PostConsumer Reports Podcast

Episode 82 features a talk given at Living Waters Church in Peoria, Illinois in 2019 about the book Celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas . This episode also features an excerpt from  Tent Theology , a new podcast Chris is helping to produce that aims to help renew the social and political imagination of Christians by following in the way of Jesus.

Episode 81 features my interview with Flo Paris Oakes and Katy Hutson of the children's worship music group Rain For Roots, who are described as "a collective group of musicians and songwriters who write singable Scripture songs for kids and grown ups alike." They released their fourth album All Creatures this spring, which focuses primarily on settings of the Psalms.

Episode 81 features my interview with  Flo Paris Oakes  and  Katy Hutsoon  of the children's worship music group  Rain For Roots , who are described as "a collective group of musicians and songwriters who write singable Scripture songs for kids and grown ups alike." They released their fourth album All Creatures this spring, which focuses primarily on settings of the Psalms.

Episode 80 of the podcast features my interview with Dr. Susan K. Roll with her expert and scholarly insights into the origins of December 25 as the date for Christmas. The author of the book  Toward the Origins of Christmas , my conversation with Dr. Roll touches on the earliest documents adhering to that date and to how to address the pagan origins and influences on the holiday. As a Catholic la...

Episode 79 features an interview with Blair E. Clark about the artwork she did for my book  Celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas . A native of Michigan, Blair is a Central Illinois artist whose work you can find at:  https://blairjeffers.wordpress.com/ . In our conversation, Blair talks about her process, some of the imagery embedded in the her work on the book that might not be immediately obviou...

Dr. Michael Ward is a professor at both  Oxford University  and  Houston Baptist University  where he teaches on imaginative apologetics. Dr. Ward is perhaps best know as a C.S. Lewis scholar and for his groundbreaking work  Planet Narnia . I interviewed Dr. Ward in research for my book Celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas, and in our interview we discuss Lewis's views on paganism and touch on the...

Jimmy Abegg is a veteran of both the music and art worlds. Currently Jimmy is in need of financial help to complete the building Blind Jimmy's Lighthouse, an art and music studio he's building behind his home. You can support him through direct donations or simply by buying his art at his website www.jimmyabegg.com. Associated with Rich Mullins's Ragamuffin Band, Charlie Peacock, and the band Vect...

Tim Barnes is the executive vice president of  International Association For Refugees (IAFR)  a non-profit that seeks to empower and support refugees and displaced people groups around the world. Our conversation touches on the complexity of the current situation, where there is over 70 displaced people in the world, and offers some insight on what we might be called to do about it.

This episode features an interview with longtime Newsboys keyboardist, programmer, arranger, and even bass player (on synth!) Jeff Frankenstein. He details what it has been like to navigate the changes to the music industry in the past decades as well as changes within Newsboys themselves. He also describes how they've found a balance in being a touring band with families. The episode also discuss...

This bonus episode features excerpts from a previous interview where guitarist and author Stu G discusses his Beatitudes project. Stu G has recently released a film and study guide to go along with his musical album and book, all of which can be purchased at:  https://www.thebeatitudesproject.com/

Ep 74 features an interview with Charlie Peacock, and artist with four decades of experience in the music as a songwriter and solo artist, but also as a producer of renowned artists like Switchfoot, The Civil Wars, and Marc Martel. Our conversation ranges from his thoughts on fame, the state of the Christian music industry, and the wisdom he's gained from getting debilitatingly sick after years of...

Ep 73 features Phil Joel, notably of the bands Newsboys,  Zealand , and also a prolific solo music career, who has just released his first book  Redwoods and Whales . 

It reads like a bad joke, but this episode features interviews with 2 Anglican bishops and an Eastern Orthodox priest. Bishop Alberto Morales, Bishop Keith Ackerman, and Fr. Andrew Kishler all gave Chris time to talk about an assorted amount of Christmas traditions, both secular and ecclesiastical. They discuss Puerto Rican Christmas traditions, how to do New Years and the Feast of the Holy Name a...

Episode 71 features an interview with Gabi and Petr Michlik about the Christmas traditions they knew growing up in the Czech Republic, traditions with a surprisingly Pagan bent... This conversation is being released to help promote the Kickstarter campaign Chris is putting on to help fund the completion of his new book on the history and traditions of the 12 Days of Christmas. You can find out mor...

John Van Deusen (interviewed in Ep. 67) has just released his album "With Every Power Wide Awake" on vinyl, so we're taking the opportunity to release an bonus episode of our conversation that didn't make it into the full interview. Also, it's national podcasting day, so enjoy the extra podcasting goodness. You can find Van Deusen's music at: https://iamjohnvandeusen.bandcamp.com/

Ep. 70 features an interview with Glenn Kaiser, a true music legend. His blues and rock and roots music spans 5 decades, from his work in the Resurrection Band to his solo work and the Glenn Kaiser Band. Kaiser is also a pastor and teacher at the Jesus People USA ministry and community (http://jpusa.org/). You can find Kaiser's music at: https://grrrrecords.com/glenn-kaiser https://glennkaiser.ban...

Dr. Lynn Wilder is a retired education professor who began the ministry Ex-Mormon Christians United For Jesus with her husband Michael Wilder, which you can read more about at:  http://www.unveilingmormonism.com/ .  Dr. Wilder has written or co-authored a number of books about walking away from the Mormon faith and coming to know the Good News of Jesus as found in the Bible.  Our conversation goes...

E. Byron Anderson is Professor of Worship at Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois. His most recent book  Common Worship: Tradition, Formation, Mission  explores the various tensions of the Church's worship: traditional vs. contemporary, habit vs. freedom, canon vs. creativity, unity vs. diversity, and mission focused worship vs. congregationally focused worship. However,...

Singer-songwriter and musician released his latest album  Every Power Wide Awake  late last year, and it's slowly been building buzz with people on the look out for great independent music as well as with church worship leaders.  We go in-depth about his career in the music industry (he previously fronted the band The Lonely Forest for over a decade) and the stories behind the songs on the new alb...

Artist Alec DeJesus was first a guest on the podcast a year ago. Since then he's had some of his highest highs and lowest lows. He found success with an art commission through  Broward College in Florida , painting two murals for them, but then progress on the murals wasn't happening and he almost gave up on art altogether. In the end he didn't abandon his art career and he found tremendous succes...

Gretchen Filz  is a writer and communicator with the Catholic Company and an editor at the daily devotional  Morning Offering . In our conversation we discuss the work she is doing developing a catechism for the Catholic faith at:  www.goodcatholic.com ,  as well as her personal journey to Catholicism . You can find many of her writings at:  https://www.catholiccompany.com/ Get Fed Blog

Ha Ha Tonka is a band originally from southern Missouri, who've released five albums through  Bloodshot Records . Their music is a seamless mixture of American music: classic rock, southern rock, country, folk, and Americana. The important thing is their songs are amazing. Episode 64 features an interview with their lead singer Brian Roberts, who connected over the phone for a conversation with Ch...

Jaci Music paints abstract landscapes filled with symbols open to a surplus of interpretations...but she never really intended to... Jaci's story is one of an artist whose creativity was borne out of her pain. After numerous years of sorrow, frustration, and longsuffering from infertility she began to paint simply for the sake of her own personal health.  You can find out more about Jaci at:  http...

Stephen Backhouse is a theologian and teacher and the author of  Kierkegaard: A Single Life , a biography and survey of the work of the iconoclastic Danish writer Soren Kierkegaard . Y ou can find out more about Stephen's Tent Theology teaching program at:  https://www.tenttheology.com/   While our conversation is mostly about Kierkegaard and his work, we also discuss the dangers of Christian Nati...

Pastor Dan Leman discusses the background and poetry of the book of Lamentations, and how God births art out of tragedy. The music and Rachel Wilhelm, Bifrost Arts, and Nathan Peterson are also mentioned in the intro.