The Thinklings Podcast – Episode 55 – Special Guest, Andrew Peterson, discusses his books God of the Garden, Adorning the Dark, and the Wingfeather Saga

The Thinklings Podcast — Episode 055An Interview with Andrew Peterson Welcome to Episode 55 of The Thinklings Podcast! In this special episode, the Thinklings are joined by Andrew Peterson—award-winning singer-songwriter, author of the Wingfeather Saga, founder of The Rabbit Room, and author of the newly released book The God of the Garden. Together they discuss creativity, community, storytelling, nature, imagination, and the importance of place in the Christian life. 📚 Books & Business Rather than the usual roundtable, the conversation centers around works that all the Thinklings had recently been engaging with: * The Wingfeather Saga — Andrew Peterson * Adorning the Dark — Andrew Peterson * The God of the Garden — Andrew Peterson’s newly released book Andrew shares the story behind The God of the Garden, explaining how the disruptions of 2020 led him to reflect on the role that trees, gardens, land, and place have played in shaping his life and faith. 🌳 Main Conversation The God of the Garden Andrew discusses: * The relationship between creation and spiritual formation * How caring for land and gardens shapes people * The biblical significance of agriculture, trees, roots, seeds, and growth * The importance of paying attention to the natural world as a means of understanding God’s character * Recovering a sense of wonder in creation and learning to see God’s handiwork all around us The conversation explores the idea that Christians often lose touch with the rhythms of creation and how reconnecting with the created order deepens our understanding of Scripture and the Creator. Community & Creativity Andrew reflects on: * The importance of creative communities * The influence of friendships on artistic work * The role of The Rabbit Room in fostering Christian creativity * Writing groups, songwriting circles, and collaborative encouragement * Why friendships matter more than the projects themselves He argues that creativity flourishes in community and that Christian artists should resist isolation by cultivating meaningful relationships with fellow creators. The Wingfeather Saga The Thinklings also ask Andrew about: * The creation of songs and poetry within the Wingfeather books * The development of key themes and characters * Discovering stories rather than merely inventing them * The balance of humor, whimsy, and serious themes * Tolkien’s influence on storytelling and worldbuilding * The significance of place as a character within great stories Andrew shares how some of the most important moments in the series seemed to emerge naturally during the writing process, often surprising even him as the author. 📖 Key Themes * Creation and the Christian imagination * Trees, gardens, and place * Friendship and creative community * Storytelling as discovery * Tolkien, Lewis, and the Inklings * Wonder, beauty, and worship * The role of fiction in spiritual formation * The value of rootedness and memory 🌿 Closing Thoughts The episode concludes with a reflection on friendship and creativity, drawing on C.S. Lewis’s vision of small circles of friends whose shared pursuit of truth, beauty, and goodness can ultimately help transform the world. Andrew encourages listeners to create, cultivate community, and pursue the good work God has placed before them. 🎧 Listen & Subscribe Follow The Thinklings Podcast for weekly conversations on books, theology, imagination, and the Christian life. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thethinklingspodcast.substack.com