Podcasts about modern self

The End of the World Jonathan Parnell Download Psalm 97,The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice;let the many coastlands be glad!2 Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.3 Fire goes before himand burns up his adversaries all around.4 His lightnings light up the world;the earth sees and trembles.5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,before the Lord of all the earth.6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,and all the peoples see his glory.7 All worshipers of images are put to shame,who make their boast in worthless idols;worship him, all you gods!8 Zion hears and is glad,and the daughters of Judah rejoice,because of your judgments, O Lord.9 For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth;you are exalted far above all gods.10 O you who love the Lord, hate evil!He preserves the lives of his saints;he delivers them from the hand of the wicked.11 Light is sown for the righteous,and joy for the upright in heart.12 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!This morning I want to talk to you about the end of the world. For as long as there has been a world, humanity has been fascinated with this topic. This has been true of cultures all over the world all throughout history — from Ancient Mesopotamia to Chinese dynasties, from Norse Vikings to sub-Saharan Africa, from medieval Europeans to modern Americans — it's a human thing to wonder about the world's end.And in the Bible itself, the end of the world was on the table right away!In the Book of Genesis, just five chapters in, the Flood could have been the final judgment to end the world — and it would have been if not for the mercy of God!But because of God's mercy, and because of his patience (the apostle Peter tells us), the final end of the world has been delayed. Still.But the end is coming, and that's what I want to talk about this morning. And the real reason I wanna talk about the end of the world is because it's the topic of Psalm 97.There are three parts to the psalm, and I'm gonna title each part with what its mainly about:Part 1, verses 1–6 is Christ will come again.Part 2, verses 7–9 is Every human will respond. Part 3, verses 10–12 is How God's people live in the meantime.We're gonna spend most of our time on Part 3, but first Part 1.1. Christ will come again (vv. 1–6)Psalm 97, verse 1 just picks up where Psalm 96 left off. Psalm 96 envisions all of creation rejoicing, and the last verse of Psalm 96 explains why. This rejoicing is, verse 13,“…before the Lord, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness.”97:1, then, says: Yes, that's right, the Lord reigns and all the earth rejoices, even the coastlands. That's the deepest corners of the earth. The parts way out there.Then verses 2–5 describe the coming of God with this intense imagery. Listen to this: clouds and thick darkness. A throne of righteousness and justice. Fire going before him, consuming his adversaries. Lightning flashes. The earth itself trembles. Mountains melt like wax.To a casual reader, this sounds like a really bad thunderstorm. But when we have the whole Bible in mind, we can pick up the allusion to Mount Sinai. Mount Sinai was when God came down on the mountain to give the law: Exodus 19:18,“Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the LORD had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly.”Deuteronomy 4:11,“the mountain burned with fire to the heart of heaven, wrapped in darkness, cloud, and gloom.”The Final TheophanyThis was an amazing moment in history. The word for it is a ‘theophany' — which means a God-appearing. That's what Sinai was.And now Psalm 97 is describing another theophany — it's a future, final God-appearing, that's envisioned to be like Sinai!That's because the Original Law-Giver and the Final Judge are the same. That's why the imagery is the same, except in this future, final appearing, God comes in the person of Jesus Christ. We know this from the New Testament: John 5:11,“The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son.”Matthew 24:30,“Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man… and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”2 Thessalonians 1:7,“the Lord Jesus [will be] revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire…”The end of the world is now what we call the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The God who once descended on Sinai in clouds and fire will appear again finally in the person of Christ, and “every eye will see him” — Revelation 1:7. Everybody will see him, and everybody will respond, one way or another. That's Part 2.2. Every human will respond (vv. 7–9) Humanity is divided into two categories that will be clearest on the final day of judgment.Jesus has called these categories the wheat and the tares. The Psalms use the language of the righteous and the wicked. The New Testament draws the line as between believers and unbelievers — those who are in Christ and those who are not. And when Jesus comes back every eye will see him — those who have been united to him by faith and those who have rejected him. They all will see him, but they're gonna respond differently. Shame for IdolatersVerse 7 tells us the unbelievers (those who reject Christ) will be put to shame — but here they're described as the “worshipers of images” … as those who “boast in worthless idols.” Which is a good reminder! I want you to get this: there is really no such thing as an unbeliever. Everybody believes in something. The question is never if you believe, but who you believe in. So, unbelievers are always more accurately called “idolaters.” They've chosen to reject the one true God, and instead, they've replaced him with some other ‘little-g god' — and for the last hundred years in our society, the ‘little-g god' of choice is the Modern Self. That's the point of theologian Carl Trueman's book, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self (it's a helpful book written a few years ago).In one sense, modern idolatry is as old as it comes — our society has “exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen” — that's Romans 1:25.But what makes us different today is that, with our technologies, we have said, “I will make myself like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:14) …So we want to create human life … We want to determine our own sexuality …We want to invent our own morality … We want to become super human in our daily lives and live longer than ever … We even want to have the final say on when and how we die … The whole thing is about putting Self in the place of God.That's what transhumanism is — it starts with the myth of exclusive humanism (that's the idea that there is no God, but only us). That paves the way for the idolatry of the Self — the idea that “We are all God.” And right now, it's just so clear that's what's going on. If you look around in our culture, the idolatry of Self is having its moment. But on the day Jesus returns, at the end of the world, every unbeliever/every idolater/everyone who rejects Jesus will be put to shame. That means eternal regret. They will hate the choices they have made. The lies they have embraced will be exposed. And the demonic forces behind the idolatry will also bow the knee in submission to Jesus! (That's the end of verse 7.) The Day is coming. Joy for BelieversBut now in verse 8 notice the contrast to believers, to those who trust in Christ — that's who Zion and Judah represent. It's the people of God. Zion is glad! The daughters of Judah rejoice! And the mention of “daughters” in verse 8 is an idiom for villages or small towns. (This is an insight from Christopher Ash.) He says the idea here is that it's not just the capital city, Zion, that rejoices, but it's all believers everywhere! Even what might seem like the smallest outpost of kingdom of Christ, even the parts way out there, like in the middle of North America — on that day we're all rejoicing together … believers from “every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” … We will all say, “Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory!” (Revelation 7:9; 19:7). On that day, verse 9 will be the clearest reality of all:“For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth;you are exalted far above all gods.”In other words, Jesus has ultimate supremacy … “every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:11).This is what Psalm 97 is getting at. In summary, Psalm 97:1–9 is the Christian hope in a nutshell: One day Jesus is coming back in judgment and salvation — judgment for those who reject him and salvation for those who trust him. And by his grace, church, we trust him. We will rejoice on that day. We will love his future, final appearing! Amen.The big question now is: How do we live in the meantime?3. How do God's people live in the meantime?Now this is the church's question. We ask it together, and the New Testament is all about it. But verses 10–12 in Psalm 97 give us a pretty good answer, and that's what I wanna show you. But I want to help you bring it down more personally. This is a topic that can be so out there and theoretical, but don't let it be. I want you to think, right now: Jesus is coming back one day. Now ask yourself this question: What does God want me to do in this life? How should I live in the meantime?According to verses 10, 11, 12, we see at least three answers. First is this:1. Lead a moral life.This is verse 10, and it's one you need to see. So everybody help me out. Find Psalm 97, verse 10:“O you who love the Lord, hate evil!”“Hate evil” — this is a command, and it's one that we are not set up well to understand. That's because “hate” is a biblically strong word that we use too commonly. And “evil” is a biblically common word that we use too strongly. That make sense? We've weakened the word hate and narrowed the word evil. So we have to slow down and think about this.To hate something is to have an intense hostility against it. It's not a mood, it's a conviction. We shouldn't casually throw the word around about food or weather or sports teams. And evil is anything that defies the moral will of God — anything that is a deprivation or distortion of God's goodness. It's not just the worst, most horrible things nobody likes to talk about. But truly, sin, of every kind, is evil. See, we often define evil horizontally: we think it has to do with how much hurt it causes other people. But the Bible, first, defines evil vertically: the issue is what it says about God.Evil is evil because it defies him, it rejects him, it dishonors him. This is why we must have a God-centered morality.Right and wrong, good and evil, is not whatever you want it to be in the moment. But good and evil — the moral framework of reality — is an objective standard determined by the righteousness of God, and he has revealed this to us as his moral will in Scripture. What a gift!God guides us how to live in harmony with his holiness. He shows us how to lead a moral life, which means we hate evil. I think this is one of the greatest needs in our day for the church's witness. We need moral clarity — the ability to recognize evil, the courage to call evil evil, and the God-centered conviction to hate evil.And that means the evil out there, but it starts first with the evil within our own hearts. It's been said that many Christians today are soft on evil. And wherever that's true, my theory is that we're soft on evil culturally because we're soft on evil personally, and we're soft on evil personally because our vision of God is small … Wherever our understanding of God's glory is frail, and our commitment to his word is weak, we will get this wrong.And if we're ever gonna experience true revival, in our church, in this country, it will include a recovery here. Spurgeon put it plainly. He said, “We cannot love God without hating what he hates.”Until Jesus returns, in the meantime, we're called … you're called … to lead a moral life.Second thing to do in the meantime …2. Lead a hopeful life. This is verse 11:“Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.”A few years back, the Holy Spirit made this verse pop off the page to me. I wrote it out on a notecard and put it on my desk. I think it's a glorious sentence. Notice first that it's an agricultural metaphor, which we see a lot of in Scripture. Light and joy are sown. The focus is on planting, on sowing, but the words “light” and “joy” sound more like a harvest. How do you sow light? How do you plant joy? You don't. You sow something else that, in the moment of sowing, looks different from what you hope it will become.I just re-seeded my front yard. Tall fescue grass: Thick, forest-green blades, cool to the touch on the hottest summer day, firm but humble, durable but inviting, elegant but approachable — oh it will be wonderful! But what I held in my hand, before I dropped it in the ground, looked nothing like that — it looked nothing like what it will become. It was just a seed.That's so much of life, isn't it? Life in this meantime is sowing. It's planting. And a lot of times, we want to judge the future harvest by how the seed looks now. It's such an easy mistake to make. How do we not do that?How can we call it light now in the sowing? How can we call it joy now? The answer is hope. Our hope is in the harvest, and it's so sure — God's promise is so certain — we can say the light is in the ground. The joy is coming, and it's already here. That's what it means to lead a hopeful life.Third thing to do in the meantime …3. Lead a thankful life.This is verse 12:“Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!”Rejoicing and thanksgiving — it's the same idea. We rejoice in God and we give him thanks in response to who he is and what he's done. Now, I'm just going to use the word thankful because it's the last word in verse 12 and it encapsulates joy. Thankfulness includes joy. And this is such a fitting way to conclude Psalm 97, and really, to conclude everything. For everyone who trusts in Christ, thankfulness will be the posture of our hearts at the end of the world. We begin doing now what we will do forever. We're called to lead a thankful life today: Colossians 3:15,“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts… And be thankful.”1 Thessalonians 5:18,“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”Now, how do we do that? What does it look like to lead a thankful life?I think it comes down to the discipline of daily thankfulness.Very practically, just imagine how you start and end your days. You wake up every morning. We all start there. Now what if, first thing in the morning, when you're awake for your brain to work, you thanked God? Thank him for something specific — a provision, a gift, an experience. Start by thanking him. And then that night, with your head on your pillow, when God has brought you through another day, you end your day by thanking him for it. Even when things are tough, when things go sideways, in the full assessment of everything, there's a reason to be thankful. Give God thanks as you fall asleep, give God thanks when you wake up — and if you do that everyday that becomes a thankful life. It will be a life that honors God until that final day when we step into the eternal morning. This is how we live as we wait for the end of the world, because, as Psalm 97 shows us: Because Christ will come again. And every human will respond to his final appearing, either in shame or joy. And until that day, in the meantime, lead a moral life, lead a hopeful life, lead a thankful life.Father in heaven, the life to which you have called us is a life that you create. Thank you for the Holy Spirit! Thank you for his presence and power day by day, moment by moment. We need him. Thank you that your Spirit brought us from death to life through the gospel. Thank you that he opened our eyes to see Jesus and to know your great love for us.Thank you for the hope that your Spirit guarantees in our hearts — the hope that Jesus will return and make all things new. We long for that day. And we pray, with the apostle John, Come, Lord Jesus!In his name, amen.

What does it mean to be human in an age that celebrates the destruction of the sacred? In this timely episode, Ed Stetzer sits down with renowned historian and author Carl Trueman to discuss his latest work, The Desecration of Man. Following the success of The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, Trueman explores how the rejection of external authority and the ascent of "expressive individualism" have led us to a point where we no longer just ignore meaning—we actively delight in smashing it.From the pervasive influence of technology and AI to the complex ethical landscapes of IVF and surrogacy, Trueman traces the roots of our modern malaise back to thinkers like Rousseau, Freud, and Nietzsche. Together, Ed and Carl wrestle with how the church can offer a "consecrated" alternative, pointing to the Imago Dei as the only stable foundation for human dignity. This is a vital conversation for leaders seeking to navigate a culture that is rapidly reconfiguring the very definition of humanity.ABOUT OUR GUESTCarl Trueman is a theologian, historian, and author known for his work on church history, theology, culture, and the modern self. He serves as a professor at Grove City College and previously taught at Westminster Theological Seminary and the University of Nottingham.Trueman is widely recognized for his thoughtful analysis of contemporary culture through the lens of historic Christianity. His bestselling book The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self has significantly shaped evangelical discussions about identity, expressive individualism, and cultural change. A frequent conference speaker and commentator, Trueman combines scholarly depth and cultural insight as he helps Christians think carefully about faithfulness and truth in a rapidly changing world.

Matt and Michael wrestle with one of the oldest questions in philosophy. Why does accepting objective meaning make life harder, not easier? They start with nihilism and why almost nobody can actually live it out. Michael plays devil's advocate for the social contract view of morality. Matt pushes back hard. If your worldview is just preferences, what do you do when Thanos shows up? The conversation spirals through C.S. Lewis, 1984, Sam Harris's wireless dog fence, and why telling the truth is just easier than lying. They land on the cross as the place where God measures himself by himself and absorbs the gap we cannot close. Cheers y'all

Matt and Michael return from two very different deserts. Vegas and Big Bend. One all lights and noise, the other all silence and heat. Matt shares what it meant to scatter his father's ashes in West Texas. Michael talks about the solitude of crowds. And somewhere around the forty minute mark, the conversation turns into something else entirely. What is AI actually for? What gets lost when we outsource struggle? Why do we need to be broken to become whole? And what happens to a culture that forgets the purpose of things? They land on teleology, the study of purpose itself. A knife only makes sense if you know it's meant to cut. So what are we meant for? And what happens when we stop asking? Cheers y'all

Yesterday was the best day on the calendar according to Democrats—Tax Day—and Zohran Mamdani is over the moon about it; California designates tax dollars toward sex changes for migrants; plus, Democratic billionaire Tom Steyer says it's time to throw ICE in jail. Ep. 2407

Zig Ziglar didn’t build his success on hype or shortcuts—he built it on discipline, service, and helping others win first. In this Shop Talk, we break down the simple principles that can improve how you live, work, and serve—and why modern self-help has made them far more complicated than they need to be.Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#joinSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Nate Shannon interviews Rev. Dr. Justin Poythress about his forthcoming book Who Am I and What Am I Doing With My Life? The conversation explores the modern “identity crisis” often expressed in debates about sexuality and gender but argues that these are only surface manifestations of a much deeper question: what it means to be human. Poythress explains that contemporary culture's emphasis on radical self-creation, amplified by social media, limitless vocational options, and hyper-individualism, has produced both unprecedented freedom and profound instability. When identity becomes something we must invent rather than receive, the result is anxiety, paralysis, and constant comparison. This pressure affects everyone, not just teenagers or those wrestling with gender questions; adults experience it through work, retirement, politics, and online self-presentation. The gospel, Poythress argues, reframes identity entirely. Rather than constructing ourselves from scratch, we discover that much of who we are is “given”, created by God and shaped in relationship to Him and others. Christianity does not suppress the human desire for growth and transformation but redirects it: true becoming happens through union with Christ, not self-invention. What modern self-help and identity movements seek, meaning, stability, and a better self, is fulfilled in conversion and sanctification. The Christian life therefore answers the identity crisis not by rejecting identity language, but by redeeming it, grounding our being and becoming in communion with God.

After Don Lemon interrupts a church service in Minnesota, he calls the church goers entitled white supremacists who think this is a christian country. We explore what makes a country christian, and what alternatives might be look like if we were to wish to be something different. Also, Landman season 2! So good. References: Don lemon - https://x.com/MarioNawfal/status/2013340689099301260?s=20 The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self - https://a.co/d/5B1ckjO Philip Reiff, The Triumph of the Therapeutic - https://a.co/d/bgdMUTc Nietzsche on the death of God: "Where has God gone?" he cried. "I shall tell you. We have killed him - you and I. We are his murderers. But how have we done this? How were we able to drink up the sea? Who gave us the sponge to wipe away the entire horizon? What did we do when we unchained the earth from its sun? Whither is it moving now? Whither are we moving now? Away from all suns? Are we not perpetually falling? Backward, sideward, forward, in all directions? Is there any up or down left? Are we not straying as through an infinite nothing? Do we not feel the breath of empty space? Has it not become colder? Is it not more and more night coming on all the time? Must not lanterns be lit in the morning? Do we not hear anything yet of the noise of the gravediggers who are burying God? Do we not smell anything yet of God's decomposition? Gods too decompose. God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we, murderers of all murderers, console ourselves? That which was the holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet possessed has bled to death under our knives. Who will wipe this blood off us? With what water could we purify ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we need to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we not ourselves become gods simply to be worthy of it? There has never been a greater deed; and whosoever shall be born after us - for the sake of this deed he shall be part of a higher history than all history hitherto." Find us here: x.com/mattmccloskey x.com/michaelvaclav All Matt's Links - https://solo.to/mattmccloskey All Michael's Links - https://solo.to/michaelvaclav Sovereign Goods - https://sovereigngoods.shop Cafe Medici - mediciroasting.com/?srsltid=AfmBOo…9eDe2OliQmjTc2A

Why is it easier to judge a stranger in traffic than to look in the mirror?In this episode, we explore the intersection of Psychology and Urdu Poetry to understand the human urge to criticize others. Using the timeless wisdom of Ghalib and Khumar Barabankavi, we discuss how the "Mirror Principle" serves as a masterclass in Emotional Intelligence.We break down why Self-Help often fails when we forget to move from judgment to Mindfulness. By treating the mirror as a tool for Meditation and neutral Self-Observation rather than a source of shame, we unlock a new level of Personal Development.Inside the Episode:The Mirror of Khumar: Why "Tabsira" (critique) requires a reflection first.Ghalib's Defiance: Understanding your true identity in a world of unwanted advice and constant judgment.Mental Wellness: Learning that you are the observer of your feelings, not the feelings themselves.This is more than just a Poetry Podcast; it is a journey into Spirituality and Philosophy designed to improve your Mental Wellness and help you navigate modern life with more empathy and less stress.

Carl Trueman talks with Jenny, Erin and Keri about how we can help our families and churches take every thought captive and not be drawn in by expressive individualism.Resources Mentioned:The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl TruemanStrange New World by Carl TruemanThe Desecration of Man (Upcoming, April release) by Carl TruemanFirst Things – Magazine Carl contributes toReformation21 – Blog where Carl writesMortification of Spin – Carl's podcast

We hear a lot about “Narcissism” these days. Is it because there is more of it around? In his 1979 book, The Culture of Narcissism: American Life in an Age of Diminishing Expectations, Christopher Lasch demonstrates how “Modern capitalist society not only elevates narcissists to prominence, it elicits and reinforces narcissistic traits in everyone.” In this episode of The Gentle Rebel Podcast, we explore the book’s relevance today. And particularly, how narcissistic culture reflects the modern self-help industry. It blows my mind that this was written almost half a century ago. https://youtu.be/dD7a127TXbE?si=L_MuMEmrMUAD0grY The Myth of Narcissus “People with narcissistic personalities, although not necessarily more numerous than before, play a conspicuous part in contemporary life, often rising to positions of eminence. Thriving on the adulation of the masses, these celebrities set the tone of public life and of private life as well, since the machinery of celebrity recognises no boundaries between the public and the private realm.” Lasch’s interpretation of the myth portrays Narcissus drowning in his own reflection, never realising that it is only a reflection. He suggests that the story’s point is not that Narcissus falls in love with himself. Rather, it is that “since he fails to recognise his own reflection, he lacks any real understanding of the difference between himself and his surroundings.” Narcissists are often depicted as carrying too much self-love. However, Lasch has a more subtle understanding of it, with the main characteristic being a lack of security in their self-concept. So the question we face is whether the proliferation of visual and auditory images, first through mechanically produced media and more recently via the online world, causes us to lose the healthy sense of separation needed for a secure ego to develop. In other words, does a growing culture of narcissism influence who we are and how we understand and feel about ourselves? And how does the self-help industry contribute to and benefit from this reality? How Celebrity Fuels Narcissistic Ideals A culture of narcissism is one preoccupied with celebrity. We find a sense of our own identity in the public figures that adorn our screens and fill our ears. They influence the content of our own fears, desires, and beliefs. Their success feels like our success. And attacks on them (or accountability), feels like an attack on us. Influencers know this, and as such, seek to nurture parasocial bonds with their followers. From Healthy Ego to Narcissistic Performance A culture of narcissism is built on a performance. It values confidence over competence, shifting the definition of success to one of individual visibility and attention. Success, for the narcissist, is about being admired, revered, and relevant in the eyes of others. Their sense of existence depends on this image (they are their reflection in the pool). Our online social tools ensure and deepen these mechanics. Two Lineages of Self-Help in a Narcissistic Age The term self-help seems to reflect diverging roots. One is inherently practical and social. It relates to customs where people share knowledge, exchange skills, and develop collective competence to make everyday life easier and more sustainable, without needing intervention from external bureaucratic institutions. The other is shaped by the rise of post-industrial neo-liberal capitalism, which depicts the self as the centre of everything. It is seen as a project to be refined, marketed, and optimised for an external system that measures and rewards confidence, image, and success. Lasch also emphasises how, despite attempts to compare themselves with earlier industrial leaders, twentieth-century prophets of positive thinking like Dale Carnegie and Napoleon Hill pivot from dedication to industry and thrift to an unrelenting love of and pursuit of money. Advertising and the Narcissistic Gap Mass consumption might appear centred on self-indulgence. However, Lasch clarifies how modern advertising aims to generate self-doubt rather than self-satisfaction to motivate it. It creates needs instead of fulfilling them and produces new anxieties rather than alleviating existing ones. This also supports modern self-help. It must constantly generate new insecurities, doubts, and feelings of inadequacy in the people it “serves”. All of this takes place against a backdrop of aspirational images, telling us consumers that we deserve more. Influencers spread commodity propaganda, making people highly dissatisfied with what they have. They do this by displaying attractive images and connecting with their audience through the message that “if I can do it, so can you”. The Antidote of Ordinary Unhappiness The Culture of Narcissism echoes a hope that society can still be reorganised in ways that would provide “creative, meaningful work”. Not where “meaningful work” must reflect a divine purpose and be endlessly fulfilling. Instead, aligning with Freud’s concept of ‘ordinary unhappiness,’ it is through accepting the contradictions rather than trying to fill them with self-help’s promise of wholeness, optimisation, and even overcoming death. These aspirations are rooted in a narcissistic culture that fails to recognise the elements of life that give human existence its mundane sense of meaning. Politics in a Narcissistic Landscape Lasch observed how this culture of narcissism erodes historical continuity. In politics, charisma outweighs competence. Leaders become symbols of personal fantasy rather than guardians of collective well-being, both now and in the future. This emptiness is quickly filled by the promises of self-help, which offer individual solutions instead of shared direction. Lasch quotes an unnamed management book, which described success as, “not simply getting ahead” but “getting ahead of others.” This leaves us spinning our wheels, seeking shortcuts, and managing perceptions. Rather than getting anywhere with a long-view perspective. Self-help often reinforces the pattern of “constant and never-ending improvement.” It depicts the self as permanently incomplete, always seeking the next insight, tool, or mentor. In other words, it keeps the focus on the individual as both the cause and the remedy for the instability caused by external forces. Preoccupied with Youthfulness Lasch asserts that “The real value of the accumulated wisdom of a lifetime is that it can be handed on to future generations.” Knowledge is regarded as instrumental, a view reinforced by the internet. It is something to utilise rather than pass on through personal relationships. With rapid technological change, we are led to believe that the older generation has little to teach the younger. This leads us to become obsessed with youthfulness as a matter of survival. This fear of old age and death is closely connected to the rise of the narcissistic personality as the dominant personality type in modern society. Because narcissists have so few inner resources, they seek validation from others. They crave admiration for their beauty, charm, celebrity, or power, which diminish with time. Consequently, the narcissistic culture becomes obsessed with curing degradation and death. It does this rather than embracing it gracefully and enjoying its fruits. Always Being Watched Lasch wrote that “Cameras and recording machines not only transcribe experience but alter its quality, giving to much of modern life the character of an enormous echo chamber, a hall of mirrors.” Nothing happens in private. But can we let life unfold quietly, slowly, and separately from the reflection in the pool?

“Our longings are much more powerful than our logic, and our desires are stronger than our reason.” (Graham Tomlin on the thought of Blaise Pascal)The Rt. Rev. Dr. Graham Tomlin (St. Mellitus College, the Centre for Cultural Witness) joins Evan Rosa for a sweeping exploration of Blaise Pascal—the 17th-century mathematician, scientist, philosopher, and theologian whose insights into human nature remain strikingly relevant. Tomlin traces Pascal's life of brilliance and illness, his tension between scientific acclaim and radical devotion, and his deep engagement with Descartes, Montaigne, and Augustine. The conversation moves through Pascal's analysis of self-deception, his critique of rationalism and skepticism, the transformative Night of Fire, his compassion for the poor, and the wager's misunderstood meaning. Tomlin presents Pascal as a thinker who speaks directly to our distracted age, revealing a humanity marked by greatness, misery, and a desperate longing only grace can satisfy.Episode Highlights“Our longings are much more powerful than our logic, and our desires are stronger than our reason.”“The greatness and the refuse of the universe—that's what we are. We're the greatest thing and also the worst thing.”“If everybody knew what everybody else said about them, there would not be four friends left in the world.”“Only grace can begin to turn that self-oriented nature around and implant in us a desire for God.”“The reason you cannot believe is not because of your reason; it's because of your passions.”Show NotesGraham Tomlin introduces the Night of Fire and Pascal's meditation on “the greatness of the human soul”Evan Rosa frames Pascal as a figure of mystery, mechanics, faith, and modern technological influence.Tomlin contrasts Pascal with Descartes and Montaigne—rationalism vs. skepticism—locating Pascal between their poles.Pascal's awareness of distraction, competition, and “all men naturally hate each other” surfaces early as a key anthropological insight.Evan notes Nietzsche's striking admiration: “his blood runs through my veins.”Tomlin elaborates on Pascal's lifelong tension between scientific achievement and spiritual devotion.The story of the servant discovering the hidden Night of Fire parchment in Pascal's coat lining is recounted.Tomlin reads the core text: “Joy, joy, joy, tears of joy… Let me never be separated from him.”Pascal's distinction: “God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, not of the philosophers.”Discussion of Jansenism, Augustinian anthropology, and the gravity of human fallenness.Tomlin sets the philosophical context: Pascal as a counter to both rationalist optimism and skeptical relativism.Pascal's core tension—grandeur and misery—is presented as the interpretive key to human nature.Quote emerges: “the greatness and the refuse of the universe—that's what we are.”Tomlin describes Pascal's political skepticism and the idea that politics offers only “rules for a madhouse.”Pascal's diagnosis of self-deception: “If everybody knew what everybody else said about them, there would not be four friends left in the world.”Evan raises questions about social hope; Tomlin answers with Pascal's belief that only grace can break self-love.They explore Pascal's critique of distraction and the famous line: “the sole cause of man's unhappiness is that he does not know how to stay quietly in his room.”Tomlin ties this to contemporary digital distraction—“weapons of mass distraction”.The conversation turns to the wager, reframed not as coercion but exposure: unbelief is driven by passions more than reasons.Closing reflections highlight the apologetic project of the Pensées, Pascal's brilliance, and his ongoing relevance.Helpful Links and ReferencesSpecial thanks to the Center for Christian Witness and Seen and Unseen https://www.seenandunseen.com/Blaise Pascal: The Man Who Made the Modern World, by Graham Tomlin https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/graham-tomlin/blaise-pascal/9781399807661/Pensées, by Blaise Pascal https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/18269Provincial Letters, by Blaise Pascal https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2407Why Being Yourself Is a Bad Idea, by Graham Tomlinhttps://www.amazon.com/Why-Being-Yourself-Bad-Idea/dp/0281087097Montaigne's Essays https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3600Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/23306Augustine's Confessions https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3296About Graham TomlinGraham Tomlin is a British theologian, writer, and church leader. He is the former Bishop of Kensington (2015-2022) in the Church of England and now serves as Director of the Centre for Cultural Witness and President of St Mellitus College in London. He is widely known for connecting theology with cultural life and public imagination. Tomlin is the author of several books, including Looking Through the Cross, The Widening Circle, and Why Being Yourself Is a Bad Idea: And Other Countercultural Notions. His latest book is an intellectual and spiritual biography, Blaise Pascal: The Man Who Made the Modern World.Production NotesThis episode was made possible in part by the generous support of the Tyndale House FoundationThis podcast featured Graham TomlinProduction Assistance by Emily Brookfield and Alexa RollowEdited and Produced by Evan RosaHosted by Evan RosaA production of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture at Yale Divinity School https://faith.yale.edu/aboutSupport For the Life of the World by giving to the Yale Center for Faith & Culture: https://faith.yale.edu/give

This may have been a first, once we decided to not go to Italy, I decided to take my full planned vacation and Greg decided to go back to work. We had our 4 day staycation but the rest of the planned time off was all mine. How did I spend it?  Golden Window I am definitely in a unique-to-me Golden Window. The PhD is winding down, we are making massive shifts at work, and I will soon be the grandma of two heartbeats. As I realized I was going to have a lot of time to do whatever I wanted I asked myself what that should be. I plugged Greg into my calendar with the things we wanted to do. Then I looked at Abby's calendar to see went the optimal time was to spend time with her and getting her ready for the baby. I did end up spending a 4 hour block of time in the office on Sat. morning but it gave me the opportunity to bring home some Workboxes I've been wanting to clean out and organize. I also took a little time to fill in my home and work 2 and ½ year planners.  Scrapbooking On Sunday Afternoon I got the best treat, Grayson fell asleep on me for about 90 minutes. But you know me, I'm productive. So while I was trapped in grandma heaven I ordered pictures. Because one of my initiatives once the PhD is done, is to get back to scrapbooking. So I ordered pictures and loved on Grayson. During this time off I was able to get a lot of sorting of pictures done and now I feel ready to start #allthescrapbooks Shopping Like it was the 80's And then I had a friend who was going to kind of be on standby for Abby and Grayson while we were gone who said "Ya know, I still have that time free, do you want to do something?" I did! I wanted to go shopping. We took two whole days shopping. We thoroughly went through the women's department in each store and just took our time. This made going through my closet fun too. I did a little rearranging of what's in my closet with the newest modification of Hunter (our dog) sleeping in my closet now.  I am ready for this next phase of life.  And we checked out Costco and Sam's Club. I wanted to compare products that they offered. And I knew Sam's Club had the diapers and wipes I wanted to stock up on for the baby. This grandma is ready for grandbaby number 2!  As the week came to and end, I had the choice to go back into the office on Thursday or take one more day to myself. I talked myself into staying home. I got to get to some binders, workboxes, and slash pockets I'd been wanting to. I got to grab high tea with my cousin and after we went for a nice long walk. With the baby coming and the hurry up and wait game with the dissertation, I knew to maximize on this time. Self care is more than a massage. I wanted to share how I spent my time, to give you ideas of different ways of self care.  EPISODE RESOURCES: The Sunday Basket® Sign Up for the Organize 365® Newsletter  Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media!

Season Five of the Veritas Cultivate podcast officially kicks off with this thought provoking conversation with historian, theologian, and author Dr. Carl Trueman, who was our school's commencement speaker in May 2025. His bestselling books Strange New World and The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self offer thoughtful, biblical examination and response to our culture's current identity crises. Listen in to his discussion with Head of School Ty Fischer as Carl shares what led him to delve into these weighty and critical topics, as well as important insights for parents as we seek to raise our children to form and found their identity in Christ first and and foremost. This season of Cultivate is sponsored by Hershey Financial Advisors,  a wealth management firm located at North Point Boulevard in Lancaster, leading people to make better financial decisions and empowering them to fulfill a vision beyond themselves.

Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution By: Carl R. Trueman Published: 2022 208 Pages Briefly, what is this book about? The long philosophical journey that took us to the current prioritization of expressive individualism, and how this journey eventually carried us to a strange new world, where expressive sexual/identity politics seem normal if not inevitable.  What's the author's angle? Trueman is a Christian, and this book is written towards a religious audience.  Who should read this book? Trueman's previous book, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self is one of my all-time favorite books. (You can see a review here.) This covers basically the same territory, but in a shorter, more accessible format. If you've read his longer book, you can probably skip this one, but if you haven't then I would recommend this book to anyone trying to understand the modern world.  Specific thoughts: It is indeed a strange new world

Remembering Charlie Kirk: The reverberations of his life and assassination in our culture. “When people stop talking, really bad stuff starts” - Charlie Kirk https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0vL5uZBLk7s Charlie Kirk - https://x.com/charliekirk11 The rise of the Modern Self - https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Triumph-Modern-Self-Individualism/dp/1433556332 Cliffe knechtle - https://x.com/askcliffe?s=11 Colin Wright's graph - https://x.com/SwipeWright/status/1966288413939659079 Find us here: x.com/mattmccloskey x.com/michaelvaclav All Matt's Links - https://solo.to/mattmccloskey All Michael's Links - https://solo.to/michaelvaclav Sovereign Goods - www.etsy.com/shop/SovereignThreadGoods Cafe Medici - mediciroasting.com/?srsltid=AfmBOo…9eDe2OliQmjTc2A

To help our seniors synthesize the many ideas, events, and texts they've surveyed across high school—and to help them better understand their own cultural moment—Heights teachers have developed a senior core class titled “History of Western Thought.” In this episode, Upper School Head Michael Moynihan and long-time teacher Austin Hatch discuss the course and its guide-text: Carl Trueman's Strange New World (2022). HOWT covers essential texts from Plato's Republic to Pope Benedict XVI's “Regensburg Address.”. Its goal is not only to prepare students for college work but to prepare them to meaningfully engage with the culture they will inherit, understanding its origins and its underlying assumptions. Chapters: 00:02:31 History of Western Thought course 00:08:10 The “HOWT” syllabus 00:11:31 Strange New World, a primary source guide 00:14:13 Teens and the intellectual tradition 00:16:39 Seeing ideologies in motion 00:18:48 Pairing philosophical threads 00:27:26 Understanding our cultural moment 00:29:25 Pushing back on ‘authenticity' 00:33:31 How students respond to the course 00:35:09 Thinking about friendship 00:41:04 Big ideas in a short class 00:44:32 Reading Trueman alongside your son Links: Strange New World by Carl Trueman “Canada Is Killing Itself” by Elaina Plott Calabro, The Atlantic, September 2025 Texts from the HOWT course: The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl Trueman Republic by Plato Phaedo by Plato The Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle De Officiis by Cicero Moralia, vol. 1, featuring “How to Know a Flatterer from a Friend” by Plutarch Confessions by Augustine Summa theologiae by St. Thomas Aquinas Utopia by Thomas More Confessions by Jean Jacques Rousseau Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy by René Descartes Frankenstein by Mary Shelley The Idea of a University by St. John Henry Newman Regensburg Address by Pope Benedict XVI Also on the Forum: American Restlessness featuring Dr. Benjamin Storey A Study for All Seasons: On the Western Tradition featuring Lionel Yaceczko Is The Heights a Classical School? by Michael Moynihan Featured Opportunities: Convivium for Teaching Men at The Heights School (November 13-15, 2025)

Dans cet épisode, Matt et Raph parlent du triomphe de l'érotique. Ils montrent comment la révolution sexuelle, inspirée par Freud, Marcuse et relayée par le surréalisme et la pornographie, a transformé l'imaginaire occidental en plaçant le sexe au centre de l'identité humaine.

From Augustine to Marx, many views and perspectives have contributed to the modern understanding of self. Dr. Carl Trueman will carefully analyze the roots of the sexual revolution as a symptom, rather than the cause, of humanity's search for identity. He will teach us about the past, clarify the present, and offer guidance for an ever-changing future.Become a Parshall Partner: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/inthemarket/partnersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when the self we imagine drifts further from the one we actually live? In this episode, philosopher Fredrik Westerlund joins Craig and Nicholas de Warren to explore his concept of “identity on credit,” where our sense of self is built on promises yet to be realized. From Sophocles' Ajax to Nietzsche, Deleuze, and Scheler, we trace how recognition, resentment, and failure shape the modern psyche. Together we ask whether it is possible to live beyond the creditor–debtor logic of identity.Enroll today at AHRC: https://www.acidhorizonpodcast.com/fall-2025Support the showSupport the podcast:https://www.acidhorizonpodcast.com/Linktree: https://linktr.ee/acidhorizonAcid Horizon on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/acidhorizonpodcast Boycott Watkins Media: https://xenogothic.com/2025/03/17/boycott-watkins-statement/ Join The Schizoanalysis Project: https://discord.gg/4WtaXG3QxnSubscribe to us on your favorite podcast: https://pod.link/1512615438Merch: http://www.crit-drip.comSubscribe to us on your favorite podcast: https://pod.link/1512615438 LEPHT HAND: https://www.patreon.com/LEPHTHANDHappy Hour at Hippel's (Adam's blog): https://happyhourathippels.wordpress.com​Revolting Bodies (Will's Blog): https://revoltingbodies.com​Split Infinities (Craig's Substack): https://splitinfinities.substack.com/​Music: https://sereptie.bandcamp.com/ and https://thecominginsurrection.bandcamp.com/

As always, we use the latest dispatch from The Embassy for our discussion - here is an excerpt:The debate concerning the origin or foundation of mathematics has been around for a very long time. Particularly, this question: Is mathematics invented or is it discovered? Because mathematics describes to an unreasonable level of accuracy how the physical world operates, is it something like a part of or an addendum to our universe? Or, is it something humans are inventing, which may be what it seems like in the moment of thinking up new mathematical ideas. For those who are interested in the question, here are a few (very non-technical) minutes from Roger Penrose, one of the most prominent physicists of the past number of decades, on the question. One of the arguments against mathematics being discovered is the unresolved, and probably scientifically and mathematically insolvable question: how did it get there? God doesn't often come up in these discussions, but that might be the beginning of an answer. I suspect this is one of the motivations of those who favor view that mathematics is invented.I have always been on the discovered end of the question, not that anyone cares. As Penrose points out, there are many examples, Einstein's theories being some of the most prominent, where the known mathematics was extended far beyond our knowledge of the physical universe, only to find, through experimentation, that this apparently invented mathematics predicts the outcome of these experiments to an incredible degree of precision. The mathematics, along with those aspects of the universe that the mathematics describes, was waiting, from the very beginning of the universe, for us to discover it. Some on the invented side of the question seem to believe that everything is invented, that nothing exists on its own, rather we make it up and live according to these invented rules. It is all in our heads because everything is. Okay, okay, enough about mathematics, or at least let us move from mathematics to life. This is our question: is our life invented or discovered? And what difference does that make?This is our question: is our life invented or discovered? And what difference does that make?I don't assume you have ever thought about the question, at least not in those terms. But our answer, or our assumed answer, whether we have reflected on it or not, impacts how we approach, think about, and live our lives. As Carl Trueman writes in The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self …… most of us do not self-consciously reflect on life and the world as we live in it but instead think and act intuitively in accordance with the way we instinctively imagine the world to be.Carl Trueman, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, p.73As we reflect, with aid from Trueman and his book, we can draw on the work of philosophers Philip Rieff and Charles Taylor. Neither are religious, to my understanding, but both have wrestled with how we have thought about what life is over the course of Western Civilization. Rieff describes society's moral values as finding their foundation in a sacred order (at least until our current age). He describes three successive worlds, with the first two worlds justifying these moral values by appealing to something transcendent, to the sacred. The first world is pagan and is controlled by fate, based on the whims of capricious gods or spirits. The second world in the West is Judeo-Christian and is characterized by faith, and at it's moral foundation is a loving God who made us and everything else. We can move past fate because, in this second world, our lives have a purpose beyond ourselves, we are part of a larger story. The third world, by contrast, moves past belief in anything transcendent. It is only us, no larger purpose, nothing else to justify us, we have to justify ourselves. We have to invent our lives instead of discovering them in a larger story. Rieff writes,Culture and sacred order are inseparable, the former the registration of the latter as a systematic expression of the practical relation between humans and the shadow aspect of reality as it is lived. No culture has ever preserved itself where it is not a registration of a sacred order.Philip Rieff, Sacred Order / Social Order, Volume 1, p.13 - referenced by Trueman, p. 76What Rieff calls the third world, Charles Taylor in his work A Secular Age, calls the immanent frame. Previously, as Rieff describes as the first and second world, we operated in a transcendent frame. In this shift from the transcendent frame to the immanent frame, Taylor describes a shift in how we understand our lives. In the transcendent frame, we view our life as deeper than what is on the surface, the world we see is representative of a larger reality. In the immanent frame, there is no larger reality, there is no order or meaning to discover. We are the creators of the meaning of our lives, instead of the discoverers of the meaning our lives already have. I think it is important to note that Taylor is not arguing for the transcendent frame, I don't want to misrepresent him. He is simply noticing this shift and some of the impacts it has.I have summarized and oversimplified very large ideas - but it is clear we have moved from the idea that our lives are given to us, along with the meaning and purpose that is a part of this gift, to the idea that our lives are completely our own, that we enter in Act 1, Scene 1 of our stories and it is all about the play that we write. Which is pretty much what we are left with if we reject the transcendent frame.Many of us, perhaps most of us, ourselves, our friends, family, and neighbors experience life as chaotic, bewildering, maybe even apparently meaningless. That is true as well for Christians who have signed up for the transcendent frame, and a life of meaning - but who expect to understand the meaning at every step. At various times, I suspect, this describes all Christians, though we may not want to admit it to ourselves. We are impacted by the immanent frame all around us even as we believe in a transcendent frame. We seek to form our beliefs in this transcendent frame, but we feel the pull of a world that has largely rejected itRead the whole thing here.The Embassy is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Embassy at theembassy.substack.com/subscribe

What is critical theory and why is it so vital for Christians to understand today? What are its historical roots and where do we see it manifest today? Carl Trueman is one of the leading Christian social critics today and he has a new book To Change All Worlds. Sean and Scott talk with him about the motivation behind the book, why it is so timely for Christians today, and offers ideas for navigating our cultural moment in light of this profoundly influential movement. Carl Trueman earned his Ph.D. at the University of Aberdeen and he currently is a professor of biblical and religious studies at Grove City College. He is the best-selling author of multiple books including The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self. ==========Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a podcast from Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California. Find all episodes of Think Biblically at: https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically. Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video. To submit comments, ask questions, or make suggestions on issues you'd like us to cover or guests you'd like us to have on the podcast, email us at thinkbiblically@biola.edu.

In our culture, identify is seen as something that each person creates for themselves. But is that really where your identity comes from? Does determining your own identity really set you free?Scott and Shawn bring the critical subject of identity into their continuing journey to learn to think like Jesus. In this episode, they talk through the inevitable difficulties we face when trying to create our own identity and how we can allow the mind of Jesus to inform and shape where true and lasting identity is found.

Resources mentioned in this episode:Priests of History: Stewarding the Past in an Ahistoric Age by Sarah Irving-StonebrakerThe Holy Spirit and Christian Experience by Simeon ZahlKing: A Life by Jonathan EigSimply Christian by N. T. WrightThe Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl Trueman

When you scroll through social media feeds today, you'll find countless posts about “living your truth” and “being authentic.” These ideas feel so natural to us now that we rarely stop to ask where they came from or what they really mean.The concept of identity — how we understand ourselves — has undergone a radical transformation over the centuries. What once was defined primarily by external markers like family, profession, and community has shifted dramatically toward inner feelings, desires, and psychological experiences.Today on the show, Carl Trueman unpacks this profound change and how we got to the lens through which we view ourselves today. Carl is a professor, theologian, and the author of The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self. Throughout our conversation, he explores the insights of three key thinkers — Charles Taylor, Philip Rieff, and Alasdair MacIntyre — who have mapped the historical and cultural shifts that have transformed our ideas of identity. We discuss how this transformation has reshaped politics, education, and religion, while considering whether we've lost something essential in moving from a shared understanding of human nature to an increasingly individualized conception of self.Resources Related to the PodcastThe Triumph of the Therapeutic: Uses of Faith After Freud by Philip RieffSources of the Self: The Making of the Modern Identity by Charles TaylorAfter Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory by Alasdair MacIntyreThe Abolition of Man by C.S. LewisAoM Podcast #723: Men Without ChestsAoM Article: 3 Essential Books for Understanding Our Disorienting Modern WorldAoM Article: Why Are Modern Debates on Morality So Shrill?Carl's writing at First ThingsConnect With Carl TruemanCarl's faculty page 

In this episode, Dave and Jeff delve into the culturally sensitive topic of self-love, therapy, and self-discovery.They analyze how these concepts often intersect with Christianity and discuss the potential dangers to look out for and how to avoid them.Through anecdotes, biblical references, and practical advice, they aim to provide listeners with a balanced, faith-based approach to these three areas.Books mentioned in this episode:- "The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self" by Carl Truman- "Strange New World" also by Carl Truman- "Telling Yourself the Truth" by William Baucus- "Waking the Dead" by John EldridgeLinkTree:https://linktr.ee/AllisonParkLeadershipNetworkEmail:Jeffl@allisonparkchurch.comDavel@allisonparkchurch.comInstagram:@Jeffleake11@Dave.Leake

Tragic events like the devastating collision between American Airlines Eagle Flight 5342 and a military Black Hawk helicopter that claimed the lives of 67 innocent people shake us to our core and leave us asking deep, unsettling questions. Questions like, where was God and why would He allow this to happen?Suffering is an unavoidable part of life, making it crucial for Christians to reconcile God's goodness with the presence of evil. This week, Frank sits down with Dr. Andy Steiger, co-creator of the new video series, 'Can I Trust the Bible?', and President of Apologetics Canada, to tackle one of the most difficult topics in apologetics: the problem of evil. During their conversation, they will answer questions like:Does the presence of evil disprove God?What does it mean to be human?What does it mean to love God first?What would happen to humanity in a fallen world without pain and suffering?What's a flat-tire Christian?Why is it important to have a high view of God?Be sure to come back next week as Andy and Frank continue their conversation and talk about Andy's new video series, co-created with Wes Huff!Resources mentioned during the episode:WEBSITE - https://apologeticscanada.com/BOOK - Thinking? Answering Life's Five Biggest Questions: https://bit.ly/4aIkIgHBOOK - Reclaimed: How Jesus Restores Our Humanity in a Dehumanized World: https://bit.ly/3WIztKJBOOK - The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: https://a.co/d/aLUAdVK

In this episode of Truth Tribe, I review Carl Trueman's newest book, "To Change All Worlds: Critical Theory from Marx to Marcuse." His magisterial 2020 volume, "The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self," established him as an insightful, rigorous, and incisive analyst who writes lucidly about complex ideas and places them into a Christian context. He then followed up this book with a smaller summary volume, which added new material, which was called "Strange New World," which was published in 2022. His newest effort addresses in more depth elements taken up in that previous work, or actually those two previous works, the nature of Critical Theory and its influence in contemporary culture. Although critical race theory has its roots in critical theory, Truman does not say much about critical race theory. We are again in his debt for an in depth analysis, rich in original source research and pertinent for understanding contemporary cultural and political currents. Hegel was right in at least one thing: to understand an age, you must understand its philosophy, and as Christians, we must expose it and counter it with biblical truth. Truman, patiently and non polemically, explains critical theory. To do so, he explores the philosophies of major figures such as Hegel, Karl Marx, and Sigmund Freud, and culturally significant thinkers from the German Frankfurt school such as Herbert Marcuse and Max Horkheimer. He also consults Neo-Marxist thinkers such as John Lucas and Karl Koch and the Neo-Freudian Wilhelm Reich as a historian. Truman's aim is more elucidation than reputation, and he exposes difficult ideas in readable prose—no mean feat. However, he is wisely critical of critical theory to summarize and review a book that explores several dense thinkers, and their significance is challenging. I'd rather teach it than review it. However, several salient ideas emerge, which I will discuss here. Douglas Groothuis, Ph.D., is Distinguished University Research Professor of Apologetics and Christian Worldview at Cornerstone University and the author of twenty books, including Beyond the Wager: The Christian Brilliance of Blaise Pascal (InterVarsity, 2024). Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In this episode of Coaching In Session, host Michael Rearden tackles the pervasive issue of self-doubt in today's fast-paced world. Modern life often brings overwhelming pressures, leading to negative self-talk and a lack of confidence. Michael dives deep into understanding the roots of self-doubt, its impact on personal and professional growth, and how to break free from its hold. He offers practical strategies for building self-assurance, embracing one's strengths, and fostering a resilient mindset.Join us for this insightful discussion on how to overcome self-doubt, reframe limiting beliefs, and unlock your true potential. Whether you're looking to boost your confidence or navigate challenges, this episode provides actionable steps for personal empowerment and growth.Read the Full Blog: http://www.revenconcepts.com/overcoming-self-doubt#OvercomingSelfDoubt #BuildingConfidence #MindsetGrowth #CoachingInSession #PersonalEmpowerment #SelfBelief #ConfidenceBuilding #SelfImprovement #MindsetMatters #CoachingTips #OvercomeLimitingBeliefs #SelfDevelopment #MentalStrength #PersonalGrowth Send us a MessageSupport the showWebsite: www.Revenconcepts.comEmail: Coachinginsession@gmail.com Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share the podcast with others who would benefit from it!

Send us a textIn this episode, I sit down with Donald Robertson, renowned author, psychotherapist, and expert in ancient philosophy, to dive deep into the life, methods, and lessons of Socrates. Donald brings his unique perspective, blending cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and Stoic philosophy, to explore why Socrates remains a pivotal figure in philosophy—and what we can learn from his methods today.Donald's new book, How to Think Like Socrates, is out now!

Copywrite @AmandaPanacea Thehealerrevolution.com FREE Wellness & Product Guide: https://coaching.healerrevolution.com/wellness-guide How to FEEL course: https://coaching.healerrevolution.com/how-to-feel-coming-out-of-the-freeze-response Are you a practitioner or coach? Get certified in Bioenergetic testing: https://bioenergetics.learnworlds.com/course/bioenergetic-training Get certified in HTMA: https://www.stillmanwellness.com/a/2147948473/QhLu4YnW (Discount AMANDA) Learn how to use and source Peptides (for non practitioners also!): https://amandapanacea--designergenes.thrivecart.com/pepsquad/ Learn to read mold labs and OAT: https://amandapanacea.krtra.com/t/4yQ7W1qjLT9c #AdrenalFatigue #anxietyrelief #bioenergetics #neuroscience #brainretraining #somatichealing #ChronicStress #hrv #functionalfreeze #AdrenalSupport #fightflightfreeze #nervoussytemregulation #nervoussystem #bloodsugar #anxiety #burnout #functionalmedicine #htma #bioenergetictesting #mcas #eczema #lyme #moldillness #gutbrainconnection #lymedisease #mastcellactivationsyndrome #tsw #topicalsteroidwithdrawal #guthealth #mineralbalancing #circadianrhythms #mastcellactivation #frequencyhealing #allergyrelief #weightloss #peptides #stressrelief #traumahealing #peptidesforweightloss #Bioenergetictesting --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/amanda-panacea/support

This Gun Talk Nation features a detailed discussion on revolvers, particularly focusing on their use in modern-day fighting scenarios. Host Ryan Gresham and guests Darryl Bolke and Brian Eastridge of American Fighting Revolver delve into the practical advantages of revolvers compared to semi-automatic pistols. They highlight revolvers' simplicity, reliability, and effectiveness in various scenarios, especially in self-defense and law enforcement contexts. Darryl and Brian also share personal stories of using revolvers in real-world defensive situations, emphasizing how revolvers are resilient in tough environments like pocket carry, ankle carry, and close-quarters combat. Additionally, they touch on the importance of training with revolvers and making proper gear and ammo choices. The conversation reflects their passion for keeping the legacy of revolvers alive, while also recognizing the value of modern firearms.This Gun Talk Nation is brought to you by Caldwell, Franklin Armory, RCBS, Ruger, Range Ready, Remington, EOTECH, Stag Arms, Build Box, Silencer Central, SDS Imports and SecureIt.For more content, subscribe to Gun Talk at guntalktv.com, on Gun Talk's Roku, Apple TV, iOS app, Android app, or find Gun Talk on YouTube, Rumble, Facebook, Instagram, X and guntalk.com. Listen to all Gun Talk Podcasts with Spreaker, iHeart, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts.Copyright ©2024 Freefire Media, LLCGun Talk Nation 10.09.24

Send me a one-way text about this episode! I'll give you a shout out or answer your question on a future episode.Has the news got you angry, worried, or ready to opt out of society? As part of our season-long exploration of courageous homemaking we are going to tackle the topic of world news, events and culture. How do we navigate all of that responsibly without fear, fighting or checking out completely and what does all of this have to do with courageous homemaking?My discussion partner today is Isa Ryan, a homemaker and writer who grew up with a very progressive paradigm and no concept of biblical femininity. As a follower of Christ, she now champions God's design for men, women and the family in her writing and her interactions on social media. Join us as we look at what it means to be an informed homemaker and why it matters.EPISODE LINKS & NOTESConnect with IsaInstagram | @created_femaleSubstack | isaryan.substack.comBible Reading Plans:What Isa Uses: The Grant Horner MethodWhat Allison uses: Robert Murray M'Cheyne PlanRecommended Reading on Worldview:The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, Carl R Trueman *note, Trueman wrote a more concise, less academic version of this book called, Strange New World The God Who is There, Francis SchaefferTotal Truth, Nancy PearceyApps, Sites & MiscFeedly news aggregator appEpoch TimesJust the News, No NoiseReal Clear PoliticsThe HillWorld (News from a Biblical Worldview)Substack for indie news and opinion piecesSubscribe to our newsletter before 9/20/24 to get more on sources for the informed homemaker.HOMEMAKING RESOURCESFree Weekly Newsletter, Homemaker Happy MailPrivate Facebook Group, Homemaker ForumNewsletter ArchiveJR Miller's Homemaking Study GuideAudio Newsletter available to Titus 2 Woman monthly supportersSUPPORT & CONNECT Review | Love The Podcast Contact  | Voicemail |Instagram | Facebook  |  Website | Email  Follow | Follow The PodcastSupport the show

Today we are posting an interview with Dr. Carl Trueman. Dr. Trueman is a professor of biblical and religious studies at Grove City College. He's also a contributing editor at First Things, an esteemed church historian, and a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Trueman has authored or edited more than a dozen books; we'll be talking today primarily about the ideas from his books The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self and Strange New World, which explore the cultural shifts that paved the way for that idea that someone could be “a man trapped in a woman's body,” or vice versa. For more parenting resources, go to axis.org 

Join us for a conversation with Carl R. Truman, Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies at Grove City College in Grove City, Pennsylvania and author of The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self. 

We need to up-level the way we take care of ourselves, especially when we don't feel well, or have a lot going on.I am sharing my recent discovery that my self care needed an up-level, and what I did to start caring for myself even when I felt bad.Interested in private 1:1 coaching, or group coaching?  Schedule a consultation with me HERE...we can talk about what would be perfect for you and your goals.Courtney---------I work privately with women 1:1 to stop the dieting and lose weight permanently.  But it is more than just weight loss, it is about how you talk to yourself, how you think about yourself, and how you feel in control around food.This work is life changing.I can't wait for you to get to know me and my work better.  I invite you to find my website and social below...www.courtneygraycoaching.comhttps://www.instagram.com/modernbodymodernlife/

Jeremy Pryor is joined by Chris Cirullo and Phil Cotnoir to react to the recent interview between Jordan Peterson and Elon Musk, specifically focusing on Elon's personal experience with the woke transgender mind virus, and his vow to destroy it. This is a must-listen interview for all dads, because it is fathers who have the responsibility to stand up to these demonic attacks on our culture and our children and our neighbours. Jeremy, Chris, and Phil discuss awareness, counterattacks, the importance of giving an identity to your children, and why we need to expand the conversation from the cultural arena to the faith arena. On this episode, we talk about: 0:45 Intro to today's guests 3:04 Clip of Elon Musk and Jordan Peterson 9:47 The main lenses to look at this problem through 11:23 Does good Christian fatherhood inoculate our kids against these woke mind viruses? 15:54 Family and fatherhood identity 19:59 The post-modern teardown of externalized identities in favour of internalized identities 34:53 Navigating the Bible's narrow sexual ethic 40:04 Elon's vow to crush the woke mind virus 47:41 How do we come up with strategies to counterattack and defend our families? 56:28 Low hanging evangelism fruit Follow Family Teams: Facebook: https://facebook.com/famteams Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/familyteams Website: https://www.familyteams.com Resources Mentioned: MissionFit.co PhilCotnoir.com Jordan Peterson Interviews Elon Musk Family Revision by Jeremy Pryor The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl Trueman --- Hi, welcome to the Family Teams podcast! Our goal here is to help your family become a multigenerational team on mission by providing you with Biblically rooted concepts, tools and rhythms! Your hosts are Jeremy Pryor and Jefferson Bethke. Make sure to subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube so you don't miss out on future episodes!

Listen in on Caleb and Lindsey's conversation concerning how Christians ought to relate to philosophy. They share practical resources to educate both yourself and arm your family against the secular philosophies of our day. It is important to ask yourself the question, "Why do I believe  or do this or that?" As Christians we ought to be purposeful. Philosophical questions get to the root of why we exist and what our duty is to our neighbor. These answers are found in God's Word alone, therefore Christians ought to be the most confident in sharing these foundational truths with the very confused world around us. This episode is a part of an ongoing series on Building a Thoroughly Christian Worldview. Everyone has a worldview whether they realize it or not, and more than likely their worldview is not consistent with itself. The Bible is our only standard for all of life and truth. We are called to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). We can only do this by knowing God's Word. Listen in to this multipart series as Caleb and Lindsey discuss what a worldview is, how to evaluate your worldview for inconsistencies, and also ways to apply God's Word and mission to every area of your life. As disciples we are meant to have a "Kingdom Mindset." Many Christians today have more of a defeatist mindset and live defensively instead of offensively. The Christian's worldview directly applies to how Christians engage the culture, and this is what we will be discussing in future episodes during this series. **THIS MONTH'S SPONSOR:** Christian Light Education Read Lindsey's Personal Review: ⁠https://reformedfaithandfamily.com/learning-to-read-cle-review/⁠ Visit Christian Light Education's Website: ⁠https://christianlight.org/shop-curriculum⁠ **FREE** Christian Worldview Family Field Guide >> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download Your Copy Now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ >> All resources listed in this episode can be found on the Reformed Faith and Family Recommended Resources page ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Resources listed in this episode include: >>The Consequences of Ideas, R.C. Sproul >> A Christian View of Philosophy and Culture, Francis Schaeffer >> A History of Western Philosophy and Theology, John M. Frame >> We Are All Philosophers: A Christian Introduction to Seven Fundamental Questions, John M. Frame >> The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl Trueman >> Advancing the Kingdom: Declaring War on Humanistic Culture by Dr. Donald Schanzenbach >> Lindsey's recommendation for Christian Apologetics in the Homeschool Room is using Compass Classroom's Worldview and Philosophy products: https://compassclassroom.com/shop/product-category/philosophy-worldview/ Veritas Press or Logos (Canon) Press also have good options! Keep Up with Reformed Faith and Family in the Following Ways: Never miss an episode, article, or a new FREEBIE by joining our weekly newsletter here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://reformedfaithandfamily.com/subscribe/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Build your library with our recommended resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://reformedfaithandfamily.com/recommended-resources/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Read the latest articles: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://reformedfaithandfamily.com/blog/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Download your FREEBIES in our store: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://reformedfaithandfamily.com/store/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out the Swag Shop: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://reformedfaithandfamily.com/swag-shop/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WE HAVE A FAVOR TO ASK! If you are excited about our mission at Reformed Faith and Family to guide men and women as they seek to learn more about Reformed theology and equip families as they disciple their children, then please leave our podcast a 5-star review and share it with a friend. We appreciate each one of our faithful listeners, but we also depend on you to help us get the word out. Thank you for your continued support!

Michael and Caleb discuss the differences between modern self help and Stoicism – where self help is useful, where it isn't, and recommend their favorite self help books.(04:07) Defining Self Help(11:31) Where Self Help Goes Wrong(28:09) The Good in Self Help(45:02) Best Self Help Books***Download the Stoa app (it's a free download): stoameditation.com/podIf you try the Stoa app and find it useful, but truly cannot afford it, email us and we'll set you up with a free account.Listen to more episodes and learn more here: https://stoameditation.com/blog/stoa-conversations/Thanks to Michael Levy for graciously letting us use his music in the conversations: https://ancientlyre.com/

This episode is a part of an ongoing series on Building a Thoroughly Christian Worldview. Everyone has a worldview whether they realize it or not, and more than likely their worldview is not consistent with itself. The Bible is our only standard for all of life and truth. We are called to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). We can only do this by knowing God's Word. Listen in to this multipart series as Caleb and Lindsey discuss what a worldview is, how to evaluate your worldview for inconsistencies, and also ways to apply God's Word and mission to every area of your life. As disciples we are meant to have a "Kingdom Mindset." Many Christians today have more of a defeatist mindset and live defensively instead of offensively. The Christian's worldview directly applies to how Christians engage the culture, and this is what we will be discussing in future episodes during this series. **THIS MONTH'S SPONSOR:** Christian Light Education Read Lindsey's Personal Review: https://reformedfaithandfamily.com/learning-to-read-cle-review/ Visit Christian Light Education's Website: https://christianlight.org/shop-curriculum **FREE** Christian Worldview Family Field Guide >> ⁠⁠⁠⁠Download Your Copy Now!⁠⁠⁠⁠ >> All resources listed in this episode can be found on the Reformed Faith and Family Recommended Resources page ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Resources listed in this episode include: >> The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl Trueman >> Advancing the Kingdom: Declaring War on Humanistic Culture by Dr. Donald Schanzenbach Keep Up with Reformed Faith and Family in the Following Ways: Never miss an episode, article, or a new FREEBIE by joining our weekly newsletter here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://reformedfaithandfamily.com/subscribe/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Build your library with our recommended resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://reformedfaithandfamily.com/recommended-resources/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Read the latest articles: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://reformedfaithandfamily.com/blog/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Download your FREEBIES in our store: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://reformedfaithandfamily.com/store/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out the Swag Shop: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://reformedfaithandfamily.com/swag-shop/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WE HAVE A FAVOR TO ASK! If you are excited about our mission at Reformed Faith and Family to guide men and women as they seek to learn more about Reformed theology and equip families as they disciple their children, then please leave our podcast a 5-star review and share it with a friend. We appreciate each one of our faithful listeners, but we also depend on you to help us get the word out. Thank you for your continued support!

In this episode, we welcome Carl Trueman back to the show. He is a Christian ecclesiastical historian, professor, and author. He is a professor of religious studies at Grove City College, a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, and a contributing editor at First Things. Additionally, he's the bestselling author of The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, Strange New World, and his newest book Crisis of Confidence: Reclaiming the Historic Faith in a Culture Consumed with Individualism and Identity. In this interview, we discuss his shock over the impact The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self has had even to this day, why he wrote his latest book, why creeds and confessions seem implausible in our modern climate, how chronological snobbery plays into our view on creeds and confessions, how preaching styles impact how people understand doctrine, why it should concern us that many modern preachers operate without a legitimate board of elders, the next two books he plans to release, and much more. Let's get into it…  Episode notes and links HERE. Donate to support our mission of equipping men to push back darkness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why should we care about philosophy? Is philosophy only for academics? In this episode we interview Dr. Douglas Groothius, professor of Philosophy at Denver Seminary. He makes a compelling case that philosophy is for everyone in his book Philosophy in Seven Sentences by introducing us to seven important sentences by key philosophers in history. In our time with Dr. Groothius we discuss apologetics, the law of non-contradiction, self-hood, and what it means to be a distinctly Christian philosopher. Resources mentioned Philosophy in Seven Sentences by Douglas Groothius Beyond the Wager:The Christian Brilliance of Blaise Pascal by Douglas Groothius The Dust of Death by Os Guinness Fools Talk by Os Guinness Christian Apologetics by Douglas Groothius Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis Long Journey Home by Os GuinnessMockery in Apologetics by Douglas Groothius Questioning Evangelism by Randy Newman Tactics by Greg Koukl Strange New World by Carl Trueman The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl Trueman Life's Ultimate Questions by Ronald Nash  https://www.douglasgroothuis.com/

John discusses this week's Light House Voices event featuring Laura Perry Smaltz. A new book from Abigail Shrier takes a hard look at therapy: the new theory of everything. And the Supreme Court will hear arguments this week on a challenge to the FDA's continued lax rules for the abortion pill.   Recommendations Lighthouse Voices with Laura Perry Smalts The Alisa Childers Podcast: Is a Hyper-focus on Trauma Actually Hurting Us?  with Maria Baer Masters of the Air Segment 1 - Laura Perry Smalts Tells Her Story Lighthouse Voices with Laura Perry Smalts Transgender To Transformed As Kids, They Thought They Were Trans. They No Longer Do. Breakpoint Forum: The Real Facts About Gender Ideology Segment 2 - Therapy: The New Theory of Everything Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren't Growing Up by Abigail Shrier Breakpoint: When “Helping” Kids Hurts Them Honestly with Bari Weiss: Why the Kids Aren't Alright The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl R. Trueman The Death of the Grown-Up by Diana West Is a Hyper-focus on Trauma Actually Hurting Us?  with Maria Baer Segment 3 - SCOTUS Hears Arguments on Relaxed Abortion Pill Rules FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine  Despite Bans, Number of Abortions in the United States Increased in 2023 __________ Get your copy of The Deconstruction of Christianity with your gift of any amount this month at colsoncenter.org/march.  Learn more about the ACSI Rooted Conference at acsi.org.

Make a one-time or recurring donation on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donor Box profile here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Join us in the mission of introducing Reformed Theology across the world! Please help support the show on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon Page⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!   WELCOME TO BOOK CLUB! Carl R. Trueman (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is professor of biblical and religious studies at Grove City College. He is a contributing editor at First Things, an esteemed church historian, and a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Trueman has authored or edited more than a dozen books, including Strange New World; The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self; and Histories and Fallacies. He is a member of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. We want to thank ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Crossway⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for their help in setting up this interview and providing us with the necessary materials for this interview with Dr. Trueman!   ⁠Purchase the book(s) here:⁠ Crisis of Confidence: Reclaiming the Historic Faith in a Culture Consumed with Individualism and Identity   Have Feedback or Questions? Email us at: guiltgracepod@gmail.com Find us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@guiltgracepod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@guiltgracepod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find us on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Guilt Grace Gratitude Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Please rate and subscribe to the podcast on whatever platform you use! Looking for a Reformed Church? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠North American Presbyterian & Reformed Churches --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gggpodcast/support

In the beloved movie The Princess Bride the character Vizzini frequently cries, “inconceivable!” about things that keep happening. Finally, another character observes, “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” That scene comes to mind annually, when Merriam-Webster Dictionary announces its “word of the year.”   The announcement is intended to recognize words that have defined our cultural moment. In recent years, it has recognized words our cultural moment has redefined. For example, last year's word “gaslighting” describes unhealthy behavior in which someone tries to manipulate you into questioning your sanity. However, like the word “toxic” before it, “gaslighting” is now a catch-all term used by some to shut down pretty much anyone who disagrees with them. “They” was the 2019 word of the year, which, in ordinary English, is a third-person plural pronoun. In today's Newspeak, it's a mandatory way of referring to someone who claims to be “nonbinary,” also a redefined word.  This year's word is “authentic,” which the dictionary defines as “not false or imitation: real, actual,” or “worthy of acceptance or belief as conforming to or based on fact.” However, the context in which this word is most frequently and passionately used is the debate over gender identity, as in “be your authentic self.” So, it now refers to anything but reality or conformity to fact. To be “authentic” in 2023 often means stubbornly ignoring fact, hormonally masking or surgically reconstructing fact, and demanding that others also ignore fact, even in classrooms, competitions, locker rooms, and in print. In short, “authenticity” now means conformity with subjective internal feelings that are widely assumed to be the defining feature of individuals and the highest value in society.  Theologian Carl Trueman documented how we got to this place—how the self became psychologized, how psychology became sexualized, and how sex became politicized—in his book The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self. This new definition of “authenticity” is part of that story—that living a fulfilling life consists primarily in looking within, discovering who you “truly are,” and then projecting that identity into the world. These are all central to his account.   Trueman explains:   "Expressive individualism particularly refers to the idea that in order to be fulfilled, in order to be an authentic person, in order to be genuinely me, I need to be able to express outwardly or perform publicly that which I feel I am inside. … In a society where the expressive individual is increasingly the norm and increasingly presented as that which we should all be, then the idea of society itself forcing us to play a role that we don't feel comfortable with inside makes us inauthentic." This new definition of “authentic,” that what I feel inside is the highest truth, would have baffled people in centuries past and still baffles many non-Westerners today. However, the real problem is that this new definition of “authentic” is utter nonsense. Truth is not primarily subjective but objective. Reality is not decided by individuals but given by a Creator. One of the things our Creator both demands of us and enables us to do through redemption is conform our inner selves to His will and design, which He reveals, objectively, in both creation and Scripture.   To be authentically me is to be who God says I am. Our identity is established by, guaranteed by, and secured in Jesus Christ. Even more important than getting words right is pointing to the reality to which words refer and are permanently tethered. Words become nonsense otherwise, and that should make this practice of redefining words truly “inconceivable.”  Before I sign off today, I wanted to say thank you for making Breakpoint a part of Christian worldview diet. Everywhere I travel, I meet listeners who share how these daily doses of clarity help them think biblically, have hard conversations, and disciple their kids and grandkids. If Breakpoint has been a help to you and your family, please consider making a year-end gift of support at colsoncenter.org/give.   This Breakpoint was co-authored by Shane Morris. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, go to breakpoint.org. 

Having narrowly escaped being held hostage at gunpoint, Carl and his partner-in-crime, Todd, sit down with Thaddeus Williams to discuss his latest book, Don't Follow Your Heart: Boldly Breaking the Ten Commandments of Self-Worship. Don't Follow Your Heart offers a compelling vision for the kind of Christianity that is truly countercultural, that rebels against the status quo, and offers something genuinely revolutionary. Thaddeus also tells the guys it's "an accessible and readable version of Carl's The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self." Them's fightin' words! You won't want to miss this episode! Register here for the opportunity to win a copy of Thaddeus' book, courtesy of Harper Collins Publishing.   Show Notes: Thaddeus Williams' website: https://jointheheretics.com/

In a viral post back in July, entrepreneur Robert Sterling described what many people feel:   "There is something deeply unwell in our society right now. … I'm sure social media, economic malaise, Covid lockdowns, fentanyl, and every other reason we hear about factor into it."  Yet, all these reasons, he continued, “in aggregate, still feel insufficient.” Something “metaphysical,” seems to have shifted.   A Breakpoint commentary in April described the mental health crisis of American teens, especially teenage girls. As The New York Times reported, “Nearly three in five teenage girls felt persistent sadness in 2021 … and one in three girls seriously considered attempting suicide.” Boys aren't doing much better, with so-called “deaths of despair” at an all-time high among the male population.    This widespread mental instability has culturewide consequences. In a recent documentary, filmmaker Christopher Rufo diagnosed what he calls our “Cluster B Society.” The rise of “woke” ideology and cancel culture, he argued, corresponds with the explosion of psychopathologies like narcissism and borderline personality disorder.  These “disorders of the self,” Rufo explains, wreck relationships and lead to profound social dysfunction. When they become “formalized and entrenched” in “human resource departments, government policies, cultural institutions, and civil rights law,” they lead to precisely the kinds of extremism and emotional instability that infects politics today, especially among the young.    What is this “metaphysical shift,” this feature of modern society, that is driving so many people into despair?  Writing for the Institute for Family Studies, University of Virginia sociologist Joseph Davis argues that our mental health crisis is the end of a long process that began well before the iPhone, social media, or fentanyl. The seeds of despair and derangement, he thinks, were sown when people stopped looking to timeless institutions and transcendent realities to give their lives meaning, and instead turned inward for answers.    Davis cites Jennifer Breheny Wallace, who in her book Never Enough notes that even successful and privileged young people often say they feel “utterly vacant inside.” The reason they are looking inward for meaning is because they've been taught for decades now, by everyone from Disney and Oprah to pop stars and professors, to reject external sources of meaning like God, family, or country. “Their truth” is found within, while external sources of authority are oppressive and stifle authentic individuality.    As a result, Davis argues, “the public frameworks that gave life direction and meaning—prescribed roles, rites of passage, compelling life scripts, stable occupational trajectories—continue to fade away.”  That's why, as he puts it,  "We feel empty, inadequate, and adrift because we have been thrown back on ourselves, forced to face the challenge—at younger and younger ages—of trying to establish an identity, make commitments, live with conviction, desire life, and find meaning without the very sources that make these things possible in the first place."  As theologian Carl Trueman demonstrated in his book The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, the idea that life's greatest meaning comes from within and from there we express our authentic identity is a recent development. Our ancestors looked beyond self, to external sources of authority. In our culture of expressive individualists, many people are finding themselves, to paraphrase Friedrich Nietzsche, unchained from a sun.    Writing of the death of God in his famous Parable of the Madman, Nietzsche accurately predicted the chaos to come but also noted that people in his day could not realize the implications of doing away with fixed, transcendent meaning. “I have come too early,” says the Madman. “This tremendous event is still on its way, still wandering; it has not yet reached the ears of men.”   Perhaps today, in the ruins of the institutions, traditions, churches, families, and cultures once tied to belief in an unchanging God, Nietzsche's prophecy has come true. We are adrift with only ourselves as gods. If the statistics are accurate, more and more people are finding this intolerable.    We were never meant to invent meaning for ourselves. The demands of our hyper-individualistic society feel unbearable because they're unreasonable. We put the weight of defining the world on our shoulders, and it's heavier than we ever imagined. The self is not big enough to define the truth.   This means that solving our mental health crisis will take much more than cutbacks on social media or crackdowns on opioids (though these are good ideas). It will take a return to older, less individualistic sources of identity and a willingness to stop treating “be yourself” or “you do you” as some kind of profound wisdom.    This Breakpoint was co-authored by Shane Morris. To help us share Breakpoint with others, leave a review on your favorite podcast app. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, go to breakpoint.org.  

Our Self Storage Income Live Event: https://www.selfstorageincome.com/ssi-live-2023 Self Storage has changed MASSIVELY in the last 10 years. Big players have entered the market and started investing in a key component: technology. If you don't have a website nowadays, your business *will not* be discovered. The self storage facility today is far more advanced than that of just a few years ago. There's AI managing tenants, there's algorithms behind revenue management - the prices you see on their site. So what do facilities need to stand out in today's age? And be able to reach their customers? And more importantly, how should they treat their customers, so that they stay your customers? Today's guest is our very own Jesse Harmon. His expertise in Marketing, Revenue Optimization & Commercial Strategy gives us a close, on-the-ground, inside look into the daily operations of storage in the modern age. Want to take advantage of todays market conditions with us? Invest in our opportunistic Fund 2 Here: https://cedar.cc/invest Our architecture services can be found here: https://cedar.cc/services Join our Facebook Community to talk and learn with our 300+ members today. - https://www.selfstorageincome.com/ssi-monthly-membership

Jen Wilkin, JT English, and Kyle Worley are joined by Dr. Katie McCoy to ask the question: If God created men and women to live as complements to one another, why do we find so much division and brokenness and confusion between men and women?Questions Covered in This Episode:If God created men and women to live as complements to one another, why do we find so much division and brokenness and confusion between men and women?How might Greek philosophy have impacted the way we think about these things?Has there ever been a time when it has been more confusion to address questions of manhood or womanhood?How did Aristotle subvert the Hebrew world view in our own thinking about our faith? Why have we lost this heritage?Walk us through the most difficult Old testament law for women to read and help us see how our own presuppositions cause us to fear it and how we should resolve it?How would you respond to someone who told you - “Listen, why are you even trying to make this work...the OT is a misogynistic document that subjugates women to male control.”Guest Bio:Dr. Katie McCoy, serves as an assistant professor of theology in Women's Studies at the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. She holds a Ph.D. from Southwestern in Systematic Theology where she wrote on OT laws about women's personhood and what they can show us about human dignity. You can find her online @blondeorthodoxy and blondeorthodoxy.com.Resources Mentioned in This Episode:“The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self” by Carl R. TruemanNumbers 5:11-31Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting Knowing Faith.Follow Us:Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | WebsiteSupport Knowing Faith and Become a Patron:patreon.com/TrainingTheChurch