C. Christopher Smith is the founding editor of The Englewood Review of Books and author of Slow Church: Cultivating Community in the Patient Way of Jesus (co-authored with John Pattison); Reading for the Common Good, How the Body of Christ Talks: Recovering the Practice of Conversation in the Church; along with others. All of his work — reading, writing, speaking — focuses on helping congregations cultivate a deeper life together by reading, thinking, imagining, and most importantly, by talking together. He regularly teaches these interwoven practices in congregational, academic, denominational, and ecumenical settings.
In this interview, and especially from his perspective as an editor, Chris shares about
-some of his experiences and lessons as an editor,
-the importance of attentiveness and empathy in both our reading and listening,
-the need to move away from tribalistic and homogenized tendencies, and towards unity,
-how conversation is really like a spiritual discipline,
-the importance of the Desert Monastics – especially in relation to silence and listening; and
-tips on how people should be reading
Names that Chris mentioned in the interview:
Richard Foster, John Pattison, Rowan Williams, Hartmut Rosa, Wendell Berry.
Books mentioned:
The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America is Tearing Us Apart (Bill Bishop)
Celebration of Discipline (Richard Foster)
Where God Happens: Discovering Christ in One Another (Rowan Williams)
How to Read Slowly: Reading for Comprehension (James W. Sire)
Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention – and How to Think Deeply Again (Johan Hari)
To learn more about Chris, you can check out his substack page.