Cardigan and Collar

What do the Lutheran confessions actually do ? In this concluding conversation with Dr. David Luy, hosts Maurice Lee and Nathan Yoder press into some of the most generative questions raised by Dr. Luy's lecture, "Confessions as a Way into Riches." What are the doctrines so essential that to miss them is to lose the whole? What is a creed actually for ? And why might a longer, richer confession act...

What does it mean to be a confessional Lutheran—and why does it matter how you answer that question? In this episode, hosts the Rev. Dr. Maurice Lee and the Rev. Dr. Nathan Yoder sit down with Dr. David Luy to unpack the ideas behind his lecture at the 2025 NALC Clergy Retreat. This is the first of two conversation episodes exploring what Luy calls confessions as "a way into riches"—and why how we...

What does it really mean to carry out ministry in accordance with the creeds and confessions? Is confessionalism just a fence—a list of things we can't say? Or is it something far richer than that? In this episode, Maurice Lee and Nathan Yoder offer an on-ramp into Dr. David Luy's lecture, The Lutheran Confessions: A Way into Riches , originally delivered at the 2025 NALC Clergy Retreat. Nathan in...

What does it mean to be confessional—and why does it matter now? In this season premiere, hosts David Luy and Maurice Lee introduce Season 3 of Cardigan & Collar and the theme that will guide it: the confessions as a way into riches. Drawing on four rich presentations from the North American Lutheran Church's 2025 clergy retreat, David and Maurice unpack the season ahead and begin exploring so...

In the final episode of our Bonhoeffer season, David and Maurice look back on what makes Bonhoeffer’s witness so compelling. They talk about his ability to see reality in full—to hold together truths that others pull apart. From the church’s brokenness and beauty to Christ’s presence in the middle of history’s mess, Bonhoeffer helps us see and live with greater depth, resilience, and hope.

Bonhoeffer once warned that those who love their dream of community more than the community itself destroy it. In this episode, Maurice, David, and Pastor Chip Frontz look closely at Life Together and what it means to receive community as a gift, not a project. Their conversation ranges from church choirs to pastoral leadership, asking how unity, humility, and discernment shape the life we share.

Pastor Maurice “Chip” Frontz joins hosts the Rev. Maurice Lee and Dr. David Luy to explore how Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s realism grounds ministry in what’s  given —the actual people and community God has placed before us. Together they reflect on the pitfalls of idealized visions of church life, the call to gratitude, and the freeing truth that pastors are not called to improve their congregations but...

Pastor Andrea Taphorn returns to continue the conversation on Bonhoeffer’s  Creation and Fall . This episode moves from theology into text, as Andrea, David, and Maurice unpack Bonhoeffer’s opening claims about the end, his meditation on God’s creative Word, and his conclusion at the cross of Christ.

Pastor Andrea Taphorn joins David and Maurice to reflect on Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s  Creation and Fall . From her first encounter with Bonhoeffer in college to her pastoral ministry today, Andrea shares how his theology challenges, critiques, and sustains her. Together, the hosts and Andrea explore what it means to read Genesis through the eyes of a pastor, and how Bonhoeffer’s insights still speak...

What does it mean to be faithful in ministry today—and what does success even look like anymore? In Part 2 of our conversation with Pastor Evan McClanahan, we explore Bonhoeffer’s legacy as a “traveling companion” in the work of ministry, the slow death of cultural prestige for pastors, and the ongoing need for deep formation in a post-Christian world. We talk about long calls, evangelical pragmat...

(Part 1) What does it take to form faithful Christians in a fractured world? In this episode, Pastor Evan McClanahan reflects on the enduring power of Bonhoeffer’s Life Together —a book that once hit him like a slap in the face—and how its vision of uncompromising community shaped his pastoral imagination. The conversation ranges from seminarian dreams to the real-world struggles of ministry, the...

In Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Daniel Treier, we explore how Bonhoeffer’s diagnosis of modernity equips pastors to navigate the church’s formation today. We talk about the allure of technological autonomy, the embodied wisdom of the Old Testament, and why returning to creation, community, and the Psalms might be key to faithful ministry in a secular age.

In this episode, our hosts are joined by theologian Dr. Daniel Treier to explore Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s diagnosis of modernity. From the rise of secularism to the impact of technological rationality, Treier unpacks how Bonhoeffer’s insights into a “world come of age” still resonate today. The conversation touches on the loss of Christendom, the temptation to co-opt cultural power, and how the churc...

In Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Michael Pasquarello, we turn more directly to Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s preaching—its structure, clarity, and surprising depth. What made Bonhoeffer’s sermons distinctive? How did his theology shape his voice in the pulpit? And what can preachers today learn from his example? We explore Bonhoeffer’s Christ-centered approach to Scripture, his resistance to cultura...

We often remember Dietrich Bonhoeffer as a theologian, teacher, and leader in the Confessing Church—but what happens when we pay attention to him as a preacher? In this episode, we talk with Dr. Mike Pasquarello about Bonhoeffer’s theological approach to preaching, the shape of a “preaching life,” and what it means to proclaim Christ not as technique or advice, but as the living Word. Part one of...

In this episode, hosts David Luy and Maurice Lee return with Dr. Michael Mawson to deepen the discussion on Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s understanding of the church and pastoral ministry. Building on themes from  Sanctorum Communio  and  Life Together , they explore Bonhoeffer’s dialectical view of the church as both flawed and faithful, fractured yet held together in Christ. Dr. Mawson reflects on Bonho...

In this episode, hosts David Luy and Maurice Lee sit down with Dr. Michael Mawson to explore Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s striking vision of the church. Drawing from Bonhoeffer’s early work Sanctorum Communio , they unpack how the church can be both a flawed human community and the place where Christ is truly present. From ecclesiology in the 1920s to the tension between sociological and theological clai...

In this second part of our conversation with Dr. Michael DeJonge, hosts David Luy and Maurice Lee explore how Bonhoeffer's Lutheran foundations shaped his understanding of political life, resistance, and the church's role in society. Key Topics: Lutheran themes in Bonhoeffer's popular works "Discipleship" and "Life Together" How Bonhoeffer approached the Sermon on the Mount within a Lutheran law/g...

In this episode of Cardigan and Collar, hosts David Luy and Maurice Lee continue their exploration of how Dietrich Bonhoeffer became a pastor-theologian by examining the Lutheran sources of his theological and pastoral formation with Dr. Michael DeJonge. Key Topics: How Bonhoeffer approached theology as both an academic and ecclesial discipline Bonhoeffer's distinctive understanding of the church...

In this second part of our conversation with Dr. Charles Marsh, we dive deeper into the moments that shaped Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s vocation as a pastor theologian. From Harlem to Rome to a Benedictine monastery in Bavaria, we explore how Bonhoeffer’s encounters with global Christianity—and especially the Black Church in America—inspired his vision of a concrete, lived theology. Dr. Marsh reflects o...

How did Dietrich Bonhoeffer become the theologian and pastor we remember today? In this first part of our conversation with Dr. Charles Marsh, author of Strange Glory: A Life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, we explore Bonhoeffer’s early intellectual influences, his break with academic theology, and his journey toward a lived, Christ-centered faith. Dr. Marsh shares insights on Bonhoeffer’s upbringing, his...

In this season opener, hosts David Luy and Maurice Lee kick off their exploration of Dietrich Bonhoeffer as a church theologian. They unpack why Bonhoeffer stands out as someone who connects deep theological thinking with practical church ministry. Instead of just explaining concepts, Bonhoeffer shows us what this connection looks like in action. David and Maurice discuss what we gain from studyin...

In our final episode of the season, Pastor Maurice Lee and Dr. David Luy record in-person at the North American Lutheran Seminary Center in Ambridge, Pennsylvania. Together, they reflect on the journey of exploring catechesis and the rich insights gained from their many conversations this season.  www.thenals.org/podcast⁠ Key Topics    Catechesis at the church’s core, not an add-on. Formation as a...

In this episode, we are joined by the Rev. Dawn Rister, Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Pomaria, South Carolina, to discuss catechesis and its role in building vibrant faith communities. Pastor Rister shares her unique journey from teacher and coach to pastor, exploring how authentic engagement, relational teaching, and hands-on catechesis can transform both individuals and congregations. Li...

In this episode we are joined by Pastor Teresa Peters, Director of Youth & Family Ministry for the North American Lutheran Church (NALC). Pastor Peters shares her experiences, insights, and practical advice for how churches today can effectively minister to young people, emphasizing relationship-building, belonging, and possible approaches to catechesis. Whether you’re a pastor, youth leader,...