On May 2, 2026, Communion Partners (Canada) will be hosting a webinar with the Rev. Dr. Cole Hartin on Loss in the Christian Life. The webinar will be at 1pm ET. Register here.
The idea for this talk comes from Fr. Hartin’s experience as a Christian and pastor. Pretty much every parishioner he has spoken with has some hidden grief or loss that quickly bubbles to the surface. Moreover, so much ecclesiology is an attempt to deal with loss: Loss of Christian unity, loss of vigor in the Church, perceived loss of important Christian doctrine, etc. Loss haunts all of human experience, including Christian experience. The Bible knows this, and historical witness of the Church has given us resources to bear this loss. Our conversation together is meant to identify this phenomenon of loss in the Christian life and look at some of resources we have for offering it to God in Christ.
Fr. Cole Hartin is an associate rector at Christ Church Episcopal in Tyler, Texas, where he lives with his wife and four sons. He is a fellow at the Center for Pastor Theologians, and an instructor at Iona School for Ministry. He has written widely in popular venues (Christianity Today, The Living Church, Commonweal) as well as in academic journals (Journal of Anglican Studies, Anglican Theological Review, The Heythrop Journal). His first book, Anglican Biblical Interpretation in the Nineteenth Century: A Critical Evaluation, was published in 2024; he is currently working on book about pastoral theology and loss.