Welcome to episode sixty-two of New Creation Conversations. It is an honor in today’s conversation to be joined by Dr. D. Michael Lindsay – President of Taylor University in Upland, Indiana. Michael is an alum of Baylor University. He has an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in Sociology from Princeton University. Michael started his academic career teaching and doing academic research at Rice University. Then he accepted the call to serve as president at Gordon College in Boston for a decade before now taking the leadership role at Taylor.
Michael has written several scholarly publications and numerous books, including two award-winning books that emerged out of major research projects – Faith in the Halls of Power: How Evangelicals Joined the American Elite and View from the Top: An Inside Look at How People in Power See and Shape the World. Both books are insightful about not only what motivates and shapes people of faith in key places of cultural influence and formation, but also, as a church leader, both books have helped me understand how to motivate and missionally-connect those in my congregation who have a great deal of giftedness and resource into the mission of the church.
The bulk of our conversation centers around his most recent book, Hinge Moments: Making the Most of Life’s Transitions (from IVP). In it, Michael takes the great research he has done with great leaders and applies that not only to young people making key life choices, but to all of us as we face important moments of transition in life. I found the book not only valuable as a gift to the many young people in my life, but even at 56, I found several things in the book helpful as I think about the potential and unavoidable changes out ahead of my own life. It’s a great book and I think you will find this a very insightful conversation.