Trinity Forum Conversations

In the first episode of our weekly Lenten series, we invite you to take a moment to slow down, quiet your heart, and hear what God may be saying to you. Throughout the season of Lent, we'll be releasing weekly episodes focused on themes of reflection, prayer, and contemplation.On March 19, 2021 we were delighted to host Christian author, leader, and teacher, Ruth Haley Barton. Barton is founding President/CEO of the Transforming Center, a ministry dedicated to strengthening the souls of Christian leaders and the congregations and organizations they serve. Ruth is the author of numerous books and resources on the spiritual life, including Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership and Sacred Rhythms. She reflects regularly on spirituality and leadership in her blog, Beyond Words, and on her podcast Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership.We hope you enjoy this conversation around her book, Invitation to Solitude and Silence: Experiencing God’s Transforming Presence. Our attention, Barton believes, has become a commodity that we must protect if we are to avoid being swept away by our distracted age. She invites listeners to engage in these ancient biblical practices to find the rest for our souls that Jesus promises. In this Lenten season, we hope this will inspire you to pursue God’s transforming presence in new ways and contemplatively sit in solitude and silence with the Author and Perfecter of our faith. Learn more about Ruth Haley Barton. Watch the full Online Conversation and read the transcript from March 19, 2021. Related reading:A Shocking Lack of Solitude, Cherie Harder Authors and books mentioned in the conversation:Blaise PascalJohn MiltonC.S. LewisRichard RohrDallas WillardHenry NouwenShop Class as Soulcraft, by Matthew B. CrawfordRabbi Abraham Joshua HeschelJulian of NorwichInvitation to Solitude and Silence: Experiencing God's Transforming Presence, by Ruth Haley Barton Related Trinity Forum Readings:Confessions | A Trinity Forum Reading by St. Augustine, introduced by James K.A. Smith.Pilgrim at Tinker Creek | A Trinity Forum Reading by Annie Dillard, introduced by Tish Harrison Warren.Devotions | A Trinity Forum Reading by John Donne, introduced and paraphrased by Philip Yancey.The Long Loneliness | A Trinity Forum Reading by Dorothy Day, introduced by Anne and David Brooks.Wrestling with God | A Trinity Forum Reading by Simone Weil, introduced by Alonzo McDonald.The Pilgrim's Progress | A Trinity Forum Reading by John Bunyan, introduced by Alonzo McDonald.

How Christianity Remade the WorldIn the context of the pagan classical world, the Christian faith was a shocking, even unfathomable inversion of the values systems and structures of the time. In that embattled context, its explosive growth was unimaginable. Today, however, Christianity is often considered boring or backwards.How might we better discern and understand the radicalism of Christianity’s origins, its impact through the centuries, and its enduring formational power? Historian Tom Holland’s landmark book Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World, calls attention to these puzzles and paradoxes:”Dominion was written as an attempt to stress test my hunch that Christianity really had been the most seismic and revolutionary development, not just really in the history of the West, but probably globally. And  I'm relieved to say that I was satisfied that it had been what I was setting out to show that it had been.” - Tom HollandWe trust this conversation will fire your imagination anew, and help you see with new eyes how the inverted values and priorities of God’s kingdom continue to disrupt the patterns of the world, and shape our cultural assumptions.This podcast is an edited version of our Online Conversation recorded in February, 2025. You can access the full conversation with transcript here.Learn more about Tom Holland.To listen to this or any of our episodes in full, visit ttf.org/podcast and to join the Trinity Forum Society and help make content like this possible, join the Trinity Forum SocietyEpisode Outline00:00 Introduction to Dominion and Tom Holland03:09 Tom Holland's Journey to Writing Dominion03:48 The Alien World of Classical Antiquity06:32 The Impact of Christianity on Western Civilization07:33 The Crucifixion and its Historical Significance10:42 The Uncanny Character of Jesus13:13 Early Christian Persecution and Martyrdom16:59 Paul's Radical Teachings and their Legacy21:37 The Doctrine of Original Sin and Human Dignity27:51 Christianity's Influence on Modern Politics32:17 Tom Holland's Personal Reflections on Christianity36:38 Viewer Questions on American Politics and Christianity’s Influence on the Family, Modern Politics, and More49:50 Tom’s Closing Thoughts and White Tiger, by Poet RS ThomasAuthors and books mentioned in the conversation:The Rest is History (podcast)The Histories by Herodotus, translation by Tom HollandRubicon, Millennium, Persian Fire, Pax, Dominion, by Tom HollandThe City of God, by St. Augustine of HippoRelated Trinity Forum Readings:City of God, by St. Augustine of Hippo The Strangest Story in the World, by GK ChestertonWhy God Became Man, by Anselm of CanterburyA Practical View of Real Christianity, by William WilberforceRelated Conversations:

Suffering, Wayfaring & Hope with Curt Thompson and Warren KinghornAnxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges are surging among both young and old. By some estimates, more than one in five American adults struggle with some form of mental illness each year. There are few untouched – either directly or through loved ones – with the suffering that attends such struggles. What does faith offer those in the midst of such challenges?Warren Kinghorn and Curt Thompson, both practicing Christian psychiatrists, join our podcast to help explore these questions. Warren’s book, Wayfaring: A Christian Approach to Mental Health Care, draws from the theology of Thomas Aquinas as well as the science of today. Curt’s latest book, The Deepest Place: Suffering and the Formation of Hope, draws from the Apostle Paul’s experience to show us how we can flourish in the midst of suffering. Together, they help us to reframe our understanding of mental health care from fixing machines to accompanying fellow wayfarers on the way to the Lord’s feast:“There's a lot of really good things about thinking about mental health care as a process of careful work to reduce symptoms. But what are we missing?“I think some of what we're missing are the stories that people bring in and the stories, not just of individuals, but of communities and cultures…Maybe they're not just internal problems where something's broken and needs to be fixed, but maybe we need to think about it in a broader and more holistic context.”- Warren KinghornWe trust this podcast will give you new language, compassion, and tools to address mental health challenges, and to wayfare alongside loved ones who may also be struggling.This podcast is an edited version of our Online Conversation recorded in January, 2025. You can access the full conversation with transcript here.Learn more about Warren Kinghorn and Curt Thompson.Episode Outline0:00 Introduction: The Mental Health Crisis00:51 Meet the Experts: Curt Thompson and Warren Kinghorn03:58 The Power of Stories in Mental Health07:13 Reframing Mental Health: From Machines to Wayfarers15:55 The Role of Community in Healing35:50 Q&A: Addressing Shame, Community, and Healing55:36 The Last Word from Warren Kinghorn and Curt ThompsonAuthors and books mentioned in the conversation: The Deepest Place, by Curt ThompsonWayfaring, by Warren KinghornSt. Thomas Aquinas Anatomy of the Soul, by Curt ThompsonThe Soul of Shame, by Curt ThompsonThe Soul of Desire: Discovering the Neuroscience of Longing, Beauty, and Community, by Curt ThompsonThompsonWendell BerryJohn C. PolanyiJulianne Holt-LunstadRelated Trinity Forum Readings:On Happiness, St. Thomas AquinasMan's Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl,Confessions, by St. Augustine The Long Loneliness, by Dorothy DayPilgrim's Progress, by John BunyanPilgrim at Tinker Creek, by Annie DillardRelated Conversations:The Soul of Desire with Curt ThompsonHope and Healing in Hard Times with Curt ThompsonTo listen to this or any of our episodes in full, visit ttf.org/podcast and to join the Trinity Forum Society and help make content like this possible, join the Trinity Forum SocietySpecial thanks to Ned Bustard for our podcast artwork.

The Strangest Story in the World: G.K. Chesterton & the IncarnationC.S. Lewis famously credited G.K. Chesterton’s The Everlasting Man as a key step in his turn from atheism to Christian faith. The book audaciously surveyed the broad sweep of human history, then zeroed in on the Incarnation of Christ. How, Chesterton asked, could such a mysterious and startling event come to be known as the center point of history? And how did this intellectual mystic offer a fresh path into this story for so many? In this episode, we dive into one of Chesterton’s greatest works and explore the mystery of the incarnation of Jesus Christ alongside Dale Ahlquist, one of the world’s leading experts on G.K. Chesterton:“Philosophy and religion come together for the first time when Jesus comes. Why is that so strange? Because the spiritual life and the intellectual life have finally run into each other in a big way. And how does it come? It comes in the most unexpected way possible.”Our 100th podcast episode illustrates what we do here at the Trinity Forum: keeping the Christian intellectual tradition alive, while also nurturing new growth – for our own time, and for future generations.This podcast is an edited version of our Online Conversation recorded in 2024. You can access the full conversation with transcript here.Learn more about Dale Ahlquist.Authors and books mentioned in the conversation: The Everlasting Man, by G.K. ChestertonC.S. LewisEvelyn Waugh G. K. Chesterton: The Apostle of Common Sense, by Dale Ahlquist Orthodoxy, by G.K. ChestertonThe Everlasting Man: A Guide to G.K. Chesterton’s Masterpiece, by Dale AhlquistGeorge MacDonaldC.S. LewisCharles DickensWilliam ShakespeareJ.R.R. TolkienThe Benedict Option, by Rod DreherAlan JacobsH.G. Wells Roger Kipling George Bernard ShawRelated Trinity Forum Readings:The Strangest Story in the World, by G.K. ChestertonBright Evening Star’, by Madeleine L’EngleBabbette’s Feast, by Isak DinesenThe Gift of the Magi & Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen, by O. Henry Why God Became Man, by AnselmThe Spirit of the Imagination: Selections from Samuel Taylor Coleridge, with an introduction by Malcolm GuiteHandel's Messiah The Oracle of the Dog, by G.K. ChestertonThe Golden Key, by George McDonaldRelated Conversations:Waiting on the Word with Malcolm GuiteAdvent: The Season of Hope, with Tish Harrison WarrenRenewing the Joy of Advent, with Hannah AndersonTo listen to this or any of our episodes in full, visit ttf.org/podcast and to join the Trinity Forum Society and help make content like this possible, join the Trinity Forum SocietySpecial thanks to Ned Bustard for our podcast artwork.

Perfectly Human with Amy Julia BeckerWe live in a time when our value is often assessed and affirmed largely in terms of our productivity. Entire industries are built around pushing us to optimize our output, maximize our results, unlock our potential, break barriers and records, and perform perpetually at peak. Often drowned out by the din of such appeals is the simple truth that to be human is to be limited, vulnerable, and mortal. And for many of us, such limitations are impossible to ignore. Today's episode features our recent conversation with award winning writer and speaker, Amy Julia Becker, who addresses questions about what it means to be perfectly human, and what understanding disability reveals to us:"To see disability in terms of brokenness is to really misunderstand, I think, this idea of human limitation. [And] also to misunderstand ourselves as beloved, as ones who do not need to produce or perform in order to be acceptable to God, for certain, but even to one another. But instead to be able to actually start from a place of belovedness and move into the world from that place with our limitations but also with an assumption that we have gifts to offer, which might look really, really different from one person to the next.” - Amy Julia BeckerWe hope this conversation helps you wrestle with questions of human limitations, perfection, and our belovedness before God, as we consider anew what constitutes the good life.This podcast is an edited version of an online conversation recorded in March of 2024. Watch the full video of the conversation here, and learn more about Amy Julia Becker.Authors and books mentioned in the conversation:To Be Made Well: An Invitation to Wholeness, Healing, and Hope, by Amy Julia BeckerRelated Trinity Forum Readings:Babette's Feast by Isak DinesenBright Evening Star by Madeleine L'EngleWrestling with God by Simone WeilBulletins from Immortality poems by Emily DickinsonLetters from Vincent Van GoghRelated Conversations:A Life Worth Living with Miroslav VolfWhat Really Matters with Charlie Peacock and Andi AshworthLife, Death, Poetry & Peace with Philip YanceyWords Against Despair with Christian WimanTo listen to this or any of our episodes in full, visit ttf.org/podcast and to help make content like this possible, join the Trinity Forum SocietySpecial thanks to Ned Bustard for our podcast artwork.

Practicing the Way with John Mark ComerThe start of a new year prompts the reflection that if we are not intentionally modeling our life after Jesus, we are likely being formed by something or someone else. Adrift in the cultural current, we're likely to be carried to places we never consciously chose and wonder how we got there.In Practicing the Way, John Mark Comer explores what it means in our times to be a disciple of Jesus -- to be with him, to become like him, and to do as he did:“ It seems to me that the telos of the spiritual journey in the Christian way is becoming a person of love through deepening union with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit…It's the two greatest commandments: love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself, that Jesus put at the center of apprenticeship to him.” - John Mark ComerWe hope this conversation encourages you to move slowly as you abide with Jesus this year, and by his grace are transformed into a person of deeper love, joy, and peace.This podcast is an edited version of a conversation recorded in 2024. Learn more about John Mark Comer.Episode outline00:00 Introduction to Practicing the Way01:00 Formation is Inevitable02:26 John Mark Comer's Background and Influences05:21 Evangelical Discipleship and the Influence of Dallas Willard08:05 From Burnout to the Inner Journey11:26 Being Christian and Being an Apprentice of Jesus21:04 The Destructive Power of Hurry, and the Pace of Love26:13 The Practice of Contemplation and Abiding33:17 Final Thoughts and PrayerAuthors and books mentioned in the conversation:The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, Live No Lies, God Has a Name, Garden City, Practicing the Way, all by John Mark ComerDivine Conspiracy, by Dallas WillardJacques PhilippeSt. ThereseN.T. WrightGary HaugenRobert BellahMother TeresaDorothy DayFrancis ChanJohn StottThree Mile an Hour God, Kosuki KoyamaMary Oliver Marjorie ThompsonKurt ThompsonBrennan ManningRelated Trinity Forum Readings:Augustine's Confessions, with an introduction by James K. A. SmithBright Evening Star, by Madeleine L’EngleA Practical View of Real Christianity, by William WilberforceWrestling with God, by Simone WeilPilgrim's Progress, by John BunyanPilgrim at Tinker Creek, by Annie DillardWhy God Became Man, by St. AnselmRelated Conversations:Making as a Spiritual Practice with Mako FujimuraWriting as a Spiritual Practice with Jonathan Rogers, Tish Harrison Warren, and Doug McKelveyWalking as a Spiritual Practice with Mark BuchananTo listen to this or any of our episodes in full, visit ttf.org/podcast and to help make content like this possible, join the Trinity Forum SocietySpecial thanks to Ned Bustard for our podcast artwork.

On Friday, December 18, 2020, in partnership with Regent College, The Rabbit Room, and The C.S. Lewis Foundation we were delighted to host the renowned poet, singer-songwriter, and Anglican priest Malcom Guite for a conversation about his work of poetry, Waiting on the Word.Learn more about Malcolm Guite. Watch the full Online Conversation and read the transcript from December 2020. Authors and books mentioned in the conversation:Waiting on the Word, Malcolm GuiteAs You Like It, ShakespeareJohn MiltonRobert Louis StevensonC.S. LewisSamuel Taylor ColeridgeChristmas, by John BetjemanNorth, by Seamus HeaneySt. John of the CrossA Midsummer Night's Dream, ShakespeareThe Forge, by Seamus HeaneyO Sapientia, Malcolm GuiteThomas ClarksonGeorge HerbertThe Apologist's Evening Prayer, C.S. LewisThe Agonie, by George HerbertJohn DonneGerard Manley HopkinsStation Island XI, Seamus Heaney and St. John of the CrossAdam CrothersThe Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. LewisIn the Bleak Midwinter, Christina RossettiIn Drear Nighted December, by John KeatsAlfred, Lord TennysonWilliam WordsworthSteve BellJack RedfordT.S. EliotHebrew Melodies, Lord ByronPercy Bysshe ShelleyGeoffrey Chaucer Related Trinity Forum Readings:Devotions, by John Donne and paraphrased by Philip YanceyGod’s Grandeur: The Poems of Gerard Manley HopkinsFour Quartets, by T.S. Eliot with an introduction by Makoto Fujimura Related Conversations:Lecture given by Malcolm for the C.S. Lewis FoundationLaing Lectures given by Malcolm at Regent CollegeSteve Bell & Malcolm Guite: Live at the West End Special thanks to Ned Bustard for the artwork and Andrew Peterson for the music.

Heaven & Nature Sing with Hannah AndersonAdvent invites us to enter into the joy of the season through rhythms of remembrance, renewal, and waiting. But often, our very familiarity with the Advent story can leave us dulled to the miracle and joy of the season.In her book of Advent reflections, Heaven and Nature Sing, author Hannah Anderson invites us all into a fresh reading of the Christmas story by drawing together 25 meditations on the beauty of creation:“What I believe creation invites us back to is reorienting ourselves, not only to God, but to our environment and perhaps even to our own bodies and to ourselves. And so when we are giving our attention to the patterns and rhythms and cycles of creation it has the potential to be an access point for some deeper truths that maybe we've forgotten or we've overlooked.” - Hannah AndersonThis podcast is an edited version of a conversation recorded in fall of 2022. Learn more about Hannah Anderson.Episode outline00:00 Welcome and Introduction to Advent01:51 Introducing Hannah Anderson and Her Work02:28 The Inspiration Behind 'Heaven and Nature Sing'04:39 Attentiveness to Creation and Its Lessons07:57 The Link Between Caring for Creation and Others11:58 The Legend of the First Christmas Tree15:27 Jesus' Birth and the Concept of Habitat19:11 The Brutality and Honesty of Nature22:49 Reconnecting with Nature in Modern Times26:49 Practical Steps to Attune to Nature29:32 Closing Thoughts and Poem31:07 Final Farewell and Podcast InformationAuthors and books mentioned in the conversation:All That's Good: Recovering the Lost Art of Discernment, by Hannah AndersonThe Turning of Days: Lessons from Nature, Season, and Spirit, by Hannah AndersonHeaven and Nature Sing, by Hannah AndersonAn Immense World, by Ed YongRelated Trinity Forum Readings:Bright Evening Star, by Madeleine L’EnglePilgrim at Tinker Creek, by Annie DillardBabette’s Feast, by Isak DinesenA Christmas Carol, by Charles DickensThe Gift of the Magi and Two Thanksgiving Gentlemen, by O. HenryGod’s Grandeur: the Poems of Gerard Manley HopkinsRelated Conversations:Waiting on the Word, with Malcolm GuiteJoy to the World: Caroling Christmas and Christian Formation, with Keith GettyAdvent: The Season of Hope, with Tish Harrison WarrenTo listen to this or any of our episodes in full, visit ttf.org/podcast and to help make content like this possible, join the Trinity Forum Society.

Abraham Kuyper’s Sphere Sovereignty with Vincent BacoteIn this episode of the Trinity Forum Conversations podcast, host Brian Daskam and guest Dr. Vincent Bacote explore Dutch theologian Abraham Kuyper’s contributions to Reformed theology, with particular emphasis on his concept of sphere sovereignty:“Kuyper helps us to see that we can be Christian in public spaces without having to turn those public spaces into churches and that we don't have to have a triumphalistic aspiration in order to be faithful in those spaces.” - Dr. Vincent Bacote Kuyper believed that different domains of life, such as church, government, education, and family, each have their own integrity and should operate independently within their God-given roles. As Dr. Bacote argues, Kuyper's ideas can help modern Christians engage more faithfully and imaginatively in public life without succumbing to triumphalism or tribalism. They also address Kuyper's controversial views on race and how to critically appreciate his positive contributions despite his flaws.This podcast is an edited version of a conversation recorded in fall of 2024. Learn more about Vincent Bacote.00:00 Introducing Dr. Vincent Bacote, professor and Trinity Forum Senior Fellow00:57 Who is Abraham Kuyper?01:54 Understanding Kuyper’s Concept of Sphere Sovereignty04:33 Sphere Sovereignty in Practice14:35 Kuyper's Views on Race21:36 Applying Kuyper's Ideas Today32:10 Vince’s Thoughts on Christians Shaping CultureAuthors and books mentioned in the conversation:The Spirit in Public Theology, Appropriating the Legacy of Abraham Kuyper, by Vincent BacoteContours of the Kuyperian tradition, by Craig BartholomewRelated Trinity Forum Readings:Sphere SovereigntyWrestling with God, Simone WeilChildren of Light and Children of Darkness, by Reinhold NiebuhrPolitics, Morality, and Civility,  by Vaclav HavelThe Origins of Totalitarianism, by Hannah ArendtThe Federalist PapersA Practical View of Real Christianity, by William Wilberforce,Who Stands Fast? by Dietrich BonhoefferRelated Conversations:Hope Beyond Tribalism with James MumfordFaith, Fear & Conspiracy with David FrenchThe Fall, the Founding and the Future of American DemocracyHow to Be a Patriotic ChristianExtremism and the Path Back to Peace with Elizabeth NeumannDemocracy & Solidarity with James Davison Hunter and David BrooksTo listen to this or any of our episodes in full, visit ttf.org/podcast and to help make content like this possible, join the Trinity Forum SocietySpecial thanks to Ned Bustard for our podcast artwork.

Democracy & Solidarity with James Davison Hunter and David BrooksOne of the biggest questions in the Christian life is what it means to love one's neighbor, both in the personal and the public spheres. While these questions have always been challenging and contested, they seem to have grown increasingly divisive and demoralizing.So how do we begin to restore and reweave solidarity and a love for neighbor into our civic fabric?Today's episode features our recent evening conversation with sociologist and author James Davision Hunter and cultural critic and author David Brooks. Together they help us explore the cultural roots of America's crisis of solidarity, and what it may mean to move together towards a renewed commitment to the common good.“Until we understand the depth that the enemy is in fact not the other side, but in fact the enemy is the nihilism that insinuates itself within almost all of our public institutions, and not least our political institutions, we're really not taking the full measure of the crisis in front of us.” - James Davison HunterWe hope this conversation helps you consider how you’re engaging in relationships, and how the smallest acts of seeing another person and listening to their story can help begin to restore our social fabric and establish new cultural norms.This podcast is an edited version of an online conversation recorded in September of 2024. Watch the full video of the conversation here, and learn more about James Davison Hunter and David Brooks.Authors and books mentioned in the conversation:Culture Wars by James Davison HunterThe Death of Character by James Davison HunterScience and the Good by James Davison HunterTo Change the World by James Davison HunterDemocracy and Solidarity by James Davison HunterThe Social Animal by David BrooksThe Road to Character by David BrooksThe Second Mountain by David BrooksHow to Know a Person by David BrooksGeorge MarsdenAristotleThe Public Philosophy, by Walter LippmanArthur SchlesingerJohn BowlbyParker PalmerDavid HumeEdmund BurkeEddie HillisonSimone WeilMother TheresaAmerican Politics: The Promise of Disharmony, by Sam HuntingtonClarence ThomasThe Upswing, by Robert PutnamHoward UsockNicholas EpleyThe Communist ManifestoRelated Trinity Forum Readings:Wrestling with God, Simone WeilChildren of Light and Children of Darkness, by Reinhold NiebuhrPolitics, Morality, and Civility,  by Vaclav HavelThe Origins of Totalitarianism, by Hannah ArendtThe Federalist PapersA Practical View of Real Christianity, by William Wilberforce,Who Stands Fast? by Dietrich BonhoefferRelated Conversations:Hope Beyond Tribalism with James MumfordFaith, Fear & Conspiracy with David FrenchThe Fall, the Founding and the Future of American DemocracyHow to Be a Patriotic ChristianExtremism and the Path Back to Peace with Elizabeth NeumannTo listen to this or any of our episodes in full, visit ttf.org/podcast and to help make content like this possible, join the Trinity Forum SocietySpecial thanks to Ned Bustard for our podcast artwork.