In episode 73 of the In All Things podcast, guest host Dr. Gayle Doornbos, professor of theology at Dordt University, interviews Howard Schaap, professor of English at Dordt and author of Brooding Upon the Waters: A Memoir of Farming, Fishing, and Failure in America's Lost Landscape. As part of a recent series on the In All Things blog, Doornbos and Schaap discuss disappearing landscapes, rural communities, rich histories, and the unexpected beauty that comes from committing to a place, inviting us to consider how faithful attentiveness deepens our sense of belonging in the places to which we are called.
In episode 72 of the In All Things podcast, guest host Dr. Dave Mulder and Paul Matthews, Australian teacher, consultant, author, and TEDx speaker, discuss what it means to teach and learn creatively in an AI-driven world. Their conversation invites us to rethink creativity, explore purposeful uses of AI, and pursue growth and kingdom impact over convenience or efficiency.
In episode 71 of the In All Things podcast, guest host Sarah Moss invites In All Things blog contributors Donald Roth and Dr. Michael Kearney to discuss what it means to live with discernment in a world marked by complexity and tension. Together, they reflect on how to challenge our blind spots and confront the idolatry that often grows out of our assumptions. Drawing from their recent essays for the In All Things blog, Roth and Kearney invite us to pay closer attention to the contradictions we carry and to pursue a faithful life in the midst of them. Read their full essays from the In All Things blog "Modern Idols" series at the following links: https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things/making-sense-of-modernity https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things/on-the-other-hand-the-unity-of-contraries-in-a-world-of-conflict
On this 70th episode of the podcast, I sit down with two friends to talk about the podcast itself - because this is my final episode as the host! Some of the topics we discuss: How the podcast started and how it kept going Statistics, highlights (top moment!), and most downloaded episodes The logic behind the books and authors chosen All that goes into producing and hosting a podcast How hosting a podcast has formed me as a host What I've learned about asking better questions What surprised me along the way Thanks for tuning in over these 70 episodes! Why I'm hanging up the headphones: https://www.dordt.edu/news/justin-bailey-dean-of-chapel
On this episode of the podcast, we interview one of my most trusted teachers, Dr. Kevin Vanhoozer (who also happens to be a world class theologian!) It’s a conversation about what it means to read the Bible “transfigurally”: to take seriously the literal meaning of the text but also to make sure we follow the text as it leads us to see and savor Jesus Christ. Among the questions we discuss: How do we take each passage of Scripture on its own terms while also being attentive to the way it points us to Jesus? Is there value in a "step-by-step" method for reading the Bible? What does it mean (and not mean) to take the bible "literally"? What are some of the bad reading habits we've picked up and what are some better ones? What does it mean to be "biblical"? Get the book: https://zondervanacademic.com/products/mere-christian-hermeneutics More from Dr. Vanhoozer: https://www.kevinjvanhoozer.com/about
On this episode of the podcast, I speak with Simon Kennedy about his buzzy new book Against Worldview. It’s a book that is provocative in the best way, especially for anyone who has used the phrase “Christian worldview,” in an educational context. It asks what we mean when we say worldview and whether the concept has been pressed beyond its usefulness. Among the topics we discuss: The ways that "worldview" can go wrong, especially when used as an organizing principle for Christian education. Why worldview can lead to "painting by the numbers" instead of the placing of tiles in a mosaic Why the biblical concept of "wisdom" may offer a better way forward, and why it is better to build towards worldview (inductively) than from it (deductively) Tensions in the concept of wisdom and whether there is a parallel to general vs. special revelation Whether the real problem is the modern push for uniformity Why Christian institutions need to double down on doctrine and catechesis, insisting that we look "at" what Christians believe and not just "through" the world view lens Get the book: https://lexhampress.com/product/305968/against-worldview-reimagining-christian-formation-as-growth-in-wisdom Justin's note: I wrote a review of this book for Christianity Today, and we bring up points of that review a few times during the podcast. The review is here: https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/02/against-worldview-wisdom-simon-kennedy-abraham-kuyper-christian-education/
On this episode of the podcast, I speak with Jeremy Lundgren about his new book on a theology of safety. It’s a conversation about the uniquely modern way that we pursue safety and what it means to hold the value of safety in tension with other virtues like courage, and in light of the call of discipleship. Among the topics we discuss: On the “tokens of safety” that fill our world and what it says about our values How Covid manifested and accelerated our pursuit of safety. The history of our pursuit of safety in three stages: humanity against the gods, humanity against nature, and humanity against itself. Three core elements of the modern pursuit of safety: predicting the future, using technology to control the material world, and developing uniform procedures to ensure safety. How the call of discipleship situates and sometimes challenges the pursuit of safety What Christian parents might hope for their children when it comes to safety Get the book: https://www.ivpress.com/the-pursuit-of-safety
On this episode of the podcast, I have a live conversation with visual artist Matt Doll about art and faith. It’s a conversation that we got to have in front of a live audience of around 40 students. I found it energizing and inspiring, especially when Matt reads a poem part of the way through. Among the topics we discuss: The sometimes fraught relationship between artists and the church and how we can do better Why Christians may struggle with the arts The relationship of creativity and limits The process of making and whether it is more a matter of inspiration or "perspiration" What artists need to hear from or about the church and what the church needs to hear from or about artists. Matthew Doll is a painter, graphic designer, gallery director, and has been the Program Director of the Gordon IN Orvieto semester program since 2011. More from Matt: https://matthew-doll.squarespace.com/
On this episode of the podcast, we bring you a live interview in collaboration with the co-hosts of the Hallway Conversations podcast. Our featured guest is Dr. David Mulder, who has written a new book: Always Becoming, Never Arriving. This episode is a conversation about the craft of teaching and what it means to "teach Christianly". Among the topics we discuss: Some of the biggest misconceptions and surprises about teaching What it means to develop a "teaching imagination" and to say that teaching is a calling. The relationship between play, improvisation, and technique in the classroom How to take our work seriously without taking ourselves seriously How to teach "who we are" while also taking into account what students need and what the material requires Why most definitions of what it means to teach Christianly are incomplete Even if you're not working in Christian education, it's a great opportunity to look over the shoulder of a master teacher who is passionate about his craft. Get the book: https://www.drdavemulder.com/teaching-is-a-journey/ David Mulder's website: https://www.drdavemulder.com/
On this special bonus episode, I'm joined by two other members of the theology faculty to update our listeners on the Calvin's Institutes project, in which about 60 faculty and staff are spending the academic year reading through The Institutes of Christian Religion. At the midpoint of the journey, we took some time to reflect on our experiences thus far and to encourage readers to keep going. Among the topics we discussed: What has stood out to us and our groups as we've read Calvin together The most under-appreciated aspects of Calvin's theology Why Calvin is known primarily for the doctrine of predestination even though it hasn't shown up yet in the reading Favorite passages thus far How Calvin's ideas show up concretely in Reformed churches and institutions Encouragement for those who are finding the reading difficult to keep going Additional resources: Our original podcast discussion before starting the Institutes Our reading schedule: https://shorturl.at/Yow8x Calvin's Institutes (2 volume Battles edition) Calvin's Institutes (1 volume Beveridge edition) Calvin's Institutes online edition (CCEL/Beveridge)
On this episode of the podcast, I talk with Dr. Norman Wirzba about his new book, Love’s Braided Dance: Hope in a Time of Crisis. It’s a conversation about the nature of hope, especially in the midst of darkness, where no hope can seem to be found, and how learning to love moves us forward. Among the topics we discuss: Why asking "what gives you hope?" may not be the best question and why "what do you love" is a better one Why it is so important that hope reckons with evil in its most disheartening forms Where joy might be found in the midst of the brokenness of the world How we can fight the impulse of paralysis or exhaustion The importance of recognizing our interdependence within creation What it means to say that love is "improvisational" and a "dance" Get the book: https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300272659/loves-braided-dance/
On this episode of the podcast, I interview journalist and author Collin Hansen about his new book titled Tim Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation. The conversation explores a prominent model of evangelism and cultural engagement by a Reformed pastor in contemporary times. Among the topics we discuss: The process of writing a different sort of biography of Tim Keller, focused on the people who influenced him Notable influences on Keller's ministry, with familiar and unfamiliar names (Kathy Keller, Jonathan Edwards, C.S. Lewis, R.C. Sproul, Elizabeth Elliot, Ed Clowney, Jack Miller, Barbara Boyd) What to make of the (recent) online backlash against Keller An updated assessment of the "young, restless, and reformed" movement from the person who helped coin the term The relationship of "Reformed" and "evangelical" and how they could be a source of renewal for each other How the work of journalism might be redeemed as a way of telling stories about the way that God is at work in the world. Get the book: https://www.zondervan.com/9780310128700/timothy-keller/
On this episode of the podcast, we talk with Dr. Ruben Rosario Rodriguez, about his new book Calvin for the World. Dr. Rosario makes what might be to some a surprising argument: that beyond the smaller circles where Calvin is revered, the real Calvin casts a capacious vision for our troubled times. Among the topics we discuss: Dr. Rosario's story of his life with Calvin, and how Calvin made a difference growing up in Puerto Rico, studying in NY, pastoring in a rural community, and now teaching at a Jesuit University. Assessing Calvin's legacy and responding to his detractors "Liking" Calvin vs. respecting and appreciating Calvin The parallels and divergences between Calvin and liberation theology Calvin (and Calvinism) responding to the experience of exile and the phenomenon of refugees Calvin's transnational ecclesiology and what we can learn from him today Get the book: https://bakeracademic.com/p/calvin-for-the-world-rub-n-rosario-rodr-guez/553612
On this episode of the podcast, we talk with Dr. Shirley Mullen about book Claiming the Courageous Middle: Daring to Live and Work Together for a more Hopeful Future. Drawing from over four decades of experience in Christian higher education, Dr. Mullen explores what it means to be called to the middle, especially in times of deep polarization. Among the topics we discuss: What it means to say that the middle can be a place of courage, imagination, and hope When "not fitting anywhere" can be a gift and a calling Christian universities as middle spaces and the responsibility to steward trust while embracing complexity Counsel for teachers in the classroom and for the local church Get the book: https://bakeracademic.com/p/Claiming-the-Courageous-Middle-Shirley-A-Mullen/542817
On this episode of the podcast, we talk with Dr. Lanta Davis about her new book, Becoming by Beholding: The Power of the Imagination in Spiritual Formation. It’s a conversation about art, beauty, and the riches of the Christian tradition – about how we might put ourselves in a place where we can be surprised and transformed. This conversation was a treat since we were able to do it live and in-person, which gave the conversation a special energy. Among the topics we discuss: Why the imagination is so powerful and why it's not enough to turn away from bad inputs How our neglect of the imagiantion weakens our powers of discernment Examples of the riches of the Christian imaginative tradition On medieval bestiaries and the importance of learning the names of things The balance between meeting people where they are and taking them to strange new places Why transformation doesn't happen magically and how we might become more attentive to what is forming us. Get the book: https://bakeracademic.com/p/becoming-by-beholding-lanta-davis/542815 More from Lanta Davis: https://www.lantadavis.com/
On this episode of the podcast, we talk with Dr. Wesley Vander Lugt about his new book, Beauty is Oxygen. It’s a conversation about how our souls crave beauty, and how we need beauty both to help us breathe and to help us build. Among the topics we discuss: What it means to say that "beauty is oxygen" The way beauty meets those who are "buffered", "battered", and "bored" Criticisms of the concept of beauty as too narrow The relationship between the beauty of the world and the beauty of God (or, why John Piper might be wrong about it) The relationship of beauty and justice How we might grow in attentiveness and awe Get the book: https://www.eerdmans.com/9780802883254/ More on Dr. Vander Lugt: https://www.wesleyvanderlugt.com/
On this special bonus episode, a group of theology faculty discuss a project that we’re about to start here at Dordt University, in which we spend the academic year reading through John Calvin’s Institutes of Christian Religion. To orient everyone for the well-over thousand page journey that is the Institutes, we talked a bit about: Calvin's biography Our first exposure to Calvin and the Institutes Common (mis)conceptions about Calvin - on TULIP, austerity, and the execution of Servetus A brief history of the Institutes, how they are organized and introduced Helpful tips for reading the Institutes If you are interested in reading along during this academic year, here are some resources: Our reading schedule: https://shorturl.at/Yow8x Calvin's Institutes (2 volume Battles edition) Calvin's Institutes (1 volume Beveridge edition) Calvin's Institutes online edition (CCEL/Beveridge)
On this episode of the podcast, I talk with David Bahnsen, author of the book Full Time: Work and the Meaning of Life. Bahnsen argues that rather than seeking to “balance” work with life, we should see work as a vital component of life, something be received and offered as a gift for the good of neighbor and the glory of God. Among the topics we discuss: Why we operate with a low, transactional view of work The effects of the fall on the way we experience work The relationship of money and meaning, and of success and significance. What it means to say that all honest work is "full time ministry" or "kingdom service" The relationship of work to ambition and to rest The future of work, especially in light of emerging technologies More about the book: https://www.fulltimebook.com/
On this episode of the podcast, I talk with Professor Nancy Pearcey about her new book, The Toxic War on Masculinity: How Christianity Reconciles the Sexes. It’s a rich conversation that draws on a wealth of social scientific and historical research about masculinity. Among the topics we discuss: The diagnosis of "toxic masculinity" and when the diagnosis itself becomes an attack on men The cultural perception of what it means to be a "good man" vs. a "real man" The significant divergence of research findings when it comes to committed Christian men and nominal Christian men Historical roots of the masculine crisis in industrialization and social Darwinism The significance of the rise of "alpha male" influencers like Andrew Tate Counsel for families, parents, and pastors in addressing the crisis of masculinity Get the book, The Toxic War on Masculinity: https://www.amazon.com/Toxic-War-Masculinity-Christianity-Reconciles/dp/0801075734 More on Professor Pearcey: Nancy Pearcey's latest book is The Toxic War on Masculinity: How Christianity Reconciles the Sexes. Her earlier books include Love Thy Body: Answering Hard Questions about Life and Sexuality, The Soul of Science, Saving Leonardo, Finding Truth, and two ECPA Gold Medallion Award Winners: How Now Shall We Live (coauthored with Harold Fickett and Chuck Colson) and Total Truth. Her books have been translated into 20 languages. She is professor and scholar in residence at Houston Christian University. A former agnostic, Pearcey has spoken at universities such as Princeton, Stanford, USC, and Dartmouth. She has been quoted in The New Yorker and Newsweek, highlighted as one of the five top women apologists by Christianity Today, and hailed in The Economist as "America's pre-eminent evangelical Protestant female intellectual."
On this episode of the podcast, we talk with Dr. Abigail Favale about her book The Genesis of Gender. It’s a conversation that seeks clarity about contested questions including feminism, womanhood, and gender identity. Among the topics we discuss: Dr. Favale's story of her journey from conservative evangelicalism to gender studies scholar to Catholic convert What it might mean to be a "feminist" and the distinctive characteristics of the four "waves" of feminism A clear definition of what it means to be a woman What it might mean to disagree with the gender paradigm while also caring for persons who have adopted it Wrestling with the contemporary issue of pronoun use What Dr. Favale would say to young women in contemporary society Get the book: https://ignatius.com/the-genesis-of-gender-ggp/ Follow Dr. Favale: https://abigailfavale.wixsite.com/home