Join us in October for Housemoot 2026
Our Housemoot 2026 schedule and registration will be available in early July!
The Speakers
(we'll have the hard job of whittling this list down--let us know your favorites!)
KEYNOTE: ANDREW PETERSON
SINGER/SONGWRITER, AUTHOR, AND RABBIT ROOM FOUNDER
"Scratching the Creative Itch: Delight, Curiosity, and the Myth of the Renaissance Man"
The idea of the Renaissance man (or woman) looms large in the imagination, as a sort of pinnacle of creative genius. While there's some truth to the classic understanding of the ideal, Andrew (who would like to make clear that while he is multidisciplinary, he's nowhere near a genius!) explores the pitfalls of the polymath and suggests a better path.
"Scratching the Creative Itch: Delight, Curiosity, and the Myth of the Renaissance Man"
The idea of the Renaissance man (or woman) looms large in the imagination, as a sort of pinnacle of creative genius. While there's some truth to the classic understanding of the ideal, Andrew (who would like to make clear that while he is multidisciplinary, he's nowhere near a genius!) explores the pitfalls of the polymath and suggests a better path.
RUTH NAOMI FLOYD
VOCALIST AND COMPOSER
"Redemptive Beauty: The Lament and Protest of Rizpah"
Situated within the narrative of 2 Samuel, Rizpah emerges as a woman who refuses to remain silent in the face of violence and injustice. Through her sustained vigil over the bodies of her sons, she transforms personal grief into public protest—challenging systems of power and calling attention to the dignity of the forgotten. Drawing from theological reflection, historical context, and artistic interpretation, this lecture examines how Rizpah's act of lament becomes a form of sacred resistance. Her story invites us to consider how beauty can emerge not in spite of suffering, but through it—offering a redemptive vision that honors truth, memory, and human dignity. Rizpah's witness compels us to confront hidden histories, to listen more closely to marginalized voices, and to reimagine lament as a transformative force that can give rise to healing and collective renewal.
"Redemptive Beauty: The Lament and Protest of Rizpah"
Situated within the narrative of 2 Samuel, Rizpah emerges as a woman who refuses to remain silent in the face of violence and injustice. Through her sustained vigil over the bodies of her sons, she transforms personal grief into public protest—challenging systems of power and calling attention to the dignity of the forgotten. Drawing from theological reflection, historical context, and artistic interpretation, this lecture examines how Rizpah's act of lament becomes a form of sacred resistance. Her story invites us to consider how beauty can emerge not in spite of suffering, but through it—offering a redemptive vision that honors truth, memory, and human dignity. Rizpah's witness compels us to confront hidden histories, to listen more closely to marginalized voices, and to reimagine lament as a transformative force that can give rise to healing and collective renewal.
JOHN HENDRIX
ILLUSTRATOR, AUTHOR, AND MFA DIRECTOR
"A Life Spent Making Things: Joys (and Pitfalls) of Choosing to Make Art"
Making art is hard. More often than not, it feels like good work does not want to exist. Not only must you fight for your art to come into being, but also, the creative work itself is often underappreciated and undervalued. There is no trope more annoying and lazy to aspiring makers than the phrase “starving artist.” But, if we’re honest, it touches a real nerve. What are the real rewards for choosing to make art? In this talk, John will discuss the notion of decoupling the act of artmaking from commerce and capitalism, the temptations of ambition, and the collision of both career and calling in us as art makers. Ultimately, our discussion will highlight and remind us of why we were created, and why making art (with or without doing so as a full-time career) is valuable to yourself, to your community, and to all of humanity.
"A Life Spent Making Things: Joys (and Pitfalls) of Choosing to Make Art"
Making art is hard. More often than not, it feels like good work does not want to exist. Not only must you fight for your art to come into being, but also, the creative work itself is often underappreciated and undervalued. There is no trope more annoying and lazy to aspiring makers than the phrase “starving artist.” But, if we’re honest, it touches a real nerve. What are the real rewards for choosing to make art? In this talk, John will discuss the notion of decoupling the act of artmaking from commerce and capitalism, the temptations of ambition, and the collision of both career and calling in us as art makers. Ultimately, our discussion will highlight and remind us of why we were created, and why making art (with or without doing so as a full-time career) is valuable to yourself, to your community, and to all of humanity.
DAVID KIM
FOUNDER OF GOLDENWOOD
"How Small Creative Communities Bring About Unexpected Change"
As so many feel isolated and cultural institutions feel increasingly fragile, how can small communities become seeds of renewal? Drawing from ecological models and lived experiments within the arts, this talk explores the power of "islands of nucleated diversity." These small, spiritually rooted creative communities cultivate imagination, protect creative growth, and organically connect into a wider ecosystem of renewal. We’ve all been moved by great literature—words that challenge us, stir something deep within, and change the way we see the world. Shouldn’t reading the Bible do the same? Yet, for many of us, Scripture has become dull, routine, or even frustrating. Maybe that’s not the Bible’s fault. Maybe we’ve inherited a way of reading it that strips away its beauty, its tension, and its artistry. What if we could rediscover the Bible for what it truly is—a masterpiece crafted by the ultimate Author? What if, instead of dissecting it for answers, we learned to begin to ask better questions? God is a masterful Artist, and His story is more compelling than we’ve been led to believe. Come and see.
As so many feel isolated and cultural institutions feel increasingly fragile, how can small communities become seeds of renewal? Drawing from ecological models and lived experiments within the arts, this talk explores the power of "islands of nucleated diversity." These small, spiritually rooted creative communities cultivate imagination, protect creative growth, and organically connect into a wider ecosystem of renewal. We’ve all been moved by great literature—words that challenge us, stir something deep within, and change the way we see the world. Shouldn’t reading the Bible do the same? Yet, for many of us, Scripture has become dull, routine, or even frustrating. Maybe that’s not the Bible’s fault. Maybe we’ve inherited a way of reading it that strips away its beauty, its tension, and its artistry. What if we could rediscover the Bible for what it truly is—a masterpiece crafted by the ultimate Author? What if, instead of dissecting it for answers, we learned to begin to ask better questions? God is a masterful Artist, and His story is more compelling than we’ve been led to believe. Come and see.
SARAH CROWLEY CHESTNUT
POET AND L'ABRI WORKER
"Calling, Distraction, Hard Task, Sabbath: Wrestling with Vocation with the Help of Poets"
What is calling, and what does it mean to follow an artistic calling when it is not our primary occupation? How do we deal well with the many tensions a multi-vocational life creates? To more deeply reflect on a Christian understanding of vocation, Sarah will help us inhabit one of Wendell Berry's sabbath poems, reflecting on these four words: calling, distraction, hard task, sabbath.
"Calling, Distraction, Hard Task, Sabbath: Wrestling with Vocation with the Help of Poets"
What is calling, and what does it mean to follow an artistic calling when it is not our primary occupation? How do we deal well with the many tensions a multi-vocational life creates? To more deeply reflect on a Christian understanding of vocation, Sarah will help us inhabit one of Wendell Berry's sabbath poems, reflecting on these four words: calling, distraction, hard task, sabbath.
ELISSA YUKIKO WEICHBRODT
AUTHOR AND PROFESSOR OF ART HISTORY
"The Art of Attentiveness: Close Looking in an Age of Infinite Scrolling"
In our contemporary algorithm-driven and largely digital reality, we are catechized to make snap judgments with barely a glance. But art provides us with the opportunity to develop a countercultural practice of close and sustained looking. This, in turn, can help us engage more purposefully with our world and our neighbors in love. This talk introduces practices of close looking that can be used in both a museum context and our daily lives.
In our contemporary algorithm-driven and largely digital reality, we are catechized to make snap judgments with barely a glance. But art provides us with the opportunity to develop a countercultural practice of close and sustained looking. This, in turn, can help us engage more purposefully with our world and our neighbors in love. This talk introduces practices of close looking that can be used in both a museum context and our daily lives.
ZACH ESWINE
PASTOR, AUTHOR, AND SPEAKER
"The Wonder of Elfland: How G.K. Chesterton Helps Us Diagnose What Deadens and Enlivens Our Imagination"
Many of us long to behold invisible wonders. But what would it be like to behold visible wonders? The wonders right in front of us? Chesterton teaches us to see again and by seeing, to hum again with delight.
"The Wonder of Elfland: How G.K. Chesterton Helps Us Diagnose What Deadens and Enlivens Our Imagination"
Many of us long to behold invisible wonders. But what would it be like to behold visible wonders? The wonders right in front of us? Chesterton teaches us to see again and by seeing, to hum again with delight.
BETH BARCUS
CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF PORTER'S CALL
"Creativity, Connection, and the Community Our Souls Need"
Beth Barcus invites everyone in the creative ecosystem—creators, conduits, and consumers alike—to explore how creativity, connection, and community are woven together in the relational garden our souls need. Beth explores the beauty of finding your people and cultivating relationships where the good, the true, and the beautiful can take root and flourish. Beth will seek to engage your imagination for a more connected, life-giving creative community where no one has to create or live in a silo.
"Creativity, Connection, and the Community Our Souls Need"
Beth Barcus invites everyone in the creative ecosystem—creators, conduits, and consumers alike—to explore how creativity, connection, and community are woven together in the relational garden our souls need. Beth explores the beauty of finding your people and cultivating relationships where the good, the true, and the beautiful can take root and flourish. Beth will seek to engage your imagination for a more connected, life-giving creative community where no one has to create or live in a silo.