In an age characterised by information overload and difference of belief, it can be challenging to learn how to engage well in discourses swirling round in our headlines, Twitter feeds and churches. As followers of Jesus, our engagement can start with learning how to read well and listen attentively.
Nobody understands this better than reader, writer and academic Karen Swallow Prior. As a professor of English and Christianity at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in North Carolina, she draws on her love of literature to transform our understanding of culture, the Bible and each other. With a history of activism within the pro-life movement, and more recent campaigns in the Southern Baptist Convention surrounding gender-based violence and anti-racism, her nuanced and compassionate voice speaks volumes into debates concerning the value of human life.
Join Peter and Jo in our first episode of this interview season as they cover a range of topics with a commentator who defies the boxes that society tries to place her in.
You can also learn more about Karen Swallow Prior by visiting her website here.
ACT I (00:00)
04:01 An ability to exist in different spaces, challenging the boxes society puts us in.
05:50 The power of literature and art to combat utilitarianism and see the world through the eyes of others.
09:10 Lessons from Hannah Moore and the Clapham Sect on shaping and forming culture.
ACT II (16:15)
16:20 Reading well and searching for meaning in the Bible and cultural texts.
22:20 We must be attentive in our engagement with literature.
23:40 Learning to interrogate and respect: situating opposing arguments side by side, and the redemptive possibility of social media.
33:19 We must love the church, while pushing back against injustices when necessary.
Being Human
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