All tagged von Balthasar
A little of this and a little of that, and whattaya get? An audio casserole! Variously I work through a common churchly sentiment about the culture wars, some positive and negative developments in the aftermath of Coronavirus, and the role of truth in life. Oh, and I muse about the most painful sport one can play. Come think and laugh with me.
All artists design based on an idea, a pattern—however unformed—in their minds. If that holds, what blueprint did God use when he created? To what end did he create? Or more narrowly, how did the END shape the beginning? Building from that I think with you about what it means to be human, at the most basic level. Come and relish with me the beauty of the Christian way. Only Christianity promotes caritas with practical applications.
Beauty is not in a fight with reason, but transcends reason. Beauty flows from the character and being of God himself. So why do Protestants so miss out on God's beauty? How might we recover a sense of beauty? How might beauty be used as a conversation starter in our relationships? All those topics and questions are addressed in my conversation with PhD student, pastor Michael David Mitchell. Come laugh and think with us!
We all know Jesus was crucified, but what did a crucifixion symbolize for ancient Romans? What kind of capital punishment did Dracula impose, a method that the Romans believed was not enough? What are some amazing theological truths about Jesus' crucifixion? What does the common biblical hermeneutic do to both our reading of the New Testament and our understanding of Jesus? Come and go deeper with me about Christ's passion!
After his death did Jesus go to hell? Why do some theologians believe that he did? What does the Bible say about that? If he did go to hell what did he do when he was there? How should we handle ambiguous bible passages? Finally, I discuss how it is that Jesus changed the way we will die. Wild stuff!
Whereas our society is superficial and loud, beauty comes in depths and peace. What are the benefits of enjoying beauty? Or, just what is beauty? Why do so many Christians ignore beauty? Is society right when it tells us that pretty and handsome are the same as beautiful? Why does the U.U. love beauty so much? How is beauty like God? Why would God have created the world with such beauty? Those questions are woven into my reflections here on one of the most overlooked gifts on the planet: beauty!
If God is beyond and outside of reality how can we say the universe then mirrors him? How dare we say that there is reason woven into the universe? Another question, do all people reason the same way? Why or why not? You see, Christianity is a perspective we look through and into reality, not something we only look at.
We are bombarded with daily instructions to doubt all of reality. Contrastingly, the Bible shows us that we simply must begin with faith. Jesus himself called for faith, faith in him and his message. But there can be no appeal greater than God himself, and in this episode I will explore the logic of why that is the case. In the end, believers are called to exhibit humble confidence or a confident humility. Oh, and I share some of my own faith-journey.
