The Thinklings Podcast — Episode 046
The Thriving Church & The Lost Tools of Learning
Welcome to Episode 46 of The Thinklings Podcast!
In this episode, the Thinklings welcome Dr. Dean Taylor to discuss his book The Thriving Church: The True Measure of Growth. Together they explore biblical church growth, pastoral ministry, and the process of writing a book. Afterward, Charlie leads a discussion on Dorothy Sayers’ influential essay The Lost Tools of Learning and what it teaches about education, critical thinking, and classical learning.
Thanks for joining us for another thoughtful conversation!
📚 Books & Business
This week features a special Books & Business conversation centered on a single book:
Dr. Dean Taylor — The Thriving Church: The True Measure of Growth
Topics discussed include:
Why Dr. Taylor wrote the book
The influence of Ephesians 4 on his understanding of church growth
The difference between biblical growth and numerical growth
The pastor’s role in equipping believers for ministry
The process of researching, writing, editing, and publishing a book
How church members can contribute to a healthy and thriving congregation
The discussion highlights the book’s central conviction that genuine church growth is measured by increasing Christlikeness, truth, unity, and maturity within the body of Christ.
🎓 Main Content
Charlie introduces Dorothy Sayers’ famous essay The Lost Tools of Learning, a foundational work in the modern classical education movement.
The Thinklings discuss:
Whether modern education teaches subjects rather than teaching students how to think
Why people can be highly educated yet struggle with discernment
The difference between accumulating information and developing wisdom
The importance of cultivating a love of learning
Classical education and its emphasis on memory, logic, and rhetoric
How parents can encourage intellectual and spiritual formation in their children
The conversation explores the relationship between education, worldview, and lifelong learning while challenging listeners to consider whether they have been taught merely what to think or how to think.
🌿 Final Meditation
Charlie closes with a meditation from Deuteronomy 6.
This passage reminds believers that the truth of God’s Word should shape every area of life. Parents are called to teach God’s commands diligently to their children, not merely through formal instruction but through daily life, conversation, example, and worship. The goal is to raise children who know, love, fear, and obey the Lord from the heart.
🎧 Listen & Subscribe
Follow The Thinklings Podcast for weekly conversations on books, theology, education, and the Christian life!
