Most of us aren’t called to be full-time professors or journalists. But as (hopefully) thoughtful Christians, we still crave serious reading, writing, and scholarly reflection—a yearning that often doesn’t go away on graduation day. All too often, our professional lives can feel like a bitter choice between a humdrum 9-to-5 and economically precarious passion projects. But perhaps that’s a false dilemma. What does it mean to sustain serious intellectual work outside the academy, in the midst of a “normal” life?

John Ehrett (JD, Yale; STM, Institute of Lutheran Theology) is counsel at Lex Politica PLLC, where he provides strategic advice on election law and public policy. Previously he was chief of staff to Commissioner Mark Meador at the Federal Trade Commission, senior counsel at the U.S. Department of Education, and chief counsel to U.S. Senator Josh Hawley on the Senate Judiciary Committee. He is the author of the books Martin Luther’s Theology of Antitrust (Davenant Press, 2025), and the forthcoming Dynamic Kingdoms: Gudina Tumsa’s Postsecular Political Theology (Weidner Institute, 2026), as well as numerous academic articles in both theology and law journals.