In this episode, I am joined by the podcast Producer, Josh Gilbert, for our second tutorial edition. This time, we tackle some heavy stuff – Josh opens up about his modern existential crisis of living untethered from traditional institutions, which gets us into William James’ “Will to Believe” and the whole mess of making momentous decisions in a culture that’s allergic to commitment. Then I get nerdy about Andreas Reckwitz’s fascinating analysis of late modernity – how we’ve split into two warring tribes: the hyper-culture individualists seeking singular authenticity and the cultural essentialists clinging to collective identity. It’s a compelling framework for understanding why we’re all at each other’s throats politically while the middle class gets squeezed into an hourglass shape. We also geek out over Byung-Chul Han’s concept of positive violence, reminisce about U2 concerts with my son Elgin, and somehow end up discussing Rob Bell’s uncanny resemblance to the lead singer of Matchbox Twenty. Oh, and we’re planning a cigar expo “research retreat” in September because apparently that counts as legitimate podcast planning. Standard Tuesday afternoon philosophy with your friendly neighborhood theology nerds.
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Democracy in Tension Online Summit
Democracy today faces profound challenges – polarization, inequality, populist authoritarianism, and widespread cynicism are eroding the foundations of democratic life. Yet, what if democracy's greatest strength lies not in eliminating these tensions, but in productively embracing them?
Reimagine democracy as a space for productive tension—not uniform agreement.
Engage new tools to resist polarization, cynicism, and political despair.
Explore how religion and democracy can coexist in pluralistic societies.
Transform political enemies into adversaries through agonistic engagement.
Confront the forces eroding democratic life with bold, practical insight.
Connect with scholars and citizens committed to revitalizing democratic imagination.
ASYNCHRONOUS CLASS: All lectures will be released on Monday, July 28th. You can participate fully without being present at any specific time. Replays are available on the Class Resource Page.
COST: A course like this is typically offered for $250 or more, but we invite you to contribute whatever you can (including $0) to help make this possible for everyone!
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Theology Beer Camp is a unique three-day conference that brings together of theology nerds and craft beer for a blend of intellectual engagement, community building, and fun. This event features a lineup of well-known podcasters, scholars, and theology enthusiasts who come together to “nerd out” on theological topics while enjoying loads of fun activities.
Guests this year include John Dominic Crossan, Kelly Brown Douglas, Philip Clayton, Stacey Floyd-Thomas, Jeffery Pugh, Juan Floyd-Thomas, Andy Root, Grace Ji-Sun Kim, Noreen Herzfeld, Reggie Williams, Casper ter Kuile, and more!
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