Forefront 360

Special: Event Preview with Josh & Zac Tiessen

In this special episode, Nate talks to artists Josh & Zac Tiessen about two upcoming events based on Josh's new painting series, Vanitas and Viriditas. Click below to learn more or get tickets.

• Grand Opening Exhibition at Rehs Contemporary in NYC, April 28
• Forefront Festival: A Night of Art with Josh & Zac Tiessen in Rochester NY, May 4

 

Interview: James Matthew Wilson

Live from the 2022 Catholic Imagination Conference in Dallas, TX, Nate and Rich interview Dr. James Matthew Wilson.

James Matthew Wilson is Cullen Foundation Chair in English Literature and the Founding Director of the Master of Fine Arts program in Creative Writing, at the University of Saint Thomas, Houston. He is an award-winning scholar of philosophical-theology and literature, and he is a poet and critic of contemporary poetry. His work appears regularly in First Things,  The Wall Street Journal​, The Hudson Review, and many other publications. He has published twelve books, including six books and chapbooks of poetry.

Discussion: Art as a Hobby or Career?

Cody, Rich, and Nate discuss how their career journeys intersected with the arts, and whether art is done best as a hobby or a career.

Interview: James K. A. Smith

Live from the 2022 Catholic Imagination Conference in Dallas, TX, Nate and Rich interview James K. A. Smith.

James K. A. Smith is professor of philosophy at Calvin University, where he holds the Gary & Henrietta Byker Chair in Applied Reformed Theology and Worldview. He is also the Editor in Chief of Image Journal. Trained as a philosopher with a focus on contemporary French thought, Smith has expanded on that scholarly platform to become an engaged public intellectual and cultural critic. An award-winning author and a widely traveled speaker, he has emerged as a thought leader with a unique gift of translation, building bridges between the academy, society, and the church. 

In this conversation we discuss a number of topics at the intersection of Christianity, philosophy, and the arts, with a focus on James's new book, How to Inhabit Time: Understanding the Past, Facing the Future, Living Faithfully Now.

Interview: Paul J. Pastor

Live from the 2022 Catholic Imagination Conference in Dallas, TX, Nate and Rich interview Paul J. Pastor.

Paul J. Pastor is a poet, writer, and editor from Oregon. His work uncovers the inner life of the world, as experienced in nature, literature, and the rich traditions of historic Christian spirituality.

Paul is the author of several books, including Bower Lodge: Poems, A Kids Book About God, The Listening Day series, and The Face of the Deep. His work has been widely published in many fine outlets, including Books & Culture, The Los Angeles Review of Books, The Windhover, Christianity Today, Fathom, Ekstasis, Solum Literary Press, and has been anthologized by The New York Quarterly Review.

Christmas Variety Show 2022 - Act II

Forefront Festival and the Why God Why Podcast continue the second annual Christmas Variety Show!

Act II features these artists:

• The Kenaniah Project
• Kathryn Sullo
• The Houghton Choir

Join us as we celebrate Christmas together.

Christmas Variety Show 2022 - Act I

Forefront Festival and the Why God Why Podcast are back for the second annual Christmas Variety Show!

Act I features these artists:

• M. Jerome Bell
• Sarah Collins
• The Houghton Choir

Join us as we celebrate Christmas together.

Interview: Jared C. Wilson

Nate sits down with author & pastor Jared C. Wilson (while Jared was in Rochester!) to discuss the art of pastoring, Jared's fiction novels (including a secret unpublished one), combat with snakes, and beyond.

Jared C. Wilson is Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Author in Residence at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, General Editor of For The Church (and host of the FTC Podcast), and a pastor and Director of The Pastoral Training Center at Liberty Baptist Church in Kansas City, Missouri. He is an award-winning author of over 20 books. Jared also co-hosts The Art of Pastoring Podcast published by Christianity Today.

Interview: Glenn Arbery

Live from the 2022 Catholic Imagination Conference in Dallas, TX, Nate and Rich interview Dr. Glenn Arbery. 

Glenn Arbery is a teacher, writer, and novelist currently working as the president of Wyoming Catholic College. Some of his famous works include the oft taught Why Literature Matters; What is a Teacher; and his recent novel, Boundaries of Eden. He has successfully written journalistically, academically, and creatively for decades, to the glory of God. 

Interview: poet Ryan Diaz on ”Skipping Stones”

Cody interviews Ryan Diaz, a writer and poet from Queens, NY, about his new book Skipping Stones.

In Skipping Stones, Ryan writes about many things, long-dead saints, personal tragedy, everyday observations, and the nature of prayer. But what connects this collection is Ryan's desire for a transcendent experience. His vivid and story-driven poems create a secondary world for the reader to explore, worlds in which belief is possible and the divine looms large. For Ryan, "the Christian poet, and storyteller as well, is like the blind man whom Christ touched," and poetry "an invitation to deeper and stranger visions."