Liberty McArtor is the host of the Know Why Podcast and a co-host for Point of View Radio Talk Show, where she has worked as a writer since 2018. Previously, Liberty taught English at a Christian hybr...

Fr. Joseph began the novitiate at our abbey in 2003. He made his solemn profession on August 20, 2008 and was ordained to the priesthood August 15, 2009.Fr. Joseph grew up in Norcross, Georgia. He fir...

Fr. Joseph began the novitiate at our abbey in 2003. He made his solemn profession on August 20, 2008 and was ordained to the priesthood August 15, 2009.Fr. Joseph grew up in Norcross, Georgia. He first began to discern a vocation while attending St. Pius X Catholic High School in Atlanta. He was especially grateful for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and he saw the importance of the priestly vocation to make that gift available to others. He chose to attend the University of Dallas where he studied philosophy and continued to grow in his discernment with the help of outstanding friends and faculty. He especially appreciated the witness he received from the Cistercian fathers, some of whom were his professors during this time.In addition to his regular monastic formation, since entering the monastery Fr. Joseph has gained graduate degrees in theology at the University of Dallas, the Pontifical Gregorian University (Rome), and the Catholic University of America (Washington, DC). His studies focused especially on apologetics, St. John Henry Newman, and medieval Cistercian theology. He served for eight years in the theology and campus ministry department at Cistercian Preparatory School and is the proud form master for the CPS class of 2017. He currently teaches theology full-time at the University of Dallas and takes special pleasure in carrying forward the Cistercian presence there, having benefitted from it so much as a student.

Prior to joining SGA, Eric was engaged in military flight test and space systems integration for 16 years. While serving on the International Space Station program in Moscow, he developed a special lo...

Prior to joining SGA, Eric was engaged in military flight test and space systems integration for 16 years. While serving on the International Space Station program in Moscow, he developed a special love for the Russian people. Called out of aerospace into ministry in 2002, Eric travels and ministers throughout the Russian-speaking nations and the USA to serve faithful Bible-preaching churches. His passion is to see God’s people serve and live their lives on mission for the sake of the Gospel. He is also the pastor of River’s Edge Bible Church in Pecatonica, Illinois, where he resides with his wife, Kristi. Eric has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, an M.B.A in International Development, and a Master of Divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Dr. Byron Johnson serves as Distinguished Professor of the Social Sciences at Baylor University and is the founding director of the Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion (ISR). He is a graduate of...

Dr. Byron Johnson serves as Distinguished Professor of the Social Sciences at Baylor University and is the founding director of the Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion (ISR). He is a graduate of Minot State University (BA), Middle Tennessee State University (MA), the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (MS) and Florida State University (PhD).The author of more than 200 articles and essays, Dr. Johnson is recognized as a leading authority on the scientific study of religion and has done extensive research on the impact of religious education on maximum-security prisoners and the role of faith-based programs on reducing recidivism. He plays a leadership role at the Religious Freedom Project, a partnership between Baylor’s ISR and Georgetown University — the only university-led research center dedicated to religious freedom. He has been project director on many grants from private foundations as well as federal agencies including the Department of Justice, Department of Defense, U.S. Institute of Peace, Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health.Prior to joining the Baylor faculty in 2004, he directed research centers at Vanderbilt University and the University of Pennsylvania. In 2013, he was named the Lone Star Big Brother of the year by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Texas.