Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology and Christian Imagination
Director of the Eugene Peterson Center for Christian Imagination
Dr. Winn Collier loves the church, beauty, and all the things that make up being human in God’s verdant, sacred world. A pastor for over 25 years, Dr. Collier was the founding pastor of All Souls in Charlottesville, Virginia, and is an Episcopal priest. He also serves as the founding director of The Genesis Project, a community providing circles of friendship and contemplation for pastors and writers. The thread through all of his work is a delight in the God who exists as the blazing center of everything that is good, beautiful, and true.
Dr. Collier holds a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia, where he focused on Religion and literature, exploring the sacramental vision of Wendell Berry’s fiction. He’s authored five books (theology, creative nonfiction, fiction, and biography): Restless Faith: Hanging on to a God Just Out of Reach; Let God: Spiritual Conversations with François Fénelon; Holy Curiosity: Encountering Jesus’ Provocative Questions; Love Big, Be Well: Letters to a Small Town Church and A Burning in My Bones: The Authorized Biography of Eugene H. Peterson. He has also written for Christian Century, Christianity Today, Washington Post, and numerous other outlets.
Dr. Collier and his wife Miska, a spiritual director and yoga teacher, have two sons (Wyatt and Seth) and live in Holland, Michigan. When they aren’t chasing down their dog Gus (a nod to St. Augustine) or planning their next hike in Colorado or walking tour in Scotland, you’ll likely find them with a good book, exploring a new restaurant, or watching Chef’s Table.
Dr. Collier teaching centers on pastoral theology (connecting the ancient streams of Christian wisdom to the grit and wonders of the parish) and Christian imagination (those luminous ways that the Spirit awakens the human mind and heart). Given these interests, Dr. Collier is also naturally drawn to the intersections of sacramental theology, incarnation, theology of place, and the writing craft.
The Peterson Center hopes to bear witness to the God Eugene loved and pointed toward his entire life. Visit the Peterson Center Website to learn more.