In this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast, host Elizabeth Pittman is joined by Rev. Dr. Alfonso Espinosa to talk about his next book, Faith That Shines in the Culture. In his upcoming book, Dr. Espinosa shows readers how we can reflect the light of Christ to the world around us.

Pre-order Faith that Shines in the Culture on CPH’s website by visiting cph.org/faith-that-shines-in-the-culture.

Show Notes
Being part of society as a Christian means living out your faith in the church, the government, and the family. At the same time, every individual is called by God to do something in the world, known as your vocation. Both your vocation and living in The Three Estates are beautiful and rich parts of being a Lutheran.

In his upcoming book, Rev. Dr. Alfonsoa Espinosa examines both of these theological concepts to help you see how to take up God’s greatest call: showcasing God’s light through you and into the world. During the episode, Dr. Espinosa talks about how Christians can learn how to express Christ’s light in each portion of their life as they go about their daily routine. He also discusses how this new book fits in with his two previous Faith That… books with CPH and what listeners should expect from the work.

Questions

• How does your new book fit into your previous writing?
• What is vocation? What does vocation look like?
• What are the Three Estates?
• What advice do you have for church members to help underscore how important it is for every member of the local congregation to be active and involved?

About the Guest
Rev. Dr. Alfonso Espinosa is a graduate of Concordia University Irvine (BA) and Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana (MDiv). He received an MA in Christian apologetics from Biola University and a Ph.D. in theology from the University of Birmingham (England) in 2009. Dr. Espinosa is the senior pastor at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church of Irvine, California, and a member of the Board for National Mission of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. In addition to writing the faith-and-culture trilogy, he has served as an author for The Lutheran Difference, a study notes team member for The Lutheran Study Bible, and a contributor to the Biblical Response series.