Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove
Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove is a spiritual writer, preacher, and community-cultivator who is deeply committed to living out the teachings of Jesus in ways that promote justice, hospitality, and transformative community. He currently serves as the Assistant Director for Partnerships and Fellowships at Yale University’s Center for Public Theology and Public Policy, where he works to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and deepen the engagement between theology and public life.
Alongside his wife, Leah, Jonathan founded the Rutba House, a community-oriented house of hospitality located in Durham, North Carolina. The Rutba House provides a safe haven for individuals who have experienced homelessness, offering a welcoming environment where people eat, pray, and share life together. This community is rooted in the Christian tradition of radical hospitality, and it aims to embody a vision of God's kingdom that breaks down the barriers of class, race, and status.
In addition to his work at Rutba House, Jonathan directs the School for Conversion, a nonprofit that creates opportunities for community-building and spiritual formation, particularly with marginalized communities. This initiative offers educational programs in North Carolina prisons, works with youth in local neighborhoods, and fosters community-based education across the country. Jonathan is also an associate minister at St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church, a historically black congregation, where he works alongside other pastors to nurture spiritual growth and engage with issues of social justice.
Jonathan is a prolific writer and a passionate advocate for social transformation. He is the coauthor of Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers, coeditor of Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals, and the author of several books, including Strangers at My Door, The Awakening of Hope, The Wisdom of Stability, and The New Monasticism. In collaboration with Rev. Dr. William Barber II, Jonathan coauthored The Third Reconstruction: Moral Mondays, Fusion Politics, and the Rise of a New Justice Movement, which explores the intersection of faith, politics, and justice in the modern American context.
Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove’s work continues to inspire and challenge Christians to live out their faith through acts of radical hospitality, social justice, and a deep commitment to communal life.