The Team
Conversations that Matter for the Church
The scholars and guests on Thinking Christian share a commitment to careful exegesis, theological seriousness, and the conviction that scholarship is not the property of the academy. They are here to do the slow work of translation that mature faith requires.
Founder & Host
James Spencer founded Thinking Christian out of a conviction that careful theological thinking belongs to every believer, not just the academy.
James Spencer, PhD
Founder and host of Thinking Christian.
James Spencer, PhD, is a theologian, author, and host of the Thinking Christian podcast, where he writes and speaks on Christian formation, political theology, and technology.
He holds a PhD in Theological Studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and an MA in Biblical Exegesis from Wheaton College.
He serves as president of the D. L. Moody Center in Northfield, Massachusetts, as an Associate Research Fellow at the Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology, and as adjunct faculty in Wheaton College's MA in Leadership program. His forthcoming book is Digital Discernment (InterVarsity Press).
- —PhD in Theological Studies, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
- —MA in Biblical Exegesis, Wheaton College
- —President, D. L. Moody Center
- —Associate Research Fellow, Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology
- —Adjunct Faculty, Wheaton College MA in Leadership
- —Forthcoming: Digital Discernment (InterVarsity Press)
Resident Scholar
The resident scholar role is structurally rare on the platform. Each appointment marks a sustained, multi-year intellectual partnership with Thinking Christian.
Ashish Varma, PhD
Co-host of Thinking Christian.
Dr. Ashish Varma earned his PhD in Systematic Theology from Wheaton College, as well as MA's in the History of Christianity and Theological Studies.
A former professor and program director, Ashish is an adjunct faculty member at Wheaton College. He is also a member of the American Academy of Religion and the American Philosophical Association.
Ashish has written for the Center for Barth Studies at Princeton Theological Seminary, Ex Auditu, and the Scottish Bulletin of Evangelical Theology. He also contributed to 'In Christ' in Paul: Explorations in Paul's Theology of Union and Participation and co-edited A Praying People: Essays Inspired by Dwight L. Moody.
- —PhD in Systematic Theology, Wheaton College
- —Adjunct Faculty, Wheaton College
- —Member, American Academy of Religion & the American Philosophical Association
- —Co-editor, A Praying People
Contributors
Contributors appear across specific series and in Asked and Answered, bringing sustained expertise to recurring conversations.
Gregg Quiggle, PhD
Contributor, Asked & Answered.
Gregg Quiggle, PhD, is a retired Professor of Historical Theology at Moody Bible Institute and a contributor to Thinking Christian: Asked and Answered. His scholarship spans church history, the Reformation, and the evangelical tradition — with particular expertise in the life and legacy of D. L. Moody.
As a contributor to Asked and Answered, Gregg brings historical depth to contemporary questions, helping Christians see that the challenges they face are rarely without precedent — and that the tradition offers more wisdom than most believers realize.
- —PhD, Historical Theology
- —Retired Professor, Moody Bible Institute
- —Contributor, Asked & Answered
- —Expertise: D.L. Moody & the Evangelical Tradition
Featured Guests
Contributors & Guests
The guests of Thinking Christian appear on specific series arcs and on Asked and Answered. Each is introduced when their work is featured, and each contributes from a distinct field of expertise.