The Concordia Publishing House Podcast

In this episode, host Elizabeth Pittman sits down with Rev. Dr. Leonard Payton, author of Prayerful Living in a Post-Christian Culture . Dr. Payton brings pastoral wisdom and biblical depth to the challenge of faithful Christian living amid cultural upheaval.  Episode Timestamps 0:12 — Introduction 1:52 — Dr. Payton’s Ministry Context: Pastoring in a Progressive Community 3:15 — How a Weekly Newsl...

In this episode, host Elizabeth Pittman sits down with Dr. A. Andrew Das, author of Dinner with the Doctor: Luke’s Gospel for the Hungry . Dr. Das brings his scholarly expertise to a broader audience, guiding readers through the unique voice, motifs, and theology of Luke’s gospel. He explores Luke’s distinctive emphasis on food, women, and possessions; the meaning of “today” in Luke’s theology of...

How do we actually raise our children in the faith? In this episode, host Elizabeth Pittman sits down with Rev. Dr. W. Mart Thompson, author of Family Discipleship with Christ . Dr. Thompson maps out a partnership between the home and the congregation that is both theologically grounded and practically usable. He draws on Luther’s Small Catechism, extensive field research, and his own experience o...

We live in a world that constantly tells us to look inward — to follow our heart, trust our feelings, and find our identity within ourselves. But Christians are called to a completely different posture. In this episode, host Elizabeth Pittman sits down with Rev. Joshua Pfeiffer, author of Lift Your Eyes: How to Live Outside Yourself . Pastor Pfeiffer draws on Lutheran theology and cultural analysi...

Shame affects us all — but do we truly understand it? In this episode, host Elizabeth Pittman sits down with Rev. Dr. John Kleinig, author of From Shame to Glory: God’s Surprising Remedy for Injustice and Failure . Dr. Kleinig draws on decades of pastoral experience to help us understand what shame is, how it differs from guilt, and how Jesus frees us from its weight through baptism, Holy Communio...

May 27th, 2026, marks the 350th anniversary of the death of Paul Gerhardt — one of the most beloved hymn writers in the history of the Lutheran Church. In this episode, host Elizabeth Pittman is joined by Peter Reske from the CPH music team for a deep dive into Gerhardt's life, his enduring hymns, and the faith that sustained him through one of history's most devastating eras. Grab your...

What can a 19th-century history of a 16th-century Lutheran school teach us about education today? More than you might expect.  Dr. Gene Edward Veith, Jr. joins us to discuss a new translation from Concordia Publishing House — The History of the Gymnasium and Educational Institutions of Wittenberg , written in 1830 by Franz Spitzner. The Wittenberg Latin School was one of the first distinctly Luthe...

How did our modern culture get here—especially when it comes to sex, marriage, and family life? In this episode, Elizabeth Pittman sits down with Dr. Erkki Koskenniemi, a Finnish Lutheran pastor and scholar, to explore how closely today’s world mirrors the ancient Greco-Roman world. Drawing from history, Scripture, and early Christian teaching, Dr. Koskenniemi explains what made Christians stand o...

Dr. Kevin Golden joins host Elizabeth Pittman to unpack the Old Testament prophet Hosea and his newly released Hosea volume in the Concordia Commentary series. Discover the historical context of eighth-century Israel, the shocking symbolism of Hosea's marriage to Gomer, and the profound meaning behind their children's names. Dr. Golden unpacks how law and gospel intertwine throughout Hos...

In this episode, host Elizabeth Pittman sits down with Lois Stewart, a lifelong champion of Lutheran education who has served as a teacher, administrator, and now mission facilitator for schools in the Northern Illinois District of the LCMS . Together they explore what makes Lutheran schools so special—from their Christ‑centered mission to the deep relationships they build between students, famili...

On this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast, Elizabeth Pittman is joined by theologian, author, and podcast host Bryan Wolfmueller to discuss his newest book with CPH, Finally Free: Three Lessons in the Parable of the Prodigal Son . In this short book, Wolfmueller digs into the popular parable of the Prodigal Son to bring hope and aid to our hurting conscience.  Get the book at cph.o...

Todd A. Biermann joins host Elizabeth Pittman on this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast to discuss his new Bible journal with CPH, Everyday Word: A Two-Year Bible Journal . Todd is the executive director of Concordia Center for the Family .  Get a copy of the Bible journal at cph.org/everydayword . Show Notes Listen to the episode to hear from author Todd A. Biermann as he discusse...

Dr. David J. Peter joins this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast to discuss the 2025 Advent series, Every Heart Prepare , which he authored in partnership with CPH.  Order your church’s Advent materials at cph.org/advent . Show Notes We do so much to prepare for Christmas. One way we prepare is by decorating our homes, yards, and churches with evergreens, lights, the crèche, and pre...

On this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast, host Elizabeth Pittman is joined by guest and author Rev. Dr. R. Reed Lessing. The pair discusses Reed‘s newest book with CPH, Hope in the Wilderness: Practical Insights from the Book of Numbers , which tackles the Book of Numbers in a chapter-by-chapter exploration.  Get the book today at cph.org . Show Notes In-between times. You’ve like...

On this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast, host Elizabeth Pittman is joined by Benjamin Kolodziej. They explore the history of American Lutheran Church music and Kolodziej’s new book on this topic, Portraits in American Lutheran Sacred Music, 1847–1947 . Get the new book at cph.org . Show Notes Thirteen composers. Thirteen biographies of foundational Lutheran musicians.  Envisioned...

In this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast, host Elizabeth Pittman is joined by Rev. Dr. Carl C. Fickenscher II, author of the new book Looking Forward to Sunday Morning: Reflections on the Church Year . The duo discusses the contents of the readings that we hear at church on Sunday morning, how they relate thematically, and what we can learn to look forward to as we spend time in t...

2025 marks the 1700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed. Pastor Timothy Winterstein joins host Elizabeth Pittman on this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast to discuss his new Bible Study, Worshiped and Glorified: A Study of the Nicene Creed . Order Pastor Winterstein’s new book on cph.org today! Show Notes Pastor Winterstein’s new eight-session Bible study, Worshiped and Glorified: A...

In this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast, Christina Hergenrader joins as guest to talk about her newest Bible Study, Everlasting: Peaks, Valleys, and Grace in the Psalms .  Get a copy of the book at cph.org/everlasting . Show Notes Anxious. Worthy. Ashamed. Nostalgic. Lonely. Secure. This is just a handful of emotions we observe in the Psalms—and in our day-to-day lives, too. In h...

In this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast, Elizabeth Pittman is joined by Rev. Dr R. Lee Hagan, author of Faithful, Hopeful, and Bold: Encouragement for the Church . During the episode, Hagan reminds listeners that wherever God’s Word is proclaimed, there is hope for His people.  Get Hagan’s new book at cph.org/hagan .  Show Notes Our world is constantly shifting, changing, and mov...

Dr. Robert Kolb joins The Concordia Publishing House Podcast to talk about the second edition of The Christian Faith , A Lutheran Exposition . Dr. Kolb, along with his coauthor Ted Hopkins, use the history of the church and its creeds and confessions as a guide to share new perspectives on the presentation of Christian doctrine for current day. Get the book on cph.org now.  Show Notes For Martin L...

In this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast, host Elizabeth Pittman is joined by guest Sharla Fritz to discuss Sharla’s newest book, Divine Directions: How God Guides Your Path .  Order the book now on CPH’s website at cph.org/divinedirections. Show Notes From Moses’ journey to the Promised Land and Ruth’s journey in life, it’s easy to see that following your own itinerary never goes...

Rev. Kris Whitby joins this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast to discuss his new book with CPH, Come and Be Filled: Feasting with Jesus in His Word . Kris and host Elizabeth Pittman discuss 11 Biblical meals that Kris writes about in the book, and how Jesus blesses us when we dine together.  Get his book by visiting cph.org/feast .    Show Notes In his new book, Come and Be Filled...

On this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast, author Donna Snow joins host Elizabeth Pittman to discuss her newest Bible Study, Strong and Courageous: Studying God's Promises in Joshua . Donna discusses why she chose to write about Joshua and what we can learn from his story.  Get Donna’s newest Bible Study at cph.org/joshua .    Show Notes Joshua was called into what is arguably...

Rev. David A. Shadday joins host Elizabeth Pittman on this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast to talk about his new book, Reclaiming the Heart of Marriage . Get Shadday’s book on the CPH website today. Show Notes Why did God give us marriage? Companionship or procreation might be answers that come to mind, but marriage also serves as something even bigger—it is a reflection of Chris...

On this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast, Rev. Michael Newman joins host Elizabeth Pittman as the guest to talk about his recently released book with CPH, Faith Notes: A Christ-Centered Survival Kit for Young Men . Mike talks with Elizabeth about the struggles young men face today, from isolation to peer pressure and bullying. He tells listeners how his new book (the companion to...