What makes a book “great?” Who gets to choose which literature is or isn’t allowed into a canon, and should we question those decisions? What is the real value of reading traditionally classic literature today in the 21st century? Brian & Jay examine the idea of a classics-centered education and discuss how the George Fox University Honors Program answers these questions and more.

Dr. Brian Doak is an Old Testament scholar and professor.

Dr. Jay David Miller teaches English at George Fox University and serves as an associate editor for the journal Quaker Religious Thought.

George Fox University has Great Books Honors Program.

If you enjoy listening to the George Fox Talks podcast and would like to watch, too, check out our channel on YouTube! We also have a web page that features all of our podcasts, a sign-up for our weekly email update, and publications from the George Fox University community.

Joseph John Gurney was massively influential to the Friends community, but his story, theology, and values stood out from those of other influential Quakers like William Barclay and George Fox. Listen in for Jay and Jamie’s take on Gurney’s life and times, and how they informed the modern experience of Quakerism and Christian faith as a whole.

Dr. Jay David Miller teaches English at George Fox University and serves as an associate editor for the journal Quaker Religious Thought.

Dr. Jamie Johnson is dean for spiritual life and a university pastor at George Fox University. A George Fox graduate, he has studied church history (MA) and Christian education (PhD) and hungers to learn more about what it means for individuals and communities to follow Jesus in every aspect of life.

If you enjoy listening to the George Fox Talks podcast and would like to watch, too, check out our channel on YouTube! We also have a web page that features all of our podcasts, a sign-up for our weekly email update, and publications from the George Fox University community.

Author & professor Leah Payne and public theologian Ekemini Uwan talk about formative Christian music, podcast controversy, and doing theology in the public eye. As co-host of the Truth’s Table podcast, Ekemini has faced a measure of resistance; Leah asks how she has faced backlash and continued in her work.

Check out Truth’s Table: Black Women’s Musings on Life, Love, and Liberation

Ekemini is co-host of Truth's Table podcast

God Gave Rock and Roll to You: A History of Contemporary Christian Music

Ekemini Uwan is a public theologian and author.

Dr. Leah Payne is an award-winning historian and Associate Professor of American Religious History at Portland Seminary.

If you enjoy listening to the George Fox Talks podcast and would like to watch, too, check out our channel on YouTube! We also have a web page that features all of our podcasts, a sign-up for our weekly email update, and publications from the George Fox University community.

Why is it so hard to write a novel about Jesus that reveres His deity while honestly reckoning with His humanity? Dr. Jay Miller & Dr. Jessica Hughes unpack some of the problems authors have faced while trying to portray Jesus through literature.

Dr. Jay David Miller teaches English at George Fox University and serves as an associate editor for the journal Quaker Religious Thought.

Dr. Jessica Ann Hughes teaches classes like Faith and Story, which asks how stories (and especially the Biblical story) might redeem the past and shape the future.
Check out her book, Jesus in the Victorian Novel: Reimagining Christ.

If you enjoy listening to the George Fox Talks podcast and would like to watch, too, check out our channel on YouTube! We also have a web page that features all of our podcasts, a sign-up for our weekly email update, and publications from the George Fox University community.

Professor Brian Doak shares the brutal details of his severe shoulder fracture - and his long, trying path to recovery through surgery and physical therapy. Dr. Jaydee Romick offers some more-than-physical tips for reclaiming wellness after a major injury.

If you enjoy listening to the George Fox Talks podcast and would like to watch, too, check out our channel on YouTube! We also have a web page that features all of our podcasts, a sign-up for our weekly email update, and publications from the George Fox University community.

Professor Brian Doak talks with the Director of the Center for Study Abroad at George Fox University, David Martínez, about travel strategies: spontaneity or careful planning? Overpacking or minimalism? Frequent moving or putting down deep roots? David advocates for slowness in both travel and living, and Brian shares his most recent "travel miracle".

Matthew 10:9-10
“Don’t take any money in your money belts—no gold, silver, or even copper coins. Don’t carry a traveler’s bag with a change of clothes and sandals or even a walking stick."

Wanderlust: A History of Walking by Rebecca Solnit

Wendell Berry

A Philosophy of Walking by Frédéric Gros

If you enjoy listening to the George Fox Talks podcast and would like to watch, too, check out our channel on YouTube! We also have a web page that features all of our podcasts, a sign-up for our weekly email update, and publications from the George Fox University community.

Former CEO of Intel Pat Gelsinger and Professor Brian Doak talk about our current technological moment. How does the advancement of generative AI compare to the arrival of the internet? What brand new possibilities does quantum computing unlock? Are Christians meeting the challenge of shaping these developments—as forces for good?

Check out Gloo.

If you enjoy listening to the George Fox Talks podcast and would like to watch, too, check out our channel on YouTube! We also have a web page that features all of our podcasts, a sign-up for our weekly email update, and publications from the George Fox University community.

Why have the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis remained so relevant and present in Christian thought through the 20th century and well into the 21st? Old Testament scholar Brian Doak joins president Robin Baker, theology & literature professor Jason Lepojärvi, and English professor Gary Tandy to examine their friendship, their broad appeal, and the themes of their writings.

C.S. Lewis on reading old books.

Check out The Portland C.S. Lewis Society

If you enjoy listening to the George Fox Talks podcast and would like to watch, too, check out our channel on YouTube! We also have a web page that features all of our podcasts, a sign-up for our weekly email update, and publications from the George Fox University community.