The Englewood Review of Books Podcast

Englewood Review
  • 4.8 (19)
  • Books
  • Updated Semimonthly

An ongoing, thoughtful conversation about the reading life brought to you by the editors and contributors to the Englewood Review of Books. Panelists discuss how they engage in reading, what it means to read well, and of course the books and writers they enjoy. Expect lively discussions about books from all genres from a rotating group of writers and readers who care about reading well.

  1. May 18

    Episode 92: Shannan Martin & Amar Peterman

    In this episode, Chris Smith, founding editor of ERB, speaks with best-selling author Shannan Martin and first-time author Amar Peterman about the intersecting themes of faith, justice, and community in their new books. Their conversation explores the tension between life’s “heavy goodness” and its “undercurrent of grief,” demonstrating that "we can only counter what we're first willing to weigh," as Martin puts it. In addition, the authors explore the tension between one’s personal comfort and the call to “draw near in mercy” to our neighbors, especially those who are marginalized, as Peterman points out. Both authors emphasize that meaningful change begins not with grand gestures but with everyday relationships, accompanying our neighbors across lines of difference through joys and struggles. Overall, the episode, like the books, is not prescriptive but rather rooted deeply in how the authors work to cultivate a sense of belonging for everyone in their local neighborhoods. If you’d like to order any of the following books, we encourage you to do so from Hearts and Minds Books (an independent bookstore in Dallastown, PA, run by Byron and Beth Borger) Books by Shannan Martin Counterweights The Ministry of Ordinary Places Start with Hello Falling Free Work by Amar Peterman Becoming Neighbors: The Common Good Made Local Other Books Mentioned A Theology of Liberation by Gustavo Gutiérrez Paul Farmer: Servant to the Poor by Jennie Weiss Block Make Your Home in this Luminous Dark by James K. Smith God Without Being by Jean-Luc Marion Hope for the Mission by Kevin Nye Cherished Belonging: The Healing Power of Love in Divided Times by Gregory Boyle Kin by Tayari Jones (novel) The Message, a Bible translation by Eugene Peterson

    55 min

  2. Jan 5

    Episode 91: Our Favorite Books of 2025!

    Joel hosted a fun and freewheeling discussion, with a stand-out panel of readers, of our favorite books from 2025. They discuss many books that were published in 2025, but not exclusively new titles, covering a wide swath of genres from biblical studies to young adult literature to poetry. There's something in this discussion for everyone! Jessica Hooten Wilson is the Fletcher Jones Endowed Chair of Great Books at Pepperdine University (’23). She co-hosts a podcast called The Scandal of Reading, and is the author of many books, including READING FOR THE LOVE OF GOD and THE SCANDAL OF HOLINESS. Nijay K. Gupta is Julius R. Mantey Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary. He is the cohost of the Slow Theology podcast, and author of books including TELL HER STORY, STRANGE RELIGION, and many scriptural commentaries. Dorothy Littell Greco is a writer, speaker, and photographer. Her writing has been featured in many publications including Christianity Today, Missio Alliance, and The Common Good and her most recent book is FOR THE LOVE OF WOMEN. If you’d like to order any of the following books, we encourage you to do so from Hearts and Minds Books(An independent bookstore in Dallastown, PA, run by Byron and Beth Borger)  Reading for the Love of God: How to Read as a Spiritual Practice by Jessica Hooten WilsonThe Scandal of Holiness: Renewing Your Imagination in the Company of Literary Saints by Jessica Hooten WilsonTell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught & Ministered in the Early Church by Nijay GuptaStrange Religion: How the First Christians Were Weird, Dangerous & Compelling by Nijay GuptaSlow Theology: Eight Practices for Resilient Faith in a Turbulent World by Nijay Gupta & A.J. SwobodaFor the Love of Women: Uprooting and Healing Misogyny in America by Dorothy Littell GrecoThe Anti-Greed Gospel: Why the Love of Money is the Root of Racism and How the Church Can Create a New Way Forward by Malcolm FoleyRedeeming Eden: How Women in the Bible Advance the Story of Salvation by Ingrid Faro with Joyce Koo DalrympleThe Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan KamaliThe Teacher of Nomad Land by Daniel NayeriHoles by Louis SacharDo Not Judge Anyone: Desert Wisdom for a Polarized World by Isaac SlaterWhere God Happens: Discovering Christ in One Another by Rowan WilliamsJesus and the Law of Moses: The Gospels and the Restoration of Israel Within First-Century Judaism by Paul Sloan Know My Name: A Memoir by Chanel MillerYou Have a Calling: Finding Your Vocation in the True, Good & Beautiful by Karen Swallow PriorRomans: An Interpretation Bible Commentary by Susan Eastman1 Corinthians: A Theological, Pastoral & Missional Commentary by Michael GormanFor Such a Time as This: An Emergency Devotional by Hanna ReichlWhen Courage Calls: Josephine Butler and the Radical Pursuit of Justice for Women by Sarah C. WilliamsNervous Systems: Spiritual Practices to Calm Anxiety in Your Body, the Church and Politics by Sara BillupsA Pilgrimage Into Letting Go: Helping Parents and Pastors Embrace the Uncontrollable by Kara Root & Andrew RootSome of the Words are Theirs: The Art of Writing and Living a Sermon by Austic Carty

    59 min

  3. 11/10/2025

    Episode 90: Kathleen Norris & Amy Julia Becker

    Chris (founding editor of the ERB) spoke with first-time podcast guest (and one of our most-frequently mentioned writers!) Kathleen Norris and returning guest Amy Julia Becker, regarding some common themes in their published writing. They speak about disability, what it means to be human, and their experiences accompanying family members with disabilities. Their conversation is humble, sincere, vulnerable and light-hearted, and listeners will find their honest reflections encouraging. Books Mentioned in this Episode: If you’d like to order any of the following books, we encourage you to do so from Hearts and Minds Books(An independent bookstore in Dallastown, PA, run by Byron and Beth Borger)  The Cloister Walk by Kathleen NorrisAcedia & Me: A Marriage, Monks & a Writer's Life by Kathleen NorrisDakota: A Spiritual Geography by Kathleen NorrisAmazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith by Kathleen NorrisA Good and Perfect Gift: Faith, Expectations & a Little Girl Named Penny by Amy Julia BeckerRebecca Sue: A Sister's Reflections on Faith, Disability & Love by Kathleen NorrisWhen Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor...And Yourself by Steve Corbett and Brian FikkertTo Be Made Well: An Invitation to Wholeness, Healing & Hope by Amy Julia BeckerThe Hospitality of Need: How Depending on One Another Helps Us Heal & Grow Together by Kevan Chandler & Tommy SheltonThe Dignity of Dependence: A Feminist Manifesto by Leah Libresco SargeantHow to Read a Book: A Novel by Monica WoodDo Not Judge Anyone: Desert Wisdom for a Polarized World by Isaac SlaterSmall Things Like These by Claire KeeganGhost Trail (film)

    55 min

  4. 10/13/2025

    Episode 89: Sarah Arthur & Mitali Perkins

    Lindsey Cornett, Managing Editor of Englewood Press, spoke with authors Sarah Arthur and Mitali Perkins about the value and significance of children’s literature for spiritual formation. We discuss how literature connects us to the heart of God, how Mitali and Sarah think about their own audiences as they write, and why adults should be reading children’s literature. As always, the conversation wraps up with a discussion of what we’ve been reading lately. Lindsey Cornett is a loud talker, obsessive coffee drinker, and lover of the written word who lives in Indianapolis with her family. She is the Managing Editor of Englewood Press and a Senior Writer at Indianapolis Moms. You can find her writing at lindseycornett.substack.com.  Mitali Perkins is an award-winning author of novels and picture books for young readers, including You Bring the Distant Near; Forward Me Back to You; Rickshaw Girl; and Bamboo People, among others. Her books have been nominated for the National Book Award, have won the South Asia Book Award, and have been listed as Best Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and School Library Journal. Born in Kolkata, India, Perkins has lived in India, Ghana, Cameroon, Great Britain, Mexico, Bangladesh, Thailand, and the United States. She lives and writes in the San Francisco Bay Area. Sarah Arthur is a fun-loving speaker and the bestselling author of a dozen books for teens and adults, including Once a Queen and Walking with Frodo. Among other nerdy adventures, she has served as preliminary fiction judge for the CT Book Awards, was a founding board member of the annual C. S. Lewis Festival in Northern Michigan, and codirects the Madeleine L’Engle Writing Retreats. Books Mentioned in this Episode: If you’d like to order any of the following books, we encourage you to do so from Hearts and Minds Books(An independent bookstore in Dallastown, PA, run by Byron and Beth Borger)  Once A Queen (Book 1 of the Carrick Hall Novels) by Sarah ArthurOnce a Castle (Book 2 of the Carrick Hall Novels) by Sarah ArthurYou Bring the Distant Near by Mitali PerkinsRickshaw Girl by Mitali PerkinsThe Golden Necklace: A Darjeeling Tea Mystery by Mitali PerkinsSteeped In Stories: Timeless Children's Novels to Refresh Our Tired Souls by Mitali PerkinsThe God-Hungry Imagination: The Art of Storytelling for Postmodern Youth Ministry by Sarah Arthur A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson BurnettThe Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson BurnettCharlotte's Web by E.B. WhiteA Light so Lovely: The Spiritual Legacy of Madeleine L'Engle by Sarah ArthurA Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'EnglePeace Like a River by Leif AngerThe Same Stuff as Stars by Katherine PatersonMy Friends by Fredrick BackmanThe Eyre Affair (Thursday Next #1) by Jasper FfordeEmily of Deep Valley by Maud Hart Lovelace

    44 min

  5. 09/23/2025

    Episode 88: On Congregational Formation

    Chris sat down for an in-person conversation with 3 of the co-authors of "The Shape of Our Lives" from Englewood Press. They discuss the concept of formation, it's inevitability, and what it means for leaders of congregations to pursue intentional formation in the context of community and worship. Books Mentioned in this Episode: If you’d like to order any of the following books, we encourage you to do so from Hearts and Minds Books(An independent bookstore in Dallastown, PA, run by Byron and Beth Borger)  The Shape of Our Lives: A Field Guide for Congregational FormationThe Form of the Word: Making Sense of Scripture in the Body of Christ

    39 min

  6. 07/14/2025

    Episode 87: Racial Capitalism - Jonathan Tran & Malcolm Foley

    Joel spoke with two first-time guests to the podcast, Jonathan Tran & Malcolm Foley, about their recent books and their work to more precisely illuminate and define the "racial capitalism" in which those of us in the Western world live. It's a stimulating and wide-ranging conversation about race, economics, history, higher education, politics and more. Of course, we end with a discussion of what we have all been reading. Dr. Jonathan Tran is the author of multiple books, including Asian Americans and the Spirit of Racial Capitalism (2022, Oxford UP), as well as Professor of Theological Ethics at Duke University’s Divinity School. Dr. Malcolm Foley is a pastor, historian, and speaker who serves as special adviser to the president for equity and campus engagement at Baylor University. He has written for Christianity Today, The Anxious Bench, and Mere Orthodoxy, and is the author of the brand-new book The Anti-Greed Gospel (Brazos). Books Mentioned in this Episode: If you’d like to order any of the following books, we encourage you to do so from Hearts and Minds Books(An independent bookstore in Dallastown, PA, run by Byron and Beth Borger)  Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others: The Political Economy of Racism in the United States (essay) by Judith SteinThe Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism by Edward BaptistGod's Reign and the End of Empires by Antonio GonzalezWe Have Never Been Woke: The Cultural Contradictions of a New Elite by Musa al-GharbiBlack Skin, White Masks by Frantz FanonGod Emperor of Dune by Frank HerbertWhite Property, Black Trespass: Racial Capitalism and the Religious Function of Mass Criminalization by Andrew KrinksNickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara EhrenreichPoverty, By America by Matthew Desmond$2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America by Kathryn Edin & Luke ShaeferThe Life in Christ by Nicholas CabasilasCapitalism and its Critics: A History: From the Industrial Revolution to AI by John CassidyRetrieving Nicaea: The Development and Meaning of Trinitarian Doctrine by Khaled Anatolios

    1h 3m

  7. 05/26/2025

    Podcast Episode 86: Esau McCaulley and Katie Blackburn

    Lindsey Cornett, Managing Editor of Englewood Press, spoke with two writers of notable nonfiction, Esau McCaulley and Katie Blackburn, not about their "books for grownups," but about their recent publications for children. They discuss their unexpected journeys into children's literature, why it's important to write books for children, and their upcoming projects. Books Mentioned in this Episode: If you’d like to order any of the following books, we encourage you to do so from Hearts and Minds Books(An independent bookstore in Dallastown, PA, run by Byron and Beth Borger)  Reading While Black: African-American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise  in Hope by Esau McCauleyThe New Testament in Color: A Multiethnic Bible Commentary ed. by Esau McCaulley, Janette Ok, Osvaldo Padilla & Amy PeelerAndy Johnson and the March for Justice by Esau McCaulleyGluing the Cracks: Reflections on Motherhood, Disability and Hope by Katie BlackburnThe Very Best Baseball Game: A Story About Disability and God's Good Design For All of Us by Katie BlackburnJosey Johnson's Hair and the Holy Spirit by Esau McCaulley The Little Engine that Could by Watty PiperGod's Colorful Kingdom Storybook Bible: The Story of God's Big Diverse Family by Esau McCaulleyFrederick Douglass Collection by Frederick DouglassWhat Happened to Rachel Riley by Claire SwinarskiKnowing God by J.I. PackerThe Tears of Things: Prophetic Wisdom for an Age of Outrage by Richard RohrBeartown: A Novel by Frederick Backman

    34 min

  8. 04/28/2025

    Episode 85: Mandy Smith & Dennis Edwards

    Chris sat down with two first-time guests, Mandy Smith and Dennis Edwards, at the recent Missio Alliance Awakenings event. Chris brought them together because their recent work shares a thematic connection of exploring "humility," which is the foundation of their conversation. They talk about their experiences as ministry leaders, biblical and theological dimensions of humility, and how their work pushes us towards specific practices to cultivate humility in our lives. Books Mentioned in this Episode: If you’d like to order any of the following books, we encourage you to do so from Hearts and Minds Books(An independent bookstore in Dallastown, PA, run by Byron and Beth Borger)  Confessions of an Amateur Saint: The Christian Leader's Journey from Self-Sufficiency to Reliance on God by Mandy SmithHumility Illuminated: The Biblical Path Back to Christian Character by Dennis EdwardsRe-Enchanting the Text by Cheryl Bridges JohnThe Mythmakers: The Remarkable Fellowship of C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien by John HendrixThe Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. LewisJames: A Novel by Percival EverettErasure: A Novel by Percival Everett

    47 min
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4.8
out of 5
19 Ratings

About

An ongoing, thoughtful conversation about the reading life brought to you by the editors and contributors to the Englewood Review of Books. Panelists discuss how they engage in reading, what it means to read well, and of course the books and writers they enjoy. Expect lively discussions about books from all genres from a rotating group of writers and readers who care about reading well.

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