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#77: The Displacement of Enchantment

Despite many leaving traditional churches, people remain spiritually curious and committed. Dr. Andy Root joins in this Pivot podcast episode.

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People are still spiritually curious, passionate, and committed today even while many are leaving traditional churches. Watch this pivot podcast episode with Dr. Dwight Zscheile and Dr. Andy Root to dive deep into the intersection of Christian faith and our secular age.

In today’s pivot podcast episode, we are taking a deeper dive into the transformation or displacement of sacred impulses and rituals onto secular sources during this secular age. Listen to this whole episode to hear what insights Jean Jacque Rousseau, Lesslie Newbigin, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer can provide about how people are engaging in spiritual transformation apart from traditional sacred rituals and spiritual practices. People still want a mystical experience and to be part of a sacred journey. Discover your role as a spiritual leader in a secular age.

Show Notes

Faith+Lead Academy on-demand course - Faith, Lies, and Spies: Bonhoeffer’s Life and You https://faithlead.org/course-lp/faith-lies-spies-bonhoeffers-life-and-you/

Featuring

Andrew Root
Professor and Carrie Olson Baalson Chair of Youth and Family Ministry, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MInnesota

After receiving his Ph.D. at Princeton Theological Seminary, Andrew Root joined Luther Seminary in 2005. He is considered one of the leading scholars of youth ministry and practical theology in the world. Root has published 16 books, many of which have been found on lists for Book of the Year. His latest project is a three-volume series with Baker Academic. Root is known as a leading thinker on Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and is a sought-after speaker at conferences, colleges, and churches. He has lectured and presented all over the world, including South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and Europe.

Host

Faith+Lead Headshot of The Rev. Dr. Dwight Zscheile, VP of Innovation, Luther Seminary.
Dwight Zscheile
Professor of Congregational Mission and Leadership, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota

The Rev. Dr. Dwight Zscheile is professor of congregational mission and leadership at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.

He is the author of Embracing the Mixed Ecology (with Blair Pogue, Seabury Books, 2025), Leading Faithful Innovation: Following God into a Hopeful Future (with Michael Binder and Tessa Pinkstaff, Fortress Press 2023), Participating in God’s Mission: A Theological Missiology for the U.S. (with Craig Van Gelder, Eerdmans 2018), The Agile Church: Spirit-Led Innovation in an Uncertain Age (Morehouse Publishing, 2014), People of the Way: Renewing Episcopal Identity (Morehouse Publishing, 2012) and The Missional Church in Perspective: Mapping Trends and Shaping the Conversation (with Craig Van Gelder, Baker Academic 2011), editor of Cultivating Sent Communities: Missional Spiritual Formation (Eerdmans, 2012), and co-editor (with Ed Olsworth-Peter) of The Starter’s Way: Leading New Contextual Christian Communities (Church Publishing, 2025).

A graduate of Stanford University (BA), Yale University (MDiv) and Luther Seminary (PhD, Congregational Mission and Leadership), Dwight previously served congregations in Minnesota, Virginia and Connecticut. Dwight’s experience growing up in a secular home in California has shaped his commitment to helping the church cultivate Christian community with neighbors in today’s changing world.

About Pivot Podcast

Join us on Pivot Podcast, where we journey beyond church-as-usual to discover how God is reshaping ministry for today’s world.

Each week, we dive into conversations with innovative leaders and practitioners who are navigating four game-changing pivots: shifting from quick fixes to deep listening, from membership to discipleship, from rigid models to creative ministry ecosystems, and from clergy-centered leadership to unleashing everyone’s gifts.

Whether you’re a member of the clergy seeking fresh inspiration or a volunteer stepping into new leadership territory, Pivot Podcast equips you with the insights and practical wisdom to follow Jesus into a faithful future.

Through their work with diverse cohorts of preachers, they’ve discovered that the most compelling sermons aren’t necessarily the most polished – they’re the ones where preachers have learned to listen deeply to both God and their congregations. Learn practical tools for gathering meaningful feedback, understand why vulnerability matters more than ever in preaching, and discover how shifting from evaluation to understanding can deepen your sermon’s impact. Plus, hear why reimagining God’s agency in preaching might be the key to unlocking more powerful proclamation.

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Featuring

Andrew Root
Professor and Carrie Olson Baalson Chair of Youth and Family Ministry, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MInnesota

After receiving his Ph.D. at Princeton Theological Seminary, Andrew Root joined Luther Seminary in 2005. He is considered one of the leading scholars of youth ministry and practical theology in the world. Root has published 16 books, many of which have been found on lists for Book of the Year. His latest project is a three-volume series with Baker Academic. Root is known as a leading thinker on Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and is a sought-after speaker at conferences, colleges, and churches. He has lectured and presented all over the world, including South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and Europe.

Host

Faith+Lead Headshot of The Rev. Dr. Dwight Zscheile, VP of Innovation, Luther Seminary.
Dwight Zscheile
Professor of Congregational Mission and Leadership, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota

The Rev. Dr. Dwight Zscheile is professor of congregational mission and leadership at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.

He is the author of Embracing the Mixed Ecology (with Blair Pogue, Seabury Books, 2025), Leading Faithful Innovation: Following God into a Hopeful Future (with Michael Binder and Tessa Pinkstaff, Fortress Press 2023), Participating in God’s Mission: A Theological Missiology for the U.S. (with Craig Van Gelder, Eerdmans 2018), The Agile Church: Spirit-Led Innovation in an Uncertain Age (Morehouse Publishing, 2014), People of the Way: Renewing Episcopal Identity (Morehouse Publishing, 2012) and The Missional Church in Perspective: Mapping Trends and Shaping the Conversation (with Craig Van Gelder, Baker Academic 2011), editor of Cultivating Sent Communities: Missional Spiritual Formation (Eerdmans, 2012), and co-editor (with Ed Olsworth-Peter) of The Starter’s Way: Leading New Contextual Christian Communities (Church Publishing, 2025).

A graduate of Stanford University (BA), Yale University (MDiv) and Luther Seminary (PhD, Congregational Mission and Leadership), Dwight previously served congregations in Minnesota, Virginia and Connecticut. Dwight’s experience growing up in a secular home in California has shaped his commitment to helping the church cultivate Christian community with neighbors in today’s changing world.