Summer Reading
"The Story of Christian Theology: Twenty Centuries of Tradition"
by Roger Olson
Summer guidance will be provided.
What Is Cultural Renewal
by Tim Keller
What Is Cultural Renewal 1What Is Cultural Renewal 2What Is Cultural Renewal 3
| Week | Text | Reading | Due Date |
|
1 |
The Story of Christian Theology (BGB) | Part One | Sun, Jul 12 |
| 2 | BGB | Part Two | Sun. Jul 19 |
| 3 | BGB | Part Three + first half of Part Four | Sun, Jul 26 |
| 4 | BGB | Second half of Part Four + Part Five | Sun, Aug 2 |
| 5 | BGB | Part Six | Sun, Aug 9 |
| 6 | BGB | Part Seven | Sun, Aug 16 |
| 7 | BGB | Part Eight | Sun, Aug 23 |
| 8 | BGB | Part Nine | Sun, Aug 30 |
| 9 | Every Good Endeavor (EGE) | Part 1 | Sun, Sep 6 |
| 10 | EGE | Part 2 | Sun, Sep 13 |
| 11 | EGE | Part 3 | Sep 16-17 (TBD) |
Weekly Classes
Fall 2026 Semester
Week 1 (9/23): Epic of Eden 1
Class Reading: Chs. Intro-4
Podcast: From Chaos to Covenant
The Story: The Gospel and Other Tales
Devotional Texts:
Glimpses of a Greater Glory by David Kim, Days 1-5
The Visual Commentary on Scripture
Week 2 (9/30): Epic of Eden 2
Class Reading: Ritcher, Epic of Eden, chs. 5-9
Podcast: Unpacking Interpretation
The Story: The Gospel and Other Tales
Devotional Texts:
Glimpses of a Greater Glory by David Kim, Days 6-10
Born of the Gospel
Bloesch, A Christological Hermeneutic PDF
Week 3 (10/7): Creation Regained + Ships of Tarshish
Class Reading: Mouw, "Ships of Tarshish" / Wolters, Creation Regained
Podcast: Renewing Creation
The Story: The Gospel and Other Tales
Devotional Texts:
Glimpses of a Greater Glory by David Kim, Days 11-15
The Gospel and the African
Mouw, The Ships of Tarshish
Week 4 (10/14): Truth to Tell & Rethinking Worldview
Class Reading:
Newbigin, "Truth to Tell"
Bertrand, "Rethinking Worldview"
Podcast: Rethinking Worldview
The Story: The Gospel and Other Tales
Devotional Texts:
Glimpses of a Greater Glory by David Kim, Days 16-20
The Gospel and the City
Bertrand "Rethinking Worldview" & Newbigin "Truth To Tell" PDF
Week 5 (10/21): Defining Worldview
Class Reading: Plato, "The Allegory of The Cave"; Machiavelli, "The Prince (excerpt)"; Franklin, "Autobiography (excerpt)"
Podcast: Defining Worldview
The Story: The Gospel and Other Tales
Devotional Texts:
Glimpses of a Greater Glory by David Kim, Days 21-25
Steve Jobs Commencement Speech
Plato, "The Allegory of The Cave"; Machiavelli, "The Prince (excerpt)"; Franklin, "Autobiography (excerpt)"
Week 6 (10/28): Surprised by Hope - Section 1
The Story: The Gospel and Other Tales
Week 7 (11/4): Redemption Accomplished
Class Reading: Murray "Redemption Accomplished and Applied", Part II, chs. IX (Union with Christ) & X (Glorification)
Podcast: Our Union in Christ
The Characters: God & Us
Devotional Texts: Psalms Lectio Divina, Days 1-5
Week 8 (11/11): Redemption Applied
Class Reading: Murray, Redemption Accomplished & Applied, Part I (chs. I through V)
Podcast: No podcast episode
The Characters: God & Us
Devotional Texts: Psalms Lectio Divina, Days 6-10
Week 9 (11/18): Augustine's Confessions 1
Class Reading: Rylaardsdam, "Theological Reflection in Augustine's Confessions"; Augustine, "Confessions", bks. 1-4
Podcast: From Longing to Love
The Characters: God & Us
Devotional Texts: Give Me Mine Psalms Lectio Divina, Days 11-15
Week 10 (12/2): Augustine's Confessions 2
Class Reading: Rylaardsdam, "Theological Reflection in Augustine's Confessions"; Augustine, "Confessions", bks. 5-9
Podcast: No podcast episode
The Characters: God & Us
Devotional Texts: Psalms Lectio Divina, Days 16-20
Week 11 (12/9): Unconditional Love
Class Reading:
Powlison, "Unconditional Love"
Edwards, "Love, the Sum of all Virtue"
Podcast: Love, the Sum of all Virtue
The Characters: God & Us
Devotional Texts:
The Lord's Prayer Devotional (book), Days 1 - 7
The New Community
Week 12 (12/16): Life Together
Class Reading:
Bonhoeffer, "Life Together" (full book)
Podcast: Christians in Community
The Characters: God & Us
Devotional Texts:
The Lord's Prayer Devotional (book), Days 8 - 14
Neighbors
Spring 2027 Semester
Week 13 (1/6): Surprised by Hope - Section 2
Class Reading:
Wright, "Surprised by Hope", Part 2
Podcast: Hope in Life and in What Is to Come
The Characters: God & Us
Devotional Texts:
The Lord's Prayer Devotional (book), Days 15 - 20
Week 14 (1/13): The Self-Counseling Project
Class Reading:
John Owen, "The Mortification of Sin" (book)
Chalmers, "The Expulsive Power of a New Affection" (PDF)
Podcast: (No Podcast Episode)
The Characters: God & Us
Devotional Texts:
The Self-Counseling Project (PDF)
Week 15 (1/20): Christian Liberty
Class Reading:
Luther, "On Christian Liberty" (full book)
Podcast: A Free Servant
The Call: Vocational Work
Devotional Texts:
A New Heart
Week 16 (1/27): Golden Booklet
Class Reading:
Calvin, Golden Booklet
Podcast: Transformed Lives
The Call: Vocational Work
Devotional Texts:
Calling Devotional
Praying Our Anger
Week 17 (2/3): How Then Should We Work: Why Work Matters
Class Reading:
Hugh Whelchel, "How Then Should We Work" (full book)
Podcast: No podcast episode
The Call: Vocational Work
Week 18 (2/10): Sphere Sovereignty - Who's in Charge (and How)
Class Reading:
Kuyper, "Sphere Sovereignty"
Podcast: God and Culture
The Call: Vocational Work
Devotional Texts:
Calling Devotional
Optional: Kaemingk, "Herman Bavinck, Lesslie Newbigin, and the Future of Reformed Mission in the Urban Workplace”
Week 19 (2/17): Why Work?
Class Reading:
Dorothy Sayers, "Why Work" PDF
Dallas Willard, "The Business of Business" PDF
Podcast: Why Work?
The Call: Vocational Work
Devotional Texts:
David Kim, "Workplaces as Discipleship" (audio)
Week 20 (2/24): The Ships of Tarshish Revisited
Class Reading:
Louis Berkhof, "Summary of Christian Doctrine" PDF
Wayne Grudem, "Common Grace" PDF
Richard Mouw, "What Are The Ships of Tarshish Doing Here?" PDF
Podcast: God's Work in the Background
The Call: Vocational Work
Week 21 (3/3): How to Change the World (or maybe not)
Class Reading:
Hunter, "How To Change The World" PDF
Crouch, "How Not to Change the World" PDF
Strange, "Co-Belligerence and Common Grace: Can the Enemy of My Enemy Be My Friend?" PDF
Podcast: Changing the World?
The Call: Vocational Work
Devotional Texts:
Tim Keller - The Gospel in a Pluralistic Society
Week 22 (3/10): Art + Faith
Class Reading:
Makoto Fujimura, "Art + Faith", chs. 1, 3, 5, 6
Podcast: Makers and Remakers
The Call: Vocational Work
Spring Break (3/17)
No classes
The Acts: The Gospel & Houston
Week 23 (3/24): The Redemptive Frame
Class Reading:
Houston: Prophetic City (YouTube video, first ~45 minutes); "Redemptive Frame" from Praxis
Podcast: More Than Moral
The Call: Vocational Work
Devotional Texts:
a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/qsxe9gqzzswlgemkyt4k3/Blueprint-for-Social-Revival-Keller.mp3?rlkey=wwx2kq5lp3mrht24qzxzcz1l9&st=05ulr6tu&dl=0">Blueprint for Social Renewal
Week 24 (3/31): Cultural Renewal Project Workshop
Podcast: No podcast episode
Week 25 (4/7): Cultural Renewal Presentations
Week 26 (4/14): Cultural Renewal Presentations
Podcast: No podcast episode
The Acts: The Gospel & Houston
Week 27 (4/21): Cultural Renewal Presentations
Podcast: No podcast episode
The Acts: The Gospel & Houston
Week 28 (4/28): Surprised by Hope - Section 3
Class Reading:
N.T. Wright, Surprised by Hope, Pt. 3
Podcast: Life After, Life After Death
The End: Liturgies of Glory
Week 29 (5/5): You Are What You Love, Part 1
Class Reading:
Smith, You are What You Love, chs. 1-4
Podcast: You Are What You Love
The End: Liturgies of Glory
Week 30 (5/12): You Are What You Love, Part 2
Class Reading:
Smith, You are What You Love, chs. 5-7
Podcast: You Are What You Love
The End: Liturgies of Glory
Retreats
Retreat 1 (9/18-19): An Introduction to H-Town Fellows
Retreat 1: An Introduction to H-Town Fellows
Date/Time:
Friday, Sep 18 | 6-9pm
Sat, Sep 19 | 8:30am-4pm
Location:
~3 hours outside Houston, overnight
Retreat 2 (1/15-16, 2027): Repentance and Renewal Retreat
Retreat 2: Repentance and Renewal Retreat
Date:
January 15-16, 2027
Location:
~3 hours outside Houston, overnight
Retreat 3 (5/14-15, 2027): Sending Forth - Leading from Your Core
Retreat 3: Sending Forth - Leading from Your Core
Date:
May 14-15, 2027
Location:
Houston location, day only
Other Resources
The Expulsive Power of a New Affection
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”- 1 John ii. 15.
More resources to come.
Registration
Ready to get started?
Applications are due June 13
Contact Joshua Smith at for more information.