Podcast appearances and mentions of James W Sire

Blaise Pascal's Case for Christianity I.    The Genius of Blaise Pascal  A.    Amazing life of Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) B.    Pascal as an apologist; not a fideist (unlike Soren Kierkegaard) C.    Nature of apologetics. Defend the Christian worldview as objectively true, compellingly rational, and pertinent to all of life (1 Peter 3:15) II.    Pascal's Case for Christianity A.    His apologetic be reconstructed. Order. Men despise religion. They hate it and are afraid it may be true. The cure for this is first to show that religion is not contrary to reason, but worthy of reverence and respect. Next make it attractive, make good men wish it were true, and then show that it is. Worthy of reverence because it really understands human nature. Attractive because it promises true good.  B.    We consider only two elements: the wager and the deposed royalty argument; there are more. See Douglas Groothuis, Beyond the Wager: the Christian Brilliance of Blaise Pascal (InterVarsity Academic, 2024).   III.    The Wager: Risks, Rewards, Options A.    We should bet on God being rule instead of betting on God's unreality in light of the possible consequences.     I should be much more afraid of being mistaken and then finding out that Christianity is true than of being mistaken in believing it to be true.  B.    Theoretical reason: Is P true? How can I know this? C.    Prudential reason: What do I gain or lose by believing P? What actions should I pursue on this matter? D.    The outcomes and belief states 1.    Believer, if Christian God exists:Gain: eternal life; avoid hell. Infinite gainLoss: worldly pleasures. Finite loss 2.    Believer, if Christian God does not exist:Gain: pleasures of religion. Finite gain    Loss: worldly pleasures and truth. Finite loss 3.    Unbeliever (atheist or agnostic or member of other religion), if Christian God exists:Gain: worldly pleasures. Finite gainLoss: eternal life; gain hell, infinite loss 4.    Unbeliever, if Christian God does not exist:Gain: worldly pleasures. Finite gainLoss: nothing. E.    Given the stakes, we should investigate the claims of Christianity with an open mind and open heart and not be indifferent.  There are only three sorts of people: those who have found God and serve him; those who are busy seeking him and have not found him; those who live without either seeking or finding him. The first are reasonable and happy, the last are foolish and unhappy, those in the middle are unhappy and reasonable.   IV.    The Human Problem and Puzzle A.    What sort of freak then is man! How novel, how monstrous, how chaotic, how paradoxical, how prodigious! Judge of all things, feeble earthworm, repository of truth, sink of doubt and error, the glory and refuse of the universe! (131/434). B.    How to live with the human burden in light of reality; “deposed royalty” who can be restored through Jesus Christ C.    What are the options? We will look at two “live hypotheses” V.    A True, Rational, and Significant Explanation. A.    True explanation of the human condition: one that agrees with objective reality; factual; realism. B.    Rational explanation: one that explains who we are in accordance with the evidence and sound reasoning. C.    Significant explanation: one that gives us value, meaning, and realistic hope for being human in the world. Philosophical anthropology is a very important part of any worldview. D.    Manner of explanation: abduction (inference to best explanation)   VI.    Views of Being Human: The New Age Worldview A.    New Age or spiritual worldview: Ken Wilber, Oprah Winfrey, Deepak Chopra  1.    Background belief on humanity a.    Pantheism: everything is divine. b.    Monism: all is one (or nondualism) c.    Morality is not absolute, but good and evil dissolve into a universal and impersonal oneness. 2.    New Age view on humanity a.    Human nature is really a divine nature: we are one with an impersonal deity. b.    Human problem: we have forgotten our true identity as divine, one with all things, and unlimited. c.    Human solution: Find the divine within through meditation, yoga, self-realization seminars. 3.    Questioning New Age philosophy a.    Human beings are limited in power and goodness; this is evident and not a delusion or matter of ignorance. b.    There are moral realities that reveal a moral dualism: good and evil; right and wrong; virtue and vice. Rape is always wrong; kindness is better than wanton cruelty. VII.    Christianity: Deposed Royality A.    Background belief: personal theism—God as Creator, Lord, Judge B.    Pascal's point can be strengthened by natural theology: arguments for God's existence from nature and in accord with reason.  C.    Human nature: created in God's image and likeness (Genesis 1:27) 1.    Uniqueness of humanity: ethics, culture, language, religion  2.    Human greatness: creativity, intelligence, etc. (#113/348) Thinking reed. It is not in space that I must seek my human dignity, but in the ordering of my thought. It will do me no good to own land. Through space the universe grasps me and swallows me up like a speck; through thought I grasp it.  3.    Human dignity: image-bearers of God (Psalm 8:3-5) 4.    Disjunction from the rest of the living world; different in kind, not just degree D.    Human problem: we are fallen, warped, alienated, deposed 1.    Human evil: sexism, racism, pettiness, greed, envy, ad nauseum 2.    Our moral and spiritual corruption (Psalm 14:1-3; Mark 7:21-23) 3.    Corruptio optimi pessima: “There is nothing worse than the corruption of the best.” 4.    The essential problem: pride, self-centeredness, egotism (Romans 3:9-20) 5.    Escaping our condition through diversion Diversion. If man were happy, the less he were diverted the happier he would be, like the saints and God. Yes: but is a man not happy who can find delight in diversion?  E.    Neither angel nor beast, but human It is dangerous to explain too clearly to man how like he is to the animals without pointing out his greatness. It is also dangerous to make too much of his greatness without his vileness. It is still more dangerous to leave him in ignorance of both, but it is most valuable to represent both to him. Man must not be allowed to believe that he is equal either to animals or to angels, nor to be unaware of either, but he must know both.  F.    Humans! Wretched and great  G.    The reality of death; life kills us all; finite time to figure it all out (Hebrews 9:27). VIII.    Finding Truth, hope, and Purpose A.    The human condition requires a radical, transcendent cure B.    Jesus Christ provides this liberating cure for all people  1.    Jesus: You must repent (Matthew 4:17). 2.    Jesus provides forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration (John 3:16-18; Romans 5:6-8: Ephesians 2:1-10) 6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:6-8). 3.    The message is liberating for everyone; we are all deposed royalty (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 4:12; I Timothy 2:5-6). C.    Being human with knowledge, hope, and integrity 1.    Jesus is a God whom we can approach without pride and before whom we can humble ourselves without despair.  2.    A world view that makes sense of oneself and others 3.    The strength to love and serve through Jesus Christ, “the Mediator” (Pascal's term) The Christians' God is a God who makes the soul aware that he is its sole good: that in him alone can it find peace; that only in loving him can it find joy: and who at the same time fills it with loathing for the obstacles which hold it back and prevent it from loving God with all its might.   4.    Provides incentive to give oneself selflessly to God and God's liberating program for humanity. 5.    Know then, proud man, what a paradox you are to yourself. Be humble, impotent reason! Be silent, feeble nature! Learn that man infinitely transcends man, hear from your master your true condition, which is unknown to you. Listen to God.  Resources on Blaise Pascal and the Human Condition 1.    Douglas Groothuis, Beyond the Wager: The Christian Brilliance of Blaise Pascal (InterVarsity, 2024).2.    Douglas Groothuis, Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith, 2nd ed. (InterVarsity Press, 2022). 3.    Douglas Groothuis, Truth Decay: Defending Christianity Against the Challenges of Postmodernism (InterVarsity Press, 2000). Critique of postmodernist ideas in philosophy, theology, ethics, race, gender, and the arts.4.    Blaise Pascal, Pensées, ed. Alban Krailsheimer (Penguin, 1966). Standard collection with an excellent introduction by Krailsheimer.5.    Blaise Pascal, The Mind on Fire, ed. James Houston (Bethany House Publishers, 1997). Collection from Pensées and Pascal's shorter works. Excellent introduction by Os Guinness.6.    Michael Rota, Taking Pascal's Wager: Faith, Evidence, and the Abundant Life (InterVarsity, 2016).7.    James W. Sire, The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalogue, 5th ed. (InterVarsity Press, 2009). Compares major worldviews, including each worldview's understanding of the human condition.   Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In this episode, J.P. and Stan discuss worldview and life-view and why evaluating the contents of these thoughts deserves our attention and reflection. How do we go about that process? They discuss the ways we can notice what we attend to and examine how our attention can shape our worldview. This episode is for anyone who needs resources and strategies to help with developing and sustaining a Christian worldview. In this podcast, we discuss:What is a worldview?Why should we give serious thought to the idea of worldview?What kind of questions should we ask as we evaluate our worldview?What is the “worldview-as-glasses” metaphor and why is it unhelpful?How does a constructivist view fail to account for the different ways of knowing?What is the value of articulating our worldview?How does what we notice shape our worldview?What does it look like to train what we attend to and notice on purpose?What is the role of suffering in shaping our worldview?What are some clues that our worldview has veered into unchristian territory?How can we cultivate curiosity around worldview? Resources and citations:James W. Sire, The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview CatalogJ.P. Moreland, Why it is Harmful to Depict a Worldview as GlassesPaul C. Vitz, Faith of the Fatherless: The Psychology of AtheismWalter Brueggemann, The Prophetic ImaginationCollege Faith Podcast - Episode #23 - How to Watch a MovieRonald Nash, Worldviews in Conflict: Choosing Christianity in a World of IdeasJames W. Sire, Naming the Elephant: Worldview as a Concept

Last week I went through ten authors and a number of books that have shaped my life and thinking. I include the full list below. This quote from Neil Postman highlights the significance of reading. One must begin, I think, by pointing to the obvious fact that the written word, and an oratory based upon it, has a content: a semantic, paraphrasable, propositional content. This may sound odd, but since I shall be arguing soon enough that much of our discourse today has only a marginal propositional content, I must stress the point here. Whenever language is the principal medium of communication—especially language controlled by the rigors of print—an idea, a fact, a claim is the inevitable result. The idea may be banal, the fact irrelevant, the claim false, but there is no escape from meaning when language is the instrument guiding one's thought. Though one may accomplish it from time to time, it is very hard to say nothing when employing a written English sentence. What else is exposition good for? Words have very little to recommend them except as carriers of meaning. The shapes of written words are not especially interesting to look at. Even the sounds of sentences of spoken words are rarely engaging except when composed by those with extraordinary poetic gifts. If a sentence refuses to issue forth a fact, a request, a question, an assertion, an explanation, it is nonsense, a mere grammatical shell. As a consequence a language-centered discourse such as was characteristic of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century America tends to be both content-laden and serious, all the more so when it takes its form from print. [Postman, Neil. Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business (pp. 49-50). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.] Books and Authors W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy and The Pursuit of God. Blaise Pascal, Pensées, many editions. I prefer the Penguin ed. See also the collection The Mind on Fire. Carl F. H. Henry, God, Revelation, and Authority, 6 vols. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, Abolition of Man, Miracles, God in the Dock, Screwtape Letters. Francis Schaeffer, all of his books, but especially The God Who is There, He is there and He is not Silent, How Should We Then Live?, True Spirituality, and Whatever Happened to the Human Race? K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy and The Everlasting Man. Harold Netland, Dissonant Voices and Encountering Religious Pluralism Harry Blamires, The Christian Mind. I. Packer, Knowing God and Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God. P. Moreland, Scaling the Secular City and Love Your God With All Your Mind. James W. Sire, The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalogue, Habits of the Mind, and Scripture Twisting: Twenty Ways Cults Misinterpret the Bible. John Calvin, The Institutes. John Stott, The Cross of Christ and Basic Christianity. Ken Myers, All God's Children and Blue Suede Shoes: Christians and Popular Culture. Marshall McLuhan, Understanding Media: Extensions of Man. Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death, Technopoly, and The End of Education. Os Guinness, The Dust of Death, God in the Dark, Prophetic Untimeliness, A Time for Truth, The Call, and all the rest. J. Rushdoony, Institutes of Biblical Law, The Messianic Character of American Education, This Independent Republic, The Nature of the American System, The Politics of Guilt and Pity, and many more. Rebecca Merrill Groothuis, Women Caught in the Conflict and Good News for Women. Richard John Neuhaus, The Naked Public Square. Augustine, The Confessions. Thomas Sowell, The Politics and Economics of Race and A Conflict of Visions. Walter Martin, Kingdom of the Cults.   Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Fresh new content is here y'all! It's been a busy month as we've traveled some plus keeping up with our girls' summer activities so I took a little bit of time off but I'm back and I'm talking with Dr. Seth Scott, Associate Professor of Clinical Counseling at Columbia International University.  You may remember my interview and podcourse with him titled Your Focus Determines Your Direction which is episode 55 of the podcast. If you haven't listened to that episode, I highly recommend it as it's a great reminder of where we focus our attention and is it serving us? Plus, you can get 1 NBCC contact hour when you access the podcourse - and if you didn't know you can get your first podcourse for free by signing up on my site. In this episode we are talking about what a Christian Counselor is and how Christianity fits into counseling sessions. We also talk about why it's important to know your worldview as a counselor and as a human, how our worldview frames our views as counselors, why self awareness is key in our profession, what a Christian counseling session looks like, plus Dr. Scott shares information about Columbia International University's Clinical Counseling program and how their graduate students are trained.  About Seth L. Scott, PhD, NCC, LPC, LPC-S:Dr. Scott joined the Graduate Counseling Program faculty of Columbia International University in 2019 as an Associate Professor. He teaches primarily in the Clinical Counseling program in areas of research and practice and is an active member and participant of the Christian Association for Psychological Studies (CAPS) and American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC). Seth has multiple publications and presentations exploring issues of professional identity and the process of integration in Christian counseling. He also maintains a private practice, Sunrise Counseling, for both clinical work and supervision in the community. Before joining CIU, he was a Professor of Counseling Psychology at Emmaus Bible College in Dubuque, Iowa from 2012-2019. Seth's wife, Jen, runs her own small business as a full-time potter, Sunset Studio Pottery, and their children, Suzie and Caleb, are both middle school students at Ben Lippen School in Columbia. You can learn more about Dr Scott here. Books mentioned and those to consider in regards to topic (affiliate links): The Universe Next Door by James W. Sire Naming the Elephant by James W. Sire  Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy: A Therapist's Guide, 2nd Edition (The Practical Therapist) by Albert Ellis Overcoming Destructive Beliefs, Feelings, and Behaviors: New Directions for Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy by Albert Ellis The Practice of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy by Albert Ellis Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (Theories of Psychotherapy Series®) by Albert Ellis Find a Christian Counselor: American Association of Christian Counselors Focus on the Family Directory Christian Association for Psychological Studies directory  South Carolina Christian Counselors Association  Psychology Today (type in your zip code or city, state, then you can filter the results by selecting Christian Counseling) Episode produced by Chelsea Weaver: https://linktr.ee/chelseaweaverpodcasting This episode is sponsored by my favorite activewear brand: 10 out of 10 therapists recommend exercise as a form of stress relief and self care but do you know what type of activewear fits your personality best? If not, take my quiz, it's fun and fast plus you'll get an offer for free shipping once you've completed the assessment- head to lisamustard.com/active-wear to take the quiz and get free shipping. You can use the free shipping offer on any item. If you're looking for black leggings that accentuate you in all the right places plus pockets, then you'll want to check out the black pocket light n tight hi rise leggings or maybe you're looking for a new sports bra that gives you maximum support? Check out the all star bra. Whatever your activewear personality, I know you'll find an item that you'll love and that lasts a long time. So head to my site to take the quiz today!              

Join Pastor Aaron and Pastor David as they discuss education and how we can prepare ourselves, our parents, and the next generation to understand the biblical worldview so that they can stand in a culture that seeks to cancel Christianity. Resource Links: Christianity at the Crossroads by Michael J. Kruger https://www.amazon.com/dp/0830852034/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_8CTQ50A96VX1QEBYEC2A The Wisdom Pyramid by Brett Mccracken https://www.amazon.com/dp/1433569590/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_YZZT019WQ9A7VNSXBGB4 The Universe Next Door by James W. Sire https://www.amazon.com/dp/0830849386/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_NNA878YD0RA2KR8AMQ13 What We Can't Not Know by J. Budziszewski https://www.amazon.com/dp/1586174819/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_12QW544CFYPWCT17ZQ2G The Magnify Podcast is a production of Grace Baptist Church in Santa Clarita, CA. For more information about service times and events, head to our website. https://www.gracebaptist.org

Livro em análise: "O Universo ao Lado" de James W. Sire Voz e análise: Jadem Freitas

Can a person live out the beliefs and implications of Nihilism? In this episode we discuss what a cohesive worldview should be, and then we apply the rules of worldview to Nihilism. If a worldview does not correlate with the real world, aka work in real life, then it cannot be a true description of reality. We believe that Nihilism fails when it comes to epistemology (how we can know that we know), morality (how we can know right and wrong), and human freedom (libertarian freewill). We hope through this episode to equip you to think critically about worldviews, but specifically to see the flaws with Nihilism. We hope that you will use the arguments made in this podcast to help steer people toward Christianity, helping them to see that it is the true worldview. Books mentioned in this episode: The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog by James W. Sire https://amzn.to/2YmgUgt Check us out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP1ScpZNFou4QP1UY7qnBzg Make sure to join our Insiders Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/christculturecoffeeinsiders/

Madeline Mace is studying to be an artist, but her passion is within teaching others about the importance of art history and pointing people back to her Creator. Maddie, originally from southern California, describes her journey as she grew to understand culture in the South and grappling with her worldview. Today, Madeline is a budding artist, displaying her true feelings about life through her God-given talents. On today’s episode, we talk about Maddie’s initial culture shock in the South, her thoughts on art and history, and how she reflects her love for her Creator through her talents. Madeline Mace, Fine Artist (Pencil and Fiber): madelinemace.com Instagram: @madeline.mace Email: inquiries@madelinemace.com BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog by James W. Sire The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone FILM RECOMMENDATIONS: The Agony and the Ecstasy PHIL'S PHILOSOPHIES PODCAST: Website: phillipwarfield.com/podcast Twitter: twitter.com/_philwarfield Instagram: @phillipmwarfield Welcome to Phil's Philosophies, hosted by Phillip Warfield. This is a podcast aimed at helping me find what I want to do with the rest of my life and how I'm going to get there. You'll listen to inspiring interviews with creatives, incredible stories from survivors, and life experience from hardened warriors. You can expect to laugh, cry, and be inspired. More information and content from the podcast can be found on Phillip Warfield's social media: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Let's celebrate! Episode 10! I am so thankful for everybody that listens, downloads, and shares. I bring you into the creative process, just for fun. Here we discuss what it means to have your "worldview" and be able to articulate it. It's not about the right answer, it's about your answer. I care about you so deeply and I ask you to really consider the material here. It's not about your philosophy. It's not about your theology. It's not about your religion or scientism. It's about your worldview. It's about how you see the world and how you give it meaning.  Not Sleeping Around - Ned's Atomic Dustbin The Universe Next Door - James W. Sire Metaphors from a Psychotherapist Guru - Sheldon B. Kopp I Sing the Body Electric (The Lost City of Mars) - Ray Bradbury The Buried Life - Matthew Arnold

We welcome veteran Christian writer and speaker James W. Sire (PhD, University of Missouri), formerly a senior editor at InterVarsity Press. Author of many well-known books, such as Scripture Twisting and The Universe Next Door, James Sire joins us to discuss his mature approach to Christian apologetics as we explore his latest book Apologetics Beyond Reason : Why Seeing Really is Believing. Drawing us in with an unusual, but intriguing, argument—"There is everything. Therefore there is a God. Either you see this or you don't"—James Sire invites us to ask questions about reality and the way in which we read its "signals of transcendence". "Christian apologetics lays before the watching world such a winsome embodiment of the Christian faith that for any and all who are willing to observe there will be an intellectually and emotionally credible witness to its fundamental truths."—Sire, A Little Primer on Humble Apologetics, p. 26 (For show notes please visit http://themindrenewed.com)

We welcome veteran Christian writer and speaker James W. Sire (PhD, University of Missouri), formerly a senior editor at InterVarsity Press. Author of many well-known books, such as Scripture Twisting and The Universe Next Door, James Sire joins us to discuss his mature approach to Christian apologetics as we explore his latest book Apologetics Beyond Reason : Why Seeing Really is Believing. Drawing us in with an unusual, but intriguing, argument—"There is everything. Therefore there is a God. Either you see this or you don't"—James Sire invites us to ask questions about reality and the way in which we read its "signals of transcendence". "Christian apologetics lays before the watching world such a winsome embodiment of the Christian faith that for any and all who are willing to observe there will be an intellectually and emotionally credible witness to its fundamental truths."—Sire, A Little Primer on Humble Apologetics, p. 26 (For show notes please visit http://themindrenewed.com)