Illumination Author Feature: Caleb Lines

Devotionals are a great resource for exploring faith, deepening understanding, and reflecting on spiritual growth. For Rev. Dr. Caleb Lines, the desire to create a devotional with a Progressive Christian perspective became a personal undertaking and one that has not gone without recognition. 

Lines is a past Illumination Awards winner for his first book The Great Digital Commission, which received a Silver Medal in the Ministry category in 2022. Now his most recent work, Awakened: A 52-Week Progressive Christian Devotional, has received a Gold Medal in the Devotional category. 

We had the opportunity to discuss with Lines about his writing, the inspiration behind Awakened, and the importance of bringing a progressive christian perspective to these spiritual resources.

What Winning an Illumination Award Means to Lines

Winning an Illumination Awards Silver Medal for his first book, The Great Digital Commission, helped restore a sense of accomplishment that was missing during the pandemic. Originally published as his doctoral dissertation at Duke in 2020, Lines notes, “The culmination of that degree seemed anticlimactic since there was no Commencement during COVID. The Illumination Award helped me to recognize that my work was needed and valued.”

The feeling of recognition is just as rewarding for Lines’ and his second title. “I was incredibly excited when I received the news about my Illumination Awards!” he says. “The Gold Medal in the devotional category for my most recent book, Awakened was very meaningful because I put so much of myself into the book.”

Inspiration For a Recommendation

For Lines, writing the 13-part book was brought on in part by a lack of available Progressive Christian devotionals. Through his work with ProgressiveChristianity.org, he was often asked for devotional recommendations and did not have many current options to offer. “To be honest, there simply aren’t many from which to choose!” he says.

And while Lines acknowledges that while there are many existing devotionals, most reflect a different theology than Progressive Christianity. “I wanted a book that would introduce people to Progressive Christian theology while also integrating social justice, deepening spiritual practice, and providing a weekly rhythm to sustain one’s faith” he says.

Travel Influences

Creating this book was also a deeply personal experience for Lines. Centered on compassion and expanded empathy, he wrote much of it while traveling on sabbatical. “Several of the chapters such as “Biblical Women” and “LGBTQ+ Affirmation” I wrote while traveling through Afghanistan and seeing the injustice against marginalized groups.”

The Writing Process

Influenced by these experiences and recognizing the need for Progressive Christian devotionals, Lines began to gradually craft his publication. “I started by thinking about what I would like to see in a devotional and identified 13 themes that would shape my book. I then sat down and wrote the book theme by theme.” 

And Lines notes that it is the sitting down to write that made the book possible. Being intentful and focused, along with using any spare moment to get some writing done, Awakened started to come together. “I brought my computer with me and wrote whenever I had a free moment” he says, “I found that the best practice for me was not to wait for the perfect moment but to write anytime I had a few minutes.”

Reception and Recognition

Besides the Illumination Awards accolades, Lines has heard positive feedback from his readership. “I hoped that it would resonate with people, but I didn’t know for sure if it would. It clearly has! I’ve heard from people all over the world that have used this book in a variety of contexts and have found it meaningful.”

Personally and professionally, the award for his book has been a great benefit. “The Illumination Awards helped me to recognize that this devotional really was deeply needed and that it touched people’s hearts in a significant way!”

Hopes for the Future

Divided into 13 themes aligned with the calendar year, Lines intends for Awakened to exemplify Progressive Christian faith and offer love and understanding in an increasingly alienated world. “My hope is that this book serves as a catalyst for compassion in a time when mercy and empathy are often lacking.”

What’s next for Caleb Lines? 

Lines’ journey as an author isn’t stopping here. He is currenting collaborating with another author on the history of faith-inspired social movements. “Faith is a tool that can uplift society or destroy it,” he says. “We’ll be focusing on faith as a positive source for change.”