Through the story of one urban church, The Virtue of Dialogue casts a renewed vision for how the practice of conversation-though never easy-is essential for both congregational formation and deeper rootedness in your place.
C. Christopher Smith is a member of the Englewood Christian Church community and editor of The Englewood Review of Books. He and his wife Jeni have three adult children and live in a house across the parking lot from the Englewood church building, which they have shared with a number of church members over the years. In addition to editing The Englewood Review of Books, Chris is the author of numerous books, including the award-winning Slow Church (2014, co-authored with John Pattison) and his most recent, How the Body of Christ Talks: Recovering the Practice of Conversation in the Church (2019). All of his work-reading, writing, speaking-focuses on helping congregations cultivate a deeper life together by reading, thinking, imagining, and most importantly, by talking together. He regularly teaches these interwoven practices in congregational, academic, denominational, and ecumenical settings.
