Preaching in a Post-Christian Age Initiative
About the Preaching in a Post-Christian Age Initiative
With the generous support of the Lilly Endowment, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary has launched the Preaching in a Post-Christian Age Initiative, which resources preachers from diverse denominations and settings to engage the challenges of presenting the gospel at a time of growing secularization in the United States.
We are convinced that this new context entails an adaptive challenge that invites Christian leaders and congregations to deep theological reflection, faithful discernment, and creative experimentation in response to the call of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit. In this initiative, we are not simply offering a set of tools to “solve” the problem—since neither the church nor we would know how to do this.
Instead, we form learning communities of pastors and preachers from a wide range of backgrounds, all focused on this question: How do we preach inviting resonance with God in a culture where the Christian faith—or any kind of religious faith—is for a growing group of people increasingly implausible or irrelevant? Deeply convinced that the gospel of Jesus Christ continues to give life and light even in such a context, we hope to learn with our successive cohorts about what a faithful response might look like.
About the Learning Model
Each cohort gathers in-person four times, beginning and ending in successive springs. Gatherings run Thursday through Saturday so that pastors have time to return for church or work. Gatherings are characterized by:
- Sustained theological reflection on what post-Christian realities entail, and how to think in this context about God, church, secularization, and the preaching task;
- Dialogical learning involving a community of pastors and preachers from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences;
- Opportunity to experiment with preaching that invites resonance with God in a secular age, ultimately leading to a capstone preaching experiment.
In between our on-campus gatherings, preachers will research and conduct experiments in their worshiping communities and other contexts, and work with a coach who will provide support and accountability along the way.
Hear from Participants
- “The Gatherings have allowed me to think critically in community about my preaching, and I appreciate that.”
- “Everything was well-planned and organized. Our time on campus was well spent.”
- “I wish our gatherings were longer, but I knew we all had to get back for work and church.”
Gathering Dates
The cohort will meet on the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary campus.
- April 29-May 1, 2027: Understanding a Post-Christian Age
- Sept. 23-25, 2027: Seeking a Non-Instrumental Gospel
- Jan. 27-29, 2028: Adaptive Experiments in Communication
- April 20-22, 2028: Preaching for Resonance with God
With the generous support of the Lilly Endowment Inc., we offer full scholarships for your travel and participation. You must, however, commit to attend all on-campus gatherings.
Who teaches in the program?
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The Rev. Dr. Donna Giver-Johnston, director of the Doctor of Ministry Program, is an ordained PC(USA) minister with more than 20 years in pastoral ministry. An accomplished theological educator and writer, her expertise includes homiletics, liturgics, practical theology, and feminist scholarship. She holds degrees from Westminster College, Princeton Theological Seminary, and Vanderbilt University, and has earned multiple teaching and preaching awards. Author of Claiming the Call to Preach and Writing for the Ear, Preaching from the Heart, she is a member of the Academy of Homiletics, Society of Biblical Literature, and American Academy of Religion. |
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Dr. Scott Hagley is the W. Don McClure Professor of World Mission and Evangelism at PTS. Formerly director of education at Forge Canada and teaching pastor at Southside Community Church in Vancouver, he has also taught at multiple colleges and served as a consultant with Church Innovations Institute. Holding degrees from Bethel University, Regent College, and Luther Seminary, his scholarship explores congregational mission and leadership. Dr. Hagley lectures widely on missional communities and spiritual formation, and his work helps churches build strong neighborhood partnerships. He is author of Eat What is Set Before You (2019). |
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The Rev. Dr. Angela Dienhart Hancock serves as the vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty and Howard C. Scharfe Associate Professor of Homiletics. She is an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament in the PC(USA) and has served as pastor to churches around the country. Dr. Hancock is the author of Karl Barth’s Emergency Homiletic, 1932-33: A Summons to Prophetic Witness at the Dawn of the Third Reich, a contextual interpretation of Swiss theologian Karl Barth’s lectures on preaching in the early 1930s, based on unpublished archival material. Her current research explores Karl Barth’s contribution to the ethics of deliberation in Christian communities and the relationship between political and theological rhetoric. |
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The Rev. Dr. Edwin Chr. van Driel, Directors’ Bicentennial Professor of Theology at PTS, specializes in Christology, ecclesiology, and the intersection of biblical studies and theology. An ordained PC(USA) minister, he is author of Incarnation Anyway, Rethinking Paul (2021 Senior Alberigo Award), and The Incarnation as God’s First Intention (Baker Academic, 2025). Dr. van Driel has edited major theological volumes, published widely in academic and popular journals, and served on key denominational projects including Glory to God and the Book of Common Worship. His current research explores ecclesiology for a post-Christian world. |
Apply to Join the Next Preaching in a Post-Christian Age Initiative Cohort
Our cohorts are open to those who regularly preach or facilitate proclamation in their ministry context, and who, in these contexts, feel challenged by the realities of a post-Christian age. We are seeking pastors and preachers who would like to be fed by deeper theological reflection and are open to trying fresh approaches to proclamation today. We can only accept 20 fellows for each cohort.
Applications are due by Dec. 4, 2026! You will receive a decision before Jan. 1, 2027.
Contact the Preaching in a Post-Christian Age Initiative
The Rev. Dr. Edwin Chr. van Driel, Director
Directors’ Bicentennial Professor of Theology
Jennifer Pelling, Coordinator
412-924-1413