The Pastor Theologians Podcast
A Theology Podcast. For the Church.
In a new format for our podcast, we hear a sermon by the Rev. Dr. Cole Hartin preached on Epiphany Sunday in which he calls us to look beyond the ordinary and mundane of the every day to see the mysterious and miraculous work of the triune God who calls and sanctifies his church. We hear from Cole about a theology of liturgy, the role of the sermon in the liturgy of the Episcopal church, the power of baptism, and more!
Douglas Estes joins the podcast to discuss a collection of essays he edited on theology in the works and worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien. We talk about the role of narrative fiction in shaping pastoral theology and how works like The Lord of the Rings can serve those who lead the church in the present day, as well as other topics like why Tolkien disliked allegory, the loss of deep friendships, how Eugene Peterson is like Treebeard, and more!
Kimlyn Bender joins the podcast to discuss the theology of the word and preaching that has formed the context for the Fellowship gatherings of CPT Fellows. We talk about the nature of the word of God and how that relates to preaching, particularly within the context of evangelicalism’s focus on the text of Scripture, expanding particularly on the statement in the Second Helvetic Confession of Faith that the preaching of the word of God is the word of God. Our conversation touches on Karl Barth, Martin Luther, Søren Kierkegaard, authority in the pulpit, the presence of the risen Christ, and more!
Karen Swallow Prior joins the podcast to discuss her recent book The Evangelical Imagination. We discuss the role the imagination—both of the individual and the society at large (i.e. the social imaginary—plays in shaping the church, the difference between worldview and imagination, what it means for us to be enculturated Christians, modernity, literature, and much more!
Collin Hansen joins the podcast to discuss his unique biography of Tim Keller, Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation. We dig deeper into the sources behind Hansen’s biography, the role of biography and scholarship in shaping Keller, his relationship with his wife Kathy, and the particular way Tim lived out the calling of a pastor theologian. All this and much more!
Obbie Tyler Todd joins Joel Lawrence and Zach Wagner to tell his story of how he became a pastor theologian. Along the way he shares his story of coming to faith in Christ, his educational path, and how his training has helped him serve the church. Along the way, the conversation touches such topics as pastoring in a hometown, Kentucky culture, missions in Uganda, studies in Jonathan Edwards, issues of the church and state, difficult decisions in the church, and the opportunities and challenges presented pastors in this day and age.
Obbie Tyler Todd (PhD, New Orleans Baptist University) is pastor of Third Baptist Church in Marion, IL, and adjunct professor of theology at Luther Rice College and Seminary. He is the author of four books, including Southern Edwardseans: The Southern Baptist Legacy of Jonathan Edwards (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2022) and Let Men Be Free: Baptist Politics in the Early United States (1776–1835) (Pickwick, 2022). He is a member of the St. Hildegard Fellowship of the Center for Pastor Theologians.
For our December episode on books we, the CPT staff, have been reading:
Aldous Huxley – Brave New World (1932)
Johann Hari – Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention — and How to Think Deeply Again (2022)
Jim Davis and Michael Graham – The Great DeChurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back? (2023)
P. D. James – The Children of Men (1992)
Leif Enger – Peace Like a River (2002)
Chaim Potok – The Gift of Asher Lev (1990)
Joseph Minich – Bulwarks of Unbelief: Atheism and Divine Absence in a Secular Age (2023)
Patrick J. Deneen – Regime Change: Toward a Postliberal Future (2023)
Rory Stewart – How Not to Be a Politician: A Memoir (2023)
Preaching is an instance of “speaking into the air” (i.e., oral communication), but how effectual is this form of the ministry of the Word? In this 2023 CPT conference message, Dr. Vanhoozer begins by contrasting bully pulpits (an influential public platform from which to persuade) and “kata-pulpits” (speaking “in accordance with” Scripture) and commends the metaphor of the preacher as curator: one who uses the pulpit as a place to exhibit (to preserve, present, and promote) Scripture as the word of God, taking as his “text” Heinrich Bullinger’s claim in the Second Helvetic Confession that “the preaching of the word of God is the word of God.”
Ernest Gray tells his story of growing up in the church and coming to faith as a college student. He shares about the moment he knew the gospel was true, lessons he has learned about discerning the call to ministry, and the path the Lord has led him on since then. Along the way, he discusses anti-intellectualism in the church, the importance of 1 Peter and how this book has particularly shaped his life, the inconvenient nature of the pastorate, lessons from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and much more!
Josh Chatraw joins the podcast to discuss two recent books: The Augustine Way and Surprised by Doubt. Josh talks about how questions from church members led him towards apologetics as a pastor and explains why the pastor theologian Augustine of Hippo provides a helpful model for reframing and pursuing the apologetic task today. Listen now to hear a discussion about such questions as: How does narrative and story help frame apologetics? Why is a robust theological anthropology important for the apologetic task? What do Charles Taylor, Peter Berger, Augustine, and Herman Bavinck have in common? How can an Augustinian apologetic help people navigate deconstruction?
BOOK REVIEW: Taking America Back for God
MICKEY KLINK
PODCAST: Becoming a Pastor Theologian
JOSH STONE
ARTICLE: What Is a Doctor of Ecclesial Theology?
CORY WILSON
Announcing a New Partnership
CPT NEWS UPDATE
