Christopher Smith

C. Christopher Smith is the Founding Editor of the Englewood Review of Books and the author of Slow Church (2014), Reading for the Common Good (2016), and The Virtue of Dialogue (2025). All of Chris's 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.

Latest Articles

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Christopher Smith

Lindsey Cornett

Reflections on Awakenings 2025 from The Englewood Review of Books

Featured image for “Embers in the Campfire: Awakenings 2025 Day 3”
Missio Alliance

Embers in the Campfire: Awakenings 2025 Day 3

Featured image for “What If We Gave It All Back?: Awakenings 2025 Day 2”
Missio Alliance

What If We Gave It All Back?: Awakenings 2025 Day 2

Featured image for “Lace Up Your Jordans: Awakenings 2025 Day 1”
Missio Alliance

Lace Up Your Jordans: Awakenings 2025 Day 1

Featured image for “The Great Re-Commission: Awakenings 2025 Day 1”
Missio Alliance

The Great Re-Commission: Awakenings 2025 Day 1

Featured image for “Cherry Trees in the Budding Season: Awakenings 2025 Day 1”
Missio Alliance

Cherry Trees in the Budding Season: Awakenings 2025 Day 1

Featured image for “Reflections on Wholeness and Beauty in the Life of the Church (Pt. 3)”
Amber H. Jones

Sherene Joseph

Bethany Becker

Reflections on Wholeness and Beauty in the Life of the Church (Pt. 3)

Featured image for “Reflections on Wholeness and Beauty in the Life of the Church (Pt. 2)”
Amanda Hecht

Benjamin Park

Emily Beth Hill

Reflections on Wholeness and Beauty in the Life of the Church (Pt. 2)

Featured image for “Reflections on Wholeness and Beauty in the Life of the Church (Pt. 1)”
Vatreisha Nyemba

Lamont Hartman

Cheryl You

Reflections on Wholeness and Beauty in the Life of the Church (Pt. 1)

Featured image for “Wholeness and Beauty in the Life of the Church”
Missio Alliance

Wholeness and Beauty in the Life of the Church

Featured image for “Dismantling Patriarchy to Recover the Blessed Alliance (Part 2)”
Carolyn Custis James

Dismantling Patriarchy to Recover the Blessed Alliance (Part 2)

Featured image for “Dismantling Patriarchy to Recover the Blessed Alliance (Part 1)”
Carolyn Custis James

Dismantling Patriarchy to Recover the Blessed Alliance (Part 1)

Featured image for “The Essential Need for Integrity in Leaders and Systems (Part 2)”
MaryKate Morse

The Essential Need for Integrity in Leaders and Systems (Part 2)

Featured image for “The Essential Need for Integrity in Leaders and Systems (Part 1)”
MaryKate Morse

The Essential Need for Integrity in Leaders and Systems (Part 1)

Featured image for “Disruption in the Life of the Church: Then”
Dennis R. Edwards

Disruption in the Life of the Church: Then

Featured image for “The Blessing of Discomfort: A Global Church Perspective”
Ruth Padilla DeBorst

The Blessing of Discomfort: A Global Church Perspective

Featured image for “I Need A Good Shout!”
Natasha Sistrunk Robinson

I Need A Good Shout!

Featured image for “The State of the Church in America Through the Lens of Contemplation”
Tracy Mathews

The State of the Church in America Through the Lens of Contemplation

Featured image for “The Disruption of Life”
Miriam Swanson

The Disruption of Life

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Oneya Okuwobi

Hungry People and Full People

Featured image for “Metanoia: Wholehearted Change in Unprecedented Times”
Alan Hirsch

Metanoia: Wholehearted Change in Unprecedented Times

Featured image for “The Three Waves Metaphor: How Culture Shapes the Way We Work for Justice”
David Fitch

The Three Waves Metaphor: How Culture Shapes the Way We Work for Justice

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Missio Alliance

The Sights & Sounds of Awakenings 2023

Featured image for “Disruption Doesn’t Have The Last Word; New Life Does”
Lisa Rodriguez-Watson

Disruption Doesn’t Have The Last Word; New Life Does

Featured image for “These Women Played An Enormous Role in Shaping Christianity—Do You Know Their Names?”
Amy Davis Abdallah

These Women Played An Enormous Role in Shaping Christianity—Do You Know Their Names?

Featured image for “3 Ways We Must Reimagine Our Ecclesiology in a Post-Willow Creek World”
David Fitch

3 Ways We Must Reimagine Our Ecclesiology in a Post-Willow Creek World

Featured image for “One Place You Can Go to Recover from the Noise of Ministry’s Demands”
Rhesa Higgins

One Place You Can Go to Recover from the Noise of Ministry’s Demands

Featured image for “Churches are Closing. These Four Models are Thriving.”
Chris Morton

Churches are Closing. These Four Models are Thriving.

Featured image for “14 Dynamic Leaders of Color and Women You Should Know About”
Sean Palmer

Mandy Smith

14 Dynamic Leaders of Color and Women You Should Know About