Jonathan Huggins joins us on the podcast today with a sermon for the season of Advent reflecting on peace. How does the Gospel redefine shalom—peace—with God, within ourselves, and with others? How can we maintain relational and psychological rest in our souls when facing the anxiety-producing situations of our modern world? 

For our December episode on books, we, the CPT staff, have been reading (and, on this occasion, watching):

• JRR Tolkien, Return of the King, (1955)
• Mark A. Noll, The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind (1995)
• Stephen King, Carrie (1974)
• Cormac McCarthy, The Border Trilogy, (1999)
• Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen, American Nietzsche: A History of an Icon and His Idea, 2011
• Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin. (2024)

Today, Chris Ganski shares a sermon on Acts 17:1-9. In the wake of the 2024 election, the book of Acts can be an excellent resource to consider the relationship between church and politics. In the context of Acts 17, does Caesar have anything to fear from the church? What is the church, and what does it mean to belong to the church? How does the church’s identity influence our understanding of the gospel as political? This and more on today’s podcast. 

Pastor Caleb Campbell joins the podcast to discuss how pastors might guide their congregations through the results of the 2024 election, drawing from his experience pastoring in Phoenix, AZ. He also discusses his book "Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor." How can we helpfully engage those in their community who align with combative political perspectives? How can pastors support members who are struggling to have conversations with family members, or for whom the election stirs up difficult emotions? This and more on today's episode. 

Douglas Estes joins the podcast once again to discuss the second volume of 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.

Kevin Vanhoozer joins us on the podcast this week to discuss his recent book, Mere Christian Hermeneutics: Transfiguring What It Means to Read the Bible Theologically. Christians across traditions and vocations have wondered what it means to read Scripture faithfully. Are there essential principles for reading the Bible as Scripture everywhere, at all times?  What does it mean to read the Bible “literally”, or to interpret the text theologically? How do we enter the presence of God as we read? All this and more on today's episode!

For our November episode on books, we, the CPT staff, have been reading:

• Claire Keegan, Small Things Like These (2021)

• James Davison Hunter, Democracy and Solidarity: On the Cultural Roots of America's Political Crisis (2024)

• Yuval Noah Harari, Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI (2024)

• Kelly Kapic, You're Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God's Design and Why That's Good News

We are joined on the podcast today by Justin Allison. Justin shares his story of faith and how the Lord has worked through different seasons in his life, from a bout with illness as a child, to serving as a hospital chaplain, and now in his current ministry context.  

This week, Gavin Ortlund joins us to discuss his recent book “What It Means to Be Protestant: The Case for an Always-Reforming Church.”  Many evangelicals have recently begun to explore more sacramental and liturgical church traditions, such as Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism. What underlying desires drive this renewed interest? Can these desires only be met outside of Protestantism? How can the strengths of historical Protestantism aid us when wrestling with issues like the authority of Scripture? What role do platforms like YouTube play in these conversations? All this and more in this week’s episode!

Cory Wilson joins the podcast to tell his story of becoming a pastor theologian. He shares about his work as a missionary in West Africa and how that significantly shaped the trajectory of his life and ministry. What is the nature of theology? Why do we pursue it? And why does it find its home in the church?