Regent College Podcast

This week, we welcomed Dr Mariam Kamell Kovalishyn back to the podcast to share about her forthcoming book Reading the New Testament Around the World. Mariam is a beloved New Testament professor at Regent and in this conversation, she shares her enthusiasm for the New Testament, as well as the inspiration and process behind collaborating with global scholars to conduct situated exegesis. We talk about fresh insights from Scripture and student responses to advanced copies of the book. The volume incorporates essays on each book of the New Testament, with writers from across the world engaging with theological, social and political issues pertinent to their contexts. The book will be released on April 29, 2025 from Baker Academic. She will be teaching New Testament Foundations this summer (May 26–June 6) and launching her book in the Regent Chapel on May 21 at 7:30pm.BioDr. Mariam Kamell Kovalishyn is an Associate Professor of New Testament at Regent College. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Davidson College, a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies from Denver Seminary, and a PhD in New Testament from the University of St. Andrews. Mariam’s scholarly work focuses on the Epistle of James, the Gospel of Matthew, and the broader context of Jewish literature from the intertestamental period. She has co-authored a commentary on James for the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament series and has contributed numerous articles and book chapters to the field. Previous Podcast AppearancesQuestions About the New Testament: Part 2 (December 2019)Rediscovering Biblical Faith (April 2019)The Epistle of James (March 2017)Regent College Podcast Thanks for listening. Please like, rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice and share this episode with a friend. Follow Us on Social Media Facebook Instagram Youtube Keep in Touch Regent College Summer Programs Regent College Newsletter

The Regent College Podcast top faculty fan Dr. Prabo Mihindukulasuriya joined Claire and Rachel to talk about his upcoming summer class, “Ten Classics from Pre-Modern African and Asian Christianity” (June 30 - July 4). In the conversation, he discusses Syriac Christianity and its long and rich history in the East before the arrival of Western missionaries and the beginnings of the colonial period. He mentions some of his favourite texts from the Syriac tradition, different mediums for communicating theology (such as poetry), the challenges and opportunities of contextualization and the coexistence of Christianity with Islam and Buddhism in the region. Prabo’s infectious excitement is evident, and we hope it encourages you to join us this summer! BioDr. Prabo Mihindukulasuriya is Assistant Professor of the History of Christianity here at Regent College. He joined the faculty in 2022 after two decades of service at Colombo Theological Seminary (CTS) in Sri Lanka. He earned his Master of Christian Studies (MCS) from Regent College and completed his PhD at the University of Colombo. Dr. Mihindukulasuriya's areas of expertise encompass the history of Christianity, global Christianity, intercultural encounters, and the history of lay leadership in the Church. He has also contributed to discussions on the history of Christianity in South Asia.Previous Podcast AppearancesHistory of Christianity in South AsiaRegent College Podcast Thanks for listening. Please like, rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice and share this episode with a friend. Follow Us on Social Media Facebook Instagram Youtube Keep in Touch Regent College Summer Programs Regent College Newsletter

Dr. Gordon T. Smith, a renowned Canadian theologian and educator, dives deep into the complexities of vocation and human agency. He discusses the nuances of navigating vocational disappointments and emphasizes the importance of resilience. Gordon explores the balance between multiple callings, the significance of saying no, and the integration of manual and intellectual labor. He encourages listeners to embrace companionship on their journeys, highlighting how faith and work intertwine in fostering personal and communal growth.

Claire and Rachel caught up with Arts students Mo Hickman and Freeman Lam to discuss their Integrative Projects in the Arts and Theology (IPIAT). Freeman and Mo reflect on the integration of arts and theology in their respective projects, share detailed insights from their creative work and academic reflections, and recall the gifts and joys of being part of the Arts community at Regent. Mo has written and will perform a spoken word piece, while Freeman has created three spectacular robes that will be displayed in the Dal Schindell Gallery later this spring. Listen in to find out more about the theological significance of their art!BioMo Hickman is completing her MATS at Regent College with a concentration in Christianity and the Arts. Her final project is a "Word and Kitchen Table Party" inspired by her research on preaching through spoken word poetry. She is Canadian and has moved from coast to coast. She serves as the Associate Pastor of Creative Community at Vancouver First Church of the Nazarene. Mo is passionate about offering a hopeful story to a hurting world.Freeman Yan Nok Lam is a Canadian-born Chinese artist who works mainly with textiles, exploring Traditional Chinese designs and aesthetics in contemporary fashion. For Freeman, textile art provides him with the agency to understand his ethnic identity within a predominantly White-European society. Freeman is interested in exploring art as a point of connection which generates creativity and life within community.Regent College Podcast Thanks for listening. Please like, rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice and share this episode with a friend. Follow Us on Social Media Facebook Instagram Youtube Keep in Touch Regent College Summer Programs Regent College Newsletter

Dr. David Chao joined Claire and Rachel to share about his work in the field of Asian American theology. In this theologically rich conversation, David reflects on his Reformed heritage and systematic theological training, as well as his ethnographic and oral history work on the lived theology of Asian American Christians. David shares personally about the importance of Asian American mental health, reflected in his work on the annual Asian American Mental Health Conference at Princeton Theological Seminary. He also ends with words of encouragement for Asian theology students situated in predominantly White institutions.Bio Dr. David C. Chao is the Director of the Center for Asian American Christianity at Princeton Theological Seminary. In this role, he teaches courses on Asian American theology, organizes academic programming in Asian American theology and ministry, and mentors Asian and Asian American students. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University, a Master of Divinity from Regent College, and both a Master of Theology and a Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary. Dr. Chao has extensive pastoral experience with Chinese American, Korean American, and pan-Asian churches and ministries and is an active member of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Through his academic and pastoral work, Dr. Chao explores the complex identities and lived experiences of Asian American Christians, aiming to amplify their voices and stories, and examining how their faith informs their engagement with social justice, identity, and community resilience. Referenced works1517 ProjectAsian American TheologyRegent College Podcast Thanks for listening. Please like, rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice and share this episode with a friend. Follow Us on Social Media Facebook Instagram Youtube Keep in Touch Regent College Summer Programs Regent College Newsletter

Dr. Steve L. Porter, a Senior Research Fellow at Westmont College, shares profound insights on spiritual formation and transformation. He discusses the conflict between the desire for personal growth and resistance to change, emphasizing that embracing God's transformative love is crucial. Steve highlights the importance of integrating spirituality into community practices, nurturing relationships through prayer, and understanding God's love as foundational for healing. Listeners are encouraged to internalize divine love and support each other in making that love tangible.

In this episode, we talk with Regent alum, Dr. David C. Wang, a pastor, psychologist and professor at Fuller Theological Seminary. We discuss trauma and its manifestations in our lives, in the church and theological institutions. David offers helpful insights and practical implications for those in pastoral ministry and anyone who walks alongside trauma survivors. He shares the gifts traumatized people bring to our churches and suggests ways of being with one another (and ourselves) in our pain.Note: In this conversation, we touch on issues related to trauma, spiritual trauma, and adverse childhood experiences. Please take care and decide whether this is helpful listening for you today.BioDr. David C. Wang is the Cliff and Joyce Penner Chair for the Formation of Emotionally Healthy Leaders at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. He is a licensed psychologist, pastor, and editor of the Journal of Psychology and Theology. David has a PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Houston. He also holds a Th.M. in Spiritual Theology from Regent College. Dr. Wang oversees the Seminary Formation Assessment Project, a program funded by the John Templeton Foundation, which is conducting longitudinal empirical research on the human and spiritual formation of students enrolled in various North American seminaries. Dr. Wang's multivocational career reflects his commitment to integrating psychological principles with spiritual formation to foster emotionally healthy leadership within the Christian community. His academic and applied work has focused on the holistic formation of Christian leaders, emphasizing emotional health and resilience alongside intellectual and spiritual development.Regent College Podcast Thanks for listening. Please like, rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice and share this episode with a friend. Follow Us on Social Media Facebook Instagram Youtube Keep in Touch Regent College Summer Programs Regent College Newsletter

In today’s conversation, the last in our Women in Theology series, we catch up with Regent’s own Library Director and Professor of the History of Christianity, Dr. Cindy Aalders. Cindy has recently published her thesis as a monograph, The Spiritual Lives and Manuscript Cultures of Eighteenth-Century Women (2024). In this conversation, we delve into the archives and lives of Methodist, Baptist and Anglican women in the eighteenth century, seeking to understand their friendship, kinship and spiritual development as demonstrated in their letter-writing and diary entries. Cindy’s work highlights the significant impact of women in relational spheres and religious communities. These women invested deeply in intergenerational friendships and spiritual kinship as they sought to be faithful to God. Cindy reminds us that we can learn much from them today as we strive to support one another in an increasingly isolated world. Cindy also shares her upcoming summer class, Children and Spiritual Identity (June 30–July 4).BioDr. Cindy Aalders is the Director of the John Richard Allison Library and Associate Professor of the History of Christianity at Regent College. She earned a Bachelor of Science from The King's University, a Master of Christian Studies and a Master of Theology in Spiritual Theology from Regent College. She completed her Doctor of Philosophy in History at the University of Oxford in 2014, focusing her research on eighteenth-century British women's spiritual lives and manuscript cultures. Cindy’s doctoral thesis, The Spiritual Lives and Manuscript Cultures of Eighteenth-Century English Women, was recently released by Oxford University Press. She has just returned to Regent from research leave, where she focused on girlhood and religious life in the long eighteenth century, digging through various archives in the process!Cindy's PublicationsThe Spiritual Lives and Manuscript Cultures of Eighteenth-Century Women (2024)To Express the Ineffable: The Hymns and Spirituality of Anne Steele (2009)Previous Podcast AppearancesChild Centred Theology and the Spiritual Formation of Children in the 18th CenturyCalled to Be Friends (with Dr. David Robinson)Friendship Recentred (with Dr. Maxine Hancock)Puritan Treasures (with Jenny-lyn de Klerk)Regent College Podcast Thanks for listening. Please like, rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice and share this episode with a friend. Follow Us on Social Media Facebook Instagram Youtube Keep in Touch Regent College Summer Programs Regent College Newsletter

In our second in this mini-series on Women in Theology, we sit down with a powerhouse in the world of the History of Christianity, Dr. Beth Allison Barr. In her return to the podcast, Beth discusses her new book, Becoming the Pastor’s Wife: How Marriage Replaced Ordination as a Woman's Path to Ministry. Starting with Peter’s wife and walking through early church, Medieval, and Reformation history, we explore the evolving and shifting roles of women in the church. We also examine the roots and implications of contemporary complementarian theology and its influence on the rise of the pastor’s wife as a position of power in the church. Beth focuses on the history within her tradition, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), and reveals the sobering reality of unaddressed clergy abuse which coincided with the revocation of women’s ordination in the SBC in the 1980s.Beth’s book is releasing on March 18, 2025 and will be available in the Regent Bookstore as well as other good bookstores.Note: This episode references clergy abuse and domestic violence. Please take care and determine whether this is beneficial listening for you today. BioDr. Beth Allison Barr is the James Vardaman Endowed Professor of History at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Her research focuses on women and religion in medieval and early modern England, with particular attention to vernacular sermons and devotional literature. In her work, she also examines how the advent of Protestantism affected women in Christianity and explores medieval perceptions of women in religious literature across the Reformation era. PublicationsBecoming the Pastor’s Wife: How Marriage Replaced Ordination as a Woman's Path to Ministry (2025)The Making of Biblical Womanhood (2021)The Pastoral Care of Women in Late Medieval England (2008)Previous Podcast AppearancesThe Cost of Forgetting Women in Church History (April 2024)Regent College Podcast Thanks for listening. Please like, rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice and share this episode with a friend. Follow Us on Social Media Facebook Instagram Youtube Keep in Touch Regent College Summer Programs Regent College Newsletter

We're kicking off Season 6 with a mini-series on Women in Theology! In this episode, we hear from Dr. Janet Soskice, who delivered the 2025 Laing Lectures at Regent (Feb 4-6, 2025) on the topic "God and Creation: An Urgent Teaching for Today." In this engaging conversation, Janet shares about her time as a Regent student, her work on the doctrine of creation and the names of God, and her experience as a woman in theology. BioDr. Janet Martin Soskice is the William K. Warren Distinguished Research Professor of Catholic Theology at Duke Divinity School. Raised in the West Kootenays in British Columbia, Dr. Soskice studied at Regent from 1973-74, before completing her Doctor of Philosophy in the philosophy of religion at the University of Oxford. Dr. Soskice spent over three decades at the University of Cambridge's Faculty of Divinity. Her scholarly work focuses on the intersection of Christian theology and philosophy, with particular interests in religious language, the doctrine of creation, and the role of women in religion. Some of Dr. Soskice's Publications:Naming God: Addressing the Divine in Philosophy, Theology, and Scripture (2023)Sisters of Sinai: How Two Lady Adventurers Discovered the Hidden Gospels (2009)The Kindness of God: Metaphor, Gender and Religious Language (2007)Regent College Podcast Thanks for listening. Please like, rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice and share this episode with a friend. Follow Us on Social Media Facebook Instagram Youtube Keep in Touch Regent College Summer Programs Regent College Newsletter