Faith in Teaching Podcast

Episode 47

Rachel B. Griffis discusses the book she recently co-authored, Deep Reading: Practices to Subvert the Vices of Our Distracted, Hostile, and Consumeristic Age (with Julie Ooms and Rachel M. De Smith Roberts, Baker Academic, 2024). 

Episode 46

Rachel Herweynen discusses Gäwa Christian School, located on Elcho Island, in Warramiri land, in the Northern Territory of Australia: "As well as training students in God’s law and teaching the Northern Territory school curriculum, we seek to preserve Warramiri knowledge and the gifts of the wider Yolŋu culture." 

Episode 45

John Seymour discusses designing a distinctively Christian school environment that is also hospitable to a student population with diverse religious backgrounds. 

Episode 44

Lynn E. Swaner discusses her recent book, co-written with Andy Wolfe, Flourishing Together: A Christian Vision for Students, Educators, and Schools (Eerdmans, 2021).

Episode 43

Tim Van Soelen, director of the Center for the Advancement of Christian Education (cace.org) discusses teaching for transformation and the Practicing Faith Survey (practicing.faith).

Episode 42

Perry Glanzer (Baylor University) and David I. Smith discuss what excellence means for Christian schools.

Episode 41

John Sullivan, emeritus professor of Christian education at Liverpool Hope University, discusses his book Lights for the Path (Veritas, 2022, http://veritas.ie).

Episode 40

Asle Ystebø, director of the Egill Danielsen Foundation in Bergen, Norway, discusses his research on practices that communicate caring in the context of Christian schools in Norway.

Episode 39

Caitlin Munday, research fellow at the Scots College and founding director of the Teaching Schools Alliance (https://www.teachingschoolsalliancesydney.org/), discusses teacher training in Australia and challenges faced by the teaching profession.

Episode 38

Jennifer Holberg, Professor of English at Calvin University, discusses her new book, Nourishing Narratives: The Power of Story to Shape Our Faith (IVP Academic, 2023).

Episode 37

Kevin den Dulk, associate provost for the Global Campus at Calvin University, discusses his work on democratic citizenship, political polarization, and the Civic Hospitality Project (civichospitality.com).

Episode 36

Diane Hockridge, Educational Designer at Ridley College in Melbourne, Australia, discusses her research on designing online learning.

Episode 35

Matthew Kaemingk, chair of Richard John Mouw Chair of Faith and Public Life at Fuller Theological Seminary and author of Christian Hospitality and Muslim Immigration in an Age of Fear (Eerdmans, 2018), discusses his work on the Civic Hospitality Project (civichospitality.com).

Episode 34

David I. Smith discusses the Civic Hospitality Project (civichospitality.com) with Micah Watson, executive director for the Henry Institute for the Study of Christianity and Politics at Calvin University.

Episode 33

Communications scholar Quentin Schultze discusses servant teaching as effective communication. His new book is Servant Teaching: Practices for Renewing Christian Higher Education (Edenridge Press LLC, 2022).

Episode 32

John E. Hull, professor emeritus from King’s University, discusses his new book Education for Hope: A Course Correction.

Episode 31

Kevin Gary, professor of education at Valparaiso University and author of Why Boredom Matters: Education, Leisure, and the Quest for a Meaningful Life (Cambridge University Press, 2022), discusses a mindset of leisure as an alternative to either boredom avoidance or resignation to boredom

Episode 30

Patrick Manning, chair of the department of pastoral theology at Immaculate Conception Seminary, discusses contemplative practices in education.

Episode 29

Timothy L. Price discusses his new edition of the 17th-century text, The Labyrinth of the World and The Paradise of the Heart, by John Amos Comenius.

Episode 28

Kyle R. Hughes discusses his book, Teaching for Spiritual Formation: A Patristic Approach to Christian Education in a Convulsed Age.

Episode 27

Amy Wilstermann, Rachael Baker, and Julie Yonker discuss their Team Science and Christian Practices project, a study of how Christian practices such as humility and delight can contribute to work as part of a team of science researchers.

Episode 26

At the height of the pandemic, the authors of Digital Life Together: The Challenge of Technology for Christian Schools held a virtual forum to discuss common questions posed by students, educators, and parents about the pitfalls and strengths of technology use in school. This is Part 2 of two parts.

Episode 25

At the height of the pandemic, the authors of Digital Life Together: The Challenge of Technology for Christian Schools held a virtual forum to discuss common questions posed by students, educators, and parents about the pitfalls and strengths of technology use in school. This is Part 1 of two parts.

Episode 24

Sidsel Høland Olausson discusses the state of Christian schooling in Norway.

Episode 23

Sara Leo discusses discovering the hidden curriculum found in the way we curate public spaces in schools.

Episode 22

Derek Schuurman (Calvin University) discusses the role of faith in engineering, the ways technology impacts society, and his new book, A Christian Field Guide to Technology for Engineers and Designers (IVP Academic, https://www.ivpress.com/a-christian-field-guide-to-technology-for-engineers-and-designers).

Episode 21

This episode is part two of two segments of a podcast co-published with the Cultivating [ spaces ] podcast (Lexington Christian Academy, https://lca.edu/cultivating/). Jean Noh (Lexington Christian Academy), Dorothy Vaandering (Memorial University of Newfoundland), and David I. Smith (Calvin University) discuss their own paths to Christian education, the changing circumstances and practices of education, and what it means to "do well in school."

Episode 20

This episode is part one of two segments of a podcast co-published with the Cultivating [ spaces ] podcast (Lexington Christian Academy, https://lca.edu/cultivating/). Jean Noh (Lexington Christian Academy), Dorothy Vaandering (Memorial University of Newfoundland), and David I. Smith (Calvin University) discuss their own paths to Christian education, the changing circumstances and practices of education, and what it means to "do well in school." Part two will be available in late September.

Episode 19

Signe Sandsmark, author of Worldview-Neutral Education: Is it Possible or Desirable? (Paternoster Press, 2000) discusses the concept of worldview-neutral education and her recent research on why parents choose Christian schools for their children in the Norwegian context.

Episode 18

Dr. Sarinah Lo discusses the state of Christian education in Indonesia, and the research behind her book Faith-Integrated Being, Knowing, and Doing: A Study among Christian Faculty in Indonesia (Langham, 2020).

Episode 17

Luke Bretherton (Professor of Theological Ethics and Senior Fellow at the Kenan Institute for Ethics, Duke Divinity School) discusses the meaning of conversion, the centrality of listening, and the relationship between faith and secularism.

Episode 16

Robert J. Keeley discusses the Children's Spirituality Summit (May 24-26, 2021, find more information and register at https://www.childrensspiritualitysummit.org/), and the new book Bridging Theory and Practice in Children's Spirituality: New Directions for Education, Ministry, and Discipleship (Zondervan, April 2021).

Episode 15

David Smith discusses the development of new Christian schools in Kyiv, Ukraine with Tatiana Garkun at a seminar for science and Bible teachers.

Episode 14

Elena Sychova discusses her work in establishing Christian schools in Ukraine and India.

Episode 13

David Smith and Kevin Gary (Valparaiso University) discuss the roles of teachers and students in Christian teaching and learning and his upcoming book, Why Boredom Matters: Education and the Quest for a Meaningful Life (Cambridge University Press).

Episode 12

New podcast episode: David Smith and Kara Sevensma, two of the co-authors of Digital Life Together: The Challenge of Technology for Christian Schools, discuss the role of technology in creating community at Christian schools.

Episode 11

David I. Smith and John Witvliet discuss a faculty development workshop in which they explored what John Calvin's commentary on Psalm 19 contributes to modern pedagogy.

Episode 10

Darren Spyksma, Director of Learning at the Society of Christian Schools in British Columbia, discusses a 10-month program in which teachers consider the impact of pedagogy on faith formation.

Episode 9

Faith Nguru (Daystar University, Nairobi, Kenya) Faith Nguru discusses her work and the roles and challenges of Christian universities in Kenya.

Episode 8

Paul Burgis discusses how Presbyterian Ladies' College (Sydney, Australia) builds Christian character and ways of thinking and engaging with a pluralist society.

Episode 7

Marilyn Rhames talks with David Smith about how she created the nonprofit Teachers who Pray (www.teacherswhopray.org), and her new book, The Master Teacher: 12 Spiritual Lessons that Can Transform Schools and Revolutionize Public Education (marilynrhames.com).

Episode 6

David Smith discusses the changing culture of Christian education in Australia with Chris Parker of Christian Education National and author of The Frog and the Fish: Reflections on Work, Technology, Sex, Stuff, Truth, and Happiness. The book helps young adults understand and question how much they have been shaped by their culture.

Episode 5

(Note: Recorded in 2019) David I. Smith talks with Albert Cheng (University of Arkansas) on whether and how schools can assess faith formation in their students.

Episode 4

(Note: Recorded in 2019) Steve McMullen (co-author of Digital Life Together: The Challenge of Technology for Christian Schools) discusses his research on the effects of the amount and type of "screen time" among high school students who use school-issued laptops.

Episode 3

(Note: Recorded in 2019) David I. Smith talks with Natasha Moore of the Centre for Public Christianity (https://www.publicchristianity.org) about engaging with perceptions and misperceptions of Christians and Christianity.

Episode 2

In this second episode of the podcast, David I. Smith discusses the What if Learning approach to teaching with Trevor Cooling (Canterbury Christ Church University, National Institute for Christian Education Research).

Episode 1

Welcome to the first episode of the podcast! This episode features a discussion with Marj Terpstra, professor of education and department chair at Calvin University, about the research behind the new book Digital Life Together: The Challenge of Technology for Christian Schools (Eerdmans).