From the Center

In this episode, Director Hodges and Ben discuss the nature of children's stories and how they offer another world for contemplation, a world beyond our own that lives on in our minds long into adulthood.

Are there similarities between the decline of the West today and the decline of the Republic of Rome after the Punic Wars? Director Hodges muses about the similarities, and comments on an article written by H. A. Scott Trask, in Chronicles Magazine. Other important recommendations: Tom Holland's book RUBICON, Will and Ariel Durant's CAESAR AND CHRIST, and the podcasts History of Rome (Mike Duncan), and Hard Core History (Dan Carlin). We will be going into further detail in future podcasts.

As we continue to consider the cultural works of the West, this is another of our Director's live conference lectures, given in 2011, just months after the death of the composer Henryk Gorecki, a Polish Catholic, who's Symphony #3 became an international hit on the popular song charts of 1993. In this work, Gorecki departs from his more avant-garde styles, and takes up a kind of minimalism, into which he injects his Faith. The recording excerpted here is with Dawn Upshaw singing.

As we continue to investigate the great books, music, and ideas of our Western Civilization, we thought it would be good to offer a live conference lecture from 2010 that Director Hodges gave on Olivier Messiaen's masterful QUARTET FOR THE END OF TIME, for violin, cello, clarinet, and piano. Coming as it did out of his time in a Nazi prison camp during WW II, it is a sobering work, but its purpose is one of liberation of the soul. We hope you like it.

In 1970, Alexandr Solzhenitsyn was awarded the Nobel prize for literature, but due to the repressive regime of the USSR, was not allowed to leave his native Russia to receive it. His speech, written with the intention of reading it in Sweden, was never given -- but it has circulated ever since as a great apology for the true, the good, and the beautiful, and for the importance of the work of the writer. We have it here, and Director Hodges reads it for us. It ends with his famous line "One word of truth shall outweigh the whole world."

In this episode, we dive into the second part of the great myth of Cupid and Psyche, told from the perspective of one of her ugly stepsisters -- and we finally come to the meaning of the title.

Director Hodges and Ben Cumming discuss CS Lewis' marvelous fiction, TILL WE HAVE FACES, a retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche.

In this episode, our culture samplers dive into another of Flannery O'Connors great short stories, REVELATION. In it we compare Mrs. Turpin with Mrs. May of GREENLEAF, and the point of pride that tempts us all to judge one another.

In this episode, Director Hodges, and co-host Ben discuss the great Flannery O'Connor short story GREENLEAF. If you have not read it, we suggest that you take the 20 minutes to read it before you listen, as we give spoilers...who is this Mrs. May, and does she see the world correctly?

Director Hodges and co-host Ben Cumming discuss Joseph Conrad's book HEART OF DARKNESS and address the death of Romanticism and the beginning of the 20th century.

In this episode, Director Hodges and Ben finish off the long series that has investigated the elements of civilization, and come to some conclusions about how we might best preserve ours. Hint: it is not by aiming to preserve civilization...

Jordan Peterson doesn't know us from Adam, but he gave a precise rendering of the points we have been making since last October about the need to recognize Faith as the basis for any rational activity. Director Hodges and Ben discuss "those cheeky French" and how their modern ideas have led the West away from the rich legacy of the Middle Ages where they themselves used to reign. And the discussion leads to how to approach saving Western Civilization.

Here is a speech Director Hodges gave for a fund raising dinner for Classical Education. It places education in the ongoing discussion about civilization and culture. Education is how we pass on the insights of our forefathers to our children, and the best way to do that is through a recovery of the lost telos of education.

In the ongoing process of summarizing the last 6 months of podcasts about civilization, Director Hodges walks us through an essay by Pope Benedict XVI, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, who asks many of the same questions we have been considering in a far more concise way. In it, we assess the place of power, the law, and revelation.

What is the point of the signs in THE SILVER CHAIR if even after muffing three of the four, the children complete the quest anyway? Is Lewis depicting an aspect of the Christian life? What would that be?

In this episode, we discuss CS Lewis' magnum opus. Both Benedict and Lewis argued that without the Tao, civilization will die, and Mankind will be abolished. Destroying all restraints leads not to freedom but to meaninglessness. How does that happen? Have a listen.

What did the late Pope have to say about the importance of the Faith in culture? Director Hodges and Ben Cumming discuss an article Joseph Ratzinger wrote.

Director Hodges comments on an article by Anthony Esolen, found in Chronicles of American Culture magazine, entitled: There Is A Culture War, Like it Or Not.

One of the most important of the ideas that constitute the foundation of a civilization is the idea of beauty. Director Hodges offers one of his recent lectures on our human experience of the beautiful, touching on the field of aesthetics, including thinkers from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Thomas Aquinas, Hume, Kant, and Hans von Balthasar.

TS Eliot wrote a very pithy essay, The Idea of A Christian Society which addresses something of what we have been talking about for several months: what is a civilization, and what must we do to retain it? Director Hodges and Ben Cumming discuss Eliot's essay, and consider definitions of some of the terms found in Schumpeter's book on Communism and Capitalism.

When God wants to get our attention, He brings suffering, or He brings beauty -- how are we to address beauty?

Can God speak to us through our suffering? In this episode, Director Hodges and Ben discuss how suffering can be used to draw us closer to Him, and how similarly He can use beauty to do the same thing.

Leo Tolstoy wrote a short story about an old man who is visited by Jesus in a dream on Christmas Eve, and He promises to come in person on Christmas Day... Here is our Christmas present to you, a reading of the story by Director Hodges. Merry Christmas to all! We will take a three week break, and post our next episode on January 12th.

In this next episode about Civilization, Director Hodges and Ben extend their discussion about identity, addressing our modern day fixation on self-identity. Can we know who we are when we define ourselves?

It seems that our identities as individuals and as members of a civilization are intermingled. In this episode, Director Hodges and Ben Cumming discuss the notions of identity - how do we teach our children who they are? Includes a description of the track of modern philosophy from Descartes to Nihilism.

In our series on the foundations of civilization, we have come through the Logos, to definitions of words and the importance of a common language, and now to how language leads to stories that give voice to meaning. In this discussion, Director Hodges speaks with Dr. Junius Johnson, scholar and writer, about his book on Fairy Stories and the importance of story to define the identity of a people.

What does it mean to live the "good life"? Director Hodges and Ben discuss the pursuit of happiness, flourishing, and how different civilizations have understood the fulfilled human life.

With Thanksgiving coming up, Director Hodges and Ben discuss the place of giving Thanks in the life of a civilization. GK Chesterton said, on being asked why he was a Christian, "I was happy, and I wanted someone to thank."

In our continuing investigations regarding the foundations of Civilizations, Director Hodges and Ben discuss the common practice of Sacrifice. It seems a strange thing to do, but it seems every civilization has practiced it in one form or another. Some more gruesome than others, but there is an underlying common principle.

What is the essence of language? Director Hodges and Kyle Dillon explore the place of the Logos in the common speech of a Civilization, and how it makes community possible.

How did Western Civilization start, and how was it different than other Middle Eastern Civilizations? In this episode, Director Hodges and Ben Cumming describe the foundations of the West, and compare them to the ways of Mesopotamian Civilizations: Paul's supernatural leading and ideas compared with the Epic of Gilgamesh.

Are all Civilizations the same? In this episode, Director Hodges and Ben discuss whether or not two civilizations can judge each other. Since axioms are, by definition, givens and cannot be arrived at by reason, what criteria are there for discerning between or among the assumptions made by civilizations?

We're back! In this episode, the first of a series on the state of Western Civilization, Director Hodges wades into the definitions of "civilization" and "culture" with Ben Cumming. We would love you to engage with us! Please send comments and questions to our email, director@centerws.com, and we will interact with you in future episodes!

Starting back in February, we have been attempting to piece together elements that would assist in addressing the large and multi-faceted notion of "Social Justice." We discussed biblical definitions of terms like justice and forgiveness, we reviewed the history of the social justice movement starting in the 19th century, we had a conversation with a philosopher to address the reasons social justice is so persuasive among Evangelicals, and we have tried to find the good in the movement. In this episode, Director Hodges gathers together some of the salient points in those past episodes, and draws 8 conclusions that might serve as a Christian response. We invite you to write us if you would like to ask questions that might arise from these episodes, or debate (serious debate only - we have no time for flaming) with us. We all want to grow in our understanding and to walk in the Spirit, for the glory of our Lord. Director@centerws.com.

In this episode, Director Hodges gives an apology for Fairy Tales. Borrowing extensively on the writings of GK Chesterton, he shows how our present culture often misunderstands the purpose for Fairy Tales, and thus misses out on what can be learned from them.

We live in an interesting time. Christians and Atheists find themselves on the same side in a debate against those who would reject Reason and put the ideology/religion of "Theory" (Critical Theory) in its place. In this episode, Director Hodges and Pastor Kyle Dillon discuss the book "Cynical Theories" written by Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay. These two self-described atheists investigate the various facets of "Theory" -- anti-colonialism, feminism, homosexuality, and critical race theory, among others, and reveal the dangers of embracing them. The fact that SOME Christians and SOME atheists have joined together on the side of Theory, while others of each stripe are against it proves this issue is not an easy one to discern. This episode attempts to show the strengths and weaknesses of the book's arguments.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right?" How many times have we heard that? But the implication that beauty is purely a subjective thing is a relatively recent notion. It comes originally from Plato, but Irish novelist Margaret Hungerford may have coined the phrase in the 19th century...but what about the Medieval notions of beauty? Those are pre-modern, pre-Romantic, and quite profound. In this shorter-than-usual podcast, Director Hodges investigates some of the ways beauty has been understood in the long past. The builders of the great cathedrals of the 12th and 13th centuries had some specific ideas about number, light, and symbol that were specially relevant in their day, as they still held that there is an invisible spiritual realm that could be reflected to us in materials like stone, light, music, and space. Perhaps they are still relevant today?

In this, the second part of a discussion with Cal Beisner, Director Hodges and he continue their discussion on the nature of rights. What is justice, and how can it be properly understood? What is the place of forgiveness, and grace, and can they be distributed by a government? And as Christians, do we have any rights before God? Is it wrong to demand that we be treated fairly, or given what we want in life? Director Hodges discusses these questions and more with Dr. Cal Beisner of the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of the Earth. The hope is to clarify what we can and should expect from government and from the Church by considering the government's role in God's economy. Government, charity, rights, church, critical theory, racism, sexism

Negative rights and positive rights are not the same things. To provide what you do not have is a positive, to keep you from losing what you already have is a negative. Are either of them truly rights in the way that the American Declaration describes unalienable rights? The government is geared to provide the second, that is, protection by law, but completely unable to provide first, that is, charity, without coercion. Director Hodges discusses this aspect of our cultural debate with Dr. Cal Beisner of the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of the Earth. The hope is to clarify what we can and should expect from government and from the Church by considering the government's role in God's economy. Government, charity, rights, church, critical theory, racism, sexism

Director Hodges sits down with Philip Himebook and talks about Christians in the performing arts, their collaborations (Hodges conducting, Himebook on stage), and their approaches to social media.

The Evangelical Church is struggling to make sense of the Social Justice movement. Why is it so attractive? How does it engage with bible-believing Christians? What does it offer the Church? Director Hodges discusses these questions with Dr. Doug Groothuis, professor of philosophy and apologetics at Denver Seminary. This episode refers to some articles that Dr. Groothuis has written. These can be found here, and here. We also recommend his book TRUTH DECAY.

Director Hodges discusses the roots of what is called "Critical Theory," with faculty member Jonathan (Jack) Vowell, who is working on his PhD in literary criticism. In this second of two parts, they discuss how Marx's ideas have been adjusted to address more generally the entire culture, going beyond economic conflicts alone.

In an ongoing effort to make sense of the ideas that are most influential in our present day, Director Hodges discusses the roots of what is called "Critical Theory," with faculty member Jonathan (Jack) Vowell, who is working on his PhD in literary criticism. In this first of two parts, they discuss the idealism of GWF Hegel and the materialism of Karl Marx and then set the stage for part two, in which these two address how these ideas have influenced the 20th century, and today.

For centuries we held that logical reasoning, supported by Revelation, was the way to get to the truth of any issue. At least to the best our finite minds can accomplish. In the last couple of centuries, while we have lost our communal trust in Revelation, we have at least retained the notion that logic and reasoning is the best way to know what is true. Today, we are hearing that logic and reasoning are only ONE way of many to approach truth, and logical fallacies that used to be "points off" in a debate are now allowed, and even encouraged. One of the most recent and prevalent logical fallacies is a combination of "begging the question" and "ad hominem" that Eric Raymond coined "Kafkatrapping." In this podcast, Director Hodges considers the Kafkatrap, where it is being used in our day, and how it might be addressed.

Since justice is on so many minds these days, we thought it would be good to discuss the call to forgive. Director Hodges has a conversation with world-class bible teacher, writer, missionary, and pastor Ronnie Stevens.

How does the bible approach the idea of Justice? It seems to be on everyone's mind these days, so Director Hodges and Pastor Kyle Dillon discuss how the word is used in the bible, and what implications it might have on our considerations of Social Justice.

This is the second part of a two-part investigation into the history of the ideas that brought us to this place today. It began with Descartes and Rationalism, but in this episode, we begin with Nietzsche at the end of the 19th century and work our way to today. Hodges and Vowell in the continuation of a conversation from last May.

At the end of our year at the Center, we offer an extended lecture on Post-modernism, and set of ideas closely related to Modernism, and to a degree outdated now, as we are moving into a new era, too new to name completely. In this first half of a long episode that we have broken into two parts, we ask faculty member Jack Vowell to give us the highlights of this year's lecture on post-modern thought, and in it Hodges and Vowell consider the effect that the assumptions of Modernism have had on our day, including sowing the seeds of a kind of irrationality that seems to be influencing our debates today.

Continuing the last episode, Hodges continues to lay out his four-points of "paleo-conservative" thought, taken from Burke, Eliot, Kirk, and others. The need for #3 intergenerational community, and for #4, common religion as a pre-requisite for healthy society.One mistake: In the recommendation portion of the podcast, Hodges refers from memory to a portion of TS Eliot's FOUR QUARTETS, saying that the quote he recalled was in the second section of East Coker - it is in the fourth section of East Coker.

One of our most popular episodes has been the one we did on Socialism. We thought that the word "Conservative" has lost some of its meaning today, so we decided to address the essence of what some have called "Paleo-conservativism" in distinction to "Neo-Conservativism." Hodges and Vowell discuss the essences of Edmund Burke's "moral imagination" which he pits against the "idyllic imagination" found in the works of Rousseau, and lived out in the bloodbath of the French Revolution and the following Reign of Terror. The four points of the moral imagination that Hodges recounts are: the view that man is basically fallen, that life is tragic, that mankind needs a view of community that transcends our own generation, and that society requires a common belief about religion. This episode covers the first two, while the latter two are included in the next episode.

Why would God require that we not covet? Is it for our benefit somehow? Or maybe it is just so that God won't have to listen to us whine? What if the answer to most of our social conflicts today is as simple as keeping the tenth commandment? In another solo podcast, Director Hodges muses about the meaning and application of the call God gives to resist the temptation to desire what others have.