Forefront 360

Live from the 2022 Catholic Imagination Conference in Dallas, TX, Nate and Rich interview Dr. James Matthew Wilson . James Matthew Wilson is Cullen Foundation Chair in English Literature and the Founding Director of the Master of Fine Arts program in Creative Writing, at the University of Saint Thomas , Houston. He is an award-winning scholar of philosophical-theology and literature, and he is a p...

Cody, Rich, and Nate discuss how their career journeys intersected with the arts, and whether art is done best as a hobby or a career.

Live from the 2022 Catholic Imagination Conference in Dallas, TX, Nate and Rich interview James K. A. Smith . James K. A. Smith is professor of philosophy at Calvin University, where he holds the Gary & Henrietta Byker Chair in Applied Reformed Theology and Worldview. He is also the Editor in Chief of Image Journal . Trained as a philosopher with a focus on contemporary French thought, Smith has e...

Live from the 2022 Catholic Imagination Conference in Dallas, TX, Nate and Rich interview Paul J. Pastor . Paul J. Pastor is a poet, writer, and editor from Oregon. His work uncovers the inner life of the world, as experienced in nature, literature, and the rich traditions of historic Christian spirituality. Paul is the author of several books, including Bower Lodge: Poems, A Kids Book About God,...

Forefront Festival and the Why God Why Podcast continue the second annual Christmas Variety Show! Act II features these artists: The Kenaniah Project Kathryn Sullo The Houghton Choir Join us as we celebrate Christmas together.

Forefront Festival and the Why God Why Podcast are back for the second annual Christmas Variety Show! Act I features these artists: M. Jerome Bell Sarah Collins The Houghton Choir Join us as we celebrate Christmas together.

Nate sits down with author & pastor Jared C. Wilson (while Jared was in Rochester!) to discuss the art of pastoring, Jared's fiction novels (including a secret unpublished one), combat with snakes, and beyond. Jared C. Wilson is Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Author in Residence at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, General Editor of For The Church (and host of the FTC Podcast)...

Live from the 2022 Catholic Imagination Conference in Dallas, TX, Nate and Rich interview Dr. Glenn Arbery .  Glenn Arbery is a teacher, writer, and novelist currently working as the president of Wyoming Catholic College . Some of his famous works include the oft taught Why Literature Matters; What is a Teacher; and his recent novel, Boundaries of Eden. He has successfully written journalistically...

Cody interviews  Ryan Diaz , a writer and poet from Queens, NY, about his new book Skipping Stones. In Skipping Stones, Ryan writes about many things, long-dead saints, personal tragedy, everyday observations, and the nature of prayer. But what connects this collection is Ryan's desire for a transcendent experience. His vivid and story-driven poems create a secondary world for the reader to explor...

Live from the 2022 Catholic Imagination Conference in Dallas, TX, Nate and Rich interview Gregory Wolfe .  Gregory Wolfe is a writer, editor, publisher, and teacher. He has been a pioneer in the resurgence of interest in the relationship between art and religion. He is the founder & editor of  Slant Books , which is an independent, not-for-profit literary press. In 1989, Wolfe founded Image , whic...

Heather and Rich talk to Gage Forster , a photographer living in Southern California with a unique penchant for travel. Gage takes us through the unique joys & challenges of being a freelancer who is focused on building relationships with people rather than simply gaining industry clout.

Rich, Nate and Megan discuss the new series from Amazon Prime Video, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. This is a long episode—but so are the best adventures. It is divided up into three "rings," so you can listen to different parts depending on how many spoilers you want. 00:02:44 Ring 1: General Reactions (Spoiler-Free) 00:38:41 Ring 2: Specific Reactions (Spoilers for Season 1) 00:43:21...

Rich and Zack discuss Hayao Miyazaki's 2001 film, Spirited Away, including its depictions of beauty and its resonant themes.   Film synopsis: During her family's move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches, and spirits, and where humans are changed into beasts.

Forefront podcast host Heather Morgigno talks to photographer Caroline Jensen . Caroline is a Sony Artisan of Imagery and a creative artist. While she adores making all sorts of photographic art, her biggest passion is guiding other people to success, whatever that may be.  Caroline's images strive to always take one step out of reality, be that digital painting, moving photos (cinemagraphs, time-...

Nate and Zack talk to tap dance artist & TED fellow Andrew Nemr about his all-new virtual course developed in partnership with Forefront, Spiritual Formation for Artists . As artists, we are always in the act of formation: crafting sentences, mixing colors, shaping sounds, cultivating audiences. But as we practice our disciplines, how are we being formed? Taught by Andrew Nemr, an internationally...

We're excited to share this breakout session led by Josh Tiessen , recorded at Forefront Festival '22: Making New. It's called Becoming a Professional Artist while Keeping Your Faith (and Sanity!). Renowned painter Josh Tiessen shares the practical side of making an art career, from a Christian perspective. How do we regularly produce quality work? How do we network or market ourselves to have our...

Forefront podcasters Rich, Cody, and Heather, plus returning guest Dan Becker, discuss all things Stranger Things. Note: the first 20 minutes are spoiler-free, but spoilers abound after that. 02:19 - When Did You Start Watching Stranger Things? 05:59 - What Made Stranger Things Successful? 20:08 - Spoilers Begin / What Did You Think of Season 4? 28:14 - Should Everyone Watch Stranger Things? 34:56...

Cody and Nate interview poet Sarah Collins about her new book, Recovery from Unusual Attitudes . Sarah Collins is a copywriter, poet, and emerging author. Sarah's writing style is fluid, flexing between different writer identities. And her work explores a variety of themes — faith, identity, emotions, nature, the mundane, the extraordinary. Her parents are from Jamaica, so she's proud of being a s...

We're excited to share this breakout session led by Timothy Leaven , recorded at Forefront Festival '22: Making New. It's called Songwriting: Befriending Revision and Re-Writing Your Way to Better Lyrics. “Most strong songs are not written. They are re-written.” How does one press into the songwriting process after the initial spark has faded? How does one know when lyrics are developed enough? Wh...

Nate and Rich talk to nature photographer Heather Morgigno about how to take great bird photos, whether photography "counts" as an art form, and how photography can proclaim the glory of God. Would you like to be the next guest on Forefront 360? Just head over to the Get Involved page and fill out the short form.

We're excited to share this breakout session led by Joy Ike, recorded at Forefront Festival '22: Making New. It's called The Birds & The Bees: Pollination in an Age of Politicization. In an era of political correctness, identity politics, and fear-based messaging, dealing in hope can feel daunting. What does cultural transformation look like in the middle of so much deterioration? If the Gospel is...

Cody, Rich and Nate talk about the stories that never die — the endless string of remakes, sequels and spinoffs that is occurring around each major sci-fi and fantasy property. This episode contains spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home.   Outline: 2:02 Topic intro 4:42 What are the elements a story continuation really needs? 9:14 Spoiler-filled review of Spider-Man: No Way Home 22:51 Stories you n...

Forefront board member Zack Osinski moderates a special on-stage interview at Forefront Festival '22, featuring singer/songwriter Joy Ike and painter & actor Brian Ferris .

Forefront Chairman Rich Christman interviews musician Jonathan Ogden. From delicate acoustic songs to jazz and hip-hop infused pop, Jonathan crafts musical soundscapes that invite the listener on a journey. With a background in graphic design, he is passionate about exploring the intersection of visual art and music to form a complete experience. Describing his songs as ‘prayers set to music’ he e...

Rev. Dr. David Kim delivers the opening keynote at Forefront Festival '22, titled The Critical Calling of Artists in Times of Darkness.