“From what I gather, you fit the bill of the kind of person I have in mind. Raised in the orbit of the church. Not unfamiliar with Jesus or Scripture. Not skeptical of them either. But untutored…”
The above is a brief & early description of the idealized pen-pal (or, “interlocutor”, if you’re nasty/fancy) that Brad East had in mind when writing his new book, Letters To A Future Saint. In this conversation we dig into the book, his motivations for writing it, his hopes for its use, and his preacher-level-passion regarding baptism. We also get a sneak peak at his current work on wrestling with the ramifications of digital technologies on the church (spoiler alert: not all good). This conversation… it’s a doozie!
Brad is an associate professor of theology at Abilene Christian University. He writes widely on Christianity, theology, culture, and politics for a variety of publications including The Christian Century, Christianity Today, Comment, Commonweal, First Things, The Los Angeles Review of Books, and The Point. He’s been interviewed on a number of podcasts including The London Lyceum, The Christian Chronicle, and Curiously, Kaitlyn.
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Introduction and Background
06:30 - Sabbatical and Writing Projects
10:20 - Digital Technology in Ministry
14:30 - Teaching and Student Engagement
18:30 - The Rise of the Nones
22:30 - Literacy and Biblical Knowledge
26:10 - Catechesis and Its Importance
30:40 - Baptism: Understanding Its Significance
34:20 - The Role of the Church
38:30 - Baptism and Personal Experience
42:30 - The Nature of Sacraments
46:20 - Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Keywords:
Brad East, Letters to a Future Saint, baptism, catechesis, technology, biblical literacy, Christian community, faith, church history, spiritual growth
Brad East's "Letters To A Future Saint"