In this episode of Signposts, I am joined by Sam Allberry to talk about his new book, What God Has To Say About Our Bodies (Crossway, 2021). In our conversation we talk about the effects of the pandemic on the body, the importance of the body to our life, and our incorrect theologies of the body. Sam Allberry is a pastor, apologist and speaker. He is the author of a number of books, including Is God Anti-Gay?, Why Bother with Church?, 7 Myths about Singleness, and What God Has To Say About Our Bodies. He has written extensively for numero­­us organizations, including The Gospel Coalition, Desiring God, and Living Out. I invite you to listen in to our conversation and be sure to subscribe to receive future episodes of Signposts.

In this episode of Signposts, I am joined by Dr. Tod Bolsinger to talk about his new book, Tempered Resilience: How Leaders Are Formed in the Crucible of Change (IVP, 2020). In our conversation we talk about leadership, dealing with conflict and pastoral exhaustion, and how to equip and encourage future leaders. Tod Bolsinger (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is a speaker, executive coach, former pastor, and author who serves as associate professor of leadership formation and senior fellow for the De Pree Center for Leadership at Fuller Seminary. His books include the Outreach Magazine Resource of the Year in Pastoral Leadership, Canoeing the Mountains, and the Christianity Today Award of Merit recipient, It Takes a Church to Raise a Christian. I invite you to listen in to our conversation and be sure to subscribe to receive future episodes of Signposts.

In this episode of Signposts, I am joined by Dr. Philip Jenkins to talk about his new book, Fertility and Faith: The Demogrpahic Revolution and the Transformation of World Religions (Baylor University Press, 2020). In our conversation we talk about secularization, the relationship of religion to childbearing, and the shifting demography of religion and religious behavior. Dr. Philip Jenkins is the Distinguished Professor of History and Co-Director for the Program on Historical Studies of Religion at Baylor University. He holds a PhD from Cambridge University. His research includes the study of global Christianity, new religious moments, and twentieth century US history. His books include The Many Faces of Christ (Basic Books, 2015), The Great and Holy War (HarperOne, 2014), and The Next Christendom: The Rise of Global Christianity (Oxford, 2011). I invite you to listen in to our conversation and be sure to subscribe to receive future episodes of Signposts.

In this episode of Signposts, I am joined by Dr. Tara Isabella Burton to talk about her new book, Strange Rites: New Religions for a Godless World (PublicAffairs, 2020). In our conversation we talk about secularization, the breakdown of religious institutions, and the connection of fitness culture and religiosity. Dr. Burton received a Doctorate in Theology from Trinity College, Oxford where she was a Clarendon Scholar in 2017. She is the author of two books: the novel Social Creature (Doubleday, 2018) and Strange Rites (Public Affairs, 2020). She also has two other books that are forthcoming: another novel, The World Cannot Give (Simon and Schuster, 2022) and another work of non-fiction, Self-Made: Curating Our Image from Da Vinci to the Kardashians (Public Affairs, 2023). She has written for The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and others. She also serves as a columnist for Religion News Service and a former staff religion writer at Vox. I invite you to listen in to our conversation and be sure to subscribe to receive future episodes of Signposts.

In this episode of Signposts, I am joined by Jasmine Holmes to talk about her new book, Mother to Son: Letters to a Black Boy on Identity and Hope (IVP, 2020). In our conversation, we talk about race, justice, how the church can equip women, and how to talk to our children about these topics. She is a homeschool teacher, former teacher at a classical school, and author. Her writing has appeared The Gospel Coalition, Desiring God, Fathom Mag, Modern Reformation, and RAANetwork. She and her husband, Phillip, and her son, Walter Wynn, live in Jackson, Mississippi. I invite you to listen in to our conversation and be sure to subscribe to receive future episodes of Signposts.

In this episode of Signposts, I am joined by Pastor Tim Keller to talk about his new book, Hope in Times of Fear: The Resurrection and the Meaning of Easter (Viking, 2021). In our conversation, we talk about wrestling with our mortality, how to order our loves in this life, and finding hope in the midst of suffering. Pastor Timothy Keller is the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, which he started in 1989 with his wife, Kathy, and three young sons. For 28 years he led a diverse congregation of young professionals that grew to a weekly attendance of over 5,000. He is also the Chairman & Co-Founder of Redeemer City to City (CTC), which starts new churches in New York and other global cities, and publishes books and resources for ministry in an urban environment. Dr. Keller’s books, including the New York Times bestselling The Reason for God and The Prodigal God, have sold over 2 million copies and been translated into 25 languages. I invite you to listen in to our conversation and be sure to subscribe to receive future episodes of Signposts.

In this episode of Signposts, I am joined by Dr. Esau McCaulley to talk about his new book, Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope (IVP Academic, 2020). In our conversation we talk about biblical scholarship, the black church, and place of hope in interpreting the scriptures. The Rev. Canon Esau McCaulley is a New Testament scholar and an Anglican Priest. He completed his doctoral studies at the University of St Andrews where he studied under the direction of N.T. Wright. In addition to Reading While Black, he is the author of Sharing the Son's Inheritance (T&T Clark, 2019). He is a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times. He has also appeared in outlets such as Christianity Today and the Washington Post. He is also the host of the Disrupters Podcast and functions as a Canon Theologian for his diocese. Dr. McCaulley, currently, serves as assistant professor of New Testament at Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL. He is married to Mandy, a pediatrician and a Navy reservist. Together, they have four wonderful children. I invite you to listen in to our conversation and be sure to subscribe to receive future episodes of Signposts.

In this episode of Signposts, I am joined by Dr. Marilynne Robinson to talk about her new novel, Jack (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2020). In our conversation we talk about the place of religion in society, sin and evil, and the transforming place of grace in each of our lives. and Robinson is an American novelist and essayist. She is the author of novels such as Gilead(Picador, 2005), Home (Picador, 2008), and Lila (Picador, 2014), as well as a collection of essays, The Death of Adam (Picador, 2005). Across her writing career, Robinson has received numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2005, National Humanities Medal in 2012, and the 2016 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction. In 2016, Robinson was named in Time magazine's list of 100 most influential people. Robinson began teaching at the Iowa Writers' Workshop in 1991 and retired in the spring of 2016. I invite you to listen in to our conversation and be sure to subscribe to receive future episodes of Signposts.

In this episode of Signposts, I am joined by Pastor Dane Ortlund to talk about his book, Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers (Crossway, 2020). In our conversation we talk about the comfort of Christ for the suffering, the effect of isolation on our understanding of Christ as a friend, and the role of the church in bearing burdens and offering healing for those who are struggling. Ortlund serves as senior pastor of Naperville Presbyterian Church in Naperville, Illinois. He is an editor for the Knowing the Bible series and the Short Studies in Biblical Theology series, and is the author of several books, including Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers. Dane lives with his wife, Stacey, and their five children in Naperville, Illinois. I invite you to listen in to our conversation and be sure to subscribe to receive future episodes of Signposts.

In this episode of Signposts, I am joined by John Dickerson of CBS 60 Minutes to talk about his book, The Hardest Job in the World: The American Presidency (Random House, 2020). In our conversation, we talk about the place of politics in culture, the challenges of the modern presidency, how the position can shape and change the person, and his observations from years reporting on Capitol Hill and White House. Prior to that, he was a co-host of CBS This Morning, the anchor of Face the Nation, and CBS News's chief Washington correspondent. Dickerson is also a contributing writer to The Atlantic, co-host of Slate's Political Gabfest podcast, and host of the Whistlestop podcast. Dickerson won the Ford Prize for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency as Slate's chief political correspondent. Dickerson covered the White House for Time during his twelve years at the magazine. I invite you to listen in to our conversation and be sure to subscribe to receive future episodes of Signposts.

In today’s special episode of Signposts, I wanted to let you listen to a conversation I had with David French of The Dispatch as part of their “What’s Next” event on the future of the GOP. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School, the past president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, and a former lecturer at Cornell Law School. He has served as a senior counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice and the Alliance Defending Freedom. In our conversation, we talked about the future of evangelicalism and what comes next.

In this special episode of Signposts, we hosted a discussion about the COVID-19 vaccines with Dr. Francis Collins, the Director of the National Institutes of Health. During our event he shared insights about the development of the vaccines, misconceptions about them, and what it will take to get our church life back to "normal." During the webinar, Dr. Collins mentioned a website where you can find more information about joining vaccine or clinical trials or donating plasma to help win the fight against COVID-19. Click here to learn more: https://combatcovid.hhs.gov/

In this episode of Signposts, I am joined by Pastor Scott Sauls to talk about his book, A Gentle Answer (Thomas Nelson, 2020). In our conversation, we talk about outrage culture, spiritual exhaustion, and the proper place of anger toward injustice. Scott began serving as our Senior Pastor in March of 2012. A graduate of Furman University and Covenant Seminary, Scott is married to Patti and is dad to Abby and Ellie. Scott previously served at Redeemer Presbyterian Church. He was also the founding pastor of churches in Kansas City and Saint Louis. While in Saint Louis, Scott also taught homiletics (preaching) to students at Covenant Theological Seminary. I invite you to listen in to our conversation, and be sure to subscribe to receive future episodes of Signposts.

In this episode of Signposts, I am joined by Justin Earley to talk about his book, The Common Rule (Winner of the Christianity Today 2020 Book of the Year Award). In our conversation, we talk about calling, habits of the heart and mind, and the way Christians can build lasting routines and spiritual disciplines rooted in the truths of Scripture to cultivate the proper worldview. Justin is a business lawyer in Richmond, Virginia. He is married to Lauren and they have four sons. I invite you to listen in to our conversation, and be sure to subscribe to receive future episodes of Signposts.

In this episode of Signposts, I am joined by pastor Ray Ortlund to talk about ministry, integrity, and transition points in life. Pastor Ortlund was ordained into the Christian ministry by Lake Avenue Congregational Church, Pasadena, California, in 1975. He taught Old Testament and Semitic Languages at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Illinois, from 1989 to 1998. His primary ministry, for 28 years, has been as a pastor in California, Oregon, Georgia and Tennessee. In addition to numerous essays and articles, Ray has published eight books. His latest, Marriage and the Mystery of the Gospel, was named “2017 Christian Book of the Year” in the category Bible Study. Ray is also the President of Renewal Ministries and serves on the Council of The Gospel Coalition. Ray and his wife Jani have been married for forty-five happy years, they have four delightful children and 13 amazing grandchildren. I invite you to listen in to our conversation, and be sure to subscribe to receive future episodes of Signposts.

In this episode of Signposts, I am joined by artist Makoto Fujimura to talk about his art, beauty, and faith. Makoto Fujimura is a leading contemporary artist whose process driven, refractive “slow art” has been described by David Brooks of New York Times as “a small rebellion against the quickening of time”. Fujimura’s art has been featured widely in galleries and museums around the world, and is collected by notable collections including The Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo, The Huntington Library as well as Tikotin Museum in Israel. I invite you to listen in to our conversation, and be sure to subscribe to receive future episodes of Signposts.

In this episode of Signposts, I am joined by Pastor Max Lucado to talk about his latest book You Are Never Alone. Max Lucado is the Teaching Minister at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, TX and the author of over 40 books. Lucado says he “writes books for people who don’t read books.’ Every trade book Max Lucado has written during the last 30 years began as a sermon series for his home church Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas. Max and Denalyn live in San Antonio, Texas, and have three grown daughters, two sons-in-law, and two grandchildren. I invite you to listen in to our conversation, and be sure to subscribe to receive future episodes of Signposts. === You can preorder Max’s new book here: http://youareneveralonebook.com/

In this episode of Signposts, I am joined by Dr. Yuval Levin to talk about his latest book A Time to Build. He is the director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). He also holds the Beth and Ravenel Curry Chair in Public Policy. The founding and current editor of National Affairs, he is also a senior editor of The New Atlantis and a contributing editor to National Review. Dr. Levin served as a member of the White House domestic policy staff under President George W. Bush. He was also executive director of the President’s Council on Bioethics and a congressional staffer at the member, committee, and leadership levels. I invite you to listen in on our conversation, and be sure to subscribe to receive future episodes of Signposts.

In this episode of Signposts, I am joined by Dr. Stephen Prothero to talk about religious literacy. Dr. Prothero is the C. Allyn and Elizabeth V. Russell Professor of Religion in American at Boston University. He is the author of Why Liberals Win the Culture Wars (HarperOne, 2016), God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions that Run the World—and Why Their Differences Matter (HarperOne, 2010), and the New York Times bestseller Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know—and Doesn’t (HarperOne, 2007). I invite you to listen in on our conversation, and be sure to subscribe to receive future episodes of Signposts. === I reviewed Dr. Prothero's book Why Liberals Win the Culture Wars for The Gospel Coalition. You can read that here.

In this episode I am joined by New York Times columnist Ross Douthat to discuss his latest book, The Decadent Society: How We Became the Victims of Our Own Success. Ross’s column appears weekly and he co-hosts the Times Op-Ed podcast, “The Argument.” He previously served as a senior editor at The Atlantic. His other books include Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics (2012) and Privilege: Harvard and the Education of the Ruling Class (2005). I invite you to listen in on our conversation, and be sure to subscribe to receive future episodes of Signposts