Pastor Writer: Conversations on Reading, Writing, and the Christian Life

Alex Bryant has been in full-time ministry since 2000, serving Churches around the country and formerly as the Director of the St. Louis Dream Center. At the Dream Center, he worked to help make a difference in the inner city of St. Louis by meeting people's physical needs in an effort to introduce them to Jesus.He is married and has 5 kids. He and his wife Angie are both licensed ministers and together they lead Alex Bryant Ministries which exists to help reconcile people with God, themselves, and their fellow man.Alex just released a new book entitled Let's Start Again: A Biracial Couple's View on Race, Racial Ignorance, And Racial Insensitivity.

Jonathan Dodson is the founding pastor of City Life Church in Austin, TX.He is also the founder of Gospel-Centered Discipleship and is author of a number of books including Here in Spirit, The Unbelievable Gospel, and the book he joined me to talk about Our Good Crisis: Overcoming Moral Chaos with the Beatitudes.He joined me to talk about the meaning of crisis and how the beatitudes are a tool for overcoming moral chaos.

Chuck DeGroat is professor of pastoral care and Christian Spirituality at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan. He is also a senior fellow at the Newbigin House of Studies in San Francisco. He served as a pastor at churches in Orlando and San Francisco and founded two church-based counseling centers.He is a licensed therapist, spiritual director, and the author of Toughest People to Love, Wholeheartedness, and the recently released book When Narcissism Comes to Church: Healing Your Community From Emotional and Spiritual Abuse.

Ron Dart teaches in the Department of Political Science, Philosophy, and Religious Studies at the University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford, British Columbia. He has authored or coauthored thirty-five books that deal with the interface between literature, spirituality, and politics, including The North American High Tory Tradition and Christianity and Pluralism.He joined me today to talk about a recently released book for which he served as editor and contributor. The books is Myth and Meaning in Jordan Peterson: A Christian Perspective.

Dr. Phil Collins is currently the co-executive director at Taylor University’s Center for Scripture Engagement. As a part of his work, Dr. Collins has lead workshops on how to effectively engage with the Bible. He holds his B.A. in Bible Literature and Christian Education from Taylor University, an M.A. in Christian Education from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from Purdue University. Ordained in 1994, Dr. Collins served 6 years in youth ministry with Youth for Christ as well as 10 years of ministry as Youth Pastor in a church setting.In addition to his role as the general editor for The Abide Bible, Dr. Collins has been a full-time Christian Ministries professor at Taylor University since 1999. He joins me today to talk about the Abide Bible. The Abide Bible is a unique tool for discovering Scripture at a deeper level. Specially crafted prompts guide readers to engage biblical passages with more depth and imagination than ever before. By considering scriptural truth via classic art, journaling, and praying biblical texts, readers enjoy fresh, life-altering encounters with God and His Word.

I've long wanted to do an episode on poetry. Unfortunately, many had a bad experience and long ago concluded they just aren't the poetic type. But Jeff Munroe was the perfect guest to help explain why an appreciation of poetry is critical for reading the Bible and why its worth a second chance.Jeff Munroe is an executive vice president at Western Theological Seminary, where he also teaches writing. He was a charter member of the advisory board of the Buechner Institute of Faith and Culture, and is an ordained minister in the Reformed Church in America.He is the author of 2019 book, Reading Buechner: Exploring the Work of a Master Memoirist, Novelist, Theologian, and Preacher. Jeff is also a poet, blogger, and essayist. His work has appeared in Christianity Today, The Christian Century, US Catholic, and The Reformed Journal.And as his bio says, he’s the only guy on his block who knows both who played shortstop for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1949 and the closing lines of MiddlemarchPoems Discussed:What do poems do? by Brian DoyleThe Summer Day by Mary OliverThe Way it Is by William StaffordThe Windhover by Gerard Manley Hopkins

The Villiage Church is one of the leaders in innovating Christian education opportunities for all believers. Mason King currently serves as the Director of The Village Church Institute, overseeing adult theological training within the local church. Those environments train disciples to know their sacred text firsthand, and pursue formation into the way of Jesus.He joined me to talk about the state of Christian education and how pastors, believers, and churches can continue to learn and grow.In the last decade of ministry, Mason has helped launch two church campuses and served as an elder and Spiritual Formation Pastor at The Village Church Fort Worth. He earned a B.A. in Speech Communication from Texas A&M, a ThM from Dallas Theological Seminary, a DMin in Executive Leadership from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he wrote on forming Christian disciples. And he is currently working on a PhD in Church History from The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, focusing on the work of Jonathan Edwards.

Jay Kim serves on staff at Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz, California, overseeing teaching and leadership. He also serves on the leadership team of The ReGeneration Project. His first book, Analog Church, released this month from InterVarsity Press.Jay recently released Analog Church: Why We Need Real People, Places, and Thinkings in the Digital Age. It's one of the most important books I've read this year and the conversation couldn't have been more formational and practical to our current context of separation. I hope everyone listens to this conversation.

Karen Swallow Prior is an award-winning Professor of English at Liberty University. She earned her Ph.D. in English at SUNY Buffalo. Her writing has appeared at The Atlantic, Christianity Today, Washington Post, Vox, First Things, Sojourners, Relevant, and Think Christian. She is a Senior Fellow at the Trinity Forum, a Senior Fellow at Liberty University's Center for Apologetics and Cultural Engagement, and a member of the Faith Advisory Council of the Humane Society of the United States. She and her husband live on a 100-year old homestead in central Virginia with sundry horses, dogs, and chickens. And lots of books.Karen joined me to talk about her new project, a set of classic books she is curating and editing with B&H Publishing. In addition to the highest quality hardback binding, Karen has provided introductions and discussion questions to these classics. 

Seth’s first book Coming Clean: A Story of Faith received a Christianity Today Award of Merit in the publication’s 2016 book awards. Seth’s poetry and prose have been featured in various publications, including In Touch Magazine, Fathom Magazine, and on his personal website at SethHaines.com. He makes his home in the Ozarks with his wife, and their four sons.Seth joined me to talk about his recently released work, The Book of Waking Up: Experiencing the Divine Love That Reorders a Life.