The Authors – Slow Church

Christopher Smith

is a writer and community developer, and he is the founding editor of The Englewood Review of Books. In addition to co-authoring Slow Church, Chris is the author of Reading for the Common Good (IVP, 2016). He writes regularly for Books & Culture, Sojourners, The Christian Century, and Relevant Magazine. Chris lives and works as part of the Englewood Christian Church community on the urban Near Eastside of Indianapolis.

John Pattison

writes and speaks frequently on topics related to the neighborhood, the church, and the creative life. He is the coauthor of Slow Church (2014) and Besides the Bible (2010), both from InterVarsity Press, as well as the founder of The Resourceful Community, a blog that teaches leaders how to access grants and other resources of community flourishing. He is also a consultant for the Ford Institute for Community Building, a rural vitality initiative of The Ford Family Foundation. A member of the National Book Critics Circle, John’s articles, essays, and reviews have appeared in Books & Culture, Relevant Magazine, Sojourners, and The Englewood Review of Books, among many others. John previously served as Managing Editor of CONSPIRE Magazine and Deputy Editor of the Burnside Writers Collective. He lives with his family in rural Silverton, Oregon, where he is a member of Silverton Friends Church, an evangelical Quaker meeting.

Books by Chris and John

Slow Church: Cultivating Community in the Patient Way of Jesus, by Chris Smith and John Pattison

Slow Church is inspired by the language and philosophy of the Slow Food and other Slow movements to rethink the ways in which we share life together in our church communities. It encourages churches to examine the ways in which we’ve reflexively embraced a culture of unreflective speed, dehumanizing efficiency, and dis-integrating isolationism. More importantly, it paints a picture of the more holistic, interconnected, and abundant life together that we believe people have been called to in Jesus. [IVP | IndieBound | Amazon]

Slow Church Study Guide, by Chris Smith and John Pattison

This eleven-session study guide provides an opportunity to reflect, both individually and in community, on the message of the bestselling Slow Church. Each session features a guide to lector divine, suggested videos that can be watched online, a series of in-depth questions expanded from what is currently in the book, and much more. [IVP | IndieBound | Amazon]

Growing Deeper in Our Church Communities: 50 Ideas for Connection in a Disconnected World, by Chris Smith

In an age characterized by fragmentation and alienation, what role can churches play in bringing people back together again? In this ebook, Chris offers 50 ways we can become more deeply connected in our congregations and in our neighborhoods. Scot McKnight said about this book: “Fantastic practical ideas that most local churches can do to help connection and fellowship.” [Download for free]

The Virtue of Dialogue: Conversation as Hopeful Practice for Church Communities, by Chris Smith

“Where [Englewood Christian Church] began is where we all need to begin: with conversation. We must face one another in a listening mode. Only then can our words become genuine conversation. This little book could be revolutionary for your own faith community.” – Scot McKnight, author of The King Jesus Gospel and Junia Is Not Alone

“The Virtue of Dialogue is filled with hope and possibility, even for today’s hemorrhaging and puzzled Church. Chris reminds us that in our world of culture wars and stale debates, civil dialogue is an endangered art. Here is a wonderful and simple call to real community and to honest dialogue.” – Shane Claiborne, author of Jesus for President and The Irresistible Revolution [Ebook | Print]

Besides the Bible: 100 Books that Have, Should, or Will Create Christian Culture, by Dan Gibson, Jordan Green, and John Pattison

Covering a wide array of subjects and authors, from bestsellers and classics, works of Christian history, and more, you’ll find yourself agreeing with some titles, shaking your head at others, and even shocked by a few. This isn’t a dry catalog with dull summaries of books authored by a bunch of dead guys. Dan Gibson, Jordan Green, and John Pattison, along with an all-star team of today’s most interesting Christian thinkers―including Donald Miller, Derek Webb, Phyllis Tickle, Jonathan Acuff, and William P. Young― will re-ignite your love for reading. [IVP | Amazon]

Reading for the Common Good Cover Reading for the Common Good: How Books Help Our Churches and Neighborhoods Flourish, by Chris Smith

Living faithfully in a neighborhood involves two interwoven threads: learning and action. In this book C. Christopher Smith, coauthor of Slow Church, looks at the local church as an organization in which both learning and action lie at the heart of its identity. He explores the practice of reading and, in his words, “how we can read together as churches in ways that drive us deeper into action.” Smith continues, “Church can no longer simply be an experience to be passively consumed; rather, we are called into the participatory life of a community. Reading is a vital practice for helping our churches navigate this shift.” Discover how books can help your churches and neighborhoods bring flourishing to the world. [IVP | IndieBound | Amazon]