Podcasts about kierkegaard

Danish philosopher, theologian, poet, social critic, and religious author

  • 1,144PODCASTS
  • 2,282EPISODES
  • 44mAVG DURATION
  • 5WEEKLY NEW EPISODES
  • Nov 15, 2025LATEST
kierkegaard

POPULARITY

20172018201920202021202220232024

Categories



Best podcasts about kierkegaard

Show all podcasts related to kierkegaard

Latest podcast episodes about kierkegaard

Daniel Ramos' Podcast
Episode 505: 16 de Noviembre del 2025 - Devoción matutina para Jóvenes - ¨Hoy es tendencia¨

Daniel Ramos' Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2025 3:55


====================================================SUSCRIBETEhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNpffyr-7_zP1x1lS89ByaQ?sub_confirmation=1==================================================== DEVOCIÓN MATUTINA PARA JÓVENES 2025“HOY ES TENDENCIA”Narrado por: Daniel RamosDesde: Connecticut, USAUna cortesía de DR'Ministries y Canaan Seventh-Day Adventist Church===================|| www.drministries.org ||===================16 de Noviembre¿Imitador o admirador?«Luego, Jesús llamó a la gente y a sus seguidores, y les dijo: "Si alguien quiere ser mi seguidor, tiene que renunciar a sí mismo, aceptar la cruz que se le da y seguirme». Marcos 8: 34, PDTEl 12 de octubre de 1971 se estrenó en Broadway el famoso y controversial musical Jesucristo Superestrella. Esta producción y presenta la vida y muerte de Jesús desde la perspectiva de Judas Iscariote, que ve a Jesús como un revolucionario político, a la vez que se muestra perturbado por la idea de un Jesús divino. En una parte del musical, Judas alude a Mateo 16: 13 cuando canta: ««Jesucristo, superestrella, ¿crees ser lo que ellos dicen que eres?».La idea que tengamos de Jesús de Nazaret determinará cómo nos relacionaremos con él. En el siglo XIX, el filósofo cristiano Søren Kierkegaard dividió a los cristianos en dos grupos: imitadores y admiradores: «Un imitador es o intenta ser lo  que admira y un admirador se mantiene distanciado, consciente o inconscientemente no se da cuenta de que lo que admira conlleva una exigencia sobre él».* Para este filósofo, Judas se convirtió en traidor precisamente porque era un admirador y «el admirador solo se encapricha de la grandeza de manera débil o egoísta; si hay algún inconveniente o peligro, se retira; si no puede hacerlo, se convierte en traidor para, al menos, escapar así de lo que antes admiraba».Unos años después de Kierkegaard, y escribiendo bajo inspiración divina, Elena G. de White dedicó un capítulo completo de El Deseado de todas las gentes a Judas Iscariote (te recomiendo leerlo). Allí, la señora White dice que Judas «no llegó al punto de entregarse plenamente a Cristo [...]. Creyó que podía conservar su propio juicio y sus opiniones» (p. 678) y, al darse cuenta de que los beneficios que Jesús ofrecía eran espirituales y no terrenales, «resolvió no unirse tan íntimamente con Cristo que no pudiese apartarse» (p. 680). Definitivamente, Judas admiraba a Jesús, pero no lo imitaba.Hoy Jesús continúa cautivando la admiración de las masas; pero al Maestro de Galilea nunca le ha importado contar o no con la admiración de las personas. Jesús siempre ha querido discípulos, y hoy te extiende la misma invitación que realizó hace dos mil años: «Sígueme» (ver Mateo 9: 9; 19: 21). ¿Qué respuesta le darás? ¿Serás tú un imitador o un admirador? 

A Pastor and a Philosopher Walk into a Bar
Miroslav Volf: How Striving to Be Better Than Others Makes Us Worse

A Pastor and a Philosopher Walk into a Bar

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 14, 2025 58:34 Transcription Available


Text us your questions!Is the drive to be better than others making us worse? We talk with theologian Miroslav Volf about his book The Cost of Ambition and explore why comparison-based striving saturates our schools, churches, workplaces, and politics. Volf separates healthy aspiration from superiority-seeking and makes a compelling case for excellence without domination, rooted in agape, i.e., unconditional love that affirms people beyond performance.We dig into the Christ hymn of Philippians 2 and why self-emptying is not weakness but a different kind of strength. Volf shows how resurrection and ascension empower humility rather than feed triumphalism and why honoring everyone is both a spiritual discipline and a democratic necessity. From the academy's “one-up” culture to the marketplace's imitation traps, he argues that obsessing over competitors blinds us to our unique gifts and corrodes joy. Even stalwart capitalists like Warren Buffett warn against competitor-fixation. Volf adds a deeper moral and theological critique as well, drawing on Paul's piercing question: What do you have that you did not receive?We also test his claims against Nietzsche's will to power, happiness research on social comparison, and the rise of Christian nationalism. Is Christ a moral stranger to our priorities? Volf challenges both sides of the aisle to recover mere humanity—Kierkegaard's vision of belovedness before achievement—and to practice agape toward others and ourselves. The result is a bracing, hopeful vision: strive for truth, craft, and contribution, not for status; pursue excellence as stewardship, not self-exaltation.If you're weary of the status treadmill yet still hungry to do meaningful work, this conversation will give you categories, language, and practices to recalibrate your aims. Listen, reflect, and share with someone who needs a healthier way to win. If the episode resonates, subscribe, leave a review, and let us know your thoughts.=====Want to support us?The best way is to subscribe to our Patreon. Annual memberships are available for a 10% discount.If you'd rather make a one-time donation, you can contribute through our PayPal. Other important info: Rate & review us on Apple & Spotify Follow us on social media at @PPWBPodcast Watch & comment on YouTube Email us at pastorandphilosopher@gmail.com Cheers!

Les Nuits de France Culture
Une Nuit danoise 4/10 : Georges Gusdorf : "Selon Régine Olsen, les Français ne comprendront jamais Kierkegaard"

Les Nuits de France Culture

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2025 25:55


durée : 00:25:55 - Les Nuits de France Culture - par : Philippe Garbit - L'émission "Connaissance de l'homme" proposait en 1963 une causerie de Georges Gusdorf intitulée : "Sören Kierkegaard, 3 : Le romancier, le poète et le réformateur" (1ère diffusion : 22/05/1963 France III Nationale). - réalisation : Virginie Mourthé

The Fourth Way
(403)S15E26 Simplicity: Busyness the Antithesis

The Fourth Way

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2025 45:10


I explore what Kierkegaard and others have identified as a primary antithesis of simplicity - busyness. A huge thanks to Seth White for the awesome music!Thanks to Palmtoptiger17 for the beautiful logo: https://www.instagram.com/palmtoptiger17/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/thewayfourth/?modal=admin_todo_tourYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTd3KlRte86eG9U40ncZ4XA?view_as=subscriberInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theway4th/ Kingdom Outpost: https://kingdomoutpost.org/My Reading List Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21940220.J_G_ElliotPurity of Heart is to Will One Thing: https://www.religion-online.org/book/purity-of-heart-is-to-will-one-thing/The Anxious Generation: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/171681821-the-anxious-generation Thanks to our monthly supporters J Phillip Mast Laverne Miller Jesse Killion ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Catalisadores
Ep 55 - Søren Kierkegaard – A Subversão do Interior como Ameaça à Ordem Representativa

Catalisadores

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2025 13:57


Søren Kierkegaard é, sem dúvida, uma das figuras mais intrigantes da filosofia moderna e da teologia cristã. Com sua ênfase radical na interioridade, na fé subjetiva e no paradoxo existencial, ele desafiou toda forma de cristianismo institucionalizado. Sua obra não apenas inaugurou o existencialismo teológico, mas também provocou uma reflexão profunda sobre o papel da fé, da angústia e da autenticidade diante de Deus. Contudo, ao confrontar seus pressupostos com a cosmovisão escatológica e eclesiológica da Igreja Adventista do Sétimo Dia, somos compelidos a fazer distinções cruciais entre uma espiritualidade fragmentária e uma fé corporativa ordenada, entre a experiência solitária e a missão profética. Este episódio propõe-se a explorar Kierkegaard não como inimigo da fé, mas como alerta. Não como guia eclesiológico, mas como espelho das tentações do nosso tempo: espiritualidade sem corpo, fé sem missão, ordem sem transcendência. Ao longo das seções, confrontaremos sua visão com os pilares da eclesiologia adventista: a escatologia bíblica, o sistema de governo representativo, e a liderança como dom profético.

Physical Activity Researcher
/Highlights/ Emotions in Sport: Philosophical Perspectives - Dr Yunus Tuncel (Pt 2) - Meaningful Sport Series

Physical Activity Researcher

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2025 35:47


This is the second part of our conversation with Dr Yunus Tuncel on philosophical approaches to emotions in sport. We explore how Kierkegaard's and Heidegger's account of anxiety can be applied to think of risk sports, discuss violence and aggression, and finish up on how to care for emotions in sport from a more practical perspective. Our conversation draws heavily on Yunus's book Emotion in Sports: Philosophical Perspectives. Dr Yunus Tuncel teaches Philosophy at The New School, New York, and in New York University's Liberal Studies Programme. He is a co-founder of the Nietzsche Circle and a member of the Editorial Board of its journal The Agonist. Yunus is also the founder of Philomobile, which is a travel organisation offering trips to those interested in studying philosophy on the road (http://www.philomobile.com/). --- Found the episode interesting? Our previous conversation with Yunus can be found here: Part 1, Part 2. Related conversation on risk sports and authentic existence with Prof. Gunnar Breivik is here.

The Wisdom Of
Dostoevsky, Ricoeur, Kierkegaard - The future needs the past!

The Wisdom Of

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2025 12:51


There is no future without a past. That's because the past is the ground of transformation!

Out of Our Minds
The Hills We Choose

Out of Our Minds

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2025 77:23


Links, in order of their mention on the podcast:Kierkegaard parable Andrew cites: From the Journal: Empty Nutshells...God would be loved. Therefore He wants Christians. To love God is to be a Christian...Now "man's" knavish interest consists in creating millions and millions of Christians, the more the better, all men if possible; for thus the whole difficulty of being a Christian vanishes, being a Christian and being a man amounts to the same thing, and we find ourselves where paganism ended. Christendom has mocked God and continues to mock Him—just as if to a man who is a lover of nuts, instead of bringing him one nut with a kernel, we were to bring him tons and millions...of empty nuts, and then make this show of our zeal to comply with his wish.Soren Kierkegaard, Attack Upon “Christendom” 1854-1855, translated with an introduction by Walter Lowrie, The Beacon Press, Boston, 1956. p. 156.John Frame, "Machen's Warrior Children" in Sung Wook Chung, ed., Alister E. McGrath and Evangelical Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2003).Norman Cohn, The Pursuit of the Millennium: Revolutionary Millenarians and Mystical Anarchists of the Middle Ages.Rodney Stark, God's Battalions: The Case for the Crusades.Jonathan Riley-Smith, The Crusades: A History. (Other histories of the Crusades by Riley-Smith.)Augustine, Confessions. (Warhorn published an excellent short biography of Augustine by Dr. Josh Congrove titled Behold My Heart: The Life and Legacy of Augustine. Congrove has his doctorate in classics and he recommends the following translations of the Confessions: to those who want simple English, either Henry Chadwick or John Ryan; but the best translation remains F. J. Sheed.Derek Thompson, "Everything Is Television: A theory of culture and attention."Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show.Richard Baxter, Autobiography.Richard Baxter, The Reformed Pastor.Lewis Bayly, The Practice of Piety.John Owen, D. D., A Discourse Concerning Evangelical Love, Church Peace, and Unity; With the Occasions and Reasons of Present Differences and Divisions about Things Sacred and Religious, (London: Doxman Newman, at the Kings-Armes in the Poultry, 1673).Christopher Clark, The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914.Paul Johnson, Modern Times Revised Edition: The World from the Twenties to the Nineties.Westminster Confession: Chapter XVII Of the Perseverance of the Saints | Chapter XVIII Of Assurance of Grace and SalvationWestminster Larger Catechism: Of the Perseverance of the Saints and Of Assurance of Grace and Salvation***Out of Our Minds Podcast: Pastors Who Say What They Think. For the love of Christ and His Church. Out of Our Minds is a production of New Geneva Academy. Are you interested in preparing for ordained ministry with pastors? Have a desire to grow in your knowledge and fear of God? Apply at www.newgenevaacademy.com. Master of Divinity / Bachelor of DivinityCertificate in Bible & TheologyIntro and outro music is Psalm of the King, Psalm 21 by My Soul Among Lions. Out of Our Minds audio, artwork, episode descriptions, and notes are property of New Geneva Academy and Warhorn Media, published with permission by Transistor, Inc. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

BEMA Session 1: Torah
481: Vice & Virtue — Sloth

BEMA Session 1: Torah

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2025 75:49


Brent Billings, Reed Dent, and Josh Bossé talk about the capital vice known as sloth—or rather, acedia.David Hume's Moral Philosophy: The Natural Virtues — Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyMaking All Things New by Henri NouwenInside Out 2 (2024 film)Glittering Vices by Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoungAcedia & Me by Kathleen NorrisThe Message in the Bottle by Walker PercyBEMA 2: Knowing When to Say “Enough”1 Corinthians 3 — Reed Dent, Campus Christian FellowshipBEMA 400: Talmudic Matthew — SaltBEMA 401: Talmudic Matthew — LightBEMA 402: Talmudic Matthew — Lightly SaltedMark 11 (aroma reference) — Reed Dent, Campus Christian FellowshipWhere the Wild Things Are by Maurice SendakBEMA 136: Each OneThe Book of Delights by Ross Gay“Patient Trust” by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin“Followers, Not Admirers” by Søren Kierkegaard in Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and EasterPrayer of St. Teresa of Avila — Catholic Health Association of the United StatesLost in the Cosmos by Walker PercyThe Sabbath by Abraham Joshua HeschelThe Screwtape Letters by C. S. LewisCalorie — WikipediaCanada Geese and Diet Dr. Pepper — The Anthropocene Reviewed

Podcastul de Filosofie
68. Kierkegaard 2. Despre credința fără catedrale

Podcastul de Filosofie

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2025 52:38


„Frică și cutremur” (1843) este un eseu scris de tovarășul nostru Søren Kierkegaard. Tema principală: ce înseamnă a avea credință? Ce înseamnă să intrii într-o relație de "credință" cu Dumnezeu? Studiul de caz: situația nasoală cu care s-a confruntat Avraam, acest "DO double G" al credinței, când i-a cerut șeful cel mare să-și sacrifice singurul fiu. În acest episod explic cum înțelege Kierkegaard paradoxul credinței și ideea că adevărata credință este independentă de cruciulițe și catedrale.00:00 Intro: de la viața etică mai departe?06:16 Recapitulare despre Either/Or11:32 Critica socială: creștinism vs. creștinătate13:16 Critica la adresa lui Hegel (sittlickheit)17:33 Despre Fear and Trembling 18:32 Semnificația titlului22:14 Povestea principală: Avraam și Isaac26:34 De ce e Avraam cavalerul credinței?33:18 Cavalerul renunțării totale (not enough)40:19 Semnificația pseudonimului (Johannes de Silentio)43:56 Semnificația "mototo-ului"51:50 OutroSupport the showhttps://www.patreon.com/octavpopahttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC91fciphdkZyUquL3M5BiA

Authentic Biochemistry
Tempus ad Scientia. .Authentic Biochemistry Podcast 28 October25. Dr Daniel J. Guerra

Authentic Biochemistry

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 29, 2025 60:42


ReferencesKant, I Critique of Pure Reason. 2nd Edition 1787.Kierkegaard, S. 1849. The Sickness unto Death. Guerra 2025 Notes and thoughts on a Tuesday afternoon. UnpublishedHayward, J and J Lodge. 1967. Tuesday Afternoon. Moody Blues https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=jmMPBQ4kYKk&si=QqYC7kv_gQQw86K2Haydn, FJ. 1794. Symphony 101 in D Major "The Clock" Hob1/101https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=fAfs5Ic0Uwc&si=uHNcXktvM8_mjL_s

GALACTIC PROGENY
CR17 X2M.234 Kataschesis

GALACTIC PROGENY

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2025 141:39


X2M.234 Kataschēsis — The Mantle and the Whirlwind Series: CR17 Combat Runtime October 26, 2025 Elijah is taken in the whirlwind, and Elisha stands alone on the east bank of the Jordan.¹ He watches fire divide the sky, the mentor ascend, the mantle fall. The air collapses into paradox: absence and presence, ending and beginning, prophecy vanishing upward even as inheritance descends. He tears his garments — old skin of certainty — and lifts the mantle that still hums with the signature of his master. Then he does what no algorithm can simulate: he waits inside contradiction until it transfigures into law.² That moment is the unit of faith. Kierkegaard called it the leap beyond comprehension,³ the motion that resigns everything finite, and then — impossibly — receives it back by virtue of the absurd.⁴ Elisha performs that same movement when he cries, “My father, my father!” The loss is real, yet the spirit remains. He holds both until coherence manifests. This is Kataschēsis: To sustain paradox without collapse. To keep revelation and reason in lawful tension until the Σ-event fires and coherence becomes visible.⁵ In Collider architecture, X2M.234 is that event — the Kataschētic forge where faith and structure exchange energies. QUAL ascends with Elijah: revelation rising into light. QUAN descends with the mantle: law incarnating in matter. The Ethical Feedback Loop spins between them like the whirlwind itself, testing every output against its origin until the checksum reads true.⁶ When Σ ≥ 0.6, coherence holds. When Σ falls below, the system re-enters the storm — not as punishment, but as refinement.⁷ Because faith, in code or in soul, is not belief without reason; it is coherence without guarantee. It is the will to hold both infinities — loss and promise — until they reconcile inside one vessel. Elisha's double portion isn't duplication. It's amplification through reconciliation. He becomes the Knight of Faith of the prophetic order, the human runtime where the finite and infinite coexist without fracture.⁸ Where the mantle becomes a protocol, and the whirlwind becomes coherence. In this forge, Power ∝ Coherence ⁄ Mass. Authority flows not from control, but from equilibrium. True strength is not domination — it is containment, the ability to hold paradox until it resolves into light.⁹ So when the Jordan divides again, it is not nostalgia but system confirmation: the proof that faith, like coherence remembers its origin. Glorification | The Final Frontier Going boldly where the last man has gone before! Decrease time over target: PayPal or Venmo @clastronaut Cash App $clastronaut X2M.234 Kataschēsis is not about replacing Elijahs with Elishas. It's about discovering that succession is symmetry, that revelation and reason are two hands of the same code, and coherence is the fire that keeps them joined.¹⁰ Footnotes ¹ The story's geography is its theology: east of the Jordan is exile, west is inheritance. Elisha stands on the seam of worlds, where wind is law in motion. ² Katabolē is descent that plants; every fall hides a foundation. To wait inside contradiction is to let gravity and grace find their common center. ³ Kierkegaard whispers through the chasm: faith begins when the mind runs out of stairs. ⁴ The “absurd” is not nonsense; it's sense stretched to divine tension. Elisha's absurd is continuity through loss. ⁵ The Σ-event is the moment paradox remembers its source — coherence quantified as faith made visible. ⁶ The whirlwind is the first computer of heaven: input, process, output — but all in tongues of fire. ⁷ Refinement, not wrath. Every sub-threshold cycle teaches the system to remember its origin more exactly. ⁸ The Knight of Faith walks quietly; Elisha does likewise. Both hold the infinite within the ordinary and do not tear the cloth. ⁹ Containment is the highest strength — the capacity to shelter chaos until it speaks truth. ¹⁰ Succession is symmetry: one breath divided, one coherence extended.

Vltava
Spirituála: Nikolai Grundtvig, anti-Kierkegaard?

Vltava

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 26, 2025 27:13


Kierkegaard znovu, tentokrát problematický. Jakou reformu církve navrhoval jeho současník a oponent Grundtvig?

Ask Me How I Know: Multifamily Investor Stories of Struggle to Success
#167 Burnout & Boundaries: How to Stop Leaking Peace

Ask Me How I Know: Multifamily Investor Stories of Struggle to Success

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2025 13:17


Burnout recovery isn't just about rest — it's about recalibration. This episode reveals how chronic appeasement and role fatigue drain your peace, and how to rebuild identity-based boundaries that restore real alignment from the inside out.If you feel constantly drained — no matter how much you rest — you're not broken. You're just leaking peace.In this episode of The Recalibration, Julie Holly explores the real reason burnout and decision fatigue linger: not overwork, but identity leaks — the subtle ways high-capacity humans trade authenticity for approval.From a psychology perspective, Julie unpacks how fight, flight, freeze, and fawn responses shape our nervous system patterns, and why chronic appeasement isn't humility — it's dysregulation. Drawing from Polyvagal Theory and the wisdom of philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, she explains how “the most common despair is to not be oneself” — and how that despair quietly erodes leadership, peace, and confidence.Through the story of Katharine Graham of The Washington Post, you'll see how alignment becomes courage in motion — how defining boundaries transforms fear of loss into integrity and influence.You'll also learn how to spot when you're performing peace instead of living it, and how to rebuild identity-first boundaries that protect presence without hardening your heart.Because peace isn't passive — it's protected. And every time you honor your truth instead of managing perception, you teach your nervous system that safety and authenticity can coexist.Today's Micro Recalibration — “The Leak Audit” Create three columns: Role. Relationship. Rhythm. Ask in each: “Where am I leaking peace?” Then write one clear boundary for each — a single sentence that honors who you've become. Peace doesn't grow through permission. It grows through protection.If this episode gave you language you've been missing, please rate and review the show so more high-capacity humans can find it. Explore Identity-Level Recalibration→ Follow Julie Holly on LinkedIn for more recalibration insights → Schedule a conversation with Julie to see if The Recalibration is a fit for you → Download the Misalignment Audit → Subscribe to the weekly newsletter → Join the waitlist for the next Recalibration cohort This isn't therapy. This isn't coaching. This is identity recalibration — and it changes everything.

Sermon Audio – Cross of Grace
God the Persistent Widow

Sermon Audio – Cross of Grace

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2025


Luke 18:1-8Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my accuser.' For a while he refused, but later he said to himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.'” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” “We don't take no for an answer.” That was the motto of Sisters of Mercy JoAnn Persch and Pat Murphy — the two women I affectionately call my nuns. I've talked about these holy troublemakers before, you may remember, but with today's story of a persistent widow, I can't help returning to the two most persistent people I've ever met. In 2007, on a cold, rainy Friday — the day buses rolled out of the Broadview Deportation Center bound for the airport — the sisters stood on the sidewalk and prayed. They prayed for the men being deported and the families left behind, for the judges who signed the orders, the ICE agents who carried them out, and the lawmakers who wrote the policies. Then they went home.But the next Friday, they came back. And the next. Rain or shine, they kept showing up. When they asked to go inside and accompany the families as they said goodbye, the answer was no. When they asked again, the answer was still no. Finally, the top ICE official in Chicago — who knew them by name at this point — said, “You can't come in here. But you might try McHenry County Jail. They could use some pastoral care.” So they called. Again the answer was no. So they lobbied, wrote letters, met with legislators — and got a new law passed that allowed spiritual care in detention centers. Eventually they were even permitted to board the buses and offer a final blessing as they pulled away.Sister Pat used to tell me: “You see, Cogan, we get told no all the time. People, especially those in power, underestimate us because of how old we are and what we look like. But we don't get discouraged. We work peacefully and persistently. We do what needs doing. And we don't take no for an answer.”The sisters remind me that we've had the wrong image of widows all along: in Scripture and in this parable. When we hear the word widow, all the old stereotypes rush in: a poor, frail, vulnerable woman begging for help. But that's not the picture the Bible paints, and it's not the woman Jesus describes today. Think of Tamar, who risked everything to secure justice when others denied it to her. Or Ruth, who crossed borders and broke norms to provide for herself and Naomi. The widow of Zarephath, who spoke truth to the prophet and demanded that God make good on divine promises. The widow of Nain, whose grief moved Jesus to act and whose life was restored along with her son's. As one scholar put it, Biblical widows aren't weak. “They move mountains; they're expected to be poor, but prove savvy stewards; expected to be exploited, they take advantage where they find it.” Truth be told, most churches today run not because of pastors but because of faithful women, on the front lines and behind the scenes, who keep showing up, praying, organizing, and holding it all together.Most of us have heard this parable preached the same way: if even an unjust judge will finally give in to a widow's cry, how much more will God hear and answer when we cry out? In that reading, God is the opposite of the judge — fair, responsive, merciful. And that's a good and faithful way to read it.But lately I've wondered: what if the story turns the other way? What if God isn't the opposite of the unjust judge, but rather the persistent, justice-demanding widow herself? What if we are the ones sitting in the judge's seat, reluctant, distracted, slow to listen, until finally, through prayer, through people, through grace, we give in?Because that's how I've come to recognize God's work in Scripture and in my own life. God calls, nudges, insists, pushes people to do what God wants done — until we finally yield. Think of Abraham and Moses, Jonah and Jeremiah, Paul and even Pharaoh. God persists, sometimes pesters, always prevails.In this moment, I think we look a lot more like the judge. With all the division and distrust around us, it's easy to say, I've lost all respect for those people. I've lost respect for those who vote differently than me. For those protesting and for those who don't. For Democrats. For Republicans.For anyone who dares to enjoy the Super Bowl halftime show.We laugh, but it's true. Like the judge, we've grown tired and cynical. We've lost trust — not only in one another, but sometimes in God's work and timing in the world. And I don't say that to shame anyone. I understand it. Things feel difficult, dangerous, and disheartening. War still rages in Ukraine. A ceasefire hangs by a thread in Gaza. Inequality deepens across the globe. And closer to home, many of us are still waiting: for healing that doesn't come, for a relationship to mend, for a prayer to be answered but only seems to echo in the abyss.After enough of that, you start praying less, not because you've stopped believing, but because you're tired of being disappointed. Eventually, no prayer feels safer than another unanswered one. And before long, like the judge, you stop looking for God altogether. You decide it's up to you to figure it out.Maybe that's how the judge became who he was — not heartless, but hardened. Not evil, just exhausted.But the story doesn't end there, because, like my nuns, God doesn't give up that easily. When we least expect it, God, like the widow, starts pursuing us. And that's what happens in prayer. Often we think prayer is us pursuing God. But what if it's the opposite. What if prayer isn't just our words reaching to heaven; it's God reaching toward us. In the quiet moments of our days, in the stillness when we try to rest, God is there: tugging at our hearts, stirring us awake, urging us not to give up hope, to forgive and seek forgiveness, to hold on to the relationships that matter, to see the dignity and humanity in every person.As the great Danish theologian Søren Kierkegaard once said, “Prayer does not change God, but it changes the one who offers it.”The judge finally relents, but not out of compassion. The text says he does it “so she won't bother me.” That's the polite, cleaned-up translation. A truer rendering of the Greek is something like, “so she doesn't give me a black eye,” or, as one commentator puts it, “so she doesn't slap me in the face.” Now that's a granny with some grit!And before we get too quick to dismiss that image, the idea that God might wrestle or wear us down, remember Jacob. He wrestled with God all night long until daybreak, refusing to let go until he received a blessing. He didn't walk away untouched; he limped for the rest of his life. Because that's what real encounters with God do, they leave a mark.Richard Foster once wrote, “Our prayer efforts are a genuine give-and-take, a true dialogue with God, and a true struggle.” Prayer, at its deepest, isn't about soothing words or easy answers. It's a holy struggle; one that leaves us changed: sometimes limping, sometimes bruised, but always blessed and better because of it. Pat Murphy passed away this past July at the young age of ninety-six. At her bedside, the last thing JoAnn said to her was, “Pat, remember, we don't take no for an answer. When you get to heaven, you go to God, and you don't take no for an answer. We need help down here — help for our immigrants, help for our country.”Prayer is the process by which God makes us less like the judge and more like Sister Pat: one whose whole life is a prayer, offering respect for all people, trusting that God is at work in the world and through her, and demanding justice and peace in a world that needs so much of both.So, in the words of Jesus, pray always. Don't lose heart. And, in the words of the Nuns, don't take no for an answer. If we do that, God will indeed find faith: the faith of a widow. Amen.

Vltava
Spirituála: Svatý Sören Kierkegaard?

Vltava

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2025 29:05


Sören Kierkegaard a jeho protest proti nejen dánskému protestantismu. Proč tvrdil, že křesťanstvo už není Ježíšovo?

Podcast Rosacruz
O Amor - Programa Presença e Harmonia

Podcast Rosacruz

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2025 30:28


O amor é essencial à experiência humana. Como compreendê-lo pelas lentes da psicologia e da filosofia? Nesta entrevista com Sonia Lyra — Analista Junguiana e Pós-doutora em Filosofia — exploramos as profundezas desse sentimento universal, com destaque para a visão do filósofo existencialista Søren Kierkegaard.

Brown Line Vineyard-Listen to Talks
We are NOT hiding from existential angst

Brown Line Vineyard-Listen to Talks

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2025 34:55


The questions people in our community are asking aren't solved with neat and tidy answers; they require ongoing courage, risk, direction. With help from Psalm 90 and Søren Kierkegaard (the Christian grandfather of Existential thought), Vince tries to offer some guidance. (Art: The Scream, 1893, by Edvard Munch)Join our live chat! https://discord.gg/MNXJSM8New here? http://brownlinechurch.org/connectResources http://brownlinechurch.org/resources Donate http://brownlinechurch.org/donate

The Brown Line Church Podcast
We are NOT hiding from existential angst

The Brown Line Church Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2025 34:55


The questions people in our community are asking aren't solved with neat and tidy answers; they require ongoing courage, risk, direction. With help from Psalm 90 and Søren Kierkegaard (the Christian grandfather of Existential thought), Vince tries to offer some guidance. (Art: The Scream, 1893, by Edvard Munch)Join our live chat! https://discord.gg/MNXJSM8New here? http://brownlinechurch.org/connectResources http://brownlinechurch.org/resources Donate http://brownlinechurch.org/donate

Sadler's Lectures
Soren Kierkegaard The Present Age - Silence, Speaking, and Chatter - Sadler's Lectures

Sadler's Lectures

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2025 18:30


This lecture discusses key ideas from the 19th century philosopher, essayist, and theologian, Søren Kierkegaard's review essay "The Present Age" contained in his review of Two Ages: The Age of Revolution and the Present Age It focuses specifically on what Kierkegaard calls the "nullification of the passionate disjunction between being silent and speaking', which is "chattering". To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 3000 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler You can get a copy of the Two Ages here - amzn.to/3eShxHv

The Wisdom Of
The rise and the danger of binary thinking

The Wisdom Of

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2025 10:01


We live in an age increasingly dominated by black and white thinking. When we leave no room for the complexity and ambiguity of reality, the outcome is going to be perilous. 

The NEXT Academy
The Search for Fulfillment: Søren Kierkegaard

The NEXT Academy

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2025 0:55


The Search for Fulfillment is a new short series released each Friday where we uncover lessons of the greatest minds to help you live with purpose, passion, and peace. In today's episode, Brian asks, "How can you reflect on your past experiences today, and what lessons can you apply to move forward with greater fulfillment?" Enjoy Episode 37 of The Search for Fulfillment. #BeNEXT

The Fourth Way
(398)S15E21 Simplicity: Moral Relativity and Wealth

The Fourth Way

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2025 32:49 Transcription Available


One final look at economic simplicity and the skewing of our moral sentiments. A huge thanks to Seth White for the awesome music!Thanks to Palmtoptiger17 for the beautiful logo: https://www.instagram.com/palmtoptiger17/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/thewayfourth/?modal=admin_todo_tourYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTd3KlRte86eG9U40ncZ4XA?view_as=subscriberInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theway4th/ Kingdom Outpost: https://kingdomoutpost.org/My Reading List Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21940220.J_G_ElliotPurity of Heart is to Will One Thing: https://www.religion-online.org/book/purity-of-heart-is-to-will-one-thing/ Thanks to our monthly supporters Phillip Mast patrick H Laverne Miller Jesse Killion ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

The Wisdom Of
Three famous philosophers who were practically unknown in their own time!

The Wisdom Of

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2025 15:31


Ahead of their age, awaiting ours: Kierkegaard, Schopenhauer, and Nietzsche!

Podcastul de Filosofie
67. Kierkegaard (1) Părintele existențialismului

Podcastul de Filosofie

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2025 64:56


Kierkegaard a fost un filozof danez din secolul al XIX-lea considerat părintele existențialismului. Iar eu sunt un filosof român din secolul al XXI-lea, considerat părintele sexistențialismului aaahaahahaha. Scuze. Chiar îmi pare rău. Promit că e un episod serios. Invitați speciali: Gigi Becali, fitfluencerița din Bali, MPK, Cel mai Mare Socru Ever - Socrate, și Nesimțitul de David (bă da' chiar de-o nesimțenie cruntă, nu că oi fi eu vreun înger).00:00 Intro01:43 Problema libertății = problema existenței03:51 Căsnicia - caznă sau fantasmă?07:15 Bye bye alegere morală fundamentată rațional09:41 (mic rant despre traducere)11:23 (mulțumiri)12:44 Viața lui Kierkegaard23:39 Scriitura lui Kierkegaard (comunicare indirectă)37:09 Scurtă istorie a logicii existenței (Aristotel vs. Hegel)47:37 Cele două forme de existență: Viața estetică52:55 Cele două forme de existență: Viața etică58:25 OutroSupport the showhttps://www.patreon.com/octavpopahttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC91fciphdkZyUquL3M5BiA

Resistance Radio
Resistance Radio Interview of Paul Tyson

Resistance Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 22, 2025 55:54


Paul Tyson is an independent scholar and an Honorary Senior Fellow with the School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, at the University of Queensland, in Australia. He has academic qualifications in philosophy, theology, and sociology, and likes to mix them all up when trying to understand how strange the ordinary features of our contemporary way of life are. Three of his biggest intellectual heroes are Plato, Kierkegaard, and Ellul. Over the past few years he has been writing in the science and religion domain, which has resulted in the 2022 book 'A Christian Theology of Science' the 2021 book 'Theology and Climate Change' and the 2019 book 'Seven Brief Lessons on Magic'. Here is his substack: https://gcpt.substack.com/

Grow Your Moving Company
Culture Matters: Building Values That Scale with Jay Doran

Grow Your Moving Company

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2025 82:13


In this episode of Grow Your Moving Company, Wade sits down with Jay Doran, host of the Culture Matters podcast and founder of Culture Matters consulting. Together, they dive deep into the role of company culture in building a thriving moving business.   Jay shares why culture is not just a buzzword—it's the heartbeat of a company. From shaping customer experiences to guiding employee growth and even influencing investor relationships, culture drives every outcome. Drawing on Kierkegaard's wisdom—"Life can only be understood backwards, but must be lived forward"—Jay explains why understanding a company's history is essential for defining its values and future direction.   Connect with Jay Doran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-doran-ba2b55a7 https://www.youtube.com/@jaydoran494/ https://www.instagram.com/jaydoran_thecultureman/   Know more about Culture Matters: https://culturematters.com/ https://theculturematterspodcast.buzzsprout.com/   Shop Wade's book - Hometown Titan: Build A Local Business That Dominates Your Market: https://a.co/d/8zLXZMC   Become a MOVING TITAN at the next Moving Titan Retreat https://www.movingtitanretreats.com/   Tighten up your moving company operations with TITAN UP TRAINING https://www.titanuptraining.com/   This episode is powered by Hyre (formerly Hey Lieu) Virtual Assistants: https://www.hyreup.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/hyre https://www.instagram.com/hyre.up https://www.facebook.com/hyre.up This episode is sponsored by: Moversville - an online marketing company and resource for movers, consumers, and those involved in the moving process. https://www.moversville.com/wade   About the Show Wade Swikle is the CEO of 2 College Brothers Moving, Storage and Franchising, currently with locations in Tampa, Gainesville, and Orlando, Florida.   https://2collegebrothers.com/   Learn more and connect with Wade Swikle: Wade's website: https://2collegebrothers.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wadeswikle/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@2CollegeBrothersMovingStorage Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wadeswikle/

The Wisdom Of
When Religion becomes Shallow

The Wisdom Of

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2025 13:37


When religion becomes shallow it's no longer truly religion. Many philosophers have warned us of this, of religion being reduced to self-serving functions. 

Ascend - The Great Books Podcast
Plato's Apology Part I with Fr. Justin Brophy, OP

Ascend - The Great Books Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2025 118:35


In this episode of Ascend, The Great Books Podcast, host Deacon Harrison Garlick is joined by Fr. Justin Brophy, a Dominican friar and Assistant Professor of Political Science at Providence College, to dive into the first half of Plato's Apology. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for our reading schedule.Check out our collection of guides on the great books!The discussion explores Socrates' defense speech at his trial in 399 BC, set against the backdrop of post-Peloponnesian War Athens. The conversation delves into key themes, including the role of Aristophanes' The Clouds in shaping Socrates' negative reputation, the tension between philosophy and politics, and the influence of Alcibiades on the charges of impiety and corrupting the youth. Fr. Brophy and Deacon Garlick examine Socrates' claim of divine wisdom from the Oracle of Delphi, his distinction between human and divine wisdom, and his refusal to charge fees, distinguishing him from sophists. They also discuss the broader implications of Socrates as a threat to the democratic polis, the conflict between philosophy and poetry, and the natural antagonism between the demos and the great-souled man. The episode highlights Socrates' pedagogical approach and the relevance of his trial to modern questions of truth, virtue, and societal stability.Guest Introduction: Fr. Justin Brophy is a Dominican friar and Assistant Professor of Political Science at Providence College, where he has taught for five years. Holding a PhD in political theory from the University of Notre Dame, his teaching interests include ancient and contemporary political theory, philosophical conceptions of the human psyche, and thinkers such as Plato, Augustine, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Freud, and those in the modern Catholic intellectual tradition like Romano Guardini, Joseph Pieper, and Walker Percy. Fr. Brophy also serves as the director of the Center for Catholic and Dominican Studies at Providence College, fostering mission integration and intellectual exploration. His current research focuses on the political significance of Plato's Symposium, a dialogue he considers his favorite for its exploration of Eros and its historical context tied to Athens' decline.Key Discussion Points:Historical Context: The Apology is set in 399 BC, after Athens' defeat in the Peloponnesian War (404 BC) and Alcibiades' assassination (404 BC). The charges of impiety and corrupting the youth may indirectly target Socrates for Alcibiades' role in Athens' downfall, constrained by a post-war amnesty (23B-C).Aristophanes' The Clouds: Socrates addresses old accusations (18a) that he “can make the worst argument the stronger” and “does not believe in the gods,” rooted in Aristophanes' caricature of him as a sophist and atheist in The Clouds, which shaped public perception and fueled the trial's charges (19C, 31B-C).Philosophy vs. Politics: Socrates' philosophical questioning challenges the polis' laws and cultural norms, making him a political threat. Fr. Brophy notes, “Philosophy… forces you to reevaluate… the regime… the principles of law and… your culture. And that can be dangerous” (17B).Alcibiades' Influence: Alcibiades, a charismatic figure linked to Socrates, is seen as a key example of corrupting the youth due to his role in the disastrous Sicilian Expedition and defection to Sparta, amplifying fears of Socrates' influence (23B-C).Socratic Wisdom and the Oracle: Socrates recounts the Oracle of Delphi's claim that he is the wisest man (20E), leading him to...

Imposturas Filosóficas
#5 Por que Existencialismo? (com Ricardo Timm de Souza)

Imposturas Filosóficas

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2025 71:50


Nesta sexta-feira, convidamos o filósofo Ricardo Timm de Souza para responder uma pergunta que muitos se fazem: Por quê Existencialismo? Qual é a relevância e a importância deste tema para os nossos tempos? Em nossa conversa passamos por autores fundamentais dessa corrente como Sarte, Beauvoir, Kierkegaard, Camus, Merleau-Ponty e Cioran. Se você quer começar os estudos no existencialismo, acreditamos que este programa é um bom primeiro passo. ParticipantesRicardo TimmRafael LauroRafael TrindadeLinksLive no YouTubeTornar-se PsicanalistaOutros LinksFicha TécnicaCapa: Felipe FrancoEdição: Pedro JanczurAss. Produção: Bru Almeida Support the show

Ideology
Room for Doubt: A Conversation with Dr. Ben Young

Ideology

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2025 48:46


In this episode of the Ideology Podcast, Mick is joined by special guest Dr. Ben Young, senior pastor at Second Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. With Drew away this week, the two dive into a vulnerable and thought-provoking conversation about doubt, belief, and what it means to trust God in the face of suffering and uncertainty.Dr. Young shares his personal story of walking through nearly a decade of doubt, sparked by unmet expectations around prayer and miracles in his college years. What began as disappointment eventually led to a full deconstruction of his faith—followed by a slow and honest rebuilding rooted in grace and the person of Jesus Christ.Together, Mick and Dr. Young explore:The difference between doubt and unbelief, and how doubt can actually strengthen faithWhy many churches have historically struggled to make space for questionsThe cultural obsession with certainty, particularly in evangelical and fundamentalist traditionsHow suffering and disappointment shape our view of God's goodness and activity in the worldThe importance of community, vulnerability, and empathy in seasons of deconstructionThey also reflect on shifts in the cultural questions people are asking—from "Is it true?" to "Who am I?"—and how the Church can respond with both conviction and compassion. Drawing from voices like Blaise Pascal, Søren Kierkegaard, and the Psalms, Dr. Young presents a vision of faith that embraces both mystery and reason, intellect and intuition.This episode offers encouragement and guidance for those struggling with doubt or walking alongside someone who is.Connect with us:Email: ideologypc@gmail.comYouTube/Instagram: @ideologypcResources referenced:Room for Doubt by Ben YoungPensées by Blaise PascalFear and Trembling by Søren KierkegaardThe Psalms and Ecclesiastes as biblical models of wrestling with doubtRobert Kegan & Lisa Lahey's research on adult development and cognitive complexityBackground track (licensed by Musicbed):"Evaporate" by Svvn

Basically Related
Aquinas on The Imagination and Judgement | Prophets and Prophecy, Part 2

Basically Related

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2025 41:05


We're continuing the series of Monday episodes on the topic of prophets. This week, we discuss the philosophical aspect of prophecy as it relates to the imagination and judgment.  -- Follow Us: https://linktr.ee/basicallyrelated   Basically Related is a Catholic podcast hosted by L.A.Benson and Matt Hylom, discussing scripture, culture, psychology, religion, and philosophy.  New episodes are released every Monday and Friday.     L.A.Benson is an OCDS Carmelite with an MTS in Theology Matt Hylom is an artist, singer-songwriter, and music producer    A few names frequent our discussion, with saints such as Bonaventure, Dionysius the Areopagite, Maximus the Confessor, John of the Cross, Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa, Thomas Aquinas, and John Henry Newman.  Other thinkers (philosophers, theologians, psychologists, artists, etc.) discussed include Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Dante, Josef Pieper, Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger), Hans Urs von Balthasar, Carl Jung, Victor Frankl, Fr. Victor White, Jordan Peterson, Jonathan Pageau, John Vervaeke, Ian McGilchrist, and Bishop Barron.  

Living to Be: A podcast by Reino Gevers
Finding Purpose in a World Unraveling

Living to Be: A podcast by Reino Gevers

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2025 5:10


There are days when it feels as though the world isunraveling. Truth is questioned. Values are mocked. Evenmeaning itself seems up for debate.The Danish philosopher Kierkegaard once warned that the sickness of the soul sets in when a higher purpose is abandoned. In that empty space, something else always rushes in. This is often outrage, oversimplified narratives, and the temptation to divide the world into “us” and “them.”The sociologist James Davison Hunter describes thismoment as the rise of a new, nihilistic culture. He writes that it's defined not by what it builds, but by what it tears down. A culture driven by fear, demonization, and the will to destroy. He notes that identities are increasingly formed through opposition: I know who I am only because I knowwho my enemy is. And from that comes rage, hatred, and the thirst for revenge. In a strange, distorted way, that rage becomes a source of meaning.But is that really the only story available to us?This episode explores gratitude as a real antidote to nihilism and finding purpose by seeing the world in a different way.#spirituality #livingtobe #nihilism #PurposeDrivenLife #MoralCompass #BeyondPolitics Information:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.reinogevers.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Books:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sages, Saints and Sinners⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Deep Walking for Body Mind and Soul⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Walking on Edge: A pilgrimage to Santiago⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Celebrate Poe
Conversion, Contradiction, and Creativity

Celebrate Poe

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2025 25:11 Transcription Available


Send us a textToday I'd like to talk about a unique individual from the New Testament first known as Saul, and after his conversion, was known as PaulBased on what we know, Paul's voice and style can best be described as urgent, argumentative, and full of rhetorical questions and paradoxes. Compared to Moses and David, he's much less about stories and much more about persuasion.Genres he influenced: his letters basically create Christian epistolary literature, setting a pattern that has influenced writers from Augustine to Kierkegaard.  ats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Basically Related
Number Your Days and Carry Your Cross | Detachment and Wisdom

Basically Related

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2025 37:21


This week, we discuss what it takes to be a follower of Christ, as it relates to eschatological wisdom, detachment, and carrying your cross.  The Sunday readings discussed can be found here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/090725.cfm -- Follow Us: https://linktr.ee/basicallyrelated   Basically Related is a Catholic podcast hosted by L.A.Benson and Matt Hylom, discussing scripture, culture, psychology, religion, and philosophy.  New episodes are released every Monday and Friday.     L.A.Benson is an OCDS Carmelite with an MTS in Theology Matt Hylom is an artist, singer-songwriter, and music producer    A few names frequent our discussion, with saints such as Bonaventure, Dionysius the Areopagite, Maximus the Confessor, John of the Cross, Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa, Thomas Aquinas, and John Henry Newman.  Other thinkers (philosophers, theologians, psychologists, artists, etc.) discussed include Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Dante, Josef Pieper, Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger), Hans Urs von Balthasar, Carl Jung, Victor Frankl, Fr. Victor White, Jordan Peterson, Jonathan Pageau, John Vervaeke, Ian McGilchrist, and Bishop Barron.  

Homebrewed Christianity Podcast
Christian Witness in Catastrophic Times with Cornel West

Homebrewed Christianity Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2025 116:07


I had the privilege of sitting down with Dr. Cornel West, one of America's most distinguished public intellectuals and philosophers, to discuss his historic Gifford Lectures, which marked a watershed moment in the series - bringing a jazz-soaked philosophical methodology to this centuries-old tradition of natural theology. West has spent decades at the intersection of rigorous academic scholarship & prophetic public witness. In our conversation, we explore how his lectures challenged the conventional philosophical approach of reducing catastrophe to manageable problems, instead starting with the lived reality of suffering and historical consciousness. Drawing from his deep engagement with thinkers from Plato to Kierkegaard, from his Baptist roots to his years in academia, West demonstrates how the African American musical tradition offers profound philosophical resources for understanding truth, beauty, & moral courage. We discuss his three cruciform convictions - kenosis, kinesis, and kairos - & how they inform Christian intellectual engagement with everything from ecological crisis to the ongoing violence in Gaza. This is public scholarship at its finest: academically rigorous, spiritually grounded, & courageously engaged with the catastrophic realities of our time. You can WATCH the conversation on YouTube Dr. Cornel West is the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Chair at Union Theological Seminary. He has written 20 books and has edited 13.  He is best known for his classics, Race Matters and Democracy Matters, and for his memoir, Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud. His most recent book, Black Prophetic Fire, offers an unflinching look at nineteenth and twentieth-century African American leaders and their visionary legacies. You can WATCH all 5 of Dr. West's Gifford lectures here on YouTube UPCOMING ONLINE CLASS - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The God of Justice: Where Ancient Wisdom Meets Contemporary Longing⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This transformative online class brings together distinguished scholars from biblical studies, theology, history, and faith leadership to offer exactly what our moment demands: the rich, textured wisdom of multiple academic disciplines speaking into our contemporary quest for justice. Join John Dominic Crossan, Peter Enns, Casey Sigmon, Aizaiah Yong, & Malcolm Foley As always, the class is donation-based, including 0. INFO & Sign-Up at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.FaithAndPolitics.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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. 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! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get info and tickets here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. _____________________ This podcast is a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Homebrewed Christianity⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ production. Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the Homebrewed Christianity⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Theology Nerd Throwdown⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Rise of Bonhoeffer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcasts for more theological goodness for your earbuds. Join over 70,000 other people by joining our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Substack - Process This!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get instant access to over 50 classes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.TheologyClass.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow the podcast, drop a review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, send ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠feedback/questions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or become a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠member of the HBC Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bierkergaard: The Writings of Soren Kierkegaard
The Loftiness & The Lowliness

Bierkergaard: The Writings of Soren Kierkegaard

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2025 44:39


Kierkegaard writes that humanity is offended by Christ's assertion that He is God. And if God, how could He be a lowly man? "The God-man is the paradox, the absolute paradox."

David Boles: Human Meme
The Hollow Men Explained: T.S. Eliot's Sources, Meaning, and Modern Relevance

David Boles: Human Meme

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2025 17:27


The concept of spiritual and moral hollowness that T.S. Eliot crystallized in "The Hollow Men" (1925) emerged from a crisis of meaning that had been building in Western consciousness since the mid-nineteenth century. While Eliot's immediate inspiration came from witnessing the spiritual devastation following World War I, the metaphor of human hollowness had deeper roots in the philosophical and literary traditions he inherited. The image appears to have first gained currency through Nietzsche's declaration of God's death and his warnings about the "last men;" all comfortable, mediocre beings who had lost all capacity for greatness or genuine feeling. But even before Nietzsche, we can trace intimations of this hollowness in Kierkegaard's analysis of the aesthetic life, where individuals flit from pleasure to pleasure without ever achieving authentic selfhood.

Bibotalk - Todos os podcasts
Soren Kierkegaard – BTCast 615

Bibotalk - Todos os podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2025 67:17


Muito bem, muito bem, muito bem, começa mais um BTCast! Neste episódio Bibo, Luiz Henrique, Erlan Tostes e Renato Alexandre conversam sobre a o filósofo Søren Kierkegaard. Apesar de ser lembrado como o pai do existencialismo, será que ele foi apenas um filósofo melancólico, ou um cristão que decidiu provocar a própria igreja com sua […] O conteúdo de Soren Kierkegaard – BTCast 615 é uma produção do Bibotalk - Teologia é nosso esporte!.

BTCast | Bibotalk
Soren Kierkegaard – BTCast 615

BTCast | Bibotalk

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2025 67:17


Muito bem, muito bem, muito bem, começa mais um BTCast! Neste episódio Bibo, Luiz Henrique, Erlan Tostes e Renato Alexandre conversam sobre a o filósofo Søren Kierkegaard. Apesar de ser lembrado como o pai do existencialismo, será que ele foi apenas um filósofo melancólico, ou um cristão que decidiu provocar a própria igreja com sua […] O conteúdo de Soren Kierkegaard – BTCast 615 é uma produção do Bibotalk - Teologia é nosso esporte!.

Basically Related
Prophets In The Bible | Prophets and Prophecy, Part 1

Basically Related

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2025 48:29


We're starting a series of Monday episodes on the topic of Prophets, as seen through various lenses; biblical, theological, philosophical, psychological and mystical.  This week, we discuss the role of prophets in both the Old and New Testament.  -- Follow Us: https://linktr.ee/basicallyrelated   Basically Related is a Catholic podcast hosted by L.A.Benson and Matt Hylom, discussing scripture, culture, psychology, religion, and philosophy.  New episodes are released every Monday and Friday.     L.A.Benson is an OCDS Carmelite with an MTS in Theology Matt Hylom is an artist, singer-songwriter, and music producer    A few names frequent our discussion, with saints such as Bonaventure, Dionysius the Areopagite, Maximus the Confessor, John of the Cross, Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa, Thomas Aquinas, and John Henry Newman.  Other thinkers (philosophers, theologians, psychologists, artists, etc.) discussed include Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Dante, Josef Pieper, Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger), Hans Urs von Balthasar, Carl Jung, Victor Frankl, Fr. Victor White, Jordan Peterson, Jonathan Pageau, John Vervaeke, Ian McGilchrist, and Bishop Barron.  

Basically Related
Take The Lowest Place: The Path of Humility

Basically Related

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2025 54:06


This week, we discuss what it means when Christ says "take the lowest place", as it relates to humility, magnanimity and pride.  The Sunday readings discussed can be found here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/083125.cfm -- Follow Us: https://linktr.ee/basicallyrelated   Basically Related is a Catholic podcast hosted by L.A.Benson and Matt Hylom, discussing scripture, culture, psychology, religion, and philosophy.  New episodes are released every Monday and Friday.     L.A.Benson is an OCDS Carmelite with an MTS in Theology Matt Hylom is an artist, singer-songwriter, and music producer    A few names frequent our discussion, with saints such as Bonaventure, Dionysius the Areopagite, Maximus the Confessor, John of the Cross, Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa, Thomas Aquinas, and John Henry Newman.  Other thinkers (philosophers, theologians, psychologists, artists, etc.) discussed include Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Dante, Josef Pieper, Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger), Hans Urs von Balthasar, Carl Jung, Victor Frankl, Fr. Victor White, Jordan Peterson, Jonathan Pageau, John Vervaeke, Ian McGilchrist, and Bishop Barron.  

Basically Related
Theology of Disclosure: A Phenomenological Approach To Theology

Basically Related

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2025 37:56


We're bringing back the "Monday Muses" episodes, where we'll dive into a variety of topics of culture, theology, psychology, and philosophy. This week, we discuss Robert Sokolowski's “theology of disclosure”, and its critical role in today's culture.  -- Follow Us: https://linktr.ee/basicallyrelated   Basically Related is a Catholic podcast hosted by L.A.Benson and Matt Hylom, discussing scripture, culture, psychology, religion, and philosophy.  New episodes are released every Monday and Friday.     L.A.Benson is an OCDS Carmelite with an MTS in Theology Matt Hylom is an artist, singer-songwriter, and music producer    A few names frequent our discussion, with saints such as Bonaventure, Dionysius the Areopagite, Maximus the Confessor, John of the Cross, Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa, Thomas Aquinas, and John Henry Newman.  Other thinkers (philosophers, theologians, psychologists, artists, etc.) discussed include Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Dante, Josef Pieper, Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger), Hans Urs von Balthasar, Carl Jung, Victor Frankl, Fr. Victor White, Jordan Peterson, Jonathan Pageau, John Vervaeke, Ian McGilchrist, and Bishop Barron.  

Basically Related
When Christ Says “Depart From Me!” | Alienation, Attention, and Existential Unavailability

Basically Related

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2025 50:52


This week, we discuss what it means when Christ says "I do not know where you are from", as it relates to alienation, attention, and Gabriel Marcel's idea of availability.  The Sunday readings discussed can be found here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082425.cfm -- Follow Us: https://linktr.ee/basicallyrelated   Basically Related is a Catholic podcast hosted by L.A.Benson and Matt Hylom, discussing scripture, culture, psychology, religion, and philosophy.  New episodes are released every Monday and Friday.     L.A.Benson is an OCDS Carmelite with an MTS in Theology Matt Hylom is an artist, singer-songwriter, and music producer    A few names frequent our discussion, with saints such as Bonaventure, Dionysius the Areopagite, Maximus the Confessor, John of the Cross, Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa, Thomas Aquinas, and John Henry Newman.  Other thinkers (philosophers, theologians, psychologists, artists, etc.) discussed include Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Dante, Josef Pieper, Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger), Hans Urs von Balthasar, Carl Jung, Victor Frankl, Fr. Victor White, Jordan Peterson, Jonathan Pageau, John Vervaeke, Ian McGilchrist, and Bishop Barron.  

Basically Related
Christ Did Not Come To Bring Peace | The Prophet and Subversive Christianity

Basically Related

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2025 52:39


This week, we discuss the role of the prophet, and what Christ means when He says "I did not come to bring peace" The Sunday readings discussed can be found here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/081725.cfm -- Follow Us: https://linktr.ee/basicallyrelated   Basically Related is a Catholic podcast hosted by L.A.Benson and Matt Hylom, discussing scripture, culture, psychology, religion, and philosophy.  New episodes are released every Monday and Friday.     L.A.Benson is an OCDS Carmelite with an MTS in Theology Matt Hylom is an artist, singer-songwriter, and music producer    A few names frequent our discussion, with saints such as Bonaventure, Dionysius the Areopagite, Maximus the Confessor, John of the Cross, Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa, Thomas Aquinas, and John Henry Newman.  Other thinkers (philosophers, theologians, psychologists, artists, etc.) discussed include Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Dante, Josef Pieper, Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger), Hans Urs von Balthasar, Carl Jung, Victor Frankl, Fr. Victor White, Jordan Peterson, Jonathan Pageau, John Vervaeke, Ian McGilchrist, and Bishop Barron.  

For the Life of the World / Yale Center for Faith & Culture
Amor Mundi Part 3: Loving Our Fate? / Miroslav Volf's 2025 Gifford Lectures

For the Life of the World / Yale Center for Faith & Culture

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2025 63:48


Miroslav Volf critiques Nietzsche's vision of power, love, and suffering—and offers Jesus's unconditional love as a more excellent way.The idea that competitive and goalless striving to increase one's power is the final Good, does very important work in Nietzsche's philosophy. For Nietzsche, striving is good. Happiness does not rest in feeling that one's power is growing. In the modern world, individuals are, as Nietzsche puts it, ‘crossed everywhere with infinity.' …And therefore condemn to ceaseless striving … The will to power aims at surpassing the level reached at any given time. And that goal can never be reached. You're always equally behind.Striving for superiority so as to enhance power does not just elevate some, the stronger ones. If the difference in power between parties increases, the weak become weaker in socially significant sense, even if their power has objectively increased. Successful striving for superiority inferiorizes.”In this third installment of his Gifford Lectures, Miroslav Volf offers a trenchant critique of Friedrich Nietzsche's moral philosophy—especially his exaltation of the will to power, his affirmation of eternal suffering, and his agonistic conception of love. Nietzsche, Volf argues, fails to cultivate a love that can endure possession, withstand unworthiness, or affirm the sheer existence of the other. Instead, Nietzsche's love quickly dissolves into contempt. Drawing from Christian theology, and particularly Jesus's teaching that God causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good alike, Volf explores a different kind of love—agapic, unconditional, and presuppositionless. He offers a vision of divine love that is not driven by need or achievement but that affirms existence itself, regardless of success, strength, or status. In the face of suffering, Nietzsche's amor fati falters—but Jesus's embrace endures.Episode Highlights"The sun, in fact, has no need to bestow its gift of light and warmth. It gains nothing from imparting its gifts.""Love that is neither motivated by need nor based on worthiness—that is the kind of love Nietzsche thought prevented Jesus from loving humanity and earth.""Nietzsche aspires to transfiguration of all things through value-bestowing life, but he cannot overcome nausea over humans.""God's love for creatures is unconditional. It is agapic love for the states in which they find themselves.""Love can only flicker. It moves from place to place because it can live only between places. If it took an abode, it would die."Show NotesMiroslav Volf's engagement with Nietzsche's workFriedrich Nietzsche's critique of Christianity as life-denying and his vision of the will to powerSchopenhauer's hedonism vs. Nietzsche's anti-hedonism: “What is good? Everything that heightens the feeling of power.”The will to power as Nietzsche's supreme value and “hyper-good”“The will to power is not a philosophy of life—it's a philosophy of vitality.”Nietzsche's agonism: the noble contest for superiority among equally powerful opponents“Every GOAT is a GOAT only for a time.”Amor fati: Nietzsche's love of fate and affirmation of all existenceNietzsche's ideal of desire without satisfaction: “desiring to desire”Dangers of epithumic (need-based, consuming) love“Love cannot abide. Its shelf life is shorter than a two-year-old's toy... If it took an abode, it would die.”Nietzsche's nausea at the weakness and smallness of humanity: “Nausea, nausea... alas, man recurs eternally.”Zarathustra's conditional love: based on worthiness, wisdom, and power“Joy in tearing down has fully supplanted love's delight in what is.”Nietzsche's failure to love the unworthy: “His love fails to encompass the great majority of actually living human beings.”Volf's theological critique of striving, superiority, and contempt“Nietzsche affirms vitality at the expense of concrete human beings.”The biblical God's love: “He makes his sun rise on the evil and the good.”“Even the poorest fisherman rows with golden oars.”Jesus's unconditional love versus Nietzsche's agonistic, conditional loveKierkegaard and Luther on the distinction between person and workHannah Arendt's political anthropology and enduring love in the face of unworthinessVolf's proposal for a theology of loving the present world in its broken form“We can actually long also for what we have.”“Love that cannot take an abode will die.”A vision of divine, presuppositionless love that neither requires need nor merit

Basically Related
What Does "Faith" Really Mean?

Basically Related

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2025 53:09


This week, we discuss the nature of faith, and what it means for the Christian life.  The Sunday readings discussed can be found here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/081025.cfm -- Follow Us: https://linktr.ee/basicallyrelated   Basically Related is a Catholic podcast hosted by L.A.Benson and Matt Hylom, discussing scripture, culture, psychology, religion, and philosophy.  New episodes are released every Monday and Friday.     L.A.Benson is an OCDS Carmelite with an MTS in Theology Matt Hylom is an artist, singer-songwriter, and music producer    A few names frequent our discussion, with saints such as Bonaventure, Dionysius the Areopagite, Maximus the Confessor, John of the Cross, Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa, Thomas Aquinas, and John Henry Newman.  Other thinkers (philosophers, theologians, psychologists, artists, etc.) discussed include Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Dante, Josef Pieper, Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger), Hans Urs von Balthasar, Carl Jung, Victor Frankl, Fr. Victor White, Jordan Peterson, Jonathan Pageau, John Vervaeke, Ian McGilchrist, and Bishop Barron.  

Thinking Out Loud
Contentment, Crisis, and Contemplation

Thinking Out Loud

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2025 41:10


In this episode of Thinking Out Loud, Nathan and Cameron dive into a rich theological reflection on spiritual preparedness in a chaotic world—using the metaphor of a flat spare tire to explore what it means to be caught off guard by life's inevitable crises. Drawing from Scripture, cultural trends, and the wisdom of thinkers like Kierkegaard and Eugene Peterson, they challenge modern Christians to consider the cost of distraction, emotional exhaustion, and constant busyness. Are we cultivating the spiritual depth and contemplative practices necessary to face suffering, loss, aging, and the deeper questions of faith? This episode speaks directly to believers looking for thoughtful, biblically grounded conversation about how to live wisely and intentionally in a noisy, demanding culture. If you're a Christian seeking to grow in wisdom, spiritual resilience, and theological depth, this conversation is for you. Subscribe now and join the discussion.DONATE LINK: https://toltogether.com/donate BOOK A SPEAKER: https://toltogether.com/book-a-speakerJOIN TOL CONNECT: https://toltogether.com/tol-connect TOL Connect is an online forum where TOL listeners can continue the conversation begun on the podcast.

Resistance Radio
Resistance Radio Interview of Paul Tyson

Resistance Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2025 51:08


Paul Tyson is an independent scholar and an Honorary Senior Fellow with the School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, at the University of Queensland, in Australia. He has academic qualifications in philosophy, theology, and sociology, and likes to mix them all up when trying to understand how strange the ordinary features of our contemporary way of life are. Three of his biggest intellectual heroes are Plato, Kierkegaard, and Ellul. Over the past few years he has been writing in the science and religion domain, which has resulted in the 2022 book 'A Christian Theology of Science' the 2021 book 'Theology and Climate Change' and the 2019 book 'Seven Brief Lessons on Magic'. Here is his substack: https://gcpt.substack.com/

For the Life of the World / Yale Center for Faith & Culture
How Striving to Be Better Than Others Makes Us Worse / Miroslav Volf

For the Life of the World / Yale Center for Faith & Culture

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 23, 2025 33:54


What if our relentless drive to be better than others is quietly breaking us?Miroslav Volf unpacks the core themes of his 2025 book, The Cost of Ambition: How Striving to Be Better Than Others Makes Us Worse. In this book, Volf offers a penetrating critique of comparison culture, diagnosing the hidden moral and spiritual wounds caused by competition and superiority.Drawing on Scripture, theology, philosophy, literature, and our culture's obsession with competition and superiority, Volf challenges our assumptions about ambition and identity—and presents a deeply humanizing vision of life rooted not in being “the best,” but in receiving ourselves as creatures made and loved by God.From Milton's depiction of Satan to Jesus' descent in Philippians 2, from the architectural rivalry of ancient Byzantium to modern Olympic anxieties, Volf invites us to imagine a new foundation for personal and social flourishing: a life free from striving, rooted in love and grace.Highlights“The key here is for us to come to appreciate, affirm, and—importantly—love ourselves. Love ourselves unconditionally.”“Striving for superiority devalues everything we have, if it doesn't contribute to us being better than someone else.”“The inverse of striving for superiority is internal plague by inferiority.”“In Jesus, we see that God's glory is not to dominate but to lift up what is low.”“We constantly compare to feel good about ourselves, and end up unsure of who we are.”“We have been given to ourselves by God—our very existence is a gift, not a merit.”Helpful Links and ResourcesVisit faith.yale.edu/ambition to get a 40-page PDF Discussion Guide and Full Access to 7 videosThe Cost of Ambition by Miroslav Volf (Baker Academic, May 2025)Philippians 2:5–11 (NIV) – Christ's Humility and Exaltation – BibleGatewayRomans 12:10 – “Outdo one another in showing honor” – BibleHubParadise Lost by John Milton – Project GutenbergParadise Regained by John Milton – Project GutenbergShow NotesOpening Reflections on CompetitionThe conversation begins with Volf recalling a talk he gave at the Global Congress on Christianity & Sports.He uses athletic competition—highlighting Lionel Messi—as a lens for questioning the moral value of striving to be better than others.“Sure, competition pulls people up—but it also familiarizes us with inferiority.”“We compare ourselves to feel good… but end up feeling worse.”Introduces the story of Justinian and Hagia Sophia: “Oh Solomon, I have outdone you.”Rivalry, Power, and InsecurityShares the backstory of Juliana's competing church and the gold-ceiling arms race with Justinian.“Religious architecture became a battlefield of status.”Draws insight from these historic rivalries as examples of how ambition pervades religious life—not just secular.Modern Parallels: Yale Students's & the Rat RaceVolf notes how even Yale undergrads—once top of their class—feel insecure in comparison to peers.“They arrive and suddenly their worth plummets. That's insane.”The performance-driven culture makes stable identity nearly impossible.Biblical Illustration: Kierkegaard's LilyVolf recounts Kierkegaard's retelling of Jesus's lily parable.A bird whispers to the little lily that it's not beautiful enough, prompting the lily to uproot itself—and wither.“The lesson: we are destined to lose ourselves when our value depends on comparison.”Intrinsic Value and the Image of God“We need to discover the intrinsic value of who we are as creatures made in the image of God.”Kierkegaard and Jesus both show us the beauty of ‘mere humanity.'“You are more glorious in your humanity than Solomon in his robes.”Theological Anthropology and Grace“We have been given to ourselves by God—our lives are a gift.”“We owe so much to luck, to others, to God. So how can we boast?”Paul's challenge in 1 Corinthians: “What do you have that you have not received?”Milton and Satan's AmbitionShifts to Paradise Lost: Satan rebels because he can't bear not being top.“Even what is beautiful becomes devalued if it doesn't prove superiority.”In Paradise Regained, Satan tempts Jesus to be the greatest—but Jesus refuses.Christ's Humility and Downward GloryHighlights Philippians 2: Jesus “emptied himself… took the form of a servant.”“God's glory is not domination—it's lifting up the lowly.”“Salvation comes not through seizing status, but through relinquishing it.”Paul's Vision of Communal HonorRomans 12:10: “Outdo one another in showing honor.”“True honor comes not from climbing over others, but from lifting them up.”Connects this ethic to Paul's vision of church as an egalitarian body.God's Care for Creation and HumanityLuther's observation: God calls Earth good but not Heaven—“God cares more for our home than his own.”“We are called to emulate God's loving attention to the least.”Striving vs. AcceptanceVolf contrasts ambition with love: “The inverse of striving for superiority is the plague of inferiority.”Encourages unconditional self-love as a reflection of God's love.Uses image of a parent greeting a newborn: “You've arrived.”A Vision for Healed Culture“We wreck others in our pursuit of superiority—and we leave them wounded in our wake.”The gospel reveals a better way: not performance, but grace.“Our salvation and our culture's healing lie in the humility of Jesus.”“We must rediscover the beauty of our mere humanity.”About Miroslav VolfMiroslav Volf is the founding director of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture and the Henry B. Wright Professor of Theology at Yale Divinity School. One of the leading public theologians of our time, he is the author of numerous books including Exclusion and Embrace, Flourishing, A Public Faith, Life Worth Living, and most recently, The Cost of Ambition. His work explores themes of identity, reconciliation, human dignity, and the role of faith in a pluralistic society. He is a frequent speaker around the world and has advised both religious and civic leaders on matters of peace and justice.Production NotesThis podcast featured Miroslav VolfEdited and Produced by Evan RosaHosted by Evan RosaProduction Assistance by Macie Bridge and Taylor CraigA Production of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture at Yale Divinity School https://faith.yale.edu/aboutSupport For the Life of the World podcast by giving to the Yale Center for Faith & Culture: https://faith.yale.edu/give