MTP 52: Jonathan Pettigrew Part 1, From Campus Minister to Professor, learning to profess Christ through faith-learning integration

Jonathan Pettigrew is a professor in the School of Human Communication at Arizona State University. In part 1 of our interview, he shares how his journey from campus minister to professor shaped his understanding of student discipleship, faith-learning integration, and ministry through academia. He offers deep reflections on spiritual formation, parenting, and how Christian professors can pursue scholarship as an act of worship.

Read more about Jonathan Pettigrew on Meet The Prof:
https://meettheprof.com/view/professors/entry/jonathan-pettigrew/

Main Takeaways:

• Professors can influence hundreds, while ministers can often go deeper with a few.
• Faith-learning integration means connecting Christian worldview with academic discipline.
• The Holy Spirit guides how Christian faculty reflect faith in teaching and research.
• Life’s trials—like parenting during a PhD—can become spiritually formative.
• Teaching is a form of discipleship, and learning can be a form of worship.

CHAPTERS
 00:01 – Introduction & Arizona Weather
 03:00 – What Professors Can Learn from Campus Ministers
 06:49 – Embarrassing & Funny Professor Moments
 09:02 – Jonathan’s Journey to Faith
 10:30 – Growth as a Summer Youth Minister
 14:16 – Decision to Pursue a PhD
 16:11 – Spiritual Formation During PhD & Early Marriage
 21:17 – What Is Faith-Learning Integration?
 23:49 – Stories and Strategies from Professing Christ
 26:03 – Holy Spirit’s Role in Scholarly Faith Integration
 29:26 – Why Learning Is God’s Idea
 30:02 – Closing Reflections & Preview of Part 2

Keywords:
 Jonathan Pettigrew, Arizona State University, faith-learning integration, Professing Christ, Christian faculty, campus ministry, spiritual growth, youth ministry, PhD journey, academic calling, Holy Spirit, parenting, discipleship, communication, Christian worldview, student impact, Christian professor, Meet The Prof, higher education faith, Christ-centered learning, scholarship and faith, Bible study, teaching as worship.

Books mentioned in podcast: 

Professing Christ: Christian Tradition and Faith-learning Integration in Public Universities, http

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