Editor-in-Chief
John Ehrett
A longtime resident of Dallas, Texas, John currently works as an attorney and writer in the Washington, D.C. metro area. He holds a J.D. from Yale Law School, an M.A.R. from the Institute of Lutheran Theology, and an undergraduate degree in government (international politics and policy track) from Patrick Henry College. He particularly enjoys studying the history of Christian appropriations of Neoplatonism, the virtue ethics tradition, postliberal political theologies, and how faith communities preserve their identities in the face of changing social conditions. In his spare time, John enjoys going for morning runs, reviewing movies, reading literature, and rejoicing in the renaissance of longform journalism.
Christian Background: John was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. During college he explored Reformed theology, nondenominational evangelicalism, and Roman Catholicism, before returning to his roots by way of St. Thomas Aquinas, Alasdair MacIntyre, and Soren Kierkegaard. His favorite Christian writers include David Bentley Hart, E.L. Mascall, Wolfhart Pannenberg, and the Cambridge Platonists.
Articles by John | Personal Website
Executive Editors
Johanna (Jody) Byrkett
Jody lives in picturesque Colorado where she enjoys hiking various types of terrain, foggy mornings with steaming mugs of tea, reading classic literature and theological essays, studying words and their origins, and practising the art of hospitality. (She also has the rather annoying habit of spelling things ‘Britishly’.)
Christian Background: Jody grew up listening to her dad read around the dinner table– from Genesis to the Chronicles of Narnia. Her mom opened school mornings with a chapter of Scripture and prayer. Both of these habits have been carried on into her daily life, loving words and the Word Himself. Upon moving to Colorado (2009), however, Jody began stepping back from her evangelical upbringing, shifting toward a deeper liturgical pursuit of knowing God. She was baptised and confirmed in the Anglican church, and currently is a member of International Anglican Church in Colorado Springs.
Articles by Jody | Personal Website
Ben Winter
Dr. Winter is assistant professor of theology at Divine Word College. His research interests include scholasticism, Christian mysticism, science and religion, and philosophical theology. Before matriculating from Saint Louis University with a doctorate in Historical Theology, Ben completed a Master of Arts in Theology at Villanova University. His undergraduate degree comes from Truman State University, where he studied English and Philosophy. His interests outside the academy include creating electronic music, travel, swimming, mountain biking, science fiction, and podcasts of all sorts.
Christian Background: Ben was raised in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS). His family attended church and Bible class regularly, which cultivated a love for liturgy and Scripture. After an exploratory period, Ben was exposed to the broader history of the Christian tradition through a medieval philosophy seminar. Beginning with Augustine’s De libero arbitrio and concluding with Bonaventure’s Itinerarium, the course started a journey that eventually led to membership in the Roman Catholic Church. You can read more about these events here.
Articles by Ben | Personal Website
Associate Editors
Jacob Prahlow
Jacob is lead pastor at Arise Church in Fenton, Missouri. He’s husband to Hayley and dad to Bree and Judah. Jacob holds a MATS in Historical Theology from Saint Louis University, a MA in Religion from Wake Forest University, a BA in Theology from Valparaiso University, a certificate in theology and worldviews from Oxford University-Trinity College and the Oxford Study Centre, an AA in Liberal Arts from Southwestern Michigan College, and a certificate in critical thinking and worldviews from Summit Semester. He loves spending time with his family, reading, hiking, shooting, and blogging at Pursuing Veritas. Along with Ben Cabe, Jacob co-founded Conciliar Post in 2014.
Christian Background: Jacob was born, baptized, and confirmed in the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS). He and Hayley believe strongly in “big tent” Christianity, and he previously served as associate pastor of connections and church planting at trans-denominational Rooftop Church.
Articles by Jacob | Personal Website
Wesley Walker
Wesley is from Raleigh, North Carolina. He went to Liberty University for his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Biblical Studies where he was also on the debate team and is working on his STM at Nashotah House Theological Seminary. He currently resides in Annapolis, Maryland and is a priest at St. Paul’s Anglican Church (APA). He lives with his wife Caroline, their son Jude, and their dog. He co-hosts The Sacramentalists Podcast.
Christian Background: Wesley was raised in non-denominational and Baptist churches. He began feeling called to ministry in some capacity near the end of high school. During his time as an undergraduate, he began exploring the Early Church and as a result, he and his wife have been drawn towards the Anglo-Catholic tradition. They were confirmed in the Anglican Church in North America in 2014. He was ordained to the Diaconate in 2016 and to the priesthood in 2017. In 2019, he moved into the Anglican Province of America.
Social Media Manager
AJ Maynard
AJ is a Palliative Care Chaplain at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. He is a graduate of Liberty University and holds both a Master of Divinity and Master of Theology. He is an Army combat veteran, an avid gamer, documentary geek, and (self-proclaimed) coffee connoisseur.
Christian Background: AJ wavered between Christianity and agnosticism for much of his life. God’s existence was often lost amid life’s more “important” aspects – that is, until God shook him to his core. AJ responded to this shake with a few awkward and skeptical prayers, each answered in seemingly inexplicable ways. He has been pursuing ministry ever since.
Round Table Manager
Jarrett Dickey
Jarrett works in the academic advising department at Sinclair Community College and has previously taught religion and humanities as an adjunct faculty member at several local colleges. In addition to his work in higher education, Jarrett is the assistant pastor of a house church, where he helps with preaching, teaching, worship leading, and discipleship. Jarrett married his high school sweetheart, Hannah, in 2005, and they now have four small children. Jarrett holds a bachelor of science degree in biology from Ohio Northern University and a master of divinity degree from Emory University, Candler School of Theology. His hobbies include guitar, hiking, bird watching, crossword puzzles, sports, reading, and writing.
Christian Background: From the ages of 0-22, Jarrett faithfully attended several different United Methodist churches. While in theology school, he attended and interned at two Vineyard churches, the second of which became Anglican just after his internship ended. After completing his degree, Jarrett moved home to Ohio and began hosting a church in his home. The house church he pastors includes Christians who were raised in a wide variety of traditions. When he thinks theologically, Jarrett is inevitably rooted in his Wesleyan upbringing.
Authors
Timon Cline
Timon Cline is a native of Memphis, TN and grew up in Dakar, Senegal. He is a graduate of Wright State University, and is concurrently pursuing a J.D. at Rutgers Law School, and a M.A. (Religion) at Westminster Theological Seminary. In his spare time, he enjoys reading political biographies and John le Carré novels, reminiscing about the Cleveland Cavaliers’ championship, and watching The Office for the nth time. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, Rachel.
Christian Background: The son of a Southern Baptist preacher and missionaries, Timon was doomed to be Baptist from the outset. In college Timon began to more seriously contemplate the roots of his beliefs and read broadly across theological traditions. In the end, he remained, to the undoubted shock of his parents, a Baptist of the Reformed persuasion (as all good Baptists should be, he thinks). He has been greatly influenced by the writings of Puritans like Thomas Watson, Richard Sibbes, and Jonathan Edwards. Some of his other favorite Christian authors and theological influences include: Carl F.H. Henry, Reinhold Niebuhr, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, G.K. Chesterton, J.I. Packer, Chuck Colson, and C.S. Lewis. Of course, C.H. Spurgeon, the patron saint of Baptists, is a prerequisite favorite. He and his wife attend Bethel Baptist Church in Cherry Hill, NJ. You can follow him on Twitter @tlloydcline.
Morgan Crago
Christian Background: Morgan grew up in a devout Christian family and has served in Presbyterian churches all her life. Attending a dispensational Baptist high school turned her into an avid listener of lectures on eschatology in the 1st century church, and she has loved studying all eras of Christian history ever since. Through telling the history of the church in a compassionate and accessible way, Morgan’s goal is to help Christians from various traditions come to a greater appreciation of how they all contribute different strengths to the body of Christ.
Barbara Gausewitz White
Christian Background: Barbara was raised by devout Episcopalians, and is sponsored for ordination by the same Episcopal parish where she was baptized and confirmed. During college she went through several years of insipid faith, but attended the local Episcopal church weekly—purely out of habit. Regular participation in corporate worship and the Sacraments eventually rekindled her fledgling faith. In the past several years she has fallen more deeply in love with both Scripture and the Anglican tradition. She is terrifically High Church and resolutely Reformed. She is passionate about interdenominational dialogue and fellowship and their importance in an increasingly post-Christian culture.
Articles by Barbara | Personal Website
David Justice
David Justice is currently working on his Ph.D. in Christian Theology with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies at Saint Louis University. He primarily studies Martin Luther King Jr. and liberation theology. He earned his B.A. in Philosophy from Greenville College, after which he earned an M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Missouri in St. Louis and an M.A. in Theological Ethics from Saint Louis University. He, his wife Mariah, and their two sons Abraham and Theseus live in St. Louis. They enjoy spending time together and seeking out the construction vehicles Abraham so enjoys. In David’s little free time he likes to watch E-sports and tweet about funny things his kids do. Follow him on social media: @DavidtheJust.
Christian background: David was raised in a nondenominational evangelical church and attended a nondenominational Christian school from kindergarten through high school. Towards the end of high school he had a crisis of faith and entered into college as an atheist. During the course of his time at Greenville College, David came back to faith through the ministry of his friends, professors, and St. Paul’s Free Methodist Church. He entered into academic theology at least partially to address his own personal theological questions and to try and understand more about the good life. He currently attends Second Presbyterian (PC USA) in the Central West End of St. Louis.
Brian Rebholtz
Brian L. Rebholtz is the Rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Auburn, CA. (saintlukesauburn.org) He holds a B.A. in Religion and Anthropology from the University of New Hampshire, a M.A. in Christian Spirituality from the Graduate Theological Union, and a M.Div from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific. His interests include Bible design, homiletics, metaphysics and the spiritual aspirations of human beings. He is married to Catherine, a small animal veterinarian, and lives in a home filled with books, animals and children.
Christian Background: Brian was raised Roman Catholic in northern Nevada. He became fascinated by Jesus while attending a Presbyterian youth group, but took a detour to study Taoism and Buddhism. He spent three years worshipping in the Jodo Shinshu tradition (Buddhist Churches of America) and studying Japanese Pure Land Buddhism. As an undergraduate, he was called back into the Christian fold while listening to the “Comfortable Words” of the Episcopal Church’s traditional (Rite I) communion service. He was received into the Episcopal Church in 2004 and ordained as a priest in 2012. Brian’s theological and liturgical home is in the High Church stream of Anglicanism, and he has particular interests in both the Church Fathers and Christian Platonism. This being said, he also has a deep love of Reformation thought, expository preaching, and old-timey hymns about the blood of Jesus.
Joshua Schendel
Joshua is professor of theology at Yellowstone Theological Institute in Bozeman, MT, where he lives with his wife, Bethanne, and their three kids.
Christian Background: Joshua was raised in a Christian home, the son of a non-denominational pastor in rural Montana. Even at an early age he had an interest in learning about God and the ways of God. In early twenties, under the direction of some godly mentors, he began to pursue that interest in formal education. He continues that pursuit, now from a teaching role, where he also seeks to guide others in their pursuits of knowing and loving God.
Contributors
Matthew Bryan
Matthew is a post-Protestant disciple of Jesus, an avid disciple-maker, a father of 2 grown men, and the delighted husband of Kristy. He holds a Bachelor of Science summa cum laude from the University of Memphis and has authored 3 books. A former church planter, Matthew now serves within the Restoration Movement. He enjoys reading the letters of Desiderius Erasmus, learning the history of empires, and encouraging believers to take up Biblical Greek for the twin purposes of clarity and unity.
Christian Background: Matthew grew up attending a Protestant home church, but did not come to faith until the age of 22. He spent another 17 years in 3 consecutive Protestant denominations, first in dispensationalism, next being personally discipled in a nondenominational setting, and finally learning the values of the Restoration Movement. Due to his historical investigations, Matthew teaches scripture not from a Protestant perspective, but from an historic and global Christian understanding that includes “Christus Victor” and embracing the Septuagint.
Articles by Matthew | Personal Website
David Doherty
David works in Christian higher education in Ontario, Canada. He holds a Bachelor of Religious Education from Emmanuel Bible College (Kitchener, Ontario) and a Master of Theological Studies from McMaster Divinity College (Hamilton, Ontario). His research interests include the Gospel of John, metaphors in religious thought, and the development of Christian theology in the West. Together since their mid-teens, he and his wife adventure through life together and encourage each other in their faith and research.
Christian Background: David’s early spiritual formation took place within moderately conservative Baptist churches in Canada, his father serving as a pastor. While completing his bachelor’s degree, David set out to understand the various Christians traditions, from Eastern Orthodoxy to Pentecostalism to Lutheranism. During his master’s studies many strands of his spiritual life and theological interests came together in an exploration of Anglicanism that he undertook with his wife. Together they decided to become Anglicans.
Articles by David | Personal Website
J.D. Grubb
Passionate about art, outdoor adventure, and world travel, J.D. Grubb has lived chapters in the United States and Europe, and intends to explore every corner of the world. He currently works in northern California as a distance running coach, freelance writer and editor, and recently published his debut novel, There was Music.
Christian Background: J.D. was raised in a Protestant-influenced, non-denominational household, and has come to cherish the wisdom of Christian thinkers from every background, West to East.
Jacob Quick
Jacob is a displaced Texan who lives in Belgium, where he and his wife, Annie, are students. Jacob recently completed an MPhil in continental philosophy at KU Leuven. Jacob earned an MA in analytic philosophy from Northern Illinois University in 2015 and a BA in theology from Moody Bible Institute in 2012. Jacob enjoys travelling, reading, and discussing theology and philosophy with friends. His particular interests center around the intersection of philosophy, Christianity, and animal ethics.
Christian Background: Jacob grew up in a devout, loving, Christian home. He began his Christian journey in the Church of Christ and since has regularly attended a variety of churches, including Southern Baptist, non-denominational, Presbyterian, and Anglican. In May of 2016, Jacob and Annie were confirmed in the Anglican church, where they continue to explore and experience the richness of God’s love.
Jeff Reid
Jeff is fascinated by stories. In particular, he is enthralled with the authors’ ability to capture concepts and bring those concepts to life. Driving this delight is his interest in theology and philosophy. Ultimately, he is excited by opportunities to help others understand abstract ideas through skilled artistic work.
Christian Background: Jeff grew up primarily in non-denominational churches. During his teen years, between listening to recorded sermons and conversations with friends, he developed a Reformed/Calvinistic theological leaning. Currently, he would identify as a Reformed Baptist. However, this is combined with the understanding that other traditions could have beneficial insights that he has not yet encountered.
Articles by Jeff | Personal Website
Luke Davis Townsend
Luke is an Assistant Professor of Theology at Marian University in Fond du Lac, WI. He holds a Ph.D. in Historical Theology from Saint Louis University, and an M.Div. from Vanderbilt University Divinity School. Luke grew up in the Southern Baptist Church, and often attended Methodist and Lutheran Churches with friends and family. After college, he worked as a youth minister in a Presbyterian Church. During graduate school, Luke took classes on St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas. These thinkers led Luke to find a home in the Catholic Church, which he joined in 2015, and to write his doctoral dissertation on the sacramental theology of Thomas Aquinas. Luke currently lives in Fond du Lac with his wife Mary Frances and their dog Gus.
Christian background: Luke’s family on his mother’s side is Lutheran, and his family on his father’s side is Southern Baptist. Luke was baptized as an infant in the Lutheran Church, ELCA, but he grew up regularly attending a Southern Baptist Church. Reading C.S. Lewis led him to pursue theological studies and to feel increasingly disconnected from Baptist theology. While obtaining his M.Div. at Vanderbilt Divinity School, Luke’s closest friends and housemates were all Methodists, and Luke worked as a youth minister at a Presbyterian Church. In the course of his studies, though, Luke took classes on St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas from two Catholic professors. These classes and, especially, the thought of St. Thomas were deeply formative of Luke’s theological views, and he found himself increasingly persuaded by Catholic positions. Luke decided to pursue doctoral studies of Thomas Aquinas at St. Louis University. Shortly thereafter, his ecclesial participation caught up with his theology, and he joined the Catholic Church on Easter of 2015.
1 Comment
I must say, this is a good looking group of writers!