The Uncensored Unprofessor

Why do Postmodernists focus so much on knowledge? How do PoMos construct their knowledge? Why is knowledge at the root of the collision between PoMo-ism and liberalism, Modernism, and Christianity? What is my philosophical camp of choice? I also reflect on Psalm 14, a John Mayer tune, and loneliness. Come laugh and think with me about knowledge!

Philosopher Michael Polanyi described the Modernist quest for objectivity as a kind of second fall. What'd he mean by that? How does objectivity bind us? What is a better way? A more biblical and Christian way? Jesus called us to be salt, but if we process reality just like non-believers our saltiness will be effete. (I'm also joined by Milt the Mediocre Motivational speaker).

Philosopher Michael Polanyi described the Modernist quest for objectivity as a kind of second fall. What'd he mean by that? How does objectivity bind us? What is a better way? A more biblical and Christian way? Jesus called us to be salt, but if we process reality just like non-believers our saltiness will be effete. (I'm also joined by Milt the Mediocre Motivational speaker).

Christians represent 65% of the American population, but we are so faintly a cultural presence, so little salty. Why? Is it our sincerity? Our activism? No. I posit, following my interview last week of Nancy Pearcey, it is instead an intellectual straight-jacket. We've agreed to don an outfit that paralyzes us before we even walk out of the sanitarium. What is going on? What should we do?

In this interview with best selling author-theologian Nancy Pearcey we explore what has resulted from Christians having accepted a Postmodern framework for truth. How does that bent truth-frame mangle the issues of parental rights, human rights, sexuality, and abortion? How does today's gnosticism compare with ancient gnosticism? How is our current cultural trajectory mirroring pre-Nazi Germany? Why does beauty matter in Christian truth claims?

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.

Many folks have good personal reasons to get a Covid shot. Herein I work through six reasons why I am not, for now, getting an injection. I also explain some of the biases and limitations at work in science and how those have played out, or not, during the Coronavirus mess. What has concerned me? What about our context has made me leery throughout? Come think with me. Or come disagree with me!

By his Holy Spirit God spoke through different authors in history. What does that mean, not mean? Why is it erroneous to argue that God alone wrote the Bible? Why is it injurious to argue that people alone wrote the Bible? Is God more or less sovereign for having worked through people? I work through some of my own life story and introduce a new guest to the podcast. Come laugh and think with me!

To help you read your Bible better I explore three major genres: narrative, poetry, and discourse. Along the way we'll think through how God communicates and why each grouping is unique. I also consider the Catholic social teachings of solidarity and subsidiarity and why they are superior to current political configurations. Come laugh and think with me!

Many believers get stuck in their Bible reading. They want to do what is right and want to hear from the Lord, but because they only read in one set way they get stuck, and frustrated. I work through 5 different ways to change-up your reading method and tell some personal stories along the way. I also offer up an analysis of our societal chaos and sing a new ditty for your informational pleasure! :)

Postmodern definitions of personhood are both ambiguous and ambiguously grounded. Let alone the confusion, why is that dangerous? What kinds of demographic subgroups will be targeted in and through that strategic ambiguity? Why are Christians called to discern the Zeitgeist (spirt-of-the-age) in which they reside? Come laugh and think with me!

The 2015 SCOTUS Obergefell ruling created a new, if ambiguously grounded, right. The basis for that ruling? A philosophy that had been slow-cooking on college campuses for 150 years. How did Charles Darwin's faith play into the cooking of that philosophical stew? What is that philosophy doing to the fabric of society? Let's laugh and think together!

Sixteen years ago Michael Mitchell fought off cancer. Five years ago it returned. He's been battling with it, off and on, but is now confronted with two-to-four months to live. By having him on the show again I want to honor both he and his ministry, but also talk with him about a topic mostly avoided in our culture: death. What would he have us consider? What is important in such a critical season? How does one keep one's sense of humor through all that. Come and join us in a poignant and important conversation.

The SCOTUS Obergefell ruling of 2015 left behind a massive definitional vacuum: how should personhood be defined? How is it being defined? How does that ruling spill out of what people love? What are some profound implications resulting? What is rushing in to fill the vacuum created by the Obergefell ruling? Let's think together about our bodies and personhood.

Millions ask themselves, "Does God exist?" But that's not the rub; as if God were only happy that we acknowledge his existence. The more probing question, the one that is more foundational for Christian faith, is "Does God communicate?" And then, why does God allow for people to reject or manipulate his words? Come think and laugh with me through these seminal matters.

When I was in the seventh grade I was bullied by a bigger, taller eighth grader. What'd I learn? What do psychologists tell us about the mindset, the neediness, of bullies? What do most insightful websites say to do regarding bullies? What does that mean for Christian life and faith? Come laugh and think with me.

What is the core element of Christianity? In our confused and confusing society, is that core element variously love or the Bible or persons? Which one? And then, is that core element worth preserving? Why or why not? I also explain why many Christians like to say "Maranatha" as a kind of greeting or exclamation! Come laugh with me.

Filled by hope, should Christians be dismissive? Watching our societal foment should Christians be freaked out? With our eyes fixed on Christ, even while we watch society stab itself, just what is a healthy demeanor? (Quick hitter: 7 minutes)

Eight predictions for the future: Joe Biden, the price of gasoline, the Senate filibuster, UFOs, Derek Chauvin, the Vatican, the U.S. military, and the 2nd Amendment. I also mix in a personal reflection: what about the Christian faith fills my heart with hope? And yet another "CDC Ministry of Truth report" is inside the show.

In this—my 200th public—episode I reflect on the state of my show and what it was like to leave a tenured professorship. I also carefully reflect on the nature of the Great Washout we are experiencing. How is it different from previous washouts? How is the clamor for diversity more truthfully a push for a monochrome uniformity? What does all this mean for the Church? Come laugh and think with me!

The battle to topple traditional American, and Judeo-Christian, culture is raging today through a dynamic I'm calling "disproportionate engagement." I offer some examples of how this is so: an unwitting tv Christian family gets played, confessions of a former Antifa member, the unabashed educational indoctrination system, and how even cartoons are being cancelled. At the show's conclusion I also offer four steps believers should be taking. Come laugh and think with me!

Who's against compassion? Not me. Out of compassion God sent his Son. The Bible shows God is constantly looking to extend compassion towards us. But today's PoMo culture over-burdens millions, they are taught they need to "own" and solve all the world's problems, by themselves. How might you check to see whether your compassion pendulum has swung too far? Also in this episode: why I go to church.

A common adage, "the church always does better when she's persecuted," stems from Tertullian, "the blood of the martyrs is the seeds of the church." Yet, if we study history is that even true? Was that true under the Romans? Under Muslims? Under Soviet Marxists? And then, why? Why do I care? Or why do I prefer to say to those in favor of Christian suffering, "you first!"?

We now live in an era characterized by B.S. In this episode I define what, technically, is B.S. and talk about how to set your B.S.-o-meter. On what basis did Jesus positively teach us to judge? What things did he say that implied our need to judge? What kinds of daily decisions require judgment? What qualities are helpful for growing healthy Christian discernment?

We are told, incessantly, that Jesus commanded, "Do Not Judge." But is that really all that should be said on the matter? How does Jesus compare to ancient Judaism on judgment? What was Jesus saying in his own context about judging? When it comes to judging what can God see that we cannot? And, why does the WorldSpirit love to argue that Jesus forbad all judging?

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.

Tomas d'Aquino, following Aristotle, proposed five ways (arguments) for the existence of God. I work through those five ways and relish in the miracle of existence and vision. We then explore just how eye-sight works, unpacking how complicated it is in order to perceive what a loving gift it is. I also challenge Christians—following Old Testament prophets and Jesus himself—to embrace a public confession of faith.

How does the Bible compare to other explanations of the origins of the universe? Was the Bible aware of other such explanations? Why is the Bible's explanation truly logical and with what famous scientific theory does that align? And then, what is light? How fast does it travel? What does its dual nature suggest to us about reality, about ethics? What lessons cannot be inferred from studies about light? Come and wonder with me about the magic of our universe.

Culture teaches us to perceive reality in utilitarian terms: what does it do for ME? Or how does that benefit ME? But viewing life through Christic eyes involves wonder. And so I suggest a couple of ways to perceive with gratitude and wonder the realities—things like Luna, the moon—that present themselves to us. I also reflect on our culture's ongoing pursuit of dissociation what that means for the future.

By his providence God deemed that the building blocks for life would be DNA. So, what is providence? Is it fate or mother-nature or blind chance or determinism? What is DNA? Mere energy? Simple matter? Herein I tell how my Mom was providentially blessed and why forest fires serve the long-term good of forests. Enjoy this peanut butter and jelly sandwich of theology and science!

What elements comprise a cell? How many human cells are there? What does the complexity of a cell suggest about the origins of life on earth? How many scientific articles explain life's beginnings from a bio-molecular level? What does Scripture say about wisdom and creation? Is God an artistic show off? In this episode I weave together biblical wisdom and scientific evidence to help explore the wonders of life itself. Come laugh and pray with me!

The universe is woven together with magic, especially for those who have eyes to see! What was the Holy Spirit's role in creation? What is the Spirit's role in sustaining life? I share a couple personal stories wherein the Spirit was vibrating with life. Then we explore the mysteries of the earth's crust and core. What about the earth makes it capable of sustaining life?

2020 will go down in infamy. What on earth is going on? I work through 47 frequently-humorous ironies from 2020 to point out how absurd life is becoming in America. In the show's beginning I also mention why I left a tenured professor position and whether I buy the "great global reset" conspiracy theories. What do the forces of darkness want out of all this?

What does the New Testament teach us about the virginal conception of Jesus? Was the event God-initiated or Mary-initiated? What are some theological ramifications of his birth, especially for being human? What did the very first Christians believe about all of that? Why does it matter today? And what, especially, seems to prevent belief in Jesus' birth today?

The Patristic world was both less opposed and less cut off from the supernatural world. MA student Michael Bozmarov shares with me the insights he learned writing a sizable paper on Ambrose of Milan's reflections. How are angels greater than us? In what ways are we greater than them? Why does God use angels? What can we learn from philosophy about angels? Come think with us about angels during Advent season!

This episode: my reflections on the state of the election; ancient Jewish wisdom about friendships; and how most things in life change. On the latter I explore incrementalism regarding ourselves as individuals and then about families and nations. We tend to assess the big events and ignore the little ones, when it is the small things that really add up.

Spirituality means a kazillion diverse things today. But in the bible there are specific ways of framing what spirituality means. Variously the doctrines of creation, eschatology, and incarnation reveal what spirituality looks like through godly lenses. It's time for believers to process more biblically and less Gnostically on this important topic.

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!

The mantras in bumper-stickerish Christian-ese are that Christians should always turn the other cheek, always be pacifistic, always defer, never upset anyone. But sometimes, out of the constricts Christ places upon us, we are required to take a stand, to draw a line in the sand. When should we do that? How should we do that?

What a rodeo! In that light I share personal, national, philosophical, and theological reflections on the presidential election. How has it hit me? What does it mean for the nation? How should we think about history? And, is everything that happens, especially when we prayed about it, God's will?

Society teaches us that our emotional state is of supreme importance. How does that compare with the Christian way of life? To make the point I tell three of my life-changing stories. How had God re-directed my own path? I also offer some immediate post-election reflections. Come, think and laugh with me.

Words have contexts. So what is the context for the word "nice" here in the early 21st century? How do insecurity and self-hatred drive our understandings of niceness? Still further, how does a market-place mentality play into our understandings of God? I also share how I occasionally try to bargain with God. Let's go deeper.

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?

Do you have to pray, "Dear Jesus, Come into my heart," in order to be a Christian? How else might we assess whether someone is a believer? Then, in my final episode in this "Cult of the Now" series, I address the issue of taking a stand. To that end I offer 6 practical steps pertinent for our strange and disorienting era.

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.

Significant for the shape of our nation is care for the poor. What did Jesus model and teach that we can implement in our strategies today? What has America, and Christians inside America, done for the poor over some 230 years? What do Marxists want for the poor? How we frame the issue is foundational for how we will go about trying to address the issue. Let's move past shouting and think together.

Neo-Marxists are not only pushing for cultural change they're pushing for a new consciousness, a consciousness summed up in the term 'Wokeness'. What is that wokeness? From whence in the history of philosophy did it derive? How does it compare to a biblical and Christian worldview? What are work-place consciousness training sessions about? On the personal front, what singular victory did I just enjoy? Come laugh, sing, and think with me!

We here in America are witnessing an energetic push for cultural revolution. But it is not new. It's happened before. What lessons can we draw from Russia, a land that had been suffused with Christian values? What did Marxism and its culture change do the Russian church? What was the decided strategy for undoing and replacing the church? What should critically minded believers learn from all that?

Yes this involves history, philosophy, truth-claims, and power. But there is still more at stake for me in all of this: profound suffering. Under Marxism the poor and the vulnerable are always the first ones to get eaten. What Christian values deeply benefit society? What American values deeply benefit society? What kind of things keep the state in check? What role does American niceness have to play in all of this? Why do I even care?

Christians are aware of the Holy Spirit and lesser spirits like angels and demons. What about impersonal, non-living, spirits that are as powerful as demons? What about spirits that live as ideas and values in people's hearts and minds? In this episode I examine the spiritual nature of Marxism by unpacking some of its history and central doctrines. I also take you behind the scenes into a private church confessional.