Slow Theology

Eight Practices for Resilient Faith in a Turbulent World

By: A.J. Swoboda, Nijay K. Gupta, Glenn Packiam - foreword

Narrated by: Christopher Grove

Why slowing down is the secret to spiritual strength

In our fast-paced world of outrageous headlines and knee-jerk reactions, we struggle to hear God's voice amid the noise. Despite constant connectivity, our lives lack true spiritual connection and depth.

A. J. Swoboda and Nijay Gupta offer a practical theology guide for building resilient faith through Christian discipleship. Addressing spiritual deconstruction and doubt with honesty, they show how to fortify your faith against cultural challenges through eight transformative spiritual practices, including taking your time in prayer and Bible study, building patience for your spiritual journey and faith formation, slowing down your thinking and decision-making process, finding peace with unanswered questions rather than demanding easy solutions, and facing spiritual difficulties head-on instead of avoiding them.

This Christian living book helps weary believers reconnect with God and neighbor through intentional spiritual growth. With a foreword by Glenn Packiam, it's perfect for devotional listening, small group study, or anyone seeking authentic faith formation.

©2025 A. J. Swoboda and Nijay K. Gupta (P)2025 Christian Audio

Some of it was good, other parts were meh

I appreciated some of the sections of this book—definitely gave me food for thought. But some sections were a bit disorganized or rambling or the examples were so neutral or inoffensive that it was hard to relate to. Other times I cringed because it seemed written by authors more interested in the theoretical struggles of people struggling with the faith, but not well-informed about the psychology of actually flesh and blood people—or not “trauma informed”. I didn’t think this was helpful to me as someone who struggles with deconstructing harmful theology/ trying to recover; however, it did remind me to slow down and reflect on my motives and what influences I allow to shape my soul.

Palatable Wisdom

One of the most impactful lines in Slow Theology says:

“Learning is good and a tool of godliness, but theology is foremost about devotion, running after God because we are desperate for grace.”

As someone who leads a very full life—being a single mom, raising kids still at home, serving my community, and shepherding a congregation—my days are rarely quiet. Usually, they are full seven days a week. Over the years, my Bishop has often reminded me to “slow down to the speed of Scripture.” This book was a powerful reaffirmation of that wisdom.

It reminded me that I have busied up every corner of my week in the name of “good,” but not necessarily in the name of God. Slow Theology challenged me to intentionally carve out one full day each week to step away from the endless list of tasks and simply breathe with God. To allow my questions to remain questions, rather than rushing to resolve them. This shift has reminded me that lingering with mystery and wrestling with God’s silence often builds deeper faith than quickly landing on tidy answers.

I deeply appreciate the way Gupta and Swoboda wrote this book—it feels like a long, thoughtful conversation with trusted friends. The examples they use are relatable and practical, yet also rich with spiritual depth. And as a Pacific Northwester myself, I loved seeing familiar landscapes and places woven into their reflections—it gave the book a sense of home.

Slow Theology is not just a book to read; it’s an invitation to live differently. To pause. To listen. To pursue God not with frantic striving, but with quiet devotion. And for that, I am grateful.

Slow Theology is the Way

The topics and and subjects were insightful, engaging, and edifying. Throughout the reading, it was evident that the authors deeply care and love the church, and their observations were voiced in humility and meekness.

Good Overriding Message, Way Too “Current Year”

Having listened to this I’m left feeling quite lost. My belief and faith is (I feel) quite strong, but this book makes me feel doomed for eternity because I will never (and I do mean never) join a community. While my faith in my Heavenly Father and my pursuit of truth and a personal relationship with Him is strong, my faith in humanity is completely gone after years of abuse, neglect, and deception. So because I will never have “community” included in my spiritual journey, I now learn I’m doomed to failure. In a word, I am now.. lost. So, thanks for that. Should I just give up? Dunno.

2.5 Stars because I enjoyed the first half of the book. :shrug: