Outside Ourselves

Jim Nestingen's Legacy with John Pless

Outside Ourselves

Show Notes

Kelsi talks with Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Missions, John Pless, about compiling and editing, The Essential Nestingen: Essays on Preaching, Catechism, and the Reformation. These essays were written by Dr. Pless' good friend, James Arne Nestingen (1945-2022). Jim was a beloved pastor, seminary professor, and most of all a confessor and preacher of the Gospel of Jesus. John talks about his friendship with Jim, Jim's legacy and the importance of collaboration within Lutheran theology. Rev. John T. Pless is assistant professor of pastoral ministry and missions at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He also serves as the director of field education for the seminary. Previously, Rev. Pless spent seventeen years as a campus pastor at University Lutheran Chapel at the University of Minnesota. He is the book review editor for Logia: A Journal of Lutheran Theology and a member of the editorial council of Lutheran Quarterly. In addition, Rev. Pless is copresident of the International Loehe Society, a regular lecturer at various conferences, and a member of the LCMS Committee on the Sanctity of Human Life. Rev. Pless received his BA from Texas Lutheran College and his MDiv from Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio.

Show Notes: Support 1517 1517 Podcasts The 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 on YouTube

Kelsi Klembara Follow Kelsi on Instagram Follow Kelsi on Twitter Kelsi's Newsletter

Subscribe to the Show: Apple Podcasts Spotify Youtube

More from Dr. Pless: The Essential Nestingen Pastor Craft Luther's Large Catechism with Annotations and Contemporary Applications

More from Outside Ourselves

Sep 29, 2026

Kelsi chats with pastor and author, Steve Kruschel, about his latest devotional, A Year of Confession with Augustine: 365 Daily Devotions for the Restless Heart. The devotional will be out October 13, 2026 and is now available for preorder.

Sep 15, 2026

Kelsi chats with author, Laura Wifler, about her first book of poetry, This Side of the Sky: 101 Poems and Scriptures for the Hungry, Hopeful, and Homesick.

Sep 1, 2026

Author and Pastor, Luke Kjolhaug, joins Kelsi to talk about his new book, Fear Not: How the Gospel Disrupts Our Deepest Anxieties. The two talk about how "Fear Not " is often less of a command than it is a promise throughout Scripture and how we can rely on Jesus to defeat our deepest anxieties. Luke Kjolhaug is the pastor of Elim Lutheran Church in Osakis, Minnesota. He holds undergraduate degrees from Wheaton College and the University of Minnesota, as well as a master’s degree from Lutheran Brethren Seminary. Luke is the author of Sinner Saint: A Surprising Primer for the Christian Life. He and his wife Bethannie have been blessed with two daughters.

Aug 18, 2026

Kelsi is joined by theologian, Amy Orr-Ewing, to discuss the unique gift of Christian forgiveness which Amy writes about in her most recent book, Forgiveness: Reclaiming its Power in a Culture of Outrage and Fear.

Aug 4, 2026

Kelsi chat with author and editor, Eddie LaRow, about his forthcoming book, After Progress: How an Ancient Faith Roots a Restless Generation, the needs of those of us living in a digital age, and how those needs are met time and again by Christ and the cross.

See all episodes →