2023). Advent is a thick time. Within that tapestry we find suffering and grief, waiting and faithfulness, the mysterious timing of providence -- and much to learn from Middle Earth.But we also get glimpses of what it means to live good life. Good food, a sense of humor, and divine grace are hidden inside Advent, too, if we have humble enough eyes to find them.Whether Advent is for you like a cozy Hobbit hole full of goodies, or Denethor's grim tower looking out on an uncertain future, or some trippy place in between that I cannot imagine, we hope you enjoy the conversation.Make an Advent donation to the Living Church.Get 84% off a gift subscription to The Living Church

Give to support the Living Church Podcast studio!Check out No Small Endeavor, hosted by Lee C. Camp.Who knew that a Southern mother would help today's guest hone the gift of gab for the sake of others?Today you'll hear my conversation with Dr. Lee C. Camp, about the art of conversation. I'm excited to share this, especially with those who talk, listen, teach, preach, or give counsel for a living. How do we connect more meaningfully in our conversations, both on and off the clock?Lee Camp is the host of the podcast No Small Endeavor, exploring what it means to live a good life, which features best-selling authors, philosophers, scientists, artists, psychologists, theologians and politicians. I highly recommend you check out his podcast. Lee is also an award-winning teacher and professor of theology and ethics at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee. He and I dig into:What we can learn from late night talk show hosts. How being funny can both help and hinder deeper connection. Why practicing prudent vulnerability is a way to help everyone, including yourself, open up to the possibilities of hearing an unexpected truth.Thanksgiving is coming up. Family gatherings can be a difficult place to keep conversation fresh and listening lively. Hopefully this will help you discover some new possibilities there as well. Finally, consider bringing a bottle of wine to the Living Church Podcast Thanksgiving table: give today to support a studio space for us. $10 a month, or any amount you choose, even a one-time gift. We are surely grateful.You can also leave a review for us on Spotify or Apple podcasts.Now, whether you like to gab or stay quiet, whether you tend toward control freak or deer in the headlights, we're all invited to learn the art of conversation, and to join every conversation the Lord brings our way. We hope you enjoy this one.Give to support the Living Church Podcast studio!Check out No Small Endeavor, hosted by Lee C. Camp.

Give to support the Living Church Podcast studio!Last chance to join us in NYC for Preaching in a Post-Christian Age.The visions of Julian of Norwich came to her 650 years ago this May. Claire Gilbert's new novel, I, Julian, is a fictional autobiography about the life and visions of Julian. We'll be discussing the book today with its author and discovering why and how she would write such a boldly imaginative book from the perspective of one of Anglicanism's most beloved figures.We'll learn a bit about the actual woman we know as Julian, and talk about what life might have looked like in her time, in an age of tight-knit community, mystery plays, and mystical texts, as well as church division, plague, and tectonic societal shifts. We'll also hear about what it's like to inhabit such a powerful voice for so many years of research and writing, and what changed in Claire's life as she wrote the book.Before I tell you a little more about Claire, I want to thank those of you who have jumped in to support a podcast studio so we can keep bringing you conversations like this at a high quality with fantastic guests. I want to personally thank three new supporters: Sharon, Roger, and John. Join the ranks of these good folks by clicking the link in the show notes and help us bring onto the podcast people like Dr. Claire Gilbert, our guest today.Claire is founding director of the Westminster Abbey Institute for ethics and public life. She has worked for the Archbishops' Council of the Church of England as policy advisor in medical ethics and environmental issues and is a lay Canon at St Paul's Cathedral. She co-founded the St Paul's Institute in 2003. She has authored many books. Her latest, the novel I, Julian (Hodder & Stoughton), is available now.If you'd like to win a free copy of the book, you can enter our TLC Book Club contest. Just go to livingchurch.org and click the popup to download a free study guide and be entered to win a free copy of I, Julian.Now hold on to your wimple. We're headed out on a beautiful and sometimes intense literary journey -- which is also a journey of the heart. We hope you enjoy the conversation.Give to support the Living Church Podcast studio!Last chance to join us in NYC for Preaching in a Post-Christian Age.

Last call to join us for Preaching in a Post-Christian Age!Give to Support the Living Church Podcast.If you like a good underdog story, you'll like today's episode. And if you pastor a small church or you're new to a parish that's on the struggle bus, you might like it even more. Today we're in search of growth. In Search of Growth is a series we've been doing in the magazine, highlighting stories of where God's been at work in ways that increase health and numbers in local Episcopal and Anglican churches. This summer, as many of you know, we hosted a pilgrimage to England. What I'm sure you don't know is that Amber then took some vacation time in Wales, where she stayed with the Rev. Dr. Mark Clavier, a vicar in Brecon who we've had on before to talk about Christian ecology and so-called “Celtic” Christianity, and his wife, Dr. Sarah Ward Clavier, who joined us for a Halloween episode a few years back to talk about the gruesome details of clergy wills.One of Amber's favorite Welsh adventures was getting to know the church Mark pastors, St Mary's in Brecon. St Mary's is very old parish, which after precipitous decline, has found new life. After dwindling to 16, it's now a rapidly growing congregation of about 60, lively, warm, very active in their community, and very, very traditional in their worship. In a place where more evangelical styles tend to see the growth, this is intriguing.Today we tell their story, which reminds us of a certain Apple+ TV series: a British community at a low point; a cheerful, mustachioed American showing up, warming hearts, and launching unexpected tactics. Yes, we're talking about Ted Lasso, which is, in fact, Fr. Mark's nickname among some of his parishioners. Fr. Mark coming is not the end of the story— and it's really not the beginning either. So pull up a chair, grab a Welsh cake. We hope you enjoy the conversations.Last call to join us for Preaching in a Post-Christian Age!Give to Support the Living Church Podcast.

Make a Pilgrimage to the Holy Land with the Living ChurchHelp us make the show better! Support the Living Church Podcast for $10/month.Welcome to a special coffee hour edition of the podcast. As many of you will know we have a new executive director and publisher over here at the Living Church, the Rev. Dr. Matthew Olver. We took some time to talk about how he got to TLC. Matthew is an Episcopal priest who has served widely in the Episcopal Church in diocesan, national, and international capacities. Like the eighth editor of The Living Church, H. Boone Porter, he is also a liturgical scholar who taught at Nashotah House Theological Seminary for nearly a decade (2014-23). He's currently also an assistant priest at Zion Episcopal Church in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. If you keep listening, you will hear the following:How our new executive director stays caffeinated.The recognizability of the Church across the ages and why preservation is a dynamic thing.Why a seminary professor would want to run a magazine.Why we have a blog and what it's doing.What he likes about Living Church events.And why, when tourists are snapping photos of church architecture, Matthew stands there reading Augustine.From Matthew's office in Milwaukee to Wheaton to Rome to Ravenna to Oklahoma City and back, we hope you enjoy the conversation.Make a Pilgrimage to the Holy Land with the Living ChurchHelp us make the show better! Support the Living Church Podcast for $10/month.

Make a Pilgrimage to the Holy Land with the Living ChurchSupport the Living Church Podcast.Why do we go on pilgrimage? And why do Christians go on pilgrimage to England? Today is Part 2 of an exploratory episode. Warm up your tea, study your map, and head out with us!Make a Pilgrimage to the Holy Land with the Living ChurchSupport the Living Church Podcast.

Support the Living Church Podcast.While working on Part 2 of the English Pilgrimage episode, TLC had a conversation we couldn't wait to share with you. Bonus episode!How do people in leadership, in high-performance vocations, get the spiritual and emotional care they need? Who do pastors go to for counsel, friendship, to confess, to get their most uncensored, hot off the press thoughts and feelings off their chests? Where do they go to get loving correction? And when no one is readily available, how can they care for their inner lives in the meantime? These are some of the questions we put to our guest today, the Rev. Dr. Matthew Hoskinson. Matthew is an ordained minister, a cancer survivor, a marathon runner, and a certified coach. After 15 years of pastoral ministry mostly in NYC, he now works for Redeemer City to City as the director of the City Ministry Program, a transformative urban education for the next generation of Christian leaders. He provides coaching, spiritual direction, and mentoring for leaders and ministers across the country. (And he will be one of the speakers at our preaching conference in November in New York City!)We won't even bill your insurance for this. We hope you enjoy the conversation.Support the Living Church Podcast.Join us (and Matthew) in NYC for Preaching in a Post-Christian Age. Learn more about Matthew.

Join our pilgrimage to the Holy Land.Why do we go on pilgrimage? For an educational vacation? To get in touch with the past? To walk barefoot to a shrine or encounter a saint? To ask for a miracle? And why, if Christians are going to go on pilgrimage anywhere, do they go on pilgrimage to England?Yes, it's a magical land of meat pies, forests, fairies, and saints with a distinctly British flavor. How do our expectations of England, especially for Anglophiles, meet an answer in the actual place? To go on a pilgrimage is about expectation. In the middle ages, when pilgrims would come from all over Europe to the shrine of St. Edward the Confessor in Westminster Abbey, they would kneel inside a cool cavity carved out of the brilliantly-decorated stone, to get as close to Edward's bones as they could. Before leaving they'd chip off a tiny bit of mosaic. We go on pilgrimage to stand somewhere in the broken and colorful light of Christian history, and to take away souvenirs, be they answered prayers or vintage prayer books. And we certainly bring expectations.Today's episode is a story about expectations and souvenirs – the hoped for, and the found – on an English pilgrimage with a diverse set of American Anglicans. Anglophiles beware. You may get more than you bargained for.Join our pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

Learn more about Preaching in a Post-Christian Age.Youth group. Sunday school. Church camp. What's your reaction to these words? Do you get a nostaglic smile on your face? Do you have a mild cardiac infarction? Whether you've led a youth ministry or not, we've all been teens, and many, many of us have memories associated with teen formation in different Christian contexts. From pies in the face for Jesus, to inductive Bible studies, to folk music and popcorn prayer, there have been many ways to approach ministry to young people. Do we get really serious, down to the no-funny-business of Christian discipleship and life transformation? Or do we hang out with pizza and some games, and pray, with a lot of grace, and no pressure, that something happens, eventually, God-wise? Turns out, ministry to teens is about sensing how to strike a wise balance, and it's a lot about our own security and maturity as a Christian adults. Today we'll talk about: the importance of the heart and feelings in teen catechesis; how to engage teens emotionally without making it all about feelings; how to invite questions that drive into the faith rather than away from it; how we can have confidence and clarity without harshness; and why we should love the Bible more than good behavior. Taking us to this magical land of youth ministry is Melina Luna Smith. Melina is executive director of Storymakers, a not-for-profit creative studio that designs imaginative resources for kids and teens, including Bible- and creed-immersive zines. She is deep in lay ministry at the Parish of Calvary St. George's in New York City, and loves working at the intersections of design, beauty, and imagination for the good of communities and the kingdom of God.If you like this conversation, join us at Calvary St. George's for our preaching conference in New York this November, for a refresher and refreshing course in communicating God's Word. You might even get to meet Melina. (She happens to be married to the rector.)Now put on your most normal-looking mom jeans and grab your Bible. It's time to be exactly yourself with young people and share the gospel in a real and lasting way. It's possible. Maybe not even that complicated. We hope you enjoy the conversation. Check out Storymakers.Learn more about Preaching in a Post-Christian Age.

Can you name the five senses? Now for all five of those senses, when's the last time an experience of worship full-throttle delighted you? Was it a special service, like Christmas, a special day, like your wedding day? Was it the first time you experienced the worship tradition you now call home? Has it been awhile?God loves our bodies, and God wants to engage us and delight us, every bit of us, in worship of him. How do we know God loves our bodies? And if Jesus' ministry was so concerned with bodies, why have Christians been so attracted to gnosticism? How can God's nonverbal communication skills help us with conflict? How do our bodies belong in worship, how do we know what to do with them? Where do we get the idea the quiet and stillness always mean reverence, and when might we need to shake that up?We welcome the Rev. Dr. W. David O. Taylor onto the show. David is associate professor of theology and culture at Fuller Theological Seminary, and has been an artist, a pastor, and a pastor to artists. As an Anglican priest, he has lectured on the arts, from Thailand to South Africa. In 2016 he produced a short film on the psalms with Bono and Eugene Peterson. You can find that film, his several books on theology, the arts, and worship, and collaborations with his artist wife, Phaedra, at wdavidotaylor.com. Today we'll be riffing on his work represented in his latest book, A Body of Praise: Understanding the Role of Our Physical Bodies in Worship.And you can find a review of his book in our latest issue of the magazine, August 2023. Subscribe now at livingchurch.org to enjoy that issue digitally today. Register for Preaching in a Post-Christian Age. Learn more about David Taylor's work.

Support the showJoin us in the Holy Land in 2024Today we are headed to the Republic of Texas to talk to the new rector of Church of the Incarnation in Dallas. He shared time with us from his new office to chat about inter-Anglican relationships and what he sees as signs of hope, how bread and butter daily ministry is both the past and future of the Church, and what gifts Anglican spirituality offers particularly to our moment. We also talk about how being influenced by other Christian traditions can shape the way we embrace our own and can help us be present as fruitful, non-anxious presences in the body of Christ.Before becoming rector of Incarnation, the Rev. Dr. Christopher Beeley served as the Director of the Anglican Episcopal House of Studies and the Jack and Barbara Bovender Professor of Theology, Anglican Studies and Ministry at Duke Divinity School. Before joining the Duke faculty, he taught for 16 years at Yale Divinity School. The author of several books, Christopher regularly consults on leadership and program development and speaks nationally and internationally on Christian theology, spirituality, and church leadership. Now find your biggest cowboy hat, and your copy of Julian of Norwich or Jeremy Taylor, and settle in. We hope you enjoy the conversation.Support the showJoin us in the Holy Land in 2024

Support the showRegister for conference: Preaching in a Post-Christian Age.Join us in the Holy Land in 2024Emails. To-do lists. Doughnuts and coffee. In ministry, there are so many details, ordinary details, to attend to. We know they matter. But when ordinary details pile up, it may be time to step back and say, Something's gotta give. In Acts we have this wonderful story of the apostles realizing there was too much on their plates, and re-organizing the church with a group of deacons. Moral of that story? Delegation, efficiency, and task management can let you do more of the right things in the right way. And they can let the Holy Spirit do more, too.Today's episode is part 2 of an episode we aired last year with Fr. Aaron Zimmerman of St. Alban's Episcopal Church on executive functioning as a pastor. One of our listeners wrote in with some follow-up questions that I thought were great, about emails, time management, delegation, and stress. So I invited Aaron back on the show, along with the Rev. Canon Kimberley Pfeiler, who also knows a lot about keeping it together, staying sane, and trusting God when you're the one in charge. Fr. Aaron Zimmerman is rector at St. Alban's Episcopal Church in Waco, Texas. He is past President of the Board of Directors of Mockingbird Ministries and is currently the Dean for the Northwest Convocation of the Diocese of Texas, and co-hosts the Same Old Song lectionary podcast with the Rev. Jacob Smith.The Rev. Canon Kimberley Pfeiler is a church planter at St. Luke Medical District in Dallas, Texas, and ombudsman for the Diocese of Churches for the Sake of Others, where she develops training and policies to prevent abuse in the church. She serves as the chairman of the board for the Matthew 25 Inititative for Justice and Mercy, and as a bi-vocational priest, she is also vice president at NowVertical Group, which provides advanced analytics for enterprise clients.Whether you're putting down your to-do list for a moment, kicking up your feet on your desk with a second cup of joe, or multitasking like a boss while you listen, we hope you enjoy the conversation.Explore the Superhuman email training program Explore CalendlyExplore Brenee Brown's work on leadershipExplore the Calm app, Headspace app, or Tapping app Check out The One Thing: Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results

Support the showRegister for conference: Preaching in a Post-Christian Age.Join us in the Holy Land in 2024It is a delight to be with you in the first week of Pentecost.Many of you are artists, musicians, writers, lovers of beauty, literature, good poetry, a good pint or pipe. The combination of art, beauty, and Christian life is a fascinating and life-giving one, and one that's closely related to the work of Pentecost: the renewal of creation, and the bringing of everything good into God's own eternity.Today's guest is poet, priest, musician and motocyclist, Malcolm Guite. Though we had him on to talk about the threads of relationship between poetry and Pentecost, our conversation took us to many unplanned places, while still returning, interestingly, to the themes of Pentecost: language and breath, moving from isolation to integration, and how the creation itself, "undersprung" with music, longs to be tuned back to the note that Jesus played perfectly, once for all. The Rev. Dr. Malcolm Guite is an English poet, singer-songwriter, Anglican priest, and scholar. His research interests include the intersection of religion and the arts, the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and Owen Barfield, and British poets such as Samuel Taylor Coleridge. He was a Bye-Fellow and chaplain of Girton College, Cambridge, and associate chaplain of St. Edward King and Martyr, Cambridge. Please check out his books of poetry, they are rich mines of devotion and enjoyment, as well as his books on faith and theology (see the link below).As we go from the Tower of Babel to Beowulf, from Keats and Shelley to singing in tongues, we hope you enjoy the conversation.Check out books by Malcolm GuiteSupport the show

Support the showRegister for conference: Preaching in a Post-Christian Age. David Bentley Hart, that peppery, unyielding Eastern Orthodox theologian, has two brothers: one is a Church of England priest, another is an American Anglo-Catholic priest. Wouldn't you love to be at that Thanksgiving table?You may have heard it said that families are some of God's most radical ecumenical experiments. Today we have two brothers, situated in denominations that have historically been in tension, even opposition.Inter-Anglican tensions have a long and complex history. But most of us have not lived through the whole history. We just begin where we are. So what do we make of the church we're given? And how do we navigate in the broken pieces, especially as parish priests?Today we sit down with two brothers, both priests, one in the Episcopal Church, one in the Anglican Church in North America. They were kind enough to come on the podcast to share about their journeys, their discernment into the priesthood, and also to field Amber's questions -- not always softballs -- about Christian unity, the episcopacy, prayer books, communion with Canterbury, and how it affects their ministries. What does Christian wisdom entail in divided times?: a question many of us are asking. Let's start at the dinner table and see what happens.Our guests are the Rev. Jonathan and the Rev. David Beadle. Jon is rector of All Saints, Conroe, Texas, in the Western Gulf Coast Diocese of the Anglican Church in North America, and David is curate at St. Matthew's Episcopal Cathedral in Dallas.Support the showRegister for conference: Preaching in a Post-Christian Age.