The Pastor Theologians Podcast

Epizódy

• Complementarity | Gregg Allison 03.06.2026 46min

  In this episode of the CPT Podcast, we welcome Greg Allison to discuss his book Complementarity. Allison explains his vision of “complementarity” as a theological framework focused not on gender roles but on the shared dignity, difference, and interdependence of men and women as image-bearers of God. Drawing on biblical theology, church history, and contemporary debates, the conversation explores why identity must precede function, how Christians can move beyond polarized disputes over gender...
• Deathly (De)Vices | Dillon Thornton 27.05.2026 43min

  In this episode of the CPT Podcast, we are joined by CPT Fellow pastor Dillon Thornton to discuss his new book, Deathly (De)Vices: Our Ever-Present Portals to Seven Ancient Sins. Drawing from pastoral ministry, personal experience, and the Christian tradition of the seven deadly sins, Thornton explores how smartphones, social media, and emerging technologies subtly deform our hearts and habits. The conversation ranges from envy and vainglory in online life to the spiritual dangers and promise...
• BONUS | Kyle Fever on Books and Preaching 21.05.2026 15min

  A bonus conversation with CPT fellow Kyle Fever on life, preaching, books, and music. Join us at the CPT Conference
• Becoming a Pastor Theologian | Kyle Fever 14.05.2026 55min

  In this episode, we are joined by pastor theologian Kyle Fever to discuss his journey from a Lutheran upbringing and love of biblical scholarship into pastoral ministry. Kyle reflects on the shifting nature of vocation, the challenges of balancing academic aspirations with family life, and how his daughter’s traumatic brain injury profoundly reshaped his understanding of ministry, calling, and faithfulness. Join us at the CPT Conference
• BONUS | Matthew LaMaster on Books, Preaching, and Sermon Prep 01.05.2026 13min

  A short bonus conversation with CPT fellow Matthew LaMaster on a book that has influenced his preaching ministry and his aspiration to write his sermons six months before they are preached. Join us at the CPT Conference
• Becoming a Pastor Theologians | Matthew LaMaster 28.04.2026 50min

  In this episode of the CPT Podcast, Matt Lamaster discusses his path into pastoral ministry, from his upbringing in evangelical churches to serving as a pastor in rural Maine. He reflects on the challenges of his first pastorate, the lessons he learned through ministry and theological study, and how his work in the book of Hebrews has shaped his understanding of the pastor theologian’s calling. The conversation explores church leadership, theological formation, and perseverance in ministry. J...
• Finding Faithful Pastors | Rich Kidd 22.04.2026 37min

  Joel Lawrence sits down with Rich Kidd of Mission Leadership to discuss the changing landscape of pastoral leadership. Drawing from years of experience in executive search and ministry, Kidd reflects on the growing need for shepherds, not just speakers, in ministry today, and the challenges churches face in identifying and supporting healthy leaders. How can churches engage in practices that appropriately vet candidates, build trust with congregations, and prioritize a relational approach to ...
• BONUS | Joey Sherrard on Books and Preaching 13.04.2026 12min

  A short bonus episode where CPT fellow Joey Sherrard shares discusses St. Augustine's important book, On Christian Teaching. Join us at the CPT Conference
• The Augustinian Pastor | Joey Sherrard 06.04.2026 50min

  This episode features a conversation with Joey Sherrard about his new book The Augustinian Pastor, exploring how the life and theology of Augustine can shape modern pastoral ministry. Drawing from his own journey—especially rediscovering Augustine during COVID—Sherrard highlights how Augustine’s work as a hands-on pastor was itself the outworking of and context in which he did his theological reflection. Key themes include the importance of pastoral friendship, the ongoing struggle with pride...
• Jonathan Griffiths | Gathered for Good 24.03.2026 53min

  This episode features a conversation* with Pastor Jonathan Griffiths on his ministry journey—from Toronto to Oxford and Cambridge—and the theological vision behind his book Gathered for Good. The discussion explores the importance of the local church’s physical gathering, especially in a post-COVID context, addressing challenges like disengagement, “fringe” attendance, and the rise of virtual church participation. Griffiths offers pastoral and theological insight into why committed, embodied ...
• BONUS | Matt Erickson on Books and Preaching 17.03.2026 11min

  A short bonus episode where CPT fellow Matt Erickson shares two formative books for his ministry—Eugene Peterson’s Working the Angles and Tim Keller’s Preaching—highlighting how they shape his approach to prayer, Scripture, pastoral care, and effective preaching. Join us at the CPT Conference
• The Pastor as Gardener | Matt Erickson 09.03.2026 46min

  In this episode of the The CPT Podcast, hosts Zachary Wagner and Joel Lawrence interview Matt Erickson about his path to pastoral ministry and the ideas behind his book The Pastor as Gardener. Erickson shares his conversion in high school, his formation at Wheaton College and Northern Theological Seminary, and how crises in ministry—including COVID-19 and church tensions—pushed him to rethink common leadership models. Drawing on Eugene Peterson and biblical imagery such as 1 Corinthians 3, he...
• Preaching as Theology | Nicole Martin (Preaching and the Pastor Theologian Episode 10) 26.01.2026 50min

  In this final episode of the Preaching in the Pastor-Theologian series, Joel Lawrence and Matt Kim are joined by Nicole Martin—pastor, preacher, and President/CEO of Christianity Today—for a wide-ranging conversation that brings the series’ central themes into sharp focus. Drawing on her own preaching journey and her book Nailing It, Martin reflects on preaching as a theological act of proclamation rather than performance, emphasizing surrender, simplicity, and a God-centered vision of the pu...
• A PhD in Preaching | Todd Still (Preaching and the Pastor Theologian Episode 9) 16.01.2026 55min

  In this episode, Joel Lawrence and Matt Kim welcome Todd Still, Delancey Dean and Professor of Christian Scriptures at Truett Seminary, for a rich conversation on theological education and the formation of preachers. Drawing on his own journey as a pastor, scholar, and dean, Still articulates a layered theological vision for preaching—rooted in the grand narrative of Scripture, shaped by evangelical and Baptist convictions, and deeply informed by Pauline theology. Together, the hosts and gues...
• Social Media, Attention, and AI | Dan Brendsel (Preaching and the Pastor Theologian Episode 8) 15.12.2025 50min

  Joel Lawrence and Matt Kim speak with CPT Fellow Dan Brendsel about preaching in an age shaped by social media, attention economics, and artificial intelligence, exploring how technology subtly reinforces idolatry and the illusion of control. Brendsel argues that preaching should resist catering to diminished attention spans and instead cultivate prayerful attentiveness to God, framing preaching as God’s address to a listening community rather than a performance or content delivery optimized ...
• Political Movements, Social Change, and the Preacher | Ed Copeland (Preaching and the Pastor Theologian Episode 7) 08.12.2025 58min

  In this episode, Joel Lawrence and Matt Kim talk with pastor, lawyer, and theologian K. Edward Copeland about how the gospel shapes the church’s engagement with today’s social and political tensions. Ed shares his unique journey—from overcoming a childhood speech impediment to decades of ministry and justice work—and offers a compelling vision of the gospel as God’s reconciling work for people, systems, and the whole cosmos. Drawing on the African American preaching tradition and the posture ...
• Cultural Intelligence and the Preacher | Gerald Hiestand (Preaching and the Pastor Theologian Episode 6) 01.12.2025 1h

  In this conversation, hosts Joel Lawrence and Matt Kim speak with Gerald Hiestand—senior pastor of Calvary Memorial Church and co-founder of the Center for Pastor Theologians—about cultural intelligence and the work of preaching. Drawing from his ministry in the diverse and politically complex context of Oak Park, Illinois, Gerald describes the challenges and opportunities of engaging culture thoughtfully from the pulpit. He reflects on how pastors can understand the visible and invisible lay...
• Who Is Preaching For? | Ahmi Lee (Preaching and the Pastor Theologian Episode 5) 19.11.2025 47min

  Joel Lawrence and Matt Kim talk with Ahmi Lee about her vision for preaching as participation in God’s “grand drama.” Drawing from her global upbringing, pastoral experience, and theological training, Lee explains how preaching should bridge text-centered and reader-centered approaches by rooting sermons in the sweeping biblical narrative while remaining attentive to the lived experiences of listeners. She argues that preaching is ultimately a doxological act—first for God, then for the churc...
• The Sermon, Discipleship, and the Life of the Church | Jonathan Bailes (Preaching and the Pastor Theologian Episode 4) 14.11.2025 55min

  Joel Lawrence and Matt Kim speak with Anglican priest and theologian Jonathan Bailes about the deep connection between preaching, discipleship, and the daily life of the church. Bailes reflects on the formative role of preaching within a liturgical tradition, emphasizing that the sermon is not commentary on current events but an encounter with the living voice of God that continually calls the church to remembrance amid spiritual forgetfulness. Drawing on Scripture, church history, and pastor...
• Preaching for Theological Formation | Paul Hoffman (Preaching and the Pastor Theologian Episode 3) 06.11.2025 55min

  Joel Lawrence and Matt Kim speak with Paul Hoffman, senior pastor of Evangelical Friends Church in Newport, Rhode Island, about his ministry journey and upcoming transition to a faculty role at Samford University. The conversation centers on the book Preaching to a Divided Nation, coauthored by Hoffman and Kim, exploring how pastors can preach for reconciliation amid cultural, political, and racial divisions. Together, they discuss the theological foundations of unity, the “four isms” that di...