We talked with Presbyterian minister and peace activist Ben Daniel about his book Grace Over Guns: Pursuing Peace in a Militarized World, in which he challenges readers to think through common justifications for military violence and to consider how those justifications might not measure up to the teachings of Jesus, offering a prophetic call to reject the sin of military violence and embrace the grace of Christian pacifism.

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We talked with spiritual director Deb Gregory about the profoundly reorienting practice of walking and praying: a multisensory journey that integrates mind, body, and spirit as we notice God's gentle leading, one step at a time. In her new book Spiritual Wayfinding, Deb has created thirty-three unique walking meditations exploring the core questions Where am I? and Where am I going? Each experience in this easy-to-use guide offers a creative approach to walking, specific prompts for reflection and prayer, and Ignatian contemplation of Scripture.

We talked with spiritual director and author Susan Carson about how neuroscience and mystical theology intersect to inform a way of being together with God and one another that heals our trauma and alienation, which she explores in her new book A Kenotic Way of Contemplative Healing: Julian of Norwich, Neuroscience and the Centrality of Safety in Healing Trauma. Find her podcast, blog, and more at www.susancarson.net.

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We talked with pastor Steve Watson about shedding forms of Christianity that have disappointed us and constructing and embracing a faith that makes us "larger, freer, and more loving," in the famous words of James Baldwin. His new book All Flesh Shalom dissects some of white Western Christianity’s most narrow and misguided readings of the life and teaching of Jesus, and in conversation with leading open and relational and postcolonial, liberation theologians, explores ways we can engage major themes in the gospels in the service of a larger, freer, more loving faith.

You can connect with Steve and his work on Substack: https://allfleshshalom.substack.com

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We talked with Professor Victor Counted about how the attachment framework can help us explore how we develop and sustain psychological bonds with God, and how, when those bonds are eroded, it can lead to a crisis of faith. His book Bonded With God navigates questions of identity, meaning, and purpose, and the role of faith in offering support and guidance as we examine our connection with God.

Victor Counted is associate professor of psychology, director of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, and director of the Abundant Life Flourishing Program at Regent University. He is a faculty affiliate of Harvard University's Human Flourishing Program and associate editor of The Journal of Positive Psychology. You can connect with him and his work on his website https://vcounted.com/

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We talked with Rob Dixon about his new book, Allies in Ministry, which provides a practical, research-based pathway for men who desire to support women in ministry but may feel uncertain about how to act or worried about doing the wrong thing, because for women and men to thrive equally in ministry, the church needs male allies who are committed to supporting women in their callings.

Rob Dixon (DIS, Fuller Theological Seminary) is the author of Together in Ministry: Women and Men in Flourishing Partnerships and the coauthor with his wife, Amy, of the picture book Penny Preaches. In addition to serving on InterVarsity Christian Fellowship staff for almost thirty years, he teaches at Fuller Theological Seminary and Fresno Pacific University."

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We talked with professor and author James McGrath about how the process of deconstruction can be a starting point for something new, and lead to building a more expansive faith, which is what he addresses in his book Beyond Deconstruction: Building a More Expansive Faith. You can connect with James on his blog: https://patheos.com/blogs/religionprof.

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We talked with musician, composer, and liturgical theologian Richard Bruxvoort Colligan about the rich, complicated life reflected in the Psalms of the Hebrew Bible—150 stories from a people passionate and honest about the complexities of human experience, and how we can be transformed by reengaging with the Psalms on their own terms. Richard is the author of Dangerous Songs: The Psalms and a Gloriously Disrupted Life.

Richard Bruxvoort Colligan is a musician and a student of the Psalms. He has an MA in theology and the arts from United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities and a DMin in grief work from Eden Seminary. An indie musician for over 30 years, he has composed and published 100s of songs for the wider church, including community songs for all the psalms. He lives in Strawberry Point, Iowa, and serves as director of spiritual formation at Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Rochester, MN.

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