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“The Rev. Dev.” I’m Josh Steele, a pastor-turned-programmer (“Rev[erend]"-to-“Dev[eloper]”) who solves problems with a programmer’s eye for detail and a pastor’s heart for people. As a software engineer, I work mainly on backend development in Java, SQL, and Python for a cybersecurity company. But I’m also an ordained Anglican priest (currently resigned from active ministry), trying to figure out what, if anything, to do with three degrees in theology. After a long time away (for those theology degrees), I’m back in Ohio, where I live with my wife and three young children. ...

You can add the following caveats to everything I write online. If it doesn’t directly apply to you, feel free to move along I’m usually writing for a broad audience and just trying to get people thinking. If I’m interested in starting a debate or argument with a specific individual, I will say so directly. If you think reality is more complicated than what I wrote, you’re right All communication is an oversimplification of reality. The shorter my post, the more I’ve purposefully left out. I will (almost) never get into extended arguments online If you still think you really need to say something, write your own post, write me an email, send me a letter, etc. (Just don’t call me, I’m a Millennial!) Finally, I’m just as susceptible to cognitive biases and logical fallacies as anyone else. Nevertheless, I’d like to do my best to stick to the following Rules of Civil Conversation. And I ask that you consider doing the same. ...

If you’d like to ask if I’m interested in guest content on my blog, please don’t. I’m not interested. For all other matters, the best way to contact me is to send an email to blog@joshuapsteele.com. I’ll do my best to read and reply as soon as possible! If you’d like to reach out to me elsewhere online, I try to keep links to all my social profiles updated on my homepage here and also over at steele.omg.lol. ...

(For a brief profile of what I’m like and what makes me tick as a worker, read this self-assessment. You can also view my resume on LinkedIn.) EXPERIENCE Software Engineer II - Proofpoint February 2023 - Present Led the design and development of a major user provisioning integration project, demonstrating leadership and technical skills. Authored scripts for system testing and delivered a technical presentation on the system. Mentored and trained new developers, showcasing leadership and interpersonal skills. Expanded technical skills by learning a new programming language to merge PRs in other areas of the codebase. Advocated for AI-assisted coding tools, assisting the VP of Engineering in research and presentation of findings. Delivered a technical presentation on “How to Use GitHub Copilot” to over 200 colleagues, demonstrating communication and teaching skills. Achieved personal learning goal of gaining familiarity with cloud computing, evidenced by certification and building a cloud-based prototype. Actively shared knowledge with colleagues, providing reading recommendations and stimulating discussions. Established a mentoring relationship with a Senior Engineer, demonstrating initiative and independence. Assumed extra responsibilities as an interim Technical Project Manager, showing problem-solving drive, good judgement, and ability to handle disagreements constructively. Recognized with a substantial raise after 6 months on the job due to exceptional performance and contributions. Resolved customer issues during the user provisioning project’s early access phase and took the lead in addressing a production bug. Coordinated upgrade efforts, assisting other teams based on previous experience. Improved system logging for better development, debugging, and customer support. Participated in research, revision, and planning of a new effort, demonstrating project management skills. Software Engineer I - Proofpoint January 2022 - February 2023 Prepared End User Sync Simplified for EA and GA Release (Q1-Q2 2022) Constructed Okta Integration (Q2-Q3 2022) Responsibilities included: software development (Java, MySQL, JavaScript, Python); bug fixes; research; planning. Managing Editor - Anglican Compass August 2018 - July 2021 Grew monthly users from 10K to over 30K (300% growth) Grew email list from 2K to 10K subscribers (500% growth) Edited guest posts for over 100 authors Managed the publication and/or promotion of 6 books Responsibilities included: project management; research; writing; editing; copyediting; proofreading; content marketing; email marketing; social media marketing; web design (WordPress, HTML, CSS, Squarespace); book publication; book marketing. Pastor/Clergy (Anglican Priest) Church of the Savior (Wheaton, IL); November 2019 - Present Diocese: Churches for the Sake of Others (C4SO) Areas of ministry as a Deacon (see below) and now a Priest have included: preaching (public speaking, teaching), teaching, presiding at Holy Communion, providing pastoral care, leading musical worship, volunteering in student ministry, facilitating small group ministry, facilitating men’s ministry, designing and managing church website, and managing the rollout and use of our church management software. (Note: to read/listen to my sermons, go here.) ...

(Note: Since writing the essays below, I’ve left the academy and now work as a software engineer. Nevertheless, I’m keeping these around for posterity.) Wheaton College Graduate School (2017 - ) (Here’s the elevator pitch for my dissertation proposal: “Scriptural, But Not Religious: Karl Barth, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and a Biblical Critique of Religion.”) The Guilt of Karl Barth: Strengths and Weaknesses of Barth’s Römerbrief Reading of Romans 9:30–10:21 The Tree of Religion: Karl Barth and Dietrich Bonhoeffer on the Tree of Knowledge in Genesis 2:4–3:24 When will Thy Kingdom Come? The Timing and Agency of the Kingdom of God in the Lord’s Prayer Theological Hermeneutics Essay: The Hermeneutical Implications of Scripture’s Theological Location Beeson Divinity School (2013-2016) To Be or Not To Be Religious: A Clarification of Karl Barth’s and Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Divergence and Convergence Regarding Religion A Crucicentric Credo What Does It Mean To Be Human? Divided Desires? Or Divine Discourse? Disunity as Ecclesiological Impossibility: A Barthian Analogy Dogmatic Essay on Scripture Cedarville University (2009-2013) Reconciliation and the Lack Thereof: Atonement, Ecclesiology, and the Unity of God Creation and Doxology: A Portrait of Biblical Creation Theology Exposition Paper: Deuteronomy 6:1-15 Yahweh’s Rîb Against Israel: Gerichtsrede and the Message of Micah Exposition Paper: Micah 6:1-16 Romans 13:1-7 - A Contextually-Appropriate Reading The Argument/Story of Romans Exegetical Paper: Hebrews 10:19-25

Online Resources 5Calls: Contact your elected officials Beautiful Trouble Toolbox International Center on Nonviolent Conflict Resource Library, specifically these handouts and planning tools Protest Resilience Toolkit “How to Protest Safely: What to Bring, What to Do, and What to Avoid” (Wired) 20 Ways to Fight Tyranny The following 20 “lessons” are taken from Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century. Here’s a video of John Lithgow reading the 20 lessons: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXR5HLodsT8. ...

This is a /lists page, where I keep track of the lists I’m working on! Last Updated: 2025-06-10 My Interests Books Tools Home repair Auto repair DIY projects Writing instruments (pens, pencils, etc.) Stationery (notebooks, paper, etc.) Language learning Travel Relaxing television shows (This Old House, Great British Bake Off, etc.) Things I’m Not That Interested In Crypto Culture wars Right-wing propaganda USA Evangelicalism Guest posts on my blog Golf 20 Ways to Fight Tyranny The following 20 “lessons” are taken from Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century. ...

Note: I haven’t updated this “My Story” page in quite some time. Check my “Now” page for more recent updates. But here’s the TL;DR: We’ve got three kids now. I quit my Ph.D. program, resigned from active ministry, and now work full-time as a software engineer. But I’m leaving this old “My Story” page up as a window into how I summarized my story back in 2021. From Childhood to College God’s faithfulness to me is linked with his faithfulness to my parents. They both grew up in nominally Roman Catholic homes, and came to relationship with Christ shortly before my birth. When I came along, their church environment was a mixture between conservative Baptist and non-denominational. And yet, their departure from the Roman Catholic Church was still recent enough that my grandmother persuaded them to have me baptized as a baby. This was when the first seeds of faith were sown into my life. ...

These days, I’m: Raising 3 young kids (6yo, 4yo, 2yo) with my wife Enjoying my work as a software engineer Trying to lose weight (current weight: 220lbs; goal: 200lbs) Working on home repair projects Buying too many books and tools (This is a now page, and if you have your own site, you should make one, too.) Last updated: 2025-05-19

(Note: Since writing this “philosophy of ministry”, I have since resigned from active ministry. I now work full-time as a software engineer, and am trying to discern what my Christian “vocation” looks like, going forward. Nevertheless, I will leave what I’ve written below for posterity.) Every Christian is a theologian. I consider it my life’s work to help “everyday Christians” grow in their knowledge and love of God so that we all can put our gifts to good use by joining with God’s redemptive work in the world. In biblical terms, I’m called to “equip the saints for the work of ministry” and to “build up the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:12). ...

This is a /questions page, where I keep track of the questions I’m asking! Last Updated: 2025-03-15 Questions I’m Asking (These are in addition to these “self-elicitation” questions, which are always worth asking yourself!) Are “/questions” pages like this a thing? Can we make them a thing? If you have a /questions page, please let me know! What’s a good “budget” version of a Veto Pro Pac TP-LC tool bag? What are the most useful lengths and kinds of rope to have on hand? ...

A “tool” is “anything that can make your life better.” I love tools, whether physical or digital. And I love books, because they’re some of the best tools out there! (For my personal “tech stack” recommendations, including what I use for email, social media, etc., see my /tech-stack page.) How to Think How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading, by Mortimer J. Adler The Personal MBA, by Josh Kaufman The Practicing Stoic: A Philosophical User’s Manual, by Ward Farnsworth Super Thinking: The Big Book of Mental Models, by Gabriel Weinberg and Lauren McCann Untools: https://untools.co/ James Clear: https://jamesclear.com/ Farnam Street: https://fs.blog/ Your Logical Fallacy Is: https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/ Your Bias Is: https://yourbias.is/ Productivity and Time Management The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change, by Stephen Covey Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time, by Brian Tracy Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, by Cal Newport Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, by David Allen Health/Fitness Squat Rack: REP Fitness PR-1100 Power Rack Previous: Valor Fitness BD–9 Squat Stands Bench: Amazon Basics Flat Weight Bench Barbell and Weights: Fitness Gear 300lb. Olympic Weight Set Kettlebell(s): CAP Barbell Cast Iron Kettlebells Steel Mace(s): Retrospec Steel Macebells Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training, by Mark Rippetoe Kettlebell Simple & Sinister: Revised and Updated Edition, by Pavel Tsatsouline Darebee: https://darebee.com/ Office Computer: MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports) Notebook: Leuchtturm1917 Medium Size Hardcover A5 Notebook - Dotted Pages Pocket Notebook: Field Notes Pen: Uni-ball Power Tank 0.7mm, Blue or Black Password Manager: 1Password Notes / Personal Knowledge Management: Obsidian Task Management: Apple Reminders (used to use Todoist) and Jira Software Development IDEs: IntelliJ IDEA, VS Code, and Windsurf The Pragmatic Programmer: Your Journey to Mastery, by David Thomas and Andrew Hunt Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction, Second Edition, by Steve McConnell Stack Overflow: https://stackoverflow.com/ O’Reilly: https://learning.oreilly.com/ roadmap.sh: https://roadmap.sh/ cheat.sh: https://cheat.sh/ DevHints.io: https://devhints.io/ Learn X in Y minutes: https://learnxinyminutes.com/ Baeldung (for Java/Spring): https://www.baeldung.com/ Home Coffee Maker: OXO 9-Cup Coffee Maker Coffee Grinder: Capresso Infinity Conical Burr Grinder Water Bottle: Owala FreeSip, 24oz Previous: Iron Flask, 64oz Nail Clippers: Muji Nail Clipper Cleaning Wipes: Tub O’ Towels Heavy Duty Cleaning Wipes DIY/Home Repair Tools Toolbox: Hyper Tough 16-inch Open Top Tool Tote Drill and Driver Set: BOSCH CLPK22–120 12V Max Cordless 2-Tool 3/8 in. Drill/Driver and 1/4 in. Impact Driver Combo Kit Utility Knives: Milwaukee Fastback 6-in-1 48-22-1505 OLFA 25mm Utility Knife OLFA 18mm Utility Knife Hammers: ESTWING 12 oz Straight Rip Claw - E3-12S ESTWING 16 oz Straight Rip Claw - E3-16S Screwdrivers: WORKPRO 12-in-1 Ratcheting Multi-Bit Screwdriver Wera 838 RA-R M Ratcheting Screwdriver HOTO 24-in-1 Precision Screwdriver Pliers / Wrenches: KNIPEX Tools - Pliers Wrench, Chrome (8603250), 10-Inch KNIPEX Tools - Cobra Water Pump Pliers (8701250),10-Inch In addition to the “250mm” size above, I also own the Pliers Wrench in 100mm and 180mm sizes, and the Cobra Pliers in 100mm and 180mm sizes. Measuring Tapes: Stanley FatMax 25-foot Measuring Tape Stanley Powerlock 25-foot Measuring Tape Stud Finder: C.H. Hanson Magnetic Stud Finder Pry Bar / Nail Puller: Stanley 8-Inch Nail Puller Hex / Allen Wrenches: TEKTON Ball End Hex Key Wrench Set, 26-Piece Tire Pressure Gauge: ETENWOLF Digital Tire Pressure Gauge, 2 Pack

( Click here to view all posts that have been categorized as sermons on my blog.) Why Haven’t You Torn the Sky Open Yet? Your browser does not support the audio element. Isaiah 64. November 28, 2020 (First Sunday of Advent). Preached at Church of the Savior in Wheaton, IL (via Zoom). Who Really Cares about the Trinity? Matthew 28:16-20. June 6, 2020. Preached at Church of the Savior in Wheaton, IL (via Zoom). ...

I currently (2025-02-06) subscribe to the following: Media: The Atlantic The Economist Wired Tech: Drafts Fastmail Kagi Obsidian omg.lol Micro.blog

Here’s my current personal tech stack. For other recommended tools and resources, visit my /resources page! Personal Website: joshuapsteele.com Domain registrar: Porkbun Hosting: GitHub Pages Static website generator: Hugo Hugo theme: PaperMod Email: Fastmail Email provider: Fastmail Custom DNS settings for joshuapsteele.com over at Porkbun, my domain registrar Social Media: micro.blog, omg.lol, and BlueSky My main social media hub is through Micro.Blog Premium ($100/year) for social.joshuapsteele.com, which is an alias of micro.blog/joshuapsteele Short posts and long posts Photo hosting Podcast hosting Cross-posting to Mastodon and BlueSky Custom themes Publish from the web or native apps Up to 5 blogs Email newsletters Private and shared notes Strata mobile app for notes Bookmark archiving and highlighting Short video hosting I bought 10 years of omg.lol, which gives me a homepage at steele.omg.lol as well as my Mastodon profile at social.lol/@steele Email forwarding for an “@omg.lol” email address Now Page at steele.omg.lol/now Statuslog at steele.status.lol Weblog at steele.weblog.lol Pastebin PURLs