All tagged courage

335 RfYtB (8) Vivid—Life in God's Spirit

335 RfYtB (8) Vivid—Life in God's Spirit

Uncensored Unprofessor
Reasons for Your Belief, Spirituality, Beauty

Christianity is not first the study of a book, or a new ethic, or a set of doctrines, as important as all those are. It is, instead, a lived experience. Or more carefully? Christianity is a felt telos: a orientation to life that filters and orients all our other experiences (even going to football games!). More specifically still, Christianity is (or can be) life in the third member of the Trinity: the Holy Spirit. And that is because the Spirit is a person, not a forcefield, not an it. In this episode I think pastorally and personally about life in God's Spirit. During the show's opening I reflect on the pastors—the Black Robed Regiment—who helped to foment the American Revolution. Would that revolt have occurred if it were up to today's pastors and priests? Why does that question even matter?

242 Reading Cars and Evil Societal Patterns

242 Reading Cars and Evil Societal Patterns

Uncensored Unprofessor
Current Events

During my four years of high school I worked for a gas station-car wash. Across those years I learned to recognize the shapes, designs, and colors of every car manufacturer. Seeing only a tail-light I could tell you the brand. Life itself is comprised of patterns and shapes such that when we see even one element of a form we know what the larger pattern is. What does that mean for reading today's devolving culture? What does our current Gestalt tell us about the rampant evils at work in society?

235 Suffering (4) My Pastoral Concerns

235 Suffering (4) My Pastoral Concerns

Uncensored Unprofessor
Suffering

Ya know me? I hate glib Christian expressions. But still, it is good and wise to give God our pain, to learn from our pain, to practice a holy fear of God in the midst of our pain. So I share some heartfelt pastoral concerns about suffering. I also describe eating daily oatmeal with my grandson and share a story about Squirrel Tom, one of my golf friends. Come laugh and think with me about things the Church is terrified to address.

177 Is God Nice? (1) The Book of Nature

177 Is God Nice? (1) The Book of Nature

Uncensored Unprofessor
Is God Nice?

The common human tendency is to fashion God or the gods in our own image. The Bible calls that tendency idolatry. How did the ancients work idolatry? How do we today? But if we study nature, the circle of life, what does it show us about God? What, for instance, might we learn from observing bees? Or, what might we learn by studying Michelangelo's David?

175 The Cult of the Now (15) You, Me, and Us—Individualism

175 The Cult of the Now (15) You, Me, and Us—Individualism

Uncensored Unprofessor
Cult of the Now

Across human history American culture is quite unique. Part of that novelty concerns the Founders' concerns to halt the ability of the state to rototill any and all opposition into the dirt of non-existence. What did they especially ensconce to slow the all-devouring state? Individualism. I explain why Marxists loathe individualism. More, I look at some biblical categories on the matter. This episode also looks into the future for where this cultural revolution may be headed.

019 How to Ask Good Questions

019 How to Ask Good Questions

Uncensored Unprofessor
Knowledge

One of our show’s slogans is "Good questions lead to good answers." If that's true, how should we ask good questions? Toward these ends I interview Dr. Dennis McNutt, himself a professor for 40 years (and my father-in-law). Come and think with us both about asking questions!