The Pastor Theologians Podcast

David and Jennifer McNutt join the podcast to discuss their recent book Know the Theologians , an introduction for the church to theologians who have had a significant impact in the history of the church. In our conversation we cover such questions as: Who were these theologians? Why do they matter in church history and for the present? How big is the family of God? All this and more on this episo...

Paul Morrison and Cory Wilson join the podcast to talk about ecclesial theology and an exciting new degree program at Emmaus Theological Seminary . In partnership with the CPT, Emmaus is launching a ThD in Ecclesial Theology which will provide pastors and church leaders with academically rigorous training informed by an understanding of theology in service of the church. What is a ThD in Ecclesial...

Andrew Wilson, pastor at King's Church, London, joins the podcast to discuss his recent book  Remaking the World: How 1776 Created the Post-Christian West .  In this book, Wilson argues that 1776 is a pivotal year for the WEIRDER (contemporary Western) world. But this is something which we often forget, and that forgetfulness has consequences. Join to hear more about why understanding our his...

Chris Watkin joins the podcast to discuss his recent book Biblical Critical Theory , winner of Christianity Today's Book of the Year Award. He shares about the vision behind his recent book, the journey of faith and study that led to it, and how Christians can take up the same project as they work to interact with, critique, and call to repentance the world around them. Along the way Chris an...

Charles Anderson shares his story of faith and calling as a pastor theologian, reminding us all that God is the providential giver of our lives and vocations. He talks about the various influences and experiences God gave to lead him towards a PhD and then full time pastoral ministry. His story shows us that God's providence, like the Hebrew language, is best read backwards. Join us at the CP...

Chris Castaldo and Brad Littlejohn join the podcast to discuss their recent book  Why Protestants Convert . In this conversation we talk about the reasons why many Christians, particularly in the contemporary evangelical church, feel both pushed and pulled towards a conversion to Roman Catholicism. Along the way we talk about the historic Christian moral theology, smoke machines, the place of evan...

Books we're reading in February 2024: Stephen H. Travis,  Christ and the Judgement of God: The Limits of Divine Retribution in New Testament Thought , 2nd ed. (Baker Academic, 2009) Jhumpa Lahiri,  Interpreter of Maladies (Mariner, 2019) William T. Cavanaugh,  The Uses of Idolatry (Oxford University Press, 2024) Join us at the CPT Conference

Coleman Ford joins the podcast to talk about his story of coming to faith and how the Lord led him to academic ministry. He also talks about his recent book on discipleship, Formed in His Image . During this conversation we cover everything from the power of narratives (especially in movie form), the trinitarian aim of discipleship, the necessity of the church for forming people into the image of...

In a new format for our podcast, we hear a sermon by the Rev. Dr. Cole Hartin preached on Epiphany Sunday in which he calls us to look beyond the ordinary and mundane of the every day to see the mysterious and miraculous work of the triune God who calls and sanctifies his church. We hear from Cole about a theology of liturgy, the role of the sermon in the liturgy of the Episcopal church, the power...

Douglas Estes joins the podcast to discuss 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, as well as other topics like why Tolkien disliked allegory, the loss of deep friendships, how Euge...

Kimlyn Bender joins the podcast to discuss the theology of the word and preaching that has formed the context for the Fellowship gatherings of CPT Fellows. We talk about the nature of the word of God and how that relates to preaching, particularly within the context of evangelicalism’s focus on the text of Scripture, expanding particularly on the statement in the Second Helvetic Confession of Fait...

Karen Swallow Prior joins the podcast to discuss her recent book The Evangelical Imagination . We discuss the role the imagination—both of the individual and the society at large (i.e. the social imaginary—plays in shaping the church, the difference between worldview and imagination, what it means for us to be enculturated Christians, modernity, literature, and much more! Join us at the CPT Confer...

Collin Hansen joins the podcast to discuss his unique biography of Tim Keller, Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation . We dig deeper into the sources behind Hansen’s biography, the role of biography and scholarship in shaping Keller, his relationship with his wife Kathy, and the particular way Tim lived out the calling of a pastor theologian. All this and much more! Join us at t...

For our December episode on books we, the CPT staff, have been reading: Aldous Huxley – Brave New World (1932) Johann Hari – Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention — and How to Think Deeply Again (2022) Jim Davis and Michael Graham – The Great DeChurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back? (2023) P. D. James – The Children of Men (1992) Leif Enger...

Preaching is an instance of “speaking into the air” (i.e., oral communication), but how effectual is this form of the ministry of the Word? In this 2023 CPT conference message, Dr. Vanhoozer begins by contrasting bully pulpits (an influential public platform from which to persuade) and “kata-pulpits” (speaking “in accordance with” Scripture) and commends the metaphor of the preacher as curator: on...

Ernest Gray tells his story of growing up in the church and coming to faith as a college student. He shares about the moment he knew the gospel was true, lessons he has learned about discerning the call to ministry, and the path the Lord has led him on since then. Along the way, he discusses anti-intellectualism in the church, the importance of 1 Peter and how this book has particularly shaped his...

Josh Chatraw joins the podcast to discuss two recent books: The Augustine Way and Surprised by Doubt . Josh talks about how questions from church members led him towards apologetics as a pastor and explains why the pastor theologian Augustine of Hippo provides a helpful model for reframing and pursuing the apologetic task today. Listen now to hear a discussion about such questions as:  How does na...

Joel Lawrence and Zach Wagner host Jim Samra as he tells his story of becoming a pastor theologian. Jim tells the story of his conversion to Christ and how the Lord led him through a series of unique and critical moments in his life to direct him to pursue a PhD at Oxford and eventually the pastorate. Join us at the CPT Conference

Mike Cosper joins the podcast to refresh and expand on conversations from the 2023 CPT Conference about the nature of pastoral authority and how that authority can be abused. During the show, Cosper offers a definition of authority that highlights the locus of authority in relationship, encouraging pastors not to view themselves as inaccessible shepherds but as pastors of the people. Mike covers t...

Todd Wilson, Joel Lawrence, and Gerald Hiestand discuss the origins and history of the Center for Pastor Theologians, how the vision has developed and clarified over time, and what the future might hold. They also discuss the recent transition, with Joel stepping in as the new president and Todd's plans for the future.   Join us at the CPT Conference

In this plenary message from the 2023 CPT Conference, Power and the Pulpit, Matthew Kim asks us to consider whether our preaching embodies a contemporary pursuit of power or a Pauline theology of weakness. Reflecting on the examples of Jesus, Paul, and his own on personal history, Matthew Kim challenges preachers to lead the church from a posture of humble weakness that depends on the power of Chr...

Jennifer Powell McNutt joins the podcast to discuss the role of preaching in the church, how the practice of lectio continua shaped preaching during the Reformation, and how churches today can benefit (and potentially abuse) this practice. Along the way, Jennifer shares some of the story of her call to ministry and her personal formation as well as offering an encouragement to listeners to join th...

Jeremy Treat, pastor of Reality LA and a CPT Fellow, joins the podcast to discuss his most recent book The Atonement: An Introduction as well as his role in the upcoming CPT Conference on preaching. He discusses his contribution to atonement theology, which focuses on how the cross fits into the story of the kingdom and how the notion of theories of the atonement can detract from the multi-dimensi...

Author and speaker Iain Provan joins the podcast to discuss his recent book, Cuckoos in Our Nest: Truth and Lies about Being Human . Contemporary Western culture offers up various visions of what it means to be human, visions that many within the church have unknowingly adopted yet which contrast sharply with biblical revelation. Like the murderous offspring of the cuckoo bird, once these ideas ta...

CPT fellow Chris Castaldo joins the podcast to discuss his recent book, The Upside Down Kingdom: Wisdom for Life from the Beatitudes . Jesus didn't offer the beatitudes as an unattainable moral example. They are his description of what disciples ought to look like in his kingdom, a kingdom that rejects the mechanisms of the world and advances instead through the meek, firm witness of its subj...