Trinity Forum Conversations

Charlie Peacock and Andi Ashworth discuss the importance of love over measurability in life. They highlight the value of small aspects like cooking, music, and family matters. The conversation centers on redefining success as fruitfulness through trust in God's path. They explore writing as a tool for self-learning and the intersection of vocation, art, and hospitality.

Delving into the concept of pluralism, the podcast explores how Christians can navigate a world of differences with love and faithfulness. It discusses the importance of reconciliation and sharing the gospel, emphasizing unity and hope amidst societal divisions. The conversation also touches on bridging generational gaps within the faith community and the role of peaceful protests in promoting social justice and love.

The relentless pull and pressure of partisan antagonisms and tribalism have fractured friendships, families, communities — and churches. In a time of conflict over what is good and confusion over what is true, what can church leaders do to cultivate a more faithful form of civic engagement? How can we learn to discern the call to love and justice amidst the clamor of political wars?On our latest podcast, three wise men, as Cherie affectionately calls them, address these pressing questions. Curtis Chang, David French, and Russell Moore are each writers, scholars, and thinkers who have made courageous and insightful contributions towards a better Christian politics and we’re delighted to share their comments from an evening conversation in 2023 with you:“Be of great hope. Because the after party is coming…It's the wedding feast of the lamb when Jesus returns to cleanse his church, made spotless. And in that moment, the restoration not of the church, but of the world at war where the swords are beaten into plowshares, the spears into pruning hooks. That's the after party that's coming. So if you know how the story ends, how can we not have great hope? - Curtis ChangThis podcast is an edited version of an evening conversation recorded in early 2023. Watch the full video of the conversation here, and learn more about Curtis Chang, David French, and Russell Moore.Authors and books mentioned in the conversation:Divided We Fall, by David FrenchThe Courage to Stand, Facing Your Fear Without Losing Your Soul, by Russell MooreOnward: Engaging the Culture without Losing the Gospel, by Russell MooreThe Storm Tossed Family: How the Cross Reshapes the Home, by Russell MooreLosing our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical Christians, by Russell MooreThe Anxiety Opportunity, by Curtis ChangErnest HemmingwayThe Big Sort, by Bill BishopCass SunsteinConstitution of Knowledge, by Jonathan RauchThe Moviegoer, by Walker PercyThe Righteous Mind, by Jonathan HaidtHigh Conflict, by Amanda RipleyRelated Trinity Forum Readings:The Federalist PapersCity of God, by Augustine of Hippo

Theologian Miroslav Volf reflects on a flourishing life, emphasizing the importance of deep reflection and action. He discusses the possibility of finding happiness despite human suffering and explores the essence of a fulfilling life. Volf's insights from his popular Yale course delve into what truly matters in our emotions, circumstances, and actions.

The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory with Tim AlbertaAmerican Christians are certainly not immune to the anger, division, and fear that characterize our political moment. For many, the prospect of another election year is a source of dread or of numb exhaustion; others have responded with aggression or defensiveness.On our podcast, author and journalist Tim Alberta encourages us toward a better media diet, and to remember where our true allegiance lies:“I would pray alongside of you that in our political and civic engagement, no matter who it is that we ultimately vote for, no matter what policies we support, that our allegiance is never to the Donkeys or to the Republicans. Our allegiance is never to a political figure.“We have a king, we have a kingdom, and the best way for us to retain our saltiness is to prioritize that allegiance and that allegiance alone.”We hope this conversation, coming in a heated election year and at a time of great political import for our nation, is, in fact, a kind of spiritual balm to you. May Tim’s guidance help us to retain our distinctiveness as we engage in the public square for the common good.This podcast is an edited version of an online conversation recorded in early 2024. Watch the full video of the conversation here, and learn more about Tim Alberta.Authors and books mentioned in the conversation:American Carnage, by Tim AlbertaThe Kingdom, the Power and the Glory, American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism, by Tim AlbertaRush LimbaughRobert JeffressRelated Trinity Forum Readings:Children of Light and The Children of Darkness, by Reinhold NiebuhrCity of God, by AugustinePolitics, Morality and Civility, by Václav HavelRelated Conversations:A New Year With The Word with Malcolm GuiteMusic, Creativity & Justice with Ruth Naomi FloydPursuing Humility with Richard Foster and Brenda QuinnReading as a Spiritual Practice with Jessica Hooten WilsonWalking as a Spiritual Practice with Mark BuchananMaking as a Spiritual Practice with Makoto FujimuraConnecting Spiritual Formation & Public Life with Michael WearTo 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.

Connecting Spiritual Formation and Public Life with Michael WearIn the midst of what is proving to be a frustrating, fractious, and even frightening election year, how can Christians best respond to the situation in front of us, and how can we offer a positive contribution to our common life?Drawing on the life and work of the late philosopher Dallas Willard, Michael Wear helps us explore what true spiritual formation could mean for the reformation of our polarized political life:“We need to retrieve a sense that we live in a moral universe in which moral decisions are not optional. We make moral decisions all of the time, and our politics is actually not absent of moral assertion. “You could say our politics today is actually more robustly full of moral assertions than it has been at any other time this century.”We trust that you’ll be encouraged by Michael’s call to gentleness in our politics and his practical suggestions of Christian practices that help orient our hearts in the midst of cultural confusion and political fractiousness.This podcast is an edited version of an online conversation recorded in early 2024. Watch the full video of the conversation here, and learn more about Michael Wear.Authors and books mentioned in the conversation:The Divine Conspiracy, by Dallas WillardReclaiming Hope, by Michael WearThe Spirit of our Politics, by Michael WearChristian SmithAmerican Grace, by David Campbell and Robert PutnamThe Allure of Gentleness, by Dallas WillardEitan HershThe Spirit of the Disciplines, by Dallas WillardRelated Trinity Forum Readings:Abraham Lincoln: The Spiritual Growth of a Public ManLetter from Birmingham Jail, by Martin Luther King Jr.City of God, by AugustinePolitics, Morality and Civility, by Václav HavelRelated Conversations:A New Year With The Word with Malcolm GuiteMusic, Creativity & Justice with Ruth Naomi FloydPursuing Humility with Richard Foster and Brenda QuinnReading as a Spiritual Practice with Jessica Hooten WilsonWalking as a Spiritual Practice with Mark BuchananMaking as a Spiritual Practice with Makoto FujimuraTo 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.

Making as a Spiritual Practice with Makoto FujimuraIf at the center of reality is a God whose love is a generative, creative force, how do humans made in God’s image begin to reflect this beauty and love in a world rent by brokenness and ugliness?As Mako argues on our latest podcast, it’s in the act of making that we are able to experience the depth of God’s being and grace, and to realize an integral part of our humanity:“Love, by definition, is something that goes way outside of utilitarian values and efficiencies and industrial bottom lines. It has to…and when we love, I think we make.  That's just the way we are made, and we respond to that making. So we make, and then when we receive that making, we make again.”Artistry and creativity are not just formative, but even liturgical in that they shape our understanding of, orientation towards, and love for, both the great creator and his creation.We hope you’re encouraged in your making this Lenten season that the God who created you in his image delights in your delight.If this podcast inspires you, and you’re so inclined, we’d love to see what you create, be that a painting, a meal, a poem, or some other loving, artistic expression. Feel free to share it with us by tagging us on your favorite social platform.This podcast is an edited version of an online conversation recorded in 2021. Watch the full video of the conversation here, and learn more about Makoto Fujimura.Authors and books mentioned in the conversation:Art + Faith: A Theology of Making, by Makoto FujimuraWilliam BlakeVincent VanGoghN. T. WrightEsther MeekJaques PépinBruce HermanMartin Luther King Jr.The Gift, byLewis HydeAmanda GoldmanT. S. EliotCalvin SilveDavid BrooksRelated Trinity Forum Readings:Babette's Feast, by Isak DinesenFour Quartets, by T.S. EliotPilgrim’s Progress, by John BunyanPilgrim at Tinker Creek, by Annie DillardGod’s Grandeur, by Gerard Manley HopkinsRelated Conversations:A New Year With The Word with Malcolm GuiteMusic, Creativity & Justice with Ruth Naomi FloydPursuing Humility with Richard Foster and Brenda QuinnReading as a Spiritual Practice with Jessica Hooten WilsonWalking as a Spiritual Practice with Mark BuchananTo 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.

What does it mean to walk with God? The spiritual life is so often described as a walk, journey, or pilgrimage that it can be easy to dismiss the practice of walking as a mere metaphor.But in God Walk, author, pastor, and professor Mark Buchanan explores the way that the act of walking has profound implications for followers of the Way.Buchanan reflects on the ways in which walking can be both a spiritual practice and a means by which we can deepen our connection to the earth beneath us, our fellow travelers, and the God we worship:“Hurry is the enemy of attentiveness. And so love as attentiveness is listening and caring and noticing, cherishing, savoring, being awestruck, these things that we feel in a relationship. I am deeply loved by this person because they notice me. I think that that’s how God’s built it. And we can’t get that if we’re moving too fast, if we’re in a hurry.”We hope you’re encouraged this Lenten season as you learn to walk at godspeed, seeing this embodied act as a profoundly spiritual practice.This podcast is an edited version of an online conversation recorded in 2023. Watch the full video of the conversation here, and learn more about Mark Buchanan.Authors and books mentioned in the conversation:AristotleSøren KierkegaardJean-Jacques RousseauGod Walk, by Mark BuchananSimone WeilThe Three Mile an Hour God, by Kosaku KoyamaWanderlust: A History of Walking, by Rebecca SolnitKnowing God, J.I. PackerKai MillerRelated Trinity Forum Readings:Pilgrim’s Progress, by John BunyanPilgrim at Tinker Creek, by Annie DillardGod’s Grandeur, by Gerard Manley HopkinsLong Walk to Freedom, by Nelson MandelaBrave New World, by Alduous HuxleyRelated Conversations:A New Year With The Word with Malcolm GuiteMusic, Creativity & Justice with Ruth Naomi FloydPursuing Humility with Richard Foster and Brenda QuinnReading as a Spiritual Practice with Jessica Hooten WilsonTo 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 Society.Special thanks to Ned Bustard for our podcast artwork.

What if we viewed reading as not just a personal hobby or a pleasurable indulgence but as a spiritual practice that deepens our faith?In her book, Reading for the Love of God, award-winning author and Trinity Forum Senior Fellow Jessica Hooten Wilson explores how Christian thinkers—including Augustine, Julian of Norwich, Frederick Douglass, and Dorothy Sayers—approached the act of reading.She argues that reading deeply and well can not only open a portal to a broader imagination, but is akin to acquiring travel supplies for the good life:“What I'm hoping to see more of is that the church becomes again those people of the book that really try to make others belong and strive for a deeper connection, versus the party atmosphere that our world always is tempting us to do.”We hope you’re encouraged this Lenten season as you learn to read as a spiritual practice, finding grace and wisdom for living well along the way.This podcast is an edited version of an online conversation recorded in 2023. Watch the full video of the conversation here, and learn more about Jessica Hooten Wilson.Authors and books mentioned in the conversation:Learning the Good Life: Wisdom from the Great Hearts and Minds That Came Before, by Jessica Hooten WilsonGiving the Devil His Due, by Jessica Hooten WilsonThe Scandal of Holiness: Renewing Your Imagination in the Company of Literary Saints, by Jessica Hooten WilsonReading for the Love of God: How to Read as a Spiritual Practice,, by Jessica Hooten WilsonWalker PercyThe Life you Save May Be Your Own, by Flannery O'ConnorFyodor DostoevskyBoethiusAugustineMystery and Manners, by Flannery O’ConnorSt. BasilOrigenPeople of the Book, by David L. JeffreyA History of Reading, by Alberto ManguelJeromeAndy CrouchDana GioiaDorothy SayersRoss DouthatLife Together, by Dietrich BonhoefferJulian of NorwichDante AlighieriEugene PetersonRelated Trinity Forum Readings:Revelation, Flannery O'ConnorThe Narrative of the Life of Frederick DouglassAugustine's ConfessionsThe Grand Inquisitor, by Fyodor DostoyevskyMoses Man of the Mountain, by Zora Neale HurstonGod's Grandeur: the Poems of Gerard Manley HopkinsRelated Conversations:A New Year With The Word with Malcolm GuiteMusic, Creativity & Justice with Ruth Naomi FloydPursuing Humility with Richard Foster and Brenda QuinnTo 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.

Pursuing Humility, with Richard Foster and Brenda QuinnIn an age when self-promotion is often celebrated as a sign of leadership and strength, humility may seem a lost virtue. Or alternatively, a form of moral condolence for the less successful.In his recent work, Learning Humility, theologian Richard Foster argues that humility is actually strength, and that learning humility is more needed than ever. As Foster explains, humility releases us from a preoccupation with self, and allows us to live a life of freedom:“One of the dangers among religious folks is that they can become stuffy bores. And it is hilarity that frees us from that. We don't take ourselves so seriously. We can laugh at our own foibles. If you look carefully… it's not hard to identify humble people. You'll find the freedom that they have to just enjoy life and enjoy other people, enjoy the successes of another person rather than being envious of it. Things like that. And so that's why humility, the most basic of the virtues, opens us up to a life of freedom.”May Foster’s call to humility, and pastor and writer Brenda Quinn’s practical insights on living it out in leadership and community, inspire you this Lenten season to contemplate the humility of Jesus and the way of the cross.This podcast is an edited version of an online conversation recorded in 2022. Watch the full video of the conversation here, and learn more about Richard Foster and Brenda Quinn.Authors and books mentioned in the conversation:Learning Humility, by Richard FosterCelebration of Discipline, by Richard FosterStreams of Living Water, by Richard FosterSanctuary of the Soul, by Richard FosterThe Life With God Bible, contributed to by Richard FosterC.S. LewisTimothy KellerThe Frenzy of RenownRelated Trinity Forum Readings:The Long Loneliness, by Dorothy DayBrave New World, by Aldous HuxleyWho stands Fast, featuring Dietrich BonhoefferBabette's Feast, by Isak DinesenWrestling with God, by Simone Weil Related Conversations:A New Year With The Word with Malcolm GuiteMusic, Creativity & Justice with Ruth Naomi FloydTo 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.