An interview with Jacob Prahlow, Jeffrey Reid, and Jody Byrkett
So, you have been to a Summit conference. Your view of God and the world has shifted into focus. Now what? For a handful of Summit alumni, the next step is taking ideas into the realm of the written word. Jacob Prahlow, Jeffrey Reid, and myself, all graduates of Summit’s student conference, Summit Semester, and Summit Oxford have teamed up with several other peers to launch Conciliar Post, a blog to promote “meaningful dialogue across Christian traditions”. Jacob and Jeffrey were kind enough to answer some questions about the purpose and trajectory of Conciliar Post, and how you, our fellow alumni, can get involved in the conversation.
Jacob is currently a doctoral student at Saint Louis University in the fields of Historical Theology and Early Christianity. He and his friend (Ben Cabe) teamed up to create Conciliar Post, uniting their wisdom, intellect, web design skills, and desire to foster conversations on various topics. Jacob blogs at Conciliar Post and for his theological blog, Pursuing Veritas.
Jeffrey has a bachelor of arts degree in English from Thomas Edison State College and is currently a teacher and writer. He has studied at Summit Oxford and both attended and counseled at Summit Semester. He is an avid Gerard Manley Hopkins and Lord of the Rings reader, as his blog posts at Conciliar Post and his personal blog, A Pilgrim Theologian, attest.
My name is Jody—I work in the business office for Summit in Manitou Springs, Colorado. My years counseling at student conferences and Summit Semester, as well as my terms at Summit Semester and Summit Oxford have deeply influenced my life trajectory and thinking. In my free time I blog at Concillar Post, Humane Pursuits, and my personal blog, The Keeper of Ancient Words.
What inspired you to create Conciliar Post?
Jacob: There are a lot of Christians on the internet talking but there is very little real dialogue. That is, while plenty of people voice their opinions about various issues, much of it is rhetoric—either preaching to the choir or statements not intended to inform or persuade. Anyone can write something for people they agree with; it takes hard work to have a conversation with someone who disagrees with you. As a result, people often don’t talk about important issues or discussions about those issues devolve into shouting matches.
When Ben Cabe (Editor-in-Chief) and I started brainstorming about an online community, we hoped to create a forum where people could honestly reflect on faith and culture in a setting that would foster meaningful dialogue and encourage people to seek God. Conciliar Post is all about meaningful dialogue, a place where people can lovingly and civilly converse about the major issues of our faith and culture.
Tell us a little more about the tagline, “Meaningful Dialogue across Christian Traditions”, what are you trying to accomplish with this blog?
Jeff: It's no secret that there are a plethora of groups that identify themselves as Christian. These groups also believe that they have a correct understanding and application of God's written revelation, The Bible. Our goal is to provide a place for people to examine the similarities and differences between these groups. The challenge, to ourselves and our readers, is to articulate and argue clearly for the truth, while maintaining humility and love for others involved in the discussion. Bringing these façets together allows for a dialogue that helps each member grow in a meaningful way.
What do you enjoy most about your work at Conciliar Post?
Jacob: Working with Conciliar Post allows me to dialogue with some really intelligent and Godly people about a variety of important topics. Saint Augustine once said, “wherever truth may be found, it belongs to [the] Master.” The Conciliar Post team takes this statement very seriously by writing on a wide range of topics related to Christian faith. This isn’t a site just about theology, or just about culture, or just written from one perspective. Conciliar Post is a gathering of faithful thinkers who are interested in seeking God wherever He may be found, encouraging the honest exchange of ideas, and promoting Christian faith in our dark world.
What’s been your greatest challenge/how have you overcome this challenge?
Jacob: One of our greatest challenges has been finding Protestant and Evangelical writers. We have a strong Catholic and Orthodox presence right now and, while we are always looking for more thoughtful contributors, we are especially looking to incorporate a wider range of the diversity that is Protestantism and Evangelicalism.
How has your Summit experience prepared you for your involvement with Conciliar Post?
Jeff: Firstly, a value for the Truth. Because God has revealed Himself to us, we can know what is true about the world and we shouldn't settle for anything less. Secondly, I can be wrong. In more precise terms, as a human I am both finite and fallible. My understanding is limited and not above error. Keeping this in mind allows for the humility necessary to talk with others.
Jody: My first experience at a Summit two-week conference opened the doors of my mind by putting books by the likes of Francis Schaeffer and C. S. Lewis in my hands and head. I learned more about the marriage of literature and life actions, discussion and thinking logically, as well as what it means to live well in community with others during my time at Summit Semester. Yet it was my Summit Oxford experience that challenged me to flourish in the craft of writing. My tutors pushed me to hone what skill I had and to grow in the knowledge and practice of writing well. Conciliar Post deadlines keep me always striving to write thoughtful and beautiful words that point one to look up the beam of light to see the Son.
Jacob: Summit Semester instilled a desire to think deeply about things that matter, especially history. Summit Oxford encouraged me to enter the blogging world and to pursue excellence. These experiences developed the tools to think and write critically about faith and culture, encouraged me to pursue the vocation of helping others understand our context, and provided me with some great friendships (at least six of our contributors are Summit alum).
What can we expect from Conciliar Post as we move toward the summer months?
Jacob: In the next several months you can expect continued cultural commentary, theological reflections, and dialogue about the challenges Christians face in today’s world. For more liturgically-minded readers, we are in the midst of producing a collection of inter-denominational lexical readings. Each month this summer there will also be a “Round Table” discussion, where multiple writers respond to a question about a specific aspect of theology or culture. These Round Tables are designed to show the unity, diversity, and dialogue between different Christian perspectives and have been some of our most popular articles.
How would you advise fellow Summit Alumni to get involved?
Jody: Join us by reading the blog and joining in the dialogue via the comments. We’re also looking for new writers. If that is an area where God has given you talent, please consider joining us! Jacob is the managing editor for Conciliar Post and is always open to submissions. You can email him at jake@conciliarpost.com.
Jacob is currently a doctoral student at Saint Louis University in the fields of Historical Theology and Early Christianity. He and his friend (Ben Cabe) teamed up to create Conciliar Post, uniting their wisdom, intellect, web design skills, and desire to foster conversations on various topics. Jacob blogs at Conciliar Post and for his theological blog, Pursuing Veritas.
Jeffrey has a bachelor of arts degree in English from Thomas Edison State College and is currently a teacher and writer. He has studied at Summit Oxford and both attended and counseled at Summit Semester. He is an avid Gerard Manley Hopkins and Lord of the Rings reader, as his blog posts at Conciliar Post and his personal blog, A Pilgrim Theologian, attest.
My name is Jody—I work in the business office for Summit in Manitou Springs, Colorado. My years counseling at student conferences and Summit Semester, as well as my terms at Summit Semester and Summit Oxford have deeply influenced my life trajectory and thinking. In my free time I blog at Concillar Post, Humane Pursuits, and my personal blog, The Keeper of Ancient Words.
What inspired you to create Conciliar Post?
Jacob: There are a lot of Christians on the internet talking but there is very little real dialogue. That is, while plenty of people voice their opinions about various issues, much of it is rhetoric—either preaching to the choir or statements not intended to inform or persuade. Anyone can write something for people they agree with; it takes hard work to have a conversation with someone who disagrees with you. As a result, people often don’t talk about important issues or discussions about those issues devolve into shouting matches.
When Ben Cabe (Editor-in-Chief) and I started brainstorming about an online community, we hoped to create a forum where people could honestly reflect on faith and culture in a setting that would foster meaningful dialogue and encourage people to seek God. Conciliar Post is all about meaningful dialogue, a place where people can lovingly and civilly converse about the major issues of our faith and culture.
Tell us a little more about the tagline, “Meaningful Dialogue across Christian Traditions”, what are you trying to accomplish with this blog?
Jeff: It's no secret that there are a plethora of groups that identify themselves as Christian. These groups also believe that they have a correct understanding and application of God's written revelation, The Bible. Our goal is to provide a place for people to examine the similarities and differences between these groups. The challenge, to ourselves and our readers, is to articulate and argue clearly for the truth, while maintaining humility and love for others involved in the discussion. Bringing these façets together allows for a dialogue that helps each member grow in a meaningful way.
What do you enjoy most about your work at Conciliar Post?
Jacob: Working with Conciliar Post allows me to dialogue with some really intelligent and Godly people about a variety of important topics. Saint Augustine once said, “wherever truth may be found, it belongs to [the] Master.” The Conciliar Post team takes this statement very seriously by writing on a wide range of topics related to Christian faith. This isn’t a site just about theology, or just about culture, or just written from one perspective. Conciliar Post is a gathering of faithful thinkers who are interested in seeking God wherever He may be found, encouraging the honest exchange of ideas, and promoting Christian faith in our dark world.
What’s been your greatest challenge/how have you overcome this challenge?
Jacob: One of our greatest challenges has been finding Protestant and Evangelical writers. We have a strong Catholic and Orthodox presence right now and, while we are always looking for more thoughtful contributors, we are especially looking to incorporate a wider range of the diversity that is Protestantism and Evangelicalism.
How has your Summit experience prepared you for your involvement with Conciliar Post?
Jeff: Firstly, a value for the Truth. Because God has revealed Himself to us, we can know what is true about the world and we shouldn't settle for anything less. Secondly, I can be wrong. In more precise terms, as a human I am both finite and fallible. My understanding is limited and not above error. Keeping this in mind allows for the humility necessary to talk with others.
Jody: My first experience at a Summit two-week conference opened the doors of my mind by putting books by the likes of Francis Schaeffer and C. S. Lewis in my hands and head. I learned more about the marriage of literature and life actions, discussion and thinking logically, as well as what it means to live well in community with others during my time at Summit Semester. Yet it was my Summit Oxford experience that challenged me to flourish in the craft of writing. My tutors pushed me to hone what skill I had and to grow in the knowledge and practice of writing well. Conciliar Post deadlines keep me always striving to write thoughtful and beautiful words that point one to look up the beam of light to see the Son.
Jacob: Summit Semester instilled a desire to think deeply about things that matter, especially history. Summit Oxford encouraged me to enter the blogging world and to pursue excellence. These experiences developed the tools to think and write critically about faith and culture, encouraged me to pursue the vocation of helping others understand our context, and provided me with some great friendships (at least six of our contributors are Summit alum).
What can we expect from Conciliar Post as we move toward the summer months?
Jacob: In the next several months you can expect continued cultural commentary, theological reflections, and dialogue about the challenges Christians face in today’s world. For more liturgically-minded readers, we are in the midst of producing a collection of inter-denominational lexical readings. Each month this summer there will also be a “Round Table” discussion, where multiple writers respond to a question about a specific aspect of theology or culture. These Round Tables are designed to show the unity, diversity, and dialogue between different Christian perspectives and have been some of our most popular articles.
How would you advise fellow Summit Alumni to get involved?
Jody: Join us by reading the blog and joining in the dialogue via the comments. We’re also looking for new writers. If that is an area where God has given you talent, please consider joining us! Jacob is the managing editor for Conciliar Post and is always open to submissions. You can email him at jake@conciliarpost.com.
