About Thinking Christian
Theology for Faithful Living
Thinking Christian is a place to learn how to think, not a place to be told what to think. We engage serious questions in the Christian life slowly, theologically, and in conversation with serious scholars and pastors. We don’t react with “hot takes,” allow the news cycle to set our agenda, or accept that the standard positions in a debate are the only positions.
Philosophy
Why we work the way we do
Thinking Christian works differently because the body of Christ is governed and guided by the Scriptures, the final authority for life and faith. We privilege substantive, rigorous conversation over knee-jerk comments or default positions. We talk about challenging topics, including politics, technology, mental health, suffering, Christian nationalism, and cultural pressure; but we talk about them as theologians rather than as Christian commentators.
Scholarship belongs to the church. The serious academic work done in seminaries, divinity schools, and research universities is not the exclusive property of those institutions. It belongs to God's people. Thinking Christian exists to translate that work faithfully, accessibly, and without dumbing it down, so the depth of the tradition becomes useful where it is most needed: in the daily life of the believer.
Who Thinking Christian is for
Thinking Christian is not for Christians looking to have God's word authorize their particular point of view, whether conservative, liberal, or otherwise. Our audience isn't looking for an escape from theological seriousness, but for ways of living that reflect the conviction that the Bible is the final authority for life and faith.
The Team
A team built to bridge scholarship and the church.
Hosted by James Spencer
James Spencer, PhD is a theologian and the author of Thinking Christian, Serpents and Doves, Christian Resistance, and A Praying People, with new work on Digital Discernment forthcoming from IVP. An Associate Research Fellow with the Kirby Laing Centre, James works publicly on contested questions in the life of the church.
Resident scholar: Ashish Varma
Ashish Varma is the resident scholar of Thinking Christian. He holds a doctorate in Theological Studies from Wheaton College and has taught theology, philosophy, and history at the college and graduate levels for nearly 20 years.
Ashish is an adjunct faculty member at Wheaton College, teaching theology for the Litfin Divinity School and the Marriage and Family Therapy program. He is co-editor of the book A Praying People and was a contracted contributor for the God Here and Nowonline journal of Princeton Theological Seminary's Center for Barth Studies. He has written chapters, articles, and reviews for academic books and journals, presented at academic conferences, and contributed to popular level publications for the Center for Asian American Christianity, Interfaith America, and World Outspoken.
Recurring contributors and guests
Thinking Christian works in collaboration with a wider circle of theologians, biblical scholars, and pastors who appear on specific series arcs and on Asked and Answered. Each is introduced specifically when their work is featured.
What We Believe
Confessionally Orthodox
Thinking Christian is confessionally orthodox. We hold to the Nicene Creed, and recognize the Scriptures to be the inspired and authoritative Word of God. We believe the church is called to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord over every area of life, to make disciples of all nations, and to bear witness to the coming kingdom of God.
Where to start
New listeners can start with any episode, but the platform's recent series arcs offer natural entry points.