Welcome to Public Theology with Zach W. Lambert!
Here you will find theological conversations, social commentary, and authentic community alongside a post-evangelical pastor.
Who is Zach W. Lambert?
My name is Zach and I’m passionate about holistic justice, radical inclusion, and the way of Jesus. I grew up in right-wing evangelicalism, but after getting kicked out of a youth group, two private Christian schools, and a conservative denomination, I’ve spent the last decade helping pioneer faith spaces centered on mutuality and flourishing for all.
I am the Lead Pastor and founder of Restore, a church in urban Austin, Texas. Since we launched in 2016 (what a year to start a church!), Restore has grown from a founding team of 5 people to over 1000 members. I also just finished writing my first book, Better Ways To Read The Bible: Transforming a Weapon of Harm into a Tool of Healing, which is available anywhere books are sold.
I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and Advertising from Hardin-Simmons University, a Master’s of Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary, and I’m currently working on a Doctorate of Ministry from Duke Divinity School. I am also the co-founder of the Post Evangelical Collective where I serve as a board member.
My wife, Amy, and I met in sixth grade, fell in love at seventeen, and got married at twenty-one. She is a pediatric speech-language pathologist and is currently working on her first novel. We started Public Theology together in October of 2024 and have loved getting to work together to help people who feel displaced and discouraged both during and following deconstruction. When we aren’t working on Public Theology (or working at our other jobs), you can find us watching or playing sports with our kids, reading, or enjoying Austin together.
Why subscribe to Public Theology?
Public Theology is a space filled with theological conversations connected to current events and authentic community for anyone who wants it. Here are some past posts to show you what I mean:
But the magic really happens on the paid subscriber side. There are two types of content on Substack: free and paid. On the free side, you will find content similar to my social media accounts in longer form, including weekly essays.
On the paid side, we are offering deeper engagement with the most pressing theological and social issues of our time via podcasts, essays, interviews, chats, Q&As, book reviews, and more. We will also have special perks connected to projects I'm working on. Most of all, we will offer a safe, healthy community where dialogue and questions are welcomed, and people are engaging in good faith. Signing up for this community is agreeing to prioritize community over rightness, and humility over certainty.
Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and publication archives.
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.Welcome to the community! And don’t hesitate to send a DM if Amy or I can support you in any way!
