The Forum Podcast

Jazz Meets Theology: Creativity, The Evangelical Movement, and Grace | Con Campbell

Dr. Constantine R. Campbell, Professor and Research Director at the Australian University College, joins Dr. Aaron Einfeld, Director of Lifelong Learning at Calvin Theological Seminary, for a profound Lifelong Learning conversation on theology, jazz, and the crisis within American evangelicalism. A professional jazz saxophonist and New Testament scholar, Dr. Campbell speaks candidly about reconciling his faith and artistry, critiques the political entanglements of modern evangelicalism, and shares a moving personal account of grace following divorce.
This episode features:
The theological value of artistic creation
Why internalized knowledge matters—for musicians and theologians
The communal nature of both jazz and theology
How tribalism harms the church’s mission
Reflections from his book Jesus vs. Evangelicals
A rich, challenging, and hopeful conversation for those yearning for depth in faith and freedom in expression.

Building Resilience in Anxious Times: A Conversation with a Therapist | Kurt Visker

In this compelling episode of The Forum Podcast, host Dr. Aaron Einfeld, Director of Lifelong Learning at Calvin Theological Seminary, sits down with licensed therapist Kurt Visker to explore the nature of anxiety, the role of counseling, and how individuals can build resilience in challenging seasons of life. Kurt shares insights from years of clinical experience, including how counseling helps people move from fear to confidence, and why facing discomfort is essential to growth.
Together, they discuss what resilience really means, how it develops over time, and how it applies to everyday struggles—from parenting and performance anxiety to grief and vocational identity. Special attention is given to the unique pressures pastors face and the need for authenticity and self-awareness in ministry leadership.
Whether you're navigating personal hardship, wrestling with anxiety, or supporting others in their journey, this episode offers grounded wisdom and practical tools for emotional and spiritual health.

Breaking Through Resistance: Personal Growth Precedes Organizational Change | Alida van Dijk

Change is hard—even when we want it. In this Forum Podcast episode, Alida van Dijk, Executive Director of Community Counselling Centre of London Ontario and therapist, joins Aaron Einfeld, Director of Lifelong Learning at Calvin Theological Seminary, to explore why personal and organizational change is often slow, complex, and emotionally charged.
Drawing from her work at Community Counselling London and her experience in Calvin Theological Seminary’s Adaptive Leadership cohort, Alida shares insights on:
- The “immunity to change” framework by Keegan & Lahey
- How competing commitments and fear hold us back
- What therapy teaches us about human resistance to change
- Why church and nonprofit leaders must start with personal transformation
- How to move from awareness to action with small, persistent steps
For leaders, therapists, pastors, and changemakers, this is an honest, encouraging, and practical conversation about doing the hard work of leading change—from the inside out.

What Comes After Seminary? Spiritual Health, Burnout, and Growth in Ministry | Lifelong Learning

What happens after seminary? And how do ministry leaders keep growing in the midst of challenge, change, and burnout?
In this episode, Calvin Theological Seminary’s Dr. Aaron Einfeld, Director of Lifelong Learning at Calvin Theological Seminary, and Wendy Fisher, Associate Director of Lifelong Learning, join Leah Jolly, ThM Student, to share how the Lifelong Learning program equips pastors and Christian leaders for long-term spiritual and vocational health. With practical insights from adaptive leadership training, formation-based retreats, and their own upcoming podcast season, they unpack what it really means to be a lifelong learner in ministry.
 
🌱 Topics include:
Supporting ministry leaders beyond graduation
Preventing burnout and navigating anxiety
Replenishing the soul of the leader
Embracing change as a path to spiritual growth
Building a culture of learning in the local church
 
Whether you're in full-time ministry or just starting seminary, this episode will help you reflect, recalibrate, and reconnect with your calling.

Breaking Barriers: On Black Women in Pastoral Ministry | Dorothy Jenkins

In this episode of the Forum Podcast, Dr. Dorothy Jenkins discusses her dissertation exploring the ministry journeys of Black women in pastoral ministry. Drawing from interviews with women pastors, Dr. Jenkins identifies faith, support, and opportunity as essential factors for breaking through barriers in ministry.
She shares with Doctor of Ministry's program director, Jeff Sajdak:
Her personal call to ministry and educational journey
Challenges faced by Black women preachers, including marginalization and lack of opportunities
The importance of mentorship, community, and prophetic affirmation
Her prophetic word to the church: “Show grace and unify – it’s not about us, it’s about God.”
Encouragement to women considering seminary or doctoral studies to “do it and grow deeper in God’s Word and work.”
➡️ Listen and be inspired by these powerful stories of resilience, calling, and faith.

Faith, Work, and Worship | Cory Willson

In this episode of the Forum Podcast, Dr. Cory Willson, Professor of Missiology, World Christianity, and Public Theology at Calvin Theological Seminary, shares his powerful journey of faith – from growing up in a small evangelical church in California to becoming a leading academic voice. He opens up about how losing his place on the college soccer team led him into a season of darkness that deepened his faith and ministry calling. Dr. Willson reflects on his mentors, including Richard Mouw and Doug McConnell, who shaped his theological and missiological vision. He unpacks the heart behind his book Work and Worship, exploring how the work we do throughout the week deeply connects with Sunday worship and discipleship.
Cory also discusses the importance of lament in the Christian life and how churches can better integrate it into worship. He shares about his work with the Institute for Mission, Church, and Culture, equipping believers to live out their priestly calling in the world. Finally, he offers a glimpse into his upcoming book that will focus on discipleship in daily life. If you’ve ever wondered how your faith, work, and worship integrate, this conversation will both encourage and challenge you.

Smartphones and Spiritual Health | Jeff Sajdak and Aaron Einfeld

When's the last time you checked your smartphone? Does the mere mention of your phone make you reach for your pocket? If your use of your smartphone borders on addiction, you're not alone.
Calvin Seminary held what we called a "Smartphone Retreat", a week-long series of exercises and practices designed to help us answer the questions “how much and how well do we use our smartphones?” and “what are the positive and negative effects they have on us?” Jeff Sajdak, Dean of Students, and Aaron Einfeld, Director of Lifelong Learning, planned and facilitated the week. Our then Educational Technologist, Nathan Bierma, talked to them about why they started the smartphone retreat, based off a TedTalk by Manoush Zomorodi and her book "Bored and Brilliant", and what they learned.

John Calvin: The Church and Politics | Matt Tuininga

How can the church speak into a time of bitter partisan divisions? How can we be a redeeming presence in politics? How can the insights of John Calvin guide us even today?
Dr. Matthew Tuininga, Professor of Moral Theology and the History of Christianity at Calvin Seminary, asked these questions in his new book, Calvin's Political Theology and the Public Engagement of the Church: Christ's Two Kingdoms (Law and Christianity). Tuininga spoke with Kevin den Dulk, the then director of the Henry Institute for the Study of Christianity and Politics at Calvin University. Let us listen in to that conversation.

Loving Your Neighbor with Dementia | Mary Vanden Berg

It is estimated that 50 million people around the world suffer from dementia. Individuals with dementia lose the sense of who they are, as their cognitive and behavioral functioning diminishes. Their loved ones who care for them are faced with a slow and agonizing decline which takes a physical, emotional, and financial toll on them.
How can we show the love of Christ in the midst of this loss? How can we view life and death in a way that might go against North American culture? Mary Vanden Berg, Professor Emerita of Systematic Theology at Calvin Seminary, addressed these questions at our first Loving Your Neighbor Today Conference.

The Legacy of Mary Magdalene | Jennifer Powell McNutt

Dr. Jennifer Powell McNutt is a renowned church historian, theologian, and professor at Wheaton College, specializing in the history of Christianity from the Reformation through the Enlightenment. In this episode of The Forum Podcast, she joins host Leah Jolly, MDiv student at Calvin Seminary, to discuss the legacy of Mary Magdalene and how historical misconceptions have shaped our understanding of her role in the church. Dr. McNutt unpacks why reclaiming the true biblical narrative of Mary matters, especially for women in the church today. They also explore broader themes of church history, biblical interpretation, and what the past can teach us about faith in the modern world. Don’t miss this deep and thought-provoking discussion on Scripture, theology, and the role of women in the church.