Podcasts about Screwtape

Why have the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis remained so relevant and present in Christian thought through the 20th century and well into the 21st? Old Testament scholar Brian Doak joins president Robin Baker, theology & literature professor Jason Lepojärvi, and English professor Gary Tandy to examine their friendship, their broad appeal, and the themes of their writings.C.S. Lewis on reading old books.Check out The Portland C.S. Lewis SocietyIf you enjoy listening to the George Fox Talks podcast and would like to watch, too, check out our channel on YouTube! We also have a web page that features all of our podcasts, a sign-up for our weekly email update, and publications from the George Fox University community.

Talk Back to MeThe Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis presents the interaction between demons and humans from the point of view of a senior devil in Hell's administration. The novel consists of a series of letters from one Screwtape to Wormwood, who has been assigned to an unnamed human for the purpose of winning the poor man over to the clutches of the wicked. In the 17th Chapter, our senior devil speaks on the subject of Gluttony, pointing out that he should focus not on excess, but on refinement or Delicacy. In this episode, we trace how this form of Gluttony can be found in the Gun Culture, where we so often define ourselves by what we have. For some it comes in prideful amassing of a great horde, for others, it's in knowing oh so well the current trend but viewing ourselves as thus better than it. For others, and perhaps most caricatured, are those who hide behind displayed "taste" to deceive others into thinking they are something they indeed, are not. Use Code 2025deaddrop10 for 10% off your order at obsidianarms.comThis episode has been sponsored by Obsidian Arms, a manufacturer of tools, parts and firearms, as well as operating as an OEM shop for those looking to bring excellence to the market. Their Minnesota-based shop builds and cuts parts out of U.S.-sourced materials. Their gunsmith tools, custom firearms, and capabilities can be found at www.obsidianarms.comSupport the REDACTED Culture Cast at redactedculture.locals.comSSP and boutique products at redactedllc.comFollow us on Instagram at @redactedllc

2 Samuel 5:1-151. The BEST path is rarely the FASTEST one2. We can TRUST God at His word3. PROSPERITY brings its own PERILS     -Peril of Complacency     -Peril of Worldliness “The long, dull, monotonous years of middle-aged prosperity are excellent campaigning weather [for the devil]…Prosperity knits a man to the world.  He feels he is ‘finding his place in it,' while really it is finding its place in him.  His increasing reputation, his widening circle of acquaintances, his sense of importance, the growing pressure of absorbing and agreeable work, build up in him a sense of really being at home in earth, which is just what we want.  You will note that the young are generally less unwilling to [spiritually] die than the middle aged and the old.” – CS Lewis, Screwtape

A Sermon for the Third Sunday in Lent by the Rev'd Dr. Matthew Colvin In Dante's Inferno, the Italian poet's lurid imagination has created a special circle of hell as a punishment for thieves: because they are sinners who did not distinguish between what was their own and what belonged to someone else, they are punished (in Dante's imagination) by a blurring of the lines distinguishing their own bodies and nature from those of something else: monstrous lizards chase them down as they run in terror, and when they catch up with them, they jump onto them, clasp them with their four legs, and fuse their lizard bodies together with their human bodies, producing a horrific human-lizard hybrid. It is one of the creepiest and most disgusting punishments in the Inferno, and when I read it, my skin crawls. A similar revulsion is evoked by parasites. My fellow American missionaries in the Philippines used to joke, whenever they came back to the United States and got a stomachache, that it was caused by their Philippine parasites becoming unhappy with American food. My wife has seen a pregnant woman cough up a five inch worm, still twitching. I could multiply examples, but you get the point: parasites are uniquely disgusting because they violate our bodies and live inside us against our will. Demon-possession is like this, except that the violation is even more severe: a malevolent and powerful spiritual entity dwelling within a human being, controlling his speech and actions, his mind and body, against his will. This sort of parasitism is subtly implied in an oddity of the language in Luke 11 :14: “And he was casting out a demon, and it was mute.” Who was mute? The gender of “it” is neutered, which matches the word for demon, daimonion. Yet the very next sentence says, “So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke.” Do you see how the properties of the demon are the properties of the man it possesses? This should make your skin crawl. It's very evil. The sorts of frightful scenes of violence depicted in the movie The Exorcist are not actually far fetched in comparison with the actions of demon-possessed persons in the Bible: cutting themselves, breaking chains, attacking people and “prevailing against them so that they flee naked and wounded”, speaking with other voices, throwing the possessed person into fire or water. No wonder the Jews wanted to get rid of demons. One of the marks of a great rabbi was that his teachings were authenticated by miracles, including the exorcism of demons. This was a popular piece of Jewish wonder-working. Acts chapter 19 speaks of “vagabond Jewish exorcists”. The historian Josephus tells how such people operated: “I have seen a certain man of my own country, whose name was Eleazar, releasing people that were demoniacal in the presence of Vespasian, and his sons, and his captains, and the whole multitude of his soldiers. The manner of the cure was this: He put a ring that had a Foot of one of those sorts mentioned by Solomon to the nostrils of the demoniac, after which he drew out the demon through his nostrils; and when the man fell down immediately, he abjured him to return into him no more, making still mention of Solomon, and reciting the incantations which he composed. And when Eleazar would persuade and demonstrate to the spectators that he had such a power, he set a little way off a cup or basin full of water, and commanded the demon, as he went out of the man, to overturn it, and thereby to let the spectators know that he had left the man.” – Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews. By contrast with this, Jesus simply commands the unclean spirits, and they come out. There is no struggle; when demons see that Jesus has arrived, rhey normally beg for mercy before he even says anything. And it is interesting to hear the language they use. In Luke 4, “Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are— the Holy One of God!”” (Luke 4:33-34) and again, in Matthew 8: “And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”” (Matthew 8:29) Before the time. These demons know that they are doomed (so their wickedness is also deliberate sin against knowledge), and what's more, they know there is a scheduled day in history when they are to be destroyed. What's surprising to them is to discover that that day has suddenly come forward and is upon them already in the person of Jesus. It is very much like the exchange between Martha of Bethany and Jesus when he comes to raise Lazarus in John 11:23: “Your brother will rise again.” “Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” The expected future resurrection — that event “at the last day” — turns out to have a human face, and he is here now, in 33 AD. So with the demons: they think that they can continue to possess people until the resurrection and judgment, unaware that in the person of Jesus, the judgment is upon them now. 33 AD. Anno Domini. Jesus, from the moment of his baptism in the Jordan river, began to announce that He was himself the fulfillment of the OT's prophecies of the coming kingdom of God. His healings and driving out demons; his parables and commandments; His baptism and transfiguration — everything spoke of His office as the Messiah, “a savior, who is Christ the Lord”. When John's disciples ask Jesus, “Are you the coming one, or do we wait for another?”, He had no need to plead his own cause and use persuasive arguments to convince them of His messiahship. His answer is “Go and tell John the things that you see and hear: “The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.” That is to say, His actions already matched the job description that Israel knew from the prophets, especially Isaiah. His vanquishing of demons was a sign with the same meaning as the others: behold, your King. And yet we are told by the fourth gospel that Jesus “came unto His own, and His own did not receive Him.” So we are confronted with the question: Why did they refuse to believe in him? 15 But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.” This is why the ascribing of Jesus' miracles to the devil is unforgiveable — not that it is especially worse in seriousness than, say, blaspheming against the Father, but that it removes the possibility of salvation. If you mistake the fireman for a bad guy, you're not going to let him remove you from a burning house. 16 Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven. These people are “testing him” – the same verb used of Satan's temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, and indeed, their request for a “sign from heaven” is a renewal of Satan's suggestions that Jesus should perform a gratuitous miracle to force people to believe in Him. Let's remember that He has just cast out a demon. So they are asking for another miracle to authenticate the first miracle. What end will there be of such doubt? If miracles could compel faith, these people would have believed already. Jesus' reply has three parts. His first response is to point out how illogical it is to imagine that Satan, whose goal is to oppress human beings and subject them to demonic power, would sabotage his own work by freeing anyone from demonic power. His second argument is even more pointed, and to understand its full force we must recognize the echo of the OT and the narrative situation that echo calls up. He asks them, “If I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if I cast out demons with the finger of God (ἐν δακτύλῳ θεοῦ), surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.” This is a very direct reference to a prominent Old Testament passage, Exodus 8:17-19. It is near the beginning of the ten plagues. Already Moses has inflicted two plagues on Egypt: he has turned the water to blood, and he has brought forth frogs on the land. Amusingly enough, Pharaoh's magicians did so with their enchantments — with the result that there was even more water turned to blood, and even more slimy frogs hopping around Egypt. Pharaoh's administration kept the Israelites in bondage not only by physical whips and brutal oppression, but also by projecting a spurious aura of competence and knowledge, so that they have a wise ability to control events. We see this in our own day, when the Federal Government has so thoroughly persuaded everyone that it can save us, that when a hurricane strikes a coastal city, there are people who blame the Federal disaster relief agencies and the government for not doing more; when evil people shoot schoolchildren, the government must “do something about it”; and our diets must be dictated to us with a food pyramid based on scientific research; synthetic pharmaceuticals must be prescribed for every ailment according to the wisdom of scientists. These wonder-workers are able to put a man on tbe moon; how, then, can we doubt their wisdom. Do not even imagine that there is another way, or another truth. So it is in Egypt bedore the Exodus. As in our day, so in Egypt there was a “ fascination with wisdom, which, in addition to imitating the great regimes, represented an effort to rationalize reality, that is, to package it in manageable portions”. In our day, this wisdom is technological, statistical, scientific. In ancient Egypt it was priestly and magical. And so, even though it means more water turned to blood, and more frogs on the land, Pharaoh's magicians must by all means show that they can replicate the miracles of Moses. The wizard's duel is crucial to maintaining the supremacy of Pharaoh's regime. He has the best magicians. Anything Moses can do, they can do too. But then, something happens: Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod and struck the dust of the earth, and it became lice on man and beast…Now the magicians so worked with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not. So there were lice on man and beast. Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” As one writer (W. Brueggemann) comments: “The Egyptian empire could not! The gods of Egypt could not! The scientists of the regime could not! The imperial religion was dead! The politics of oppression had failed! That is the ultimate criticism, that the assured and alleged power of the dominant culture is now shown to be fraudulent. Criticism is not carping and denouncing. It is asserting that false claims to authority and power cannot keep their promises, which they could not in the face of the free God, [the God of Moses]. It is only a matter of time until they are dead on the seashore.” Jesus' words, “The finger of God” call up in his listeners' minds the contest between Moses and the magicians of Pharaoh. Jesus' accusers are failing to recognize that He is in the position of Moses and Aaron. They and their “sons” — that is, their disciples — are in the place of the magicians of Pharaoh. By whom do they cast out demons? Oh, that's right, they don't. They cannot do what Jesus has done, so they are discredited as judges — and this in the Biblical sense of the word (think Samson, Deborah, Barak). They cannot save. By connecting his actions to Moses' miracles in the Exodus, Jesus is implying that He is the agent of a new Exodus; that the time of salvation has come. Those who oppose that salvation and ascribe His work to the devil are in the position of Pharaoh and Pharaoh's magicians: not only are they powerless to do what He does, but they are actually opposing God's salvation. Jesus' deliverance of the mute, demon-possessed man is actually an instance of that basic conflict, and a preliminary step to the ultimate conquest and final defeat of Satan. He compares himself to a violent house-robber who has defeated the strong man guarding the house; and he contrasts that image with the ineffectual efforts of others before him. A friend of mine once had bats and squirrels living in his attic. By careful use of humane traps, he eventually got rid of them, and raccoons moved in. Once that happened, he decided the time for gentleness was past, and he got his .22 and a dog. Just like that, Jesus suggests that the house of Israel has been cleansed of its idolatry, but it is now suffering something far worse: nowhere in the OT do we hear of anyone possessed by a demon. But demons are seemingly lurking everywhere in the gospels. Past cleansings of Israel have been ineffective, like a situation where seven worse demons move into a man who used to have one. Jesus' intention — for those whom he drove demons out of; for his people Israel; and ultimately for the world, is a permanent and effectual pest-removal. But notice the scenario that Jesus describes: When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. 22 But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils. 23 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters. This is the prelude to a thorough plundering of all of Satan's dominion over this fallen world. Remember when Satan tempted Jesus? He took him up on a mountain and offered him all the kingdoms of the world if he would bow down and worship him. It is a real estate transaction: that is the significance of taking Jesus up on a mountain and showing him all the kingdoms. God does a similar thing with Abraham, telling him to look at the land of Canaan, “for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever.” (Genesis 13:15) Satan was offering to trade Jesus the kingdoms of the world. Jesus refused, because he does not make bargains with Satan. His intention is to defeat him, and disarm him, and take away his dominion. And the Bible shows us how that happened: “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.” (Revelation 20:1-3) The Gentiles are no longer under the domination of demons. No one is worshipping Thor or Zeus or Baal anymore. And when Satan is released one last time, it is only so that he can be thrown into the lake of fire after he shows how unrepentant he is. So, with the house cleansed, what happens now? God has got rid of the demons, and He intends to dwell in this house Himself. Our gospel lesson closes with Jesus' response to a woman in the crowd who calls his mother blessed: “Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts which nursed you!” Mary is certainly blessed. But that blessedness was not merely a matter of giving birth to Jesus. Remember that Mary responded to the angel, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” Mary, as a symbol of faithful Israel, submits herself to God and to His purposes. The result is that God honors her obedience by coming to dwell within her. So too with us. “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it,” for God dwells with them. Now that raises one last issue. I have a number of different quotations I'm going to share with you concerning the relationship of obedience and bodily resurrection and our individuality. Some of you have read CS Lewis' Screwtape Letters? They are a series of fictitious letters in which Lewis pretends that one demon, a senior demon who has a lot of experience, is writing to a junior demon all kinds advice about how to tempt a man and lead him to Hell. C.S. Lewis said this was the most difficult of all his works to write. There was something oppressive and depressing about channeling an evil voice and writing in this style for so many pages. Well, here's what Uncle Screw tape advises his junior devil Wormword about human beings:what God wants to do with human beings. He says, “But the obedience which the Enemy demands of men is quite a different thing. One must face the fact that all the talk about His love for men, and His service being perfect freedom, is not (as one would gladly believe) mere propaganda, but an appalling truth. He really does want to fill the universe with a lot of loathsome little replicas of Himself--creatures, whose life, on its miniature scale, will be qualitatively like His own, not because He has absorbed them but because their wills freely conform to His. We want cattle who can finally become food; He wants servants who can finally become sons. We want to suck in, He wants to give out. We are empty and would be filled; He is full and flows over. Our war aim is a world in which Our Father Below has drawn all other beings into himself: the Enemy wants a world full of beings united to Him but still distinct.” Still distinct! Remember what was so creepy about that demon possessed man in our gospel reading this morning was that he didn't seem to be himself. And the demon speaks out of him. The demon is mute, and he is mute. He's lost his distinctiveness. It's like that Dante lizard people, fused with the demon. The Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius was a Stoic philosopher, not a Christian. In fact, he was a persecutor of Christians, even though he has a reputation as a wise emperor. We happen to have his private journal Marcus Aurelius' Meditations, everything he was thinking about his spiritual life. Even though he's the wealthiest man in the world, the most powerful man in the world, the emperor of Rome, we can tell from reading what he writes in his meditations. He was terrified of dying. He was not looking forward to it, and he was desperate for any philosophical help that could give him some comfort, some assurance in the face of this terrifying fact of death that seemed inevitable. His solution to the problem was to cling to the hope that his rational soul, his rationality, his sense of reason, was divine. The body, it's going to rot; it's going to disappear. It's going to become collrupt, but the soul, the rational soul, when you die, it's going to be caught up into the divine fire and become one with God. In Stoicism, they thought that the sun is God, the divine fire that everything else that's rational in the universe is a little bit of the divine fire. It's in your soul. And so when your body dies, whoosh! — Up your soul goes and joins God. If I were to take two flames and join them together, there'd be one flame. That's the way they think about it. And so Marcus Aurelius says,  “That's not the person your mother gave birth to. And that divine fire is not part of your body that your mother gest stated and gave birth to. Then he asked his question, the mask slips for a minute and he says, “But what if you're inextricably linked to it through your sense of individuality” — meaning, what if you're really tied to your body by being an individual human being? What if that's what makes you an individual human being is that you have a body that is the center of your consciousness and your agency and you look out of your eyes from your body and you interact with other people and shake hands with them and embrace them and speak to them face to face and see them, and they see you because you have a body and they have a body. And that's what it means for you to be an individual. So if that's what it means for you to be you, is that you have a body, then it's not much comfort to think that your soul is going to be absorbed into the bigger fire of God. Then where are you? There's God, but where are you? So he says, “What if you're inextricably linked to the body through your sense of individuality?” And he he can't answer the question, so he immediately says, “That's not what we're talking about here.” “I don't want to think about that.” It's so scary. It really would feel like standing on the edge of a deep abyss. if when you die, you lose your individuality and you're not you more. Because you'll have body anymore, and you've been absorbed into God. That's not that different from what Screwtape was talking about: the demons would like to absorb you. Marcus Aurelius shies away from the full force of his own pantheism and from the horrible consequences that it has for individuality. Two more quotations. In Job chapter 19, we have those famous words of Job about resurrection. He says, “I know that my Redeemer lives and that the last he will stand upon the earth, and after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold him. I, and not another! My heart faints within me.” Job says he's going to see God. Job in his individuality and his identity is going to see God because he's going to have a body and eyeballs that look at him. One last business. On the day of Pentecost, we have some fire, but it isn't individual souls getting absorbed into God. Rather it's tongues of fire coming down from God and resting on individuals who are filled with God's Spirit, and when they are filled, do they lose their individuality? No, they start speaking, respectively, all their different languages that their hearers know from where they grew up. So when God fills us with His spirit, he doesn't rob us of our identity. He doesn't absorb us into himself, but he fills us with himself and makes us more who we are, and that is why the resurrection of the body that we confess in our creed is a great comfort because it assures us that we, each of you individually, who you are when you are raised from the dead, you “and not another” will see God and be in relationship with him. Let's pray. Heavenly Father we thank you that you've given us victory over Satan and his demons, that you have assured us that you have called us to yourself. You have given us your spirit and you desire to dwell within us and make us into a holy temple fit for your dwelling. Help us by faith to cling to Christ in whose service is perfect freedom. We pray in his name. Amen.

In this conversation, Dr. Marlon De La Torre shares his journey of faith and ministry, emphasizing the importance of suffering in the Christian life. He discusses his new book, which connects C.S. Lewis's 'Screwtape Letters' with the Catechism, providing practical insights into spiritual warfare and temptation. The discussion highlights the relevance of Lewis's work in understanding the battle between good and evil, and the transformative power of grace in overcoming sin.All of us are faced with the daily onslaught of sin and temptation. We are all involved in a spiritual battle to keep our souls united with Christ so we can attain heaven.The Screwtape Letters and the Catechism brings together two wonderful and significant resources that can help us to grow in spiritual courage. Engaging the Catechism of the Catholic Church from a new perspective, against the backdrop of C. S. Lewis' classic The Screwtape Letters, this book will help you to recognize temptation and engage in the battle against sin. Following Lewis and the Catechism, you will learn how to use the teachings of Christ to outwit the evil one.In this book, each chapter of The Screwtape Letters is cross-referenced with the Catechism. By examining the dialogue between the demons Wormwood and Screwtape, we can apply Screwtape's lessons on temptation to our daily lives. The Catechism provides sound and reasonable explanations of the Catholic Faith, and these explanations debunk the methods of Screwtape. C.S. Lewis masterfully invites us into the diabolical world of Screwtape and Wormwood and the ever-present battle between good and evil. The Catechism, on the other hand, masterfully reveals the teachings of Jesus Christ as a living gift of the Church that shows us the love of God for his children.Buy it here from OSV - https://www.osvcatholicbookstore.com/product/the-screwtape-letters-and-the-catechism-recognizing-temptation-battling-sin-and-growing-in-spiritual-courageThanks for listening to Good Distinctions! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.gooddistinctions.com

On March 14th, 2015, Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality made its final post. Wrap parties were held all across the world to read the ending and talk about the story, in some cases sparking groups that would continue to meet for years. It's been ten years, and think that's a good reason for a round of parties. If you were there a decade ago, maybe gather your friends and talk about how things have changed. If you found HPMOR recently and you're excited about it (surveys suggest it's still the biggest on-ramp to the community, so you're not alone!) this is an excellent chance to meet some other fans in person for the first time!Want to run an HPMOR Anniversary Party, or get notified if one's happening near you? Fill out this form.I'll keep track of it and publish a collection of [...] The original text contained 1 footnote which was omitted from this narration. --- First published: February 16th, 2025 Source: https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/KGSidqLRXkpizsbcc/it-s-been-ten-years-i-propose-hpmor-anniversary-parties --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

Today the Pugs are pleased to welcome to the show Tilly Dillehay, author of My Dear Hemlock. Tilly has taken Lewis's ingenious book, The Screwtape Letters as inspiration for her book in which Madame Hoaxrot (a female Screwtape) instructs a junior temptress named Hemlock (her Wormwood) in the fine art of leading a young woman astray. It's a fun episode, and one with many reflections on the spiritual hazards that women find tempting. We hope you enjoy the show--if "fun" and "enjoy" can be thought of as the right words for such a diabolical subject. Order My Dear Hemlock at Canon Press: https://canonpress.com/products/my-dear-hemlock Find Tilly on the Home Fires Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/home-fires/id1530704128 Support the Pugcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thetheologypugcast?fbclid=IwAR17UHhfzjphO52C_kkZfursA_C784t0ldFix0wyB4fd-YOJpmOQ3dyqGf8 Catch our documentary ‘A Pugcast Pilgrimage: Lewis, Oxford, and Our Postmodern Age’ at https://youtu.be/7OYYuK2Y7d0

Today the Pugs are pleased to welcome to the show Tilly Dillehay, author of My Dear Hemlock. Tilly has taken Lewis's ingenious book, The Screwtape Letters as inspiration for her book in which Madame Hoaxrot (a female Screwtape) instructs a junior temptress named Hemlock (her Wormwood) in the fine art of leading a young woman astray. It's a fun episode, and one with many reflections on the spiritual hazards that women find tempting. We hope you enjoy the show--if "fun" and "enjoy" can be thought of as the right words for such a diabolical subject.Order My Dear Hemlock at Canon Press:https://canonpress.com/products/my-dear-hemlockFind Tilly on the Home Fires Podcast:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/home-fires/id1530704128Support the Pugcast on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/thetheologypugcast?fbclid=IwAR17UHhfzjphO52C_kkZfursA_C784t0ldFix0wyB4fd-YOJpmOQ3dyqGf8Catch our documentary ‘A Pugcast Pilgrimage: Lewis, Oxford, and Our Postmodern Age' athttps://youtu.be/7OYYuK2Y7d0

Today the Pugs are pleased to welcome to the show Tilly Dillehay, author of My Dear Hemlock. Tilly has taken Lewis's ingenious book, The Screwtape Letters as inspiration for her book in which Madame Hoaxrot (a female Screwtape) instructs a junior temptress named Hemlock (her Wormwood) in the fine art of leading a young woman astray. It's a fun episode, and one with many reflections on the spiritual hazards that women find tempting. We hope you enjoy the show--if "fun" and "enjoy" can be thought of as the right words for such a diabolical subject. Order My Dear Hemlock at Canon Press: https://canonpress.com/products/my-dear-hemlock Find Tilly on the Home Fires Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/home-fires/id1530704128 Support the Pugcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thetheologypugcast?fbclid=IwAR17UHhfzjphO52C_kkZfursA_C784t0ldFix0wyB4fd-YOJpmOQ3dyqGf8 Catch our documentary ‘A Pugcast Pilgrimage: Lewis, Oxford, and Our Postmodern Age’ at https://youtu.be/7OYYuK2Y7d0

Today the Pugs are pleased to welcome to the show Tilly Dillehay, author of My Dear Hemlock. Tilly has taken Lewis's ingenious book, The Screwtape Letters as inspiration for her book in which Madame Hoaxrot (a female Screwtape) instructs a junior temptress named Hemlock (her Wormwood) in the fine art of leading a young woman astray. It's a fun episode, and one with many reflections on the spiritual hazards that women find tempting. We hope you enjoy the show--if "fun" and "enjoy" can be thought of as the right words for such a diabolical subject. Order My Dear Hemlock at Canon Press: https://canonpress.com/products/my-dear-hemlock Find Tilly on the Home Fires Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/home-fires/id1530704128 Support the Pugcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thetheologypugcast?fbclid=IwAR17UHhfzjphO52C_kkZfursA_C784t0ldFix0wyB4fd-YOJpmOQ3dyqGf8 Catch our documentary ‘A Pugcast Pilgrimage: Lewis, Oxford, and Our Postmodern Age’ at https://youtu.be/7OYYuK2Y7d0

Die höllischen Briefe von Screwtape an seinen Neffen und Unterteufel Wormwood haben C.S. Lewis international berühmt gemacht. In diesem Beitrag beleuchtet Dr. Fabian Grassl Hintergrund, Entstehungsgeschichte und ausgewählte Inhalte dieses Buchklassikers. Übrigens: Wie das Buch, so enthält auch der Vortrag satirische Elemente.Dr. Fabian Graßl ist Theologe und Religionsphilosoph (https://fabiangrassl.org). Nach seiner Promotion an der Queen's University Belfast über den evangelischen Ethiker und Systematiker Helmut Thielicke erfolgte ein zweieinhalbjähriger Forschungsaufenthalt an der Internationalen Akademie für Philosophie im Fürstentum Liechtenstein. Seit 2020 forscht und lehrt er für die überkonfessionelle Bamler-Gehret Stiftung (https://www.bg-stiftung.org) mit Sitz im Bayerischen Wald.

This episode delves into the psychology behind New Year's resolutions, exploring the illusions of hope and the harsh reality of broken promises. We discuss the nature of human aspirations, the flaws in self-assessment, and the consequential spiral into despair when resolutions falter.• Exploration of the emotional high of New Year celebrations • Overestimation of capabilities and flawed self-assessment • The inevitability of setbacks leading to despair • The danger of equating promises with actual accomplishments • Encouragement to cultivate a mindset of gradual progress insteadThank you for journeying w/ the Saints with us!

Agradece a este podcast tantas horas de entretenimiento y disfruta de episodios exclusivos como éste. ¡Apóyale en iVoox! En “Cartas del diablo a su sobrino” , CS Lewis nos presenta una perspectiva profundamente audaz y reflexiva sobre la lucha espiritual. Escritas con la astucia y el ingenio que caracterizan a su autor, estas cartas ficticias se convierten en una ventana única al conflicto eterno entre el bien y el mal, presentada desde un ángulo inesperado: las palabras de un demonio experimentado a su aprendiz. El narrador, un diablo mayor llamado Escrutopo, dirige sus consejos a su sobrino Orugario, un demonio inexperto encargado de corromper el alma de un hombre. A través de estas cartas, Lewis nos sumerge en las estrategias y tentaciones que emplea el infierno para desviar a los humanos de “el Enemigo”, que no es otro que Dios. Aquí te dejo sus cartas....y recuerda "La mayor astucia del demonio es convencerte de que sus susurros son tus propios pensamientos." CS Lewis y JRR Tolkien fueron grandes amigos y compañeros intelectuales, unidos por su amor por la literatura y su fe cristiana. CS Lewis, autor de Las crónicas de Narnia , fue un académico y apologista cristiano cuya obra combina fantasía con profundas reflexiones sobre la fe y la moral. JRR Tolkien, creador de El Señor de los Anillos , fue un filólogo apasionado por los mitos y las lenguas antiguas, que tejió un universo de fantasía épico y detallado en la Tierra Media. El libro, que fue publicado en 1942, es una recopilación de artículos publicados en el desaparecido periódico Manchester Guardian con el nombre de The Screwtape letters (Las cartas de Escrutopo). Está compuesto por treinta y una cartas supuestamente escritas por el anciano diablo Escrutopo, un demonio malvado y voraz, a su sobrino Orugario, un demonio principiante. En medio de esta trama, que es una apología cristiana, el autor desarrolla con maestría una sátira donde imagina el infierno del siglo XX como una burocracia eficiente y orgullosa, que se organiza para hacer el mal «lo mejor posible». El objetivo de los demonios es lograr la condenación para devorar a su víctima, ya que según la visión teológica de Lewis, el sumo mal consiste en ser absorbido en esencia espiritual por los demonios mayores, que toman posesión de las almas y voluntades. En caso de fracasar en la misión de lograr la condenación de su víctima, a la que llama «su Paciente», este será devorado por su tío. La trama se desarrolla en Londres durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial y la «víctima» es un hombre joven a quien se incita, por medio de la tentación, a trasladar hacia el terreno de la imaginación todos los valores positivos o virtudes, llevándolo a la inactividad, pues un acto positivo siempre refuerza una virtud. Sus consejos fundamentales son, pues, varios métodos para evitar la debilitación de la fe, y promover pecados como la indolencia, la acidia, la gula, la promiscuidad y la venganza, mas no algo excepcionalmente malo o perverso ya que «la ruta más segura al infierno es gradual». Critica la debilidad de los hombres, aunque en parte también critica la facilidad con la que pueden ser influenciados. En esta obra Lewis expone en un intento de apología cristiana las tentaciones que el hombre debe soportar, y proporciona un ejemplo para poder evitarlas, de esta forma el hombre no alcanzará el pecado. Por otra parte, aparecen varios diablos, personificaciones del mal. Finalmente realiza una tesis sobre las transgresiones de los seres hacia sus semejantes. Lewis dedicó este libro a su gran amigo y escritor J. R. R. Tolkien. Art by Lena Amirkhanova Una producción de Historias para ser Leídas Música Epidemic Sound con licencia premium autorizada ¡Únete a la nave de Historias para ser Leídas y conviértete en uno de nuestros taberneros galácticos por solo 1,49 € al mes! Al hacerlo, tendrás acceso a lecturas exclusivas y ayudarás a que estas historias sigan viajando por el cosmos. Hac clic en el botón azul apoyar de este mismo episodio. 💙 📌Más contenido extra en nuestro canal informativo de Telegram: ¡¡Síguenos!! https://t.me/historiasparaserleidas BIO Olga Paraíso: https://instabio.cc/Hleidas ¡GRACIAS A LOS TABERNEROS GALÁCTICOS QUE APOYAN ESTE PODCAST! Disfruten del viaje 😈 Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

Get Tilly's new book now: https://canonpress.com/products/my-dear-hemlock

In this episode of Wicked Problems, a guest contributor - chief demon Screwtape - praises Senator JD Vance's climate responses in a recent vice-presidential debate, Screwtape elaborates on how Vance used emotional appeals, subtle racism, and misdirection to deflect from critical issues.00:00 Introduction to Wicked Problems00:08 Climate Change in the Vice-Presidential Debate00:44 JD Vance's Response and Misdirection01:32 Screwtape's Analysis of Misdirection02:26 Emotional Appeal as a Shield03:38 Subtle Racism and Division04:47 Clean vs. Dirty Economy06:10 Creating an Illusion of Agreement07:18 Replacing Complex Truths with Simple Half-Truths08:14 Reframing the Debate with Economic Patriotism09:13 Casting Doubt Through Opponent's Inconsistency11:13 Conclusion and Call to Action Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds: in reality our best work is done by keeping things out. So writes the fictional devil Screwtape to his nephew Wormwood in C. S. Lewis's epistolary novel The Screwtape Letters. But where devils may wish to keep the good out, Heights headmaster Alvaro de Vicente highlights the ways we as parents can keep the good in. By aligning our family culture with the good voices we hope our sons will hear—and leaving space to allow the Divine voice and the voice of one's own conscience to be heard—we help our sons form a good vision of themselves and the world. Chapters: 4:55 Why The Screwtape Letters 8:18 A devil's job is keeping the good out 11:09 Three voices: people, the Divine, and the conscience 14:58 Unpacking the term ‘voice' Advice for keeping the good in: 18:05 Slow down the noise 23:45 Promote contemplative times 26:20 Reserve time to read 29:41 Cultivate the art of conversation 32:12 Conspire for the good with their teachers 36:40 A slow roll-out for new family initiatives Links: The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis Featured Opportunities: Headmaster's Lecture at The Heights School (October 5, 2024) The Art of Teaching Conference at The Heights School (November 13-15, 2024) Also on the Forum: Who am I?: The Question of Persona featuring Alvaro de Vicente Ways to Foster a Family Culture by Alvaro de Vicente Raising Contemplative Sons featuring Colin Gleason

Today's Talmud page, Bava Batra 79, warns us that whoever separates themselves from learning Torah can expect to be burned by fire. Why this harsh measure? What does it teach us about distancing ourselves from junk food, reality TV, and other things that aren't good for our hearts, minds, and soul? And how does C.S. Lewis's celebrated demon, Screwtape, fit into this stunning lesson in morality? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook group. We think that you may also enjoy Liel's new book How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book, available directly from the publisher, or wherever you purchase books. Listen to the Testimonies Archive, a partnership between Tablet Studios and the USC Shoah Foundation, for eyewitness audio accounts from Israel in the wake of the Oct 7 Hamas attacks. Check out all of Tablet's podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

"C.S. Lewis llegó a escribir más de 15 libros sobre el cristianismo, entre ellos: "Las cartas de Screwtape", "Las crónicas de Narnia", "La trilogía del espacio", "Mero cristianismo", "Los milagros y el problema del dolor". Su amigo Johnson dijo al Post que Lewis, junto con Tolkien, proporcionaron un contrapeso a la enorme avalancha de literatura atea, especialmente en los libros infantiles. Johnson dijo al medio de comunicación: "Uno de los grandes méritos de Lewis es que sus cuentos pueden ser leídos con igual placer por adolescentes y adultos", dijo también: "Es en cierto sentido, la contra respuesta tanto a Richard Dawkins como a Harry Potter"."

In 1941, Oxford professor C.S. Lewis revealed that he had, through some mysterious chain of events, come into the possession of a collection of letters from one of the devil's senior agents named Screwtape. The letters, which were addressed to his young apprentice nephew Wormwood, offered Screwtape's crafty expertise in the art of temptation, which Wormwood then employed on his “patient.” Recently, through equally unlikely circumstances, another installment of Screwtape's correspondence landed in our office. In keeping with Lewis' original wisdom, we think it best to refrain from delving into any details regarding our procurement of this letter, or its provenance. As with the first letters, the dating is difficult to ascertain.On this episode:Matt Galyon, Associate Director, ECFI Notes & Links: View our Courses The communication herein is provided for informational purposes only and was made possible with the financial support of Eventide Asset Management, LLC (“Eventide”), an investment adviser. Eventide Center for Faith and Investing is an educational initiative of Eventide. In some cases, information in this communication may include statements by individuals that are current clients or investors in Eventide, and/or individuals compensated for providing their statements. In such cases, Eventide identifies all relevant details of the relationship, the compensation, and any conflicts of interest, within the communication which can be found at faithandinvesting.com.  Information contained herein has been obtained from third-party sources believed to be reliable. Statements made by ECFI should not be interpreted as a recommendation or advice pertaining to any security. Investing involves risk including the possible loss of principal.

Please visit breakerwhiskey.com for more information or to send a message to Whiskey's radio. Breaker Whiskey is an Atypical Artists production created by Lauren Shippen. If you'd like to support the show, please visit patreon.com/breakerwhiskey. As a patron, you will also receive each week's episodes as one longer episode every Monday. ------ [TRANSCRIPT] [click, static] Have you ever read The Screwtape Letters, Birdie?  We're stopped off the highway for some lunch—Harry has set up a little fire so we can have something hot, I don't know why. She knows I'm not fussy about what I eat, especially on the road, but maybe she just wanted to stretch her legs.  It is…a lot harder to be stuck in a car with her than a house. I'm happy to sit there and focus on driving, let the static of the radio fill the silence between us, but Harry has never been one for awkward silence. Angry silence, judgmental silence, cold silence, comfortable silence even…sure. But if she feels like she's not the one controlling the silence…well.  Anyway, she was telling me about The Screwtape Letters. It's a C.S. Lewis book. When she started in on explaining it to me, I really had no idea what she was talking about—I thought she was just trying to cut the tension between us. But it ended up being sort of relevant. Relevant to you specifically.  
It sounds nothing like the Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe stuff he wrote, though I guess those were meant for kids and this one was not. It's about these two devils—demons? Servants of hell, I guess, I don't know exactly what they're called in the book. Harry says it was supposed to be a satire, but nothing about it sounded that funny.  The older demon, Screwtape, is writing all these, yeah you guessed it, letters to this younger demon Wormwood. And he's telling Wormwood how to corrupt the soul of this one human. Which, to me, seems a little ridiculous. In my experience, human beings are pretty corruptible, I can't imagine that you'd ever need two demons on the job. I don't know, maybe this one guy was particularly upstanding.  I don't know if you're picking up on the resemblance yet, but Harry thinks that you and Fox are a bit like Screwtape and Wormwood, with me caught in the middle. I told her I'm hardly a pure of heart person that needs to be tempted into surrendering my soul to Satan or whatever, and besides, aren't we already in hell? She didn't take that very well.  Between this and the Asimov, you've got to wonder if some of these authors knew something the rest of us didn't. Did they get punted into their own timeline offshoots only to somehow find their way back? The long and short of it was that Harry does not think I should trust you. Because for all we know, you and Fox are playing a twisted game over the ownership of my immortal soul.  But I do trust you. Maybe I shouldn't. Actually, I probably shouldn't. But I do. I just wish you could explain it all to me. Even just one thing.  [click, static] [beeps] .-- .- -. - / - --- / . -..- .--. .-.. .- .. -. Want to explain

IN THIS REPEAT: A talk I gave in early April 2016 about a running theme in The Screwtape Letters. I just gave the following talk on Saturday, April 2, 2016 at the Inklings Fellowship Weekend Retreat that was held in Montreat, NC at Montreat College. It was also the public debut of my first book C.S. Lewis Goes to Hell: A Companion and Study Guide to The Screwtape Letters. While I do give a summary of the unique aspects of my book, the main focus of the talk is about the devils' secret weapon that is mentioned in nearly all of the letters. My book just list them, but this presentation provides more details and gives a practical application to one's life. Visit my website to contact me about giving this talk or a three or four part presentation on all of the places this weapon is mentioned or alluded to. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Paperback of C.S. Lewis Goes to Hell Kindle of C.S. Lewis Goes to Hell Visit Shelley and Son Books Website (podcast sponsor) Other Useful Links: Knowing and Understanding C.S. Lewis YouTube CHANNEL  Listen to All About Jack on iTunes Purchase C.S. Lewis Goes to Hell Visit ScrewtapeCompanion.com Visit EssentialCSLewis.com Purchase The Misquotable C.S. Lewis

Nate Williams talks about how war is causing Israelis to be interested in the New Testament, mirroring C.S. Lewis' lesson he taught us in his book "The Screwtape Letters" and the advice Screwtape tried to give Wormwood.

Is alcoholism a disease? As we go to Scripture for our answer, we'll consult the Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book, grab a couple of volumes of Luther's Works, pull in the thoughts of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and discover the tactic of Screwtape's demonic colleague, Guzzle. This program originally aired October 1, 2022.  Host Rev. Tyrel Bramwell, pastor of St. Mark Lutheran Church in Ferndale, California, and author of the book Come in, We are Closed, talks about curious topics to excite the imagination, equip the mind, and comfort the soul with God's ordering of the world in the Law and Gospel.

If we asked 100 pastors to rate their top ten authors have shaped their theology and imagination for the Gospel the most, I believe C.S. Lewis would be high on all of the lists. Mere Christianity, Narnia, The Problem of Pain, God on The Dock, Screwtape letters… the list can go on.  Doug and Bob talk with Mark Noll about C.S. Lewis and his legacy and reception in America during his early years before his rise to acclaim.  Mark's newest book: C. S. Lewis in America: Readings and ReceptionWe'd love to hear from you. Drop us a line. Doug – Douglas@bendingbranches.org Bob – bob@kairospartnerships.org **Monday Morning Pastor is produced by the incredibly gifted Joel Limbauan. Check out his great video and podcast work at On a Limb Productions www.onalimbproductions.com If this podcast adds value to you, your team, or your organization, consider (1) subscribing (2) leaving a review and (3) sharing it with others 

A lecture given at L'Abri Fellowship in Southborough, Massachusetts. For more information, visit https://southboroughlabri.org/ by Ben Keyes This lecture is the third and last in a series on C.S. Lewis's book The Screwtape Letters. We will trace one of Lewis's main themes in the letters: Screwtape's refusal to accept the possibility of self-giving love. What does this particular blind spot show us about the devil's rebellion against God? More importantly, what can we learn about God's loving character revealed to us in Christ? The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. ©Southborough L'Abri 2024

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: Intransitive Trust, published by Screwtape on May 27, 2024 on LessWrong. I. "Transitivity" is a property in mathematics and logic. Put simply, if something is transitive it means that there's a relationship between things where when x relates to y, and y relates to z, there's the same relationship between x and z. For a more concrete example, think of size. If my car is bigger than my couch, and my couch is bigger than my hat, you know that my car is bigger than my hat. (I am not a math major, and if there's a consensus in the comments that I'm using the wrong term here I can update the post.) This is a neat property. Lots of things do not have it. II. Consider the following circumstance: Bob is traveling home one night, late enough there isn't anyone else around. Bob sees a shooting star growing unusually bright, until it resolves into a disc-shaped machine with lights around the edges. He finds himself levitated up into the machine, gets poked and prodded by the creatures inside for a while, and then set back down on the road. Assuming Bob is a rational, rationalist, well-adjusted kind of guy, he now has a problem. Almost nobody in his life is going to believe a word of this. From Bob's perspective, what happened? He might not be certain aliens are real (maybe he's just had a schizophrenic break, or someone slipped him some interesting drugs in his coffee) but he has to be putting a substantially higher percentage on the idea. Sure, maybe he hallucinated the whole thing, but most of us don't have psychotic breaks on an average day. Break out Bayes. What are Bob's new odds aliens abduct people, given that his experiences? Let's say his prior probability on alien abductions being real was 1%, about one in a hundred. (That's P(A).) He decides the sensitivity of the test - that aliens actually abduct people, given he experienced aliens abducting him - is 5% since he knows he doesn't have any history of drug use, mental illness, or prankish friends with a lot of spare time and weird senses of humour. (That's P(B|A).) If you had asked him before his abduction what the false positive rate was - that is, how often people think they've been abducted by aliens even though they haven't - he'd say .1%, maybe one in a thousand people have seemingly causeless hallucinations or dedicated pranksters. (That's P(B|A).) P(AB)=P(BA)P(A)P(B) P(aliensexperiences)=P(experiencesaliens)P(aliens)P(experiences) P(Experiences)=P(ExperiencesAliens)P(Aliens)+P(ExperiencesAliens)P(Aliens) P(Experiences)=(0.050.01)+(0.0010.99) P(Experiences)=0.00149 P(AB)=.05.01.00149 P(A|B) = 0.3356, or about 33%. The whole abduction thing is a major update for Bob towards aliens. If it's not aliens, it's something really weird at least. Now consider Bob telling Carla, an equally rational, well-adjusted kind of gal with the same prior, about his experience. Bob and Carla are friends; not super close, but they've been running into each other at parties for a few years now. Carla has to deal with the same odds of mental breakdown or secret drug dosages that Bob does. Lets take lying completely off the table: for some reason, both Carla and Bob can perfectly trust that the other person isn't deliberately lying (maybe there's a magic Zone of Truth effect) so I think this satisfies Aumman's Agreement Theorem. Everything else is a real possibility though. She also has to consider the odds that Bob has a faulty memory or is hallucinating or she's misunderstanding him somehow. (True story: my undergraduate university had an active Live Action Roleplaying group. For a while, my significant other liked to tell people that our second date was going to watch the zombies chase people around the campus. This was true, in that lots of people looked like they had open wounds, were moaning "Braaaaains," and were chasing after ot...

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: On Not Pulling The Ladder Up Behind You, published by Screwtape on April 27, 2024 on LessWrong. Epistemic Status: Musing and speculation, but I think there's a real thing here. I. When I was a kid, a friend of mine had a tree fort. If you've never seen such a fort, imagine a series of wooden boards secured to a tree, creating a platform about fifteen feet off the ground where you can sit or stand and walk around the tree. This one had a rope ladder we used to get up and down, a length of knotted rope that was tied to the tree at the top and dangled over the edge so that it reached the ground. Once you were up in the fort, you could pull the ladder up behind you. It was much, much harder to get into the fort without the ladder. Not only would you need to climb the tree itself instead of the ladder with its handholds, but you would then reach the underside of the fort and essentially have to do a pullup and haul your entire body up and over the edge instead of being able to pull yourself up a foot at a time on the rope. Only then could you let the rope back down. The rope got pulled up a lot, mostly in games or childhood arguments with each other or our siblings. Sometimes it got pulled up out of boredom, fiddling with it or playing with the rope. Sometimes it got pulled up when we were trying to be helpful; it was easier for a younger kid to hold tight to the rope while two older kids pulled the rope up to haul the young kid into the tree fort. "Pulling the ladder up behind you" is a metaphor for when you intentionally or unintentionally remove the easier way by which you reached some height. II. Quoth Ray, Weird fact: a lot of people I know (myself included) gained a bunch of agency from running meetups. When I arrived in the NYC community, I noticed an opportunity for some kind of winter holiday. I held the first Solstice. The only stakes were 20 people possibly having a bad time. The next year, I planned a larger event that people traveled from nearby cities to attend, which required me to learn some logistics as well as to improve at ritual design. The third year I was able to run a major event with a couple hundred attendees. At each point I felt challenged but not overwhelmed. I made mistakes, but not ones that ruined anything longterm or important. I'm a something of a serial inheritor[1] of meetups. Last year I ran the Rationalist Megameetup in New York City, which had over a hundred people attending and took place at a conference hotel. It's the most complicated event I've run so far, but it didn't start that way. The first iteration of the megameetup was, as far as I know, inviting people to hang out at a big apartment and letting some of them crash on couches or air mattresses there. That's pretty straightforward and something I can imagine a first-time organizer pulling off without too much stress. The first time I ran the megameetup, it involved renting an apartment and taking payments and buying a lot of food, but I was basically doing the exact same thing the person before me did and I got to ask a previous organizer a lot of questions. This means that I got to slowly level up, getting more used to the existing tools and more comfortable in what I was doing as I made things bigger. There was a ladder there to let me climb up. If tomorrow I decided to stop having anything to do with the Rationalist Megameetup, I'd be leaving whoever picked up the torch after me with a harder climb. That problem is only going to get worse as the Rationalist Megameetup grows. Projects have a tendency to grow more complicated the longer they go and the more successful they get. Meetups get bigger as more people join, codebases get larger as more features get added, companies wind up with a larger product line, fiction series add more characters and plotlines. That makes tak...

"Your affectionate uncle, Screwtape." This memorable line comes from C.S. Lewis' great classic The Screwtape Letters. Matthew and Alex discuss this insightful and penetrating work, touching on Lewis' ability to deal with the deep questions in an accessible and creative way. They also analyze some of the most prevalent themes, including love, joy, pleasure, and perspective. Please subscribe to get the latest info on new episodes and check out our other classic literature podcasts. You can also follow our Instagram and YouTube channel for more literary fun! Instagram: @the_mmi_podcast YouTube: @MeMyshelfandIpodcast

Gluttony, Drunkenness, and the Grace of God This morning our Proverbs topic is gluttony and drunkenness. Neither are a primary emphases in Proverbs, but there are several verses that speak to the issues. While gluttony and drunkenness are related, they are also different. Gluttony is essentially indulgence in matters of food, but it does not lead to a mental impairment, so in that sense it is different than drunkenness, which does. Also, I want to expand the topic beyond alcohol to include substance abuse. If we compare ancient Israel at the time of Proverbs with today, there's a big difference in the quantity and availability of drugs. Opium was certainly available 3000 years ago, but today, as you know, there are many many more drugs on the streets. So, I think it's important to apply these verses to include substance abuse and drug addictions. One thing we will not consider this morning is pornography addiction. Although there are some similarities, if you were here in the fall, we spent time working through lust and pornography, as we worked through chapters 5 to 7. If you missed those, I really encourage you to go back and listen to them. Please take out and open your Proverbs bulletin insert. Reading------------------------------------Gluttony and DrunkennessProverbs 20:1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler,      and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.23:20-21 Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat,    for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,      and slumber will clothe them with rags.23:29-35     29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining?             Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?    30 Those who tarry long over wine; those who go to try mixed wine.    31 Do not look at wine when it is red,               when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.    32 In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder.    33     Your eyes will see strange things,               and your heart utter perverse things.    34 You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,               like one who lies on the top of a mast.    35 “They struck me,” you will say,                “but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not feel it.               When shall I awake? I must have another drink.”25:16 If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you have your fill of it and vomit it.28:7 The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding, but a companion of gluttons shames his father.31:4-7     4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel,              it is not for kings to drink wine,              or for rulers to take strong drink,    5 lest they drink and forget what has been decreed              and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.    6 Give strong drink to the one who is perishing,              and wine to those in bitter distress;    7 let them drink and forget their poverty          and remember their misery no more. ----------------------------------------- Prayer These are sensitive topics. The reason I titled my sermon “Gluttony, Drunkenness, and the Grace of God” is because we need the grace of God in these struggles. To be sure, we need God's grace in all of life, but I think with matters of addiction it is especially important to begin there given the shame that often comes with them… and how often recovery is a journey. If you are a believer in Christ, let me remind you that you are his, forever. Just like in Jesus' parable of the prodigal son, God the Father has given you his robe which indicates his blessing and honor. He has given you his signet ring indicating you are his son or daughter and will share in his inheritance. God has forgiven you and will forgive you in Christ. And he will never leave you or forsake you. And if the things that we are working through today are your struggles, know that God has given you the church to come alongside and help. As we go through this, we are going to work out what that grace looks like in more detail, but I wanted remind you up front because God's grace is at the heart of recovery from our sin and struggles. The other thing I want to say up front is that you are not alone. It's easy to come to church and look around and think that everyone else has it all together. The truth is: none of us has it all together. On our podcast this week, Amy quoted a friend of hers. This friend said, “we often compare our insides to everyone else's outsides.” That is to say, we each know our own internal heart struggles and sin, but we don't often know what other people's are. It's easy to presume because we often just see the outsides of others. So, if you struggle with drinking or substance abuse or a kind of addiction, you are not alone here. We'll talk later about how we can support one another. Others of you may think that you are immune to such things. If you think that, I want to caution you that it's something to which each and every one of us is susceptible. It may be triggered by a painful event, or it may be triggered by something out of the blue. Let me give you an example. Several years ago, I was at six-flags with my family. They used to have an old rickety roller coaster. At least, I think it's gone now. But anyway, we rode it one time and at the end of the ride, it came to a screeching halt. It felt like it went from 60 to 0 in 1 second. And I remember getting off the ride and my neck was a little sore. Well, two days later, I could hardly move my head. And then I started feeling pain radiating down my left arm all the way to my finger. It was very painful for months. Because of the pain, the doctor prescribed me Percocet. I didn't think anything of it. I just knew that it provided a lot of relief. Well, over the 4-5 weeks that I was taking it, my desire for the drug became unrelated to the pain I was experiencing. I began taking them even when I wasn't in pain. It was a scary moment for me when I realized what was happening. I got rid of the remaining pills and am thankful that a cortisone shot eventually relieved the pain. Many things cause drinking and drug abuse and let me add, gluttony. I do want to talk through those root causes in a few minutes. But before we do, let's spend some time in these Proverbs. We generally learn two things from the Proverbs. First, the problem and second the impact. Let's first look at Proverbs 23 verse 31. It's in that middle section of verses on the left. 23:31 says, “Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.” It's speaking of a desire to drink. The wine is desirable to your eyes. You've become captivated by looking at it… not because it looks pretty, but because of its effect. And as it says, “it goes down smoothly.” In other words, you have to have it. And you have to have more of it. Now, there's nothing in Scripture that forbids drinking alcohol. You've probably heard different things like “Jesus first miracle was turning water into wine.” Or you've heard, “the feasts in the Old Testament included drinking wine, like the Passover meal. And likewise, the Lord's supper was celebrated with wine.”  Wine was a part of life. But these verses are referring to something different. They're referring to when your alcohol consumption brings you to the point of drunkenness. Look now at verse 33. “Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things.” Your drinking has brought you to the place where you are mentally and physically impaired. Verse 34 continues the problem. It describes being in the middle of the sea on the mast of a boat. You can't think straight because it feels like your body is swaying. Notice that twice it says you lie down. In other words, you can't even walk. Those verses continue on and end on an ominous note. You say, “I must have another drink.” You're addicted. Can you see why I'm including substance abuse this morning? It does similar things as being drunk in how it affects your mental faculties. Here's the problem: Wisdom goes out the door. Drunkenness and getting high on whatever… strips away your ability to think and speak and act with wisdom. I'm speaking about the wisdom that God has given you. Instead, it turns you into a fool. Note the very first verse listed there. Proverbs 20:1 “Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.” It steals God's wisdom in you and replaces it with foolishness. You will do and say things that are that are not honoring to God or others. For example, if you travel for work… and at night you go to the bar with your work friends, and you have one or two or three too many. Well, you will say and do things unbecoming of your calling in Christ. If you then get in a car and drive, your utter foolishness may destroy your life and others made in God's image. In a few minutes, we'll be digging deep into the grace of God in Christ in different ways. But let me say, God's grace does not minimize the seriousness and foolishness of these sin struggles. Rather, by his grace, he forgives and helps us overcome them. I hope that difference makes sense. Hold on for a few more minutes until we get there. Before that, let's go back to the Proverbs. Let me highlight a couple of other consequences. First, Proverbs 31:4-5. It says there in the second line, “it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink, lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.” The consequences of drunkenness or addictions affect those for whom you are responsible. For a king, it's those in his dominion. For a parent, it's those in your family. Like Proverbs 31 here, the collateral damage of your addiction may be heavy. But also, part of the impact is financial. Look back up at Proverbs 23 verses 20-21. In the middle there, it says, “the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty.” This is another example of wisdom going out the door. Addictions lead to a squandering of resources, which leads to self-inflicted poverty… and if you are married, poverty for you and your family. Gluttony is included here because, as you know, good food is expensive! Over-indulging day after day will also lead down the same path. By the way, when I read verse 25:16 about honey, it reminded me of a funny story. Our family was sitting around the kitchen table a long time ago. The kids were young, and they were talking about honey and butter… and one of them said. “when I get older, I am going to make a note to myself, ‘eat butter and drink honey'.” Well, we all have ambitions in life. I guess some are about food. On a serious note, let me take a brief interlude to talk about gluttony. At the heart of the Hebrew word for glutton is excess. It means excessive feasting and/or partying. Drinking may be part of that or may not. It's eating or partying often, for the pleasure of it. It's turning something good into something you live for. Gluttony can become an addiction and at times just as debilitating as other addictions. Two weeks ago, I quoted CS Lewis's book Screwtape Letters about being slothful. I'm going to quote it again because he has a whole chapter on gluttony. It's quite convicting. Screwtape, a senior demon in the devil's army, writes this about how to tempt men. He says, “males are best turned into gluttons with the help of their vanity. They… think themselves very knowing about food, …[like] having found the only restaurant in town where steaks are really ‘properly' cooked. What begins as vanity can then be gradually turned into habit. But, however you approach it, the [best] thing is to bring him into the state in which the denial of any one indulgence-it matters not which, champagne or tea… or cigarettes ‘puts him out,'” In modern terms, if he can't have his favorite BBQ or craft beer, he feels robbed. Screwtape continues that at that moment… “his chastity, justice, and obedience are all at your mercy. Mere excess in food is much less valuable than delicacy.” Maybe we should call that “sophisticated gluttony.” It's often our kind of gluttony. And what it does is it steals your heart away from God… and away from true pleasures which are found in him. At this point, let's now come back and let's talk through some of the root causes of these struggles and God's grace. For us in this room, I don't think that partying is what leads us down these paths. Although maybe for some. Rather, I think our struggle with alcohol and addiction including gluttony is most often caused by deeper struggles and heartaches, like depression or anxiety or grief. The reason we're tempted to turn to these things is because they numb the pain and heartache temporarily. They become an escape mechanism where we self-medicate to try and survive the sorrow that we carry. Instead of turning to Jesus, we turn to alcohol or drugs. That may be recreational drugs or abuse of prescription drugs. Before exploring those root causes, I do feel a need to comment on Proverbs 31:6 It says, “Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress;” Yes, it sanctions the use of alcohol to sooth physical and emotional pain, but only for extreme cases - someone dying and someone in “bitter” distress. But note also that it's monitored. Someone is giving the drink in a medicative sort of way. That verse is not saying that alcohol is the solution. When we self-medicate with alcohol and drugs, we are looking to those things as solutions, and we are not seeking to resolve the source of our anxiety or depression. In fact, when these things become an addiction, it often only exacerbates the heartache and pain we experience. It adds to our woe, our sorrow, our strife, and our complaining. Those are the exact words that Proverbs 23:29 uses to describe someone addicted to wine. ·      You may be here today struggling with an addiction. Maybe this is your first or second time here and the Lord brought you here for a reason. What I want you to know today is that God offers his grace and help. ·      Now, you may not struggle with alcohol or drugs (or excessive eating), but maybe today you are weighed down because of some traumatic event or pain in your life. What I want you to know today is that God offers his grace and help. Same grace, same help. ·      For many of you, perhaps at this moment in your life, you neither struggle with these addictions nor are you currently burdened with sorrow. What I want you to hold onto today is that God offers his grace and help when those times come. In other words, God offers his grace to help free us from addictions and on the long journey to recovery. And he offers his grace and help to keep us from alcohol and substance abuse. God's grace ministers in different ways depending on the burdens you bear. I have a dear friend who has been involved in Celebrate Recovery. It's a Christ-centered ministry for any kind of addiction. He shared with me about a friend he met at CR as it's sometimes known. His friend had been trapped by both alcoholism and a drug addiction. By God's grace this man has been on an amazing journey of healing. One of the things that they do at CR is drill deep into the causes so that they can apply the Gospel to the specific underlying struggles. They recognize that addiction is almost always a “fruit issue” and not a “root issue.” Fruit issues are more easily addressed once the root issues have been brought into the light… so that the Gospel of Grace may bring healing. When this man started pealing back the layers which caused his addictions, he first realized a deep self-hatred. He had been getting high and drunk to escape from himself. As he went deeper to the source of that self-hatred, he realized that his anger was also directed at his mother. You see, she had mistreated him when he was young. He found out that his mom's anger at him was because she had a miscarriage before this man was born. His mom had lost a baby girl and she had hoped that he would be a girl. Because of her own pain from the miscarriage and anger at him, she emotionally abandoned him. In this man's life, four things were instrumental in his recovery. ·      First, forgiving his mother for her anger toward and abandonment of him. His ability to forgive her came through the grace of God in Christ who had forgiven him. ·      Number 2 - knowing that even though his mom abandoned him, God will never abandon him. In Christ, God has secured his salvation for eternity. Even with setbacks, he knows he is secure in Christ forever… and he can persevere on the path of sanctification in him. ·      Third, he knows that he is loved by God because he has been redeemed by Christ. His self-hatred has been replaced by the love of God in Christ for him. ·      And fourth, a grace-oriented community of Christian brothers came alongside of him in his recovery journey. On that last point about the church, I want to add something. My friend told me about his own journey. He said that if it hadn't been for a family member and his pastor intervening, he would have died. But God used his family and his church family to minister God's grace to him. For both of these men, their journey to recovery has come through God's love and grace in Christ. The journey is often hard and rocky, but the transforming work of the Gospel brings healing and hope. Let me touch upon a couple of other causes of addictions and how God's grace intervenes. ·      Feelings of insecurity or inadequacy. We all want to be able to fit in and have friends. We sometimes think we need to act in a certain way to be accepted. We may be afraid of how we'll be treated, or we may have fears because of past relationships. Those struggles can turn someone to alcohol to either change the way he or she acts or as a coping mechanism. The truth is, if you are believer in Christ, your identity is in him. And that is a blessed reality now. You are secure in him, and you can hold on to him through all your feelings of inadequacy and failure. And those feelings can be transformed to surety and confidence in Christ. ·      Another common root cause is anxiety. Pressures at work, or in your family, or conflict with others or a move or a health condition… or a combination of those can stir up deep levels of anxiety in your heart. The problem is, when you self-medicate with alcohol or drugs, those initial feelings of relief are often followed by more intense anxiety. In fact, anxiety can accelerate an addiction because the lows get lower and you have to drink more and longer to sustain those fleeting feelings of false peace. Friends, true peace and stability and freedom from worry comes through a growing foundation of knowing the promises of God and his Gospel. ·      And the last one I want to mention: depression. Depression is a difficult one because there are so many factors that lead to depression. It may be hereditary. It may be because of grief or one of the other factors I already mentioned. It may be loneliness or caused by a difficult life situation. It may be seasonal or postpartum. Similar to anxiety, drinking or drug abuse may give you relief from the sadness, but it is only a fleeting relief. It's a false relief. True joy and hope is found in Christ. To be sure, there are some helpful treatments available for depression. But the path to recovery needs to begin with God and the amazing hope that we have in Christ. As Psalm 18 says, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.” In closing, I know that often times addictions are stigmatized in the church. And I know that often times we feel shame for our current and past struggles in this area. But I also know that we have a Savior who knows our weakness. He is a friend and redeemer of sinners. Every single one of us needs him. We need the hope and joy and forgiveness that God the Father offers us in his Son through the grace and reconciliation of the cross. If one of these things is your struggle, please reach out to me or one of our elders. We will not be surprised nor make you feel ashamed, but we will come alongside you… both to pray for you and to help you on the journey to be restored and healed. Pray

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: The Pareto Best and the Curse of Doom, published by Screwtape on February 22, 2024 on LessWrong. I. Prerequisite reading: Being the (Pareto) Best in the World. A summary of Being the (Pareto) Best in the World: Being the world's best mathematician is hard. Being the world's best musician is hard. Being the world's best mathematician/musician is much easier, especially since there are multiple slots; an amazing mathematician who is also a competent musician, someone who is good at both, and a competent mathematician who is also an amazing musician can all find a niche. I like this concept, and have kept it in my back pocket ever since I read it. I have sometimes described myself as a software engineer who was competent at public speaking and project management. That particular overlapping skillset is, it turns out, fairly valuable. While I was attempting to become a better software engineer, I was also trying to add competence at corporate budgets and accounting to that skillset. These days I spend a lot of time talking to the kind of person who hangs out on LessWrong a lot or spends a lot of time going to Astral Codex Ten meetups. If ever I faced a problem that required a brilliant neuroscientist, or a gifted Haskell programmer, or a world leading expert in training honeybees, well, let's just say I know somebody. There are people out there who are exemplary at the thing they do. Sometimes they're not very good at other things though. While Being The (Pareto) Best in the World felt optimistic when I first read it, these days I regard it as a curse of doom upon the world, blighting otherwise promising areas of effort and endeavor. I look around at places where it feels like everyone is dropping the ball and see a blasted wasteland where nothing grows because nobody has the right combination of seemingly basic skills. II. Imagine a toy model where everyone has a hundred points to put into being good at things. (This is, to be clear, not just a toy model but an incorrect model. It's easy to look at your incoming university students and notice a strong inverse correlation between math and verbal SAT scores, forgetting that those get summed together during applications and anyone below a certain threshold probably has their application discarded. Still, let's use this model for the moment.) Leading talents in a field maybe put 75 points in their area. Why not 100? Because you need points in living your life. There's an archetype of the absent minded professor, someone who can understand a complex abstract subject but who shows up to give lectures having forgotten to put their shoes on or eat breakfast. Hitting 90 points in your field requires someone else to do a lot of the upkeep for you; many FAANG jobs provide food and other amenities, and I don't think it's entirely because it's a cheap perk. Politely, I know some FAANG engineers who I suspect would forget lunch and dinner if it was not conveniently provided for them. At sufficiently high levels of dedication, seemingly important related skills start to fall by the wayside. Many programmers are not good at documenting their code, writing or reading specifications, or estimating story points and timelines. Fiction authors vary wildly in their comfort with self-promotion, proofreading, and layout. That's what publishers and agents are for. There's a few indie musicians I enjoy whose mastery of sound mixing or recording technology is not the equal to their actual playing. You can spend 40 points on singing, 40 points on recording, and 20 points on living your life. At this point, you're giving up some noticeable quality somewhere. I'll arbitrarily draw a line at 50 points and say this is where so-called "professional" quality tends to hang out, the people you see do their thing and you think "man, they could make a livin...

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: 2023 Survey Results, published by Screwtape on February 16, 2024 on LessWrong. The Data 0. Population There were 558 responses over 32 days. The spacing and timing of the responses had hills and valleys because of an experiment I was performing where I'd get the survey advertised in a different place, then watch how many new responses happened in the day or two after that. Previous surveys have been run over the last decade or so. 2009: 166 2011: 1090 2012: 1195 2013: 1636 2014: 1503 2016: 3083 2017: "About 300" 2020: 61 2022: 186 2023: 558 Last year when I got a hundred and eighty six responses, I said that the cheerfully optimistic interpretation was "cool! I got about as many as Scott did on his first try!" This time I got around half of what Scott did on his second try. A thousand responses feels pretty firmly achievable. This is also the tenth such survey that's been run. We missed a proper ten year anniversary in 2019, and in 2022 I was mostly focused on making the survey happen at all. Still, this is a cool milestone, and in celebration I'm going to be dipping into the datasets from previous years a lot. Unfortunately that doesn't mean I have ten surveys worth of data; bit rot and the rotation of census runners means I only have access to about half of these. I'll talk about other surveys more later on. For the moment, let's talk about the basic breakdowns. There's two main formats I'm going to present information in. The simple one is where I give the answer, the number of people who gave that answer, and the percentage of the total respondents. For an example, let's use Previous LessWrong Surveys. Previous LessWrong Surveys: No: 349, 64.6% Prefer not to answer: 25, 4.6% Yes: 166, 30.7% The other is where I have the mean and standard deviation. If you see a sequence of numbers like "30.1 + 8.9 (24, 28, 34) [n=186]" those numbers are "Mean + standard deviation (1st quartile, 2nd quartile, 3rd quartile) [n= number responding]." For an example, let's use Age. Age: 30.5 + 9.2 (24, 29, 36) [n=552] The mean is 30.5, the standard deviation is 9.2, the first quartile is 24, the second quartile (AKA the median) is 28, the third quartile is 34, and 552 people answered the question. Got it? Good. I. Demographics Age: 30.5 + 9.2 (24, 29, 36) [n=552] Then of course, there's times when it just made sense to me to treat a question differently. While the median age is useful, I also wanted to break it down into chunks so I could go by age group. Under 20: 47, 8.5% 20 to 29: 236, 42.7% 30 to 39: 191, 34.6% 40 to 49: 53, 9.6% 50 to 59: 17, 3% 60 to 69: 8, 1.4% That makes intuitive sense. We're mostly a community of twenty and thirty year olds. To make it a little visually clearer, here's a graph: [I forgot to label my axes. The vertical axis is the number of respondents who gave that answer, the horizontal axis is how old they said they were.] That's better, but I'm specifically curious about how the age of the community has changed over time. What happens if I pull the ages from all the censuses I have? [I forgot to label my axes. The vertical axis is the number of respondents who gave that answer, the horizontal axis is how old they said they were. Each line is a different survey year.] This mostly tells me that 2016 was a really good year for surveys. Fine. I'm going to come back to this later rather than get bogged down, but I'm not done with this. The rest of the comparisons over time I saved for their own section. Country: United States of America: 274, 49.6% Canada: 39, 7.1% Germany:37, 6.7% United Kingdom:34, 6.2% Russia:20, 3.6% France:17, 3.1% Australia:16, 2.9% India: 11, 2.0% Finland,: 9, 1.6% Poland: 9, 1.6% Netherlands: 7, 1.3% New Zealand: 7,1.3% Norway: 7, 1.3% Denmark: 5, 0.9% Hungary: 4, 0.7% Israel: 4, 0.7% Other: 52, 9.4% [I often rounded anyone at 3 respon...

A woman's question... a diabolical answer.  Listen at your own risk!Could your most fervent desires be your undoing? Join us as we probe the telling verses of a poem first recited by our esteemed guest, Camille Theodora.   Followed by a diabolical response from Screwtape himself.  A tale that holds a mirror to our own struggles and the unforeseen consequences they may bring. As the lines unfold, a chilling narrative emerges about a girl who seeks the grandeur of life's treasures in God's blessing, without grasping, perhaps, their true cost. This Faustian dialogue peels back the layers of this evocative piece, drawing connections to timeless stories of ambition's dark side and the ruin it can lead to if you listen to the wrong voices.The poem's protagonist treads wishfully, offering her whole self for true love, evoking reflections on the value of our aspirations versus the price of fulfilling them. "Happy Valentine's Day" concludes the reading, offering an eerie juxtaposition between the themes of love and the intricate webs woven by the unchristian passions. This episode is an invitation to ponder the worth of what we chase after and the shadows that trail our choices—a discussion that is certain to resonate with listeners and leave an indelible mark on their contemplations of want and will.How these came into our possession - we are still uncertain.  **********Cloud of Witnesses Radiohttps://www.patreon.com/CloudofWitnessesRadioHave you ever paused to measure the weight of a heart's desires against the scales of life's demands? Valentine's Day might conjure images of roses and chocolates, but our guest Theodora invites us into a deeper contemplation of romance through her stirring poetry. Her work lays bare the raw intersection of love's whimsy and the stark currencies of expectation. As Theodora articulates the yearnings for both a playful companion and a sovereign of one's inner kingdom, we're drawn into a thoughtful probing of what it means to truly give and receive in matters of the heart.The dialogue we share is no ordinary exchange; it's a canvas painted with the hues of sacrifice, entitlement, and the elusive price tag of passion. Theodora's recitation is a dance between the idealized love of fairy tales and the unvarnished truth of human connection, challenging us to reflect on our own relationships. We explore the paradox of love's greatest gifts, questioning whether they can ever be simply won or must be earnestly earned. Join us as we unlock these profound insights, and perhaps in the process, we might even confront the demons of doubt Theodora hints are loath to have such conversations see the light of day.Thank you for journeying w/ the Saints with us!

The Ant and the Slug Thank you to Coleman for his sermon last week on integrity and slander, and flattery, among other things. I listened to it a few days ago. Very well done! And I'm not trying to flatter him. Well, as we've gone through the book of Proverbs, one of the amazing things is how timeless the proverbs are. I think you would agree. This book was written almost 3000 years ago… But no matter whether you lived back then or you live today, the human condition is the same. It's just manifested in different ways. This morning we're considering the theme of sloth or idleness compared to diligence. In fact, it's one of the more prominent themes in Proverbs. Clearly in King Solomon's day, it was a significant issue. And I think that it's also one of our struggles today. Please take out your Proverbs reading insert. You'll see that we are starting with a few verses from chapter 6 this morning. The first half of chapter 6 was the only portion of Solomon's opening lessons that we saved for later. So we're coming back to part of it now and in a few weeks, we'll consider the rest of it. If you would like to read those first verses from you Bible, please turn to Proverbs 6. Please stand for the reading of God's Word. Reading of Proverbs 6:6-11 and selected proverbs------------------------------------------Proverbs 6:6-11 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.Without having any chief, officer, or ruler,    she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep?A little sleep, a little slumber, a  little folding of the hands to rest,    and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man. 10:4-5 A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. He who gathers in summer is a prudent son,     but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.10:26 Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,     so is the sluggard to those who send him.12:11 Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread,     but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.12:24 The hand of the diligent will rule,     while the slothful will be put to forced labor.12:27 Whoever is slothful will not roast his game,     but the diligent man will get precious wealth.13:4 The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing,     while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick,     but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.14:23 In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.15:19 The way of a sluggard is like a hedge of thorns,     but the path of the upright is a level highway.16:26 A worker's appetite works for him; his mouth urges him on.18:9 Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys.19:15 Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger.19:24 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish     and will not even bring it back to his mouth.20:4 The sluggard does not plow in the autumn;     he will seek at harvest and have nothing.20:13 Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty;     open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread.21:17 Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man;     he who loves wine and oil will not be rich.21:25-26 The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor. All day long he craves and craves,     but the righteous gives and does not hold back.22:13 The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside! I shall be killed in the streets!”22:29 Do you see a man skillful in his work?     He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.24:27 Prepare your work outside;     get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house.24:30-34 I passed by the field of a sluggard,     by the vineyard of a man lacking sense,     and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns;     the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction.     A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,     and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.25:13 Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest     is a faithful messenger to those who send him;     he refreshes the soul of his masters.26:13-16 The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road!     There is a lion in the streets!” As a door turns on its hinges, so does a sluggard on his bed. The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;     it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth. The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly.27:18 Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,     and he who guards his master will be honored.28:19-20 Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread,     but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty. A faithful man will abound with blessings,     but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.------------------------------------------ Prayer A few years ago, ESPN hosted a contest which they called the “Ultimate Couch Potato.” The goal was to see who could last the longest in a recliner watching ESPN. The rules allowed only one stretch per hour. You were not allowed to sleep… and you could only take a bathroom break once every 8 hours. Oh, and they provided all the food and soft drinks you wanted. The winner went 72 hours. Can you believe that? The guy received a new TV, a new recliner, and the coveted Ultimate Couch Potato trophy. By the way, it was the third year in a row this guy won. I suspect that's why they discontinued the contest. Our culture glorifies and enables laziness. Here are some statistics. Americans spend, on average, 3 hours and 9 minutes a day streaming video content. On average, we spend 4 hours and 25 minutes on our phones every day. And weekly, we average 8-12 hours playing video games. To quote the title of Neil Postman's prophetic book, we are Amusing Ourselves to Death. He wrote that in 1985. Imagine what he would say today. And social media and games are only one of the paths today to an idle and slothful lifestyle. As we read, Proverbs speaks to this. It warns against this. The problem is, such a life does not reflect the goodness of God's creation in you, nor does it reflect God's call for your life. Let me say that again, a slothful lifestyle does not reflect the goodness of God's creation in you, nor does it reflect God's call for you life. That's basically the summary for today. Let me tell you how we're going to work that out. 1. First, we'll analyze Proverb's account of the slothful and the diligent. What it says 2. Next, we'll look at the consequences. What it warns. 3. Third, it's very important to consider the cause. And let me say, there are some difficult things in life that can contribute to idleness. 4. And fourth, last, we'll talk through the cure. So, the account, the consequences, the cause, and the cure. That's where we're headed. 1. The account: The Sloth and the Diligent Number 1. How do these verses account for the slothful and the diligent? The first thing is that there's word here used over and over. It's the word “sluggard.” It's used 14 times here. Now, in English, the word “sluggard” is a derivative of the word “slug.” Slug, meaning, of course those slimy little creatures that move so slowly. In the Hebrew language, the word for sluggard and slug are totally different words, but the idea is similar. The Hebrew meaning of sluggard is someone who is slow to take action - someone habitually lazy with no discipline or initiative in his life. That's very similar to the second word used here. The word slothful… used 3 times. It's someone who constantly refuses work. He is the opposite of diligent. And we see these definitions worked out all through these verses. ·      First, a sluggard loves to sleep! As a door turns on it's hinge, so a sluggard on his bed. Or as we read a couple of times, “a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest” He even sleeps during the harvest, it says. By the way, we all need sleep… but this is different. The sluggard wins the couch potato award. ·      Second, the one who is slothful is mere talk. That's how Proverbs 14:23 describes him. “Mere talk tends only to poverty.” He'll say something like, “Oh, I'll get to that tomorrow.” But tomorrow never comes. He talks a big talk, but never follows through. ·      Next, he also makes excuses. Like in 26:13 – This is a funny one… “There's a lion in the road!” In other words, “I can't go out there to work.” There are murder hornets out there! Or, the dog ate my homework. If you lived in our house, that could actually happen. ·      And a fourth description are his worthless pursuits. That phrase is there in Proverb 28:19. “…he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.” That's pretty descriptive of us today. We get sucked into the vortex of social media. Name your favorite – Tick Tok, X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube. We get pulled into the articles, pictures, videos, and reading the comments. Then all of a sudden, hours have passed! Has that happened to you? It's happened to me. ·      There are some other descriptions in here as well. For example, work is drudgery to the slothful. Also he ignores the severity of his situation. So, he loves his lazy-boy recliner or his bed, always procrastinates, talks a big talk, pursues the unimportant, and cares not about working or his situation. Now, no one here that fits that full description. But I think we can each identify slothful areas or lazy tendencies, perhaps even significant ones, in our lives. The contrast here is with the diligent. That word means someone who is industrious in his work and focused. It's not just that he is diligent to do something, he is also thoughtful and intentional in his tasks. Look at Proverbs 27:24, you'll see that sense of priorities. “Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house.” The diligent understand when it's time to plant seed and when it's time to harvest. It's in between those times, that's when he will build or maintain his house. And, of course, the illustration is the ant. Now, at the time in Israel, one of the more common types of ants was the harvester ant. It was known to store kernels of grain during the harvest, which would last them the whole year. At other times of the year, these ants would expand their nest and care for the young. So likely, Solomon had these in mind. It's a picture of diligence and preparedness in the tasks at hand. You see, the diligent don't need a task master to keep them going, rather they understand and can accomplish their responsibilities. Kids, if your mom or dad are always reminding you, every day, to do your school work, then likely you are acting more like a slug than an ant. It's time to become like an ant. 2. The Consequences Ok, point #2. The consequences. All throughout these verses, we're given consequences. Let me say, these are generalities, not formulas. When the Proverbs speak about immediate consequences, it's not giving us a formula. We can't say, if you are diligent, the result will always be blessing and security. No, those Proverbs are rules of thumb. Look at Proverbs 10:4. “A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.” Is it the case that a sluggard will always find himself in self-inflicted poverty? No? Is it the case that the diligent will always have financial security? No. External circumstances can change the outcome. But the principal is generally true. It's important to understand that. For the sluggard, in many many cases, his carelessness and laziness will lead to poverty. Some of the language used here is “suffer hunger” or “have nothing” or he'll “be put into forced labor.” Or he'll have “plenty of poverty.” On the other hand, the diligent will in many many cases “reap a harvest” or “will have plenty of bread” or “will abound in blessing.” That's the language here. You can see the contrast – poverty versus plenty. Let me highlight another consequence. Being around a sluggard is no fun. Especially if you are responsible for him or her. This last week, Amy, Caleb, and I were in the kitchen, and Caleb said, “Mom, do you remember when you made us take a mouthful of vinegar and then you read us that Proverb?” Amy and I both laughed because little did Caleb know at the time, but that Proverb is on the list for today. Look down at Proverbs 10:26. “Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who send him.” This was several years ago. The kids were all having one of those days. They weren't listening. They were not following through on chores or assignments. They didn't want to do anything. Parents, you know what I'm talking about. So Amy brought them out on our deck. She gave them each a little cup of vinegar, and made them swish it around in their mouths … and then she read Proverbs 10:26. Her point was this: That bitter and sour taste in your mouth is what it's like to those around you when you disobey and are lazy. Now, to be sure, Amy didn't make them swallow the vinegar, so please don't call family services. By the way, some of the other consequences listed here are similar. A sluggard brings shame and the diligent brings honor. To summarize: the consequence for the slothful include self-inflicted poverty, difficulty working with him, and often shame to his family. And for the diligent? Stability, security, leadership even, and honor. #3 The causes At this point, let's transition to the causes and the cure. We're going to focus on idleness and sloth. Now, is it possible that our diligence can become a problem? Yes! Absolutely. Work can become an idol. What I'm saying is that you should not use these verses to justify working 60, 70, or 80 hours a week at the expense of your family. Nor should you use these verses to turn work into your identity. Those are problems, for sure… but what these verses focus on is laziness. Also, I also want to acknowledge that there are difficult things in life which can lead to struggles with motivation. Grief is one of them. When you lose a family member or dear friend, some days it's hard to even get up out of bed. Depression is similar. Depression can be caused by many things. And I want to say, in those two situations, it's important to get help – that may be Godly counselling or other kinds of help. If that's your struggle, please reach out for help and guidance. I also want to say that idleness is different than rest. We all need rest. God has given us the pattern and focus of our rest. That's a topic for another day. What many of these verses speak to is the sin of laziness. It's being a dead weight on your family or friends or at work. It's when you are not contributing with your God given skills and gifts to labor. Let me add, this is not just about a career. Rather, we all have lowercase “c” callings. That may be a paid job. It may be caring for someone or a family. It may be serving the needs in the church or community. For example, children, at this point in your life, your responsibility is to be diligent in your schoolwork. On the other hand, if you are one of our older members and struggling with heath issues, your calling may be prayer. Whatever it is, we're to pursue it with diligence. But the problem is that sin has affected everything. That includes affecting our motivations and our work. And this goes way back to Genesis 3. Part of God's curse on all creation is that the ground will produce “thorns and thistles.” And as it also says, “by the sweat of your face you shall eat bread.” Because of that, we often don't want to work. We don't want to deal with the struggles of whatever calling we have. And those thorns and thistles can come in many forms. And so, we cave in. We don't want to put in the effort. We distract ourselves and we make all kinds of excuses. But at the heart of it all, the heart of our laziness in whatever area of our life… is our sin. We don't want to recognize that part of God's call for us is to work. Again, work in a broad sense of our daily callings. You see, we were created to work. Every one of us. We read that earlier in the service from Genesis 1 and 2. Part of God creating man in his image, is the inherent responsibility to labor in this world… which is patterned after God and his work in creating all things. In other words, work is not a result of the fall. No, the toil of work is the result. And in our selfishness and pride, we would rather distract ourselves with mind numbing activities or a lazy lifestyle, than follow through on the gift of God in our callings. To summarize, what are the primary causes of our sloth? Sin in the world and the sin in our hearts. Let me add one more cause. And I'd like to use CS Lewis for this one. Some of you have read his book Screwtape Letters. It's a fiction and it's really unique. It's a series of letters written by Screwtape, who is a senior demon in the devil's army. Screwtape, the demon, is writing to his demon apprentice, Wormwood. Screwtape's goal is to get Wormwood to effectively distract his human patient from God and instead direct him to sin. His tactics are many including exploiting personal weaknesses, stirring up anger and strife, undermining prayer and the church, promoting despair and apathy, and elevating the patient's pride. Let me read what Screwtape writes in letter 12: “My dear Wormwood… You no longer need a good book, which he really likes, to keep him from his prayers or his work or his sleep; a column of advertisements in yesterday's paper will do. [or should I add, “a little screen time”]  You can make him waste his time… [by doing] nothing at all for long periods… you can keep him up late at night… staring at a dead fire…. Nothing is very strong -  strong enough to steal away a man's best years not in sweet sins but in a dreary flickering of the mind over it knows not what and knows not why in the gratification of curiosity so feeble the man is only half aware of them… You will say that these are very small sins… [but] it does not matter how small the sins are provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing.” He wrote that 85 years ago. You see, the devil has many lies and tactics and one of them is complacency or sloth. He wants to exploit your sin and the fallen world around you…  He wants you to retreat into the world of idle nothingness and away from God. #4 The Cure So, where does that lead us? Well, it leads us to the cure. This is point number 4. The good news is that God is at work. He's at work redeeming. And one of the things that he's redeeming… is he's redeeming our labors. We don't often think about redemption being applied to our daily callings. Do we? Rather, when we think about redemption, we think about how Christ has redeemed us from the eternal consequences of our sin. Or we think about how we are reconciled to God through Jesus' atoning sacrifice. Or we think about how the resurrection gives us hope for eternity. Or we consider the grace that God gives us through Christ in forgiving us for the sins that we actively commit. Those are all amazing things. But we should also consider that God's redemption applies to our passive sins like sloth… and we should consider how God is redeeming our labors. Whatever you're called to do in this life. Many of you know I spent almost 20 years in a different career. I experienced the highs and lows of any job – difficult situations, demanding responsibilities. At times, I struggled with motivation. But at other time, I experienced joy in my work. And I will say, these last 10 years as a pastor, there have been highs and lows. Times of discouragement and times sensing the joy and passion of this calling. I'm thankful to God that most often it's been the later. Let me share four things I've learned over the years: ·      First, when we intentionally seek to honor God in our work, God often gives us a desire to work and a satisfaction in our work. That's the first one. By the way, I'll restate them at the end. ·      Second, when we recognize that part of what it means to be created in God's image is being created to work… when we recognize that, God often gives us purpose and meaning in our work. ·      Third, when we recognize that God's work of redemption includes our work, we are able with his help to endure the thorns and thistles. ·      And fourth, when we realize that God's grace in Christ through the cross includes forgiving us for our sloth, then we can be renewed to diligence… as we pursue our daily callings. Let me says those again. (1) Pursuing God's glory in what we do, often gives us desire and satisfaction in our callings (2) Remembering that we are created in God's image gives us purpose in our callings (3) God is redeeming our work which helps us persevere through trials in our callings and (4) God's grace covers all our sin, including our idleness. When we come to him with it, he will help renew our hearts in our callings. As we come to a close, let's consider one more thing - work in this life compared to eternity. You see, in this life, each one of us struggles or will struggle in our daily callings. That may include a struggle of apathy. You may have days or weeks or months where you are fighting to regain motivation and fighting against idleness. But beloved, if you are in Christ, there will be a day when work will no longer be a chore. A day when you will be in the presence of your Savior with all the saints. A day when you will enter his rest. His eternal rest. But it won't be a rest without work. No, it will be an eternal rest from the thorns and thistles… an eternal rest from any and all temptations to sin. Yes, we will be worshiping forever, but we'll also be working in some way. But our labors and service will be fully redeemed, with no toil or struggle. Whatever it is like, at every moment it will be fully satisfying to us and fully glorifying to God. May God give us an eternal motivation and perspective, as we labor in this life. My we forsake our sloth and idleness and instead hear the call to diligence – not for our glory, but for God. Amen? 

In This Episode:For anyone looking to make changes and become better, this episode is for you. This week, Tyler and Mike welcome Bob Krause to the Richest Men in Town program. Bob brings his love and contagious energy and wastes no time getting into how things really are. The result is a powerful authentic "mid-week church" experience. The conversation is rich and covers all kinds of ground, including:Power of loving and accepting others How accountability helps us become our best selvesFinding excellence on the journey of development Dangers of perfection and self-shamePatience and grace with ourselves and othersHow coming from a place of consistent service helps usThe language of the Holy GhostThe reality of forgivenessGod can use flawed peopleCompassion and accepting othersCycle of addiction and overcoming pornographyFreedom vs. captivityBob's vulnerability and his authenticity give everyone around him permission to, not only be themselves but to be their best selves. His faith is a powerful force for good. To Bob, thank you for the way that you are showing up each and every day. Keep going brother!Show NotesQuotes..."How much longer are we going to wait to demand the best from ourselves?" -Steven Lawson from Monk Manual"Friend, go up higher." -Luke 14:10“Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one--the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts,...Your affectionate uncle, Screwtape.” -C.S. Lewis"But as oft as they repented and sought forgiveness, with real intent, they were forgiven." -Moroni 6:8"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." -Ether 12:27References...Toby Keith's "Don't Let the Old Man In"RMIT Episode #57: Steven Lawson-"Pregnant with Potential"The Law of Love by Steve YoungRMIT Episode #69: Dan Collins-"Yes to be Blessed"Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do by Robert SchullerLeading Saints with Kurt Brown-"I'm Not the Gatekeeper, I'm the Welcoming Committee"Saul on the Road to Damascus in Acts Chapter 9President Russell M. NelsonPsst...Check out our website or visit us on our Facebook and Instagram platforms.

Welcome back to Black Hoodie Alchemy! This week is another solo episode, and another episode about the Christian author CS Lewis. Last time we brought him up, we went through his work The Problem of Pain and this time we're going to bring up a fictional philosophical book he wrote, something he dedicated to his friend JRR Tolkien, called The Screwtape Letters. This is a fascinating read into the letters of an arch-demon, Screwtape, written to his nephew-demon-apprentice, Wormood -- teaching him how to claim the soul of a European man amidst the onset of World War II. I am not Christian, but I do appreciate the esoteric notions found within the beliefs, and I also appreciate the writing and thoughts of CS Lewis -- so, while I do not agree with everything in this book, I think it is excellent food for thought that is well worth considering! And it has a very unique narrative context that you'll enjoy. BHA PATREON my linktree to my books, videos and more This week's featured artists! Don't forget to support that black hoodie rap and all your favorite indie artists! The Karma - Babylon Warchild The Injustice - Babylon Warchild The Most Violent - School of Thought Fragmented (feat. Hex One) - Umang x BBZ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blackhoodiealchemy/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blackhoodiealchemy/support

LISTEN AT YOUR OWN RISK.Words are no mere breaths of air; they can be as brutal as any fist. In the latest episode/letter Screwtape peels back the curtain on the transformation of violence in the age of the internet, where the battlegrounds aren't just physical spaces but the vast, interconnected realms of social media. With the guidance of our insightful "guest" (Screwtape), we navigate the treacherous waters of Twitter, Facebook, and beyond, where character assassinations are executed in 280 characters or less. These platforms, while designed to bring us together, have also opened the floodgates to a new form of verbal onslaught that targets not just reputations but the very essence of our souls. We scrutinize the ripple effects of these digital assaults, particularly the discord sewn within the Christian Church, and ask ourselves: How far-reaching is the damage wrought by these invisible yet palpable weapons?A poignant tale unfolds as Screwtape recounts the earnest plea of a tutor to his "nephew" Wormwood, urging the preservation of diabolical "tradition" amid a changing world. This episode takes a hard look at the perils of blind imitation and the disruption of longstanding practices. As we dissect the implications of unthinking adherence, we're reminded of the stark choices before us: evolve or risk succumbing to the subtle yet powerful forces that seek to maintain control. We examine the speaker's urgent call to action, its undertones of personal judgment, and the veiled threats that accompany dissent. Join us as we unleash Screwtape's latest epistle for a compelling exploration of the fine line between upholding values and falling prey to rigidity in a world that demands both reverence for the past and the courage to question it.We don't know how these letters came to be in our possession, but we'll do our best to make sure they harm as few people as possible.  Thank you for journeying w/ the Saints with us!

It's a mystery how these letters came into our hands, yet we cannot but share them with the world - to warn you.  Screwtape has returned...Listen at your own risk...Ever found yourself laughing in the face of New Year's resolutions, knowing that your grand plans for self-improvement might just be the first joke of the year? Get ready for Screwtape to wake us up, take a stab at the annual tradition of boldly setting goals only to watch them crumble faster than our post-midnight snack resolutions. We kick off the year with a sublime look at the fleeting nature of human determination, where the only thing more abundant than confetti post-countdown is the collective self-deception we share in setting and then sidestepping our own ambitious targets.Join us for an episode packed with humorous insights and a wry look at the psychological traps we set for ourselves every January 1st. From the intoxicating rush of crafting resolutions to the sobering reality of action-less aspirations, we break down why our New Year's promises are often just well-dressed wishes waiting for the ball to drop on their parade. Our conversation may remind you to not only promise to pray, but to actually pray.  I hate to disturb your afternoon tea…HAVE YOU BEEN ON VACATION?! …The humans have entered into a delightful new year (delightful for them, to be clear), but unless we act quickly and effectively now, the year will be as it just began—a deplorable clamor of “merrymaking joy, spiritual enthusiasm, and faith-generated hope…”“From this point forward, I will motivate myself to hit the treadmills and take the flubber out of my belly.”“From this point forward, I will not laze about at work, staring at my smartphone!”“From this point forward, I will find myself that darling of my life, whom God has prepared for me: my future spouse!”So bloody on and so bloody forth!Do you see the hilarity of these patterns yet? Doubt you can… One moment, after a jolly-good party and feast, or after a swell night's beauty sleep and a swill of strong caffeine, the humans will feel themselves a rush of exhilaration, and at the pitch of their joy, every sort of bold and happily made resolution will be bursting out of their lips like a hail of confetti bursting out of a twist-popper.  And in the midst of this ecstatic elation, they feel themselves—no, they think themselves capable of keeping it up for a very long time…! Just as the recklessness of youth is deceived into thinking himself immortal and ensured to last an eternity, the blind fervor of an excitement stoked by novelty and clean-slated “new beginnings” is duped into the belief that the fervor of such resolutions will be remain as strong tomorrow as it is today.My advice in this regard will ever remain the same as it has been all these years: Make use of their eventual and inevitable exhaustion and their loss of enthusiasm after such resolutions are made…bring them to a deluded despair…For these fools have lit themselves but a dim and fleeting candle, the length of two little fingers, and believe that the fire upon the wick shall be as hotly intense and lasting as the blistering sun in the sky.  Make them think themselves perfect enough, virtuous enough, to maintain the integrity of their firmly-made resolutions and the consistency of their future efforts…Make them judge their own character so positively ahead of time, before such resolutions are truly tested, and imagine they have accomplished everything beforehand—a delicious manifestation of vainglorious self-estimation….This is the way of a veteran tempter! Thank you for journeying w/ the Saints with us!

Screwtape gives a speech to newly-graduated demons on the state of the world and plans for capturing souls.He touches on the use of "democracy" for damning souls, as well as how to bring down many via the educational system.

It's a mystery how these letters came into our hands, yet we cannot but share them with the world - to warn you.  Screwtape has returned...Could the relentless pursuit of material wealth be overshadowing the spiritual heart of our holiday traditions? Explore this question and journey beyond the tinsel with us as Cloud of Witnesses Productions examines the intersection of Christmas's sacred roots and the pervasive forces of consumerism. Our latest episode peels back the layers of festivity to reveal the profound narrative of sacredness meeting the temporal, confronting the entities that thrive on excess and distraction. We're not just talking about the holiday season; we're probing the existential battle that lurks beneath the surface.This isn't your average holiday conversation. We're going in deep, discussing the tension between ecclesiastical values and the corrupting strategies that seek to divert the true essence and purpose of the season. Delve into a thought-provoking reflection on how we can preserve the sanctity of community and the spiritual integrity at the heart of our celebrations. Join us for a riveting dialogue that promises to challenge the way you think about the most wonderful time of the year, with insights that could reshape the way we approach the spirit of giving and receiving.Listen at your own risk.My dear leisurely Wormwood,Think not that our dire situation that has occasioned your re-recruitment has ended… If anything, we must work all the more for it is the despicable Christmas season.Excess materialism and obsession with gifts, which we've fostered endlessly through our social media efforts, our devoted “influencers”, and our diabolical algorithms which spoon feed temptation 24/7, paired with a dash of gluttony and avarice, are the chief and preferred means to invert the true meaning and purpose of these Holidays.  The true heart of this Season, my dear nephew—the very core of its spirit, which truly threatens the successes of our operations, is not so much the generous gestures of gift-giving, or even the warm and fuzzy embraces motivated by love and togetherness (however abominable they might be to us).  These are but simple and prosaic tokens which exist merely around the true core and heart of these Holidays, as much as the Divine Operations of the Enemy whilst not identical to His very Essence, are still inseparably around the same Divine Essence from which flow all the Divine Goodnesses that the dust-made animals experience.No. Bah Humbug!  Thank you for journeying w/ the Saints with us!

It's a mystery how these letters came into our hands, yet we cannot but share them with the world - to warn you.  Screwtape has returned...Discover the spiritual battleground lurking beneath our modern existence as we unravel the tale of Screwtape's renewed correspondence with Wormwood, the junior tempter, now thrust back into the fray by his commanding uncle. Amidst a world where truth seems ever more elusive, their nefarious tactics are being challenged by those discovering the Christian Faith!  This episode is a journey through the dark strategies of a timeless war, where the stakes are souls, and deception is the weapon of choice!Venture with us into the heart of a contemporary Christian question, where ancient faith is experiencing a powerful renaissance, signaling a divine mobilization for an apocalyptic event. Listen closely Screwtape delivers the  urgent rallying cry to Wormwood, reminding us that the forces of darkness are relentless in their quest to thwart the path to saving Faith. With an undercurrent of the sinister, this narrative will leave you contemplating the profound implications of a spiritual harvest and the final judgment that may stand at our doorstep.  It is later than you think.Thank you for journeying w/ the Saints with us!

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: Meetup Tip: Heartbeat Messages, published by Screwtape on December 7, 2023 on LessWrong. Summary "Heartbeat message" is a term of art in technology. It's a message that gets sent on a regular schedule with some information on the status of some system, but the most important thing about a heartbeat message is that everything is working well enough to send the message. By analogy to a human body, if you hear a weak or erratic heartbeat something might be going wrong but if you stop hearing the heartbeat then something has certainly gone wrong. Heartbeat messages are also useful for meetup groups or large meetup events. Even if the message contains no new information in the body of the message, the fact that it got sent confirms that there is still an active organizer at the helm. Heartbeats also remind people "oh yeah, I was interested in that." You have now read the basic point of this post. If you want to read on, cool, lets talk about heartbeats for more words than are strictly necessary. Details There's two broad use cases for heartbeat messages in meetups. One is if you have a regular community that exists and does normal meetup things. The other is if you have some specific big event you're building to. Heartbeats will differ a little for these, but they have much in common. I like to start each heartbeat with the basics I really want someone to know, even if this is the only message they're going to read. For a big event, "When is it happening and where is it happening" is the key information. For a regular community, that might be other places you can go for information (for instance, if there's a Facebook group and a Discord server and a google group and...) or resources you don't want people to forget about. OBNYC has a position of Monthly Meetup Captain, and every month there's a message reminding the community that they need a captain. The pace of a heartbeat message for a big event should probably change over time. Let's take the East Coast Rationalist Megameetup as an example. That's a single large event in December that happens every year. The first announcement is usually in mid-autumn, and I try to send an email a month until late November when I increase to once a week. The week beforehand, I increase again, aiming to do one at the start of the week, one the day before, and one the day of. For regular communities, this can differ. If lots of events are happening and getting announced, they can function as their own heartbeat. The Bay Area LessWrong mailing list has a fairly reliable Thursday Dinner, plus an Oakland meetup most weeks, plus a few others. If you have at least an event a week I don't know if you need a separate heartbeat because the events themselves are evidence things are happening. In the other direction, I wouldn't have a heartbeat cadence for a local community that was more than 2x as frequent as the meetups. So if you meet once in spring and once in autumn, maybe do four a year but not five? I think the actual right cadence is to treat the spring and autumn meetups as Big Events and do a one-month-out message then a one-week-out message for each. Some places have norms against spam or thread necromancy (posting in a channel just to draw people's attention to an old post or to bring it to the top of something that sorts by Latest.) When in doubt, check with the mods. Heartbeat messages are good places to ask for help or to mention issues you're running into. That's their purpose in tech. "Our usual organizer is out of town next month, anyone want to fill their spot?" "I'll need some volunteers to set up the stage equipment right before solstice and help pack up after, anyone free?" Quick Tips I suggest you copy and paste the opening, then change one or two of the connecting or fluff sentences. Pure copy and paste seems to get glosse...

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: 2023 Unofficial LessWrong Census/Survey, published by Screwtape on December 2, 2023 on LessWrong. The Less Wrong General Census is unofficially here! You can take it at this link. It's that time again. If you are reading this post and identify as a LessWronger, then you are the target audience. I'd appreciate it if you took the survey. If you post, if you comment, if you lurk, if you don't actually read the site that much but you do read a bunch of the other rationalist blogs or you're really into HPMOR, if you hung out on rationalist tumblr back in the day, or if none of those exactly fit you but I'm maybe getting close, I think you count and I'd appreciate it if you took the survey. Don't feel like you have to answer all of the questions just because you started taking it. Last year I asked if people thought the survey was too long, collectively they thought it was maybe a little bit too long, and then I added more questions than I removed. The survey is structured so the fastest and most generally applicable questions are (generally speaking) towards the start. At any point you can scroll to the bottom and hit Submit, though you won't be able to change your answers once you do. The questions are a mix of historical questions that were previously asked on the LW Census, new questions sourced from LW commenters and some rationalist adjacent organizations I reached out to, and the things I'm curious about. This includes questions from a list a member of the LessWrong team sent me when I asked about running the census. The survey shall remain open from now until at least January 1st, 2024. I plan to close it sometime on Jan 2nd. I don't work for LessWrong, and as far as I know the LessWrong Census organizer has never been someone who worked for LessWrong. Once the survey is closed, I plan to play around with the data and write up an analysis post like this one. Remember, you can take the survey at this link. Once upon a time, there was a tradition that if you took the survey you could comment here saying you had done so, and people would upvote you and you would get karma. Thanks for listening. To help us out with The Nonlinear Library or to learn more, please visit nonlinear.org

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: The 101 Space You Will Always Have With You, published by Screwtape on November 29, 2023 on LessWrong. Any community which ever adds new people will need to either routinely teach the new and (to established members) blindingly obvious information to those who genuinely haven't heard it before, or accept that over time community members will only know the simplest basics by accident of osmosis or selection bias. There isn't another way out of that. You don't get to stop doing it. If you have a vibrant and popular group full of people really interested in the subject of the group, and you run it for ten years straight, you will still sometimes run across people who have only fuzzy and incorrect ideas about the subject dauntless you are making an active effort to make Something Which Is Not That happen. Or in other words; I have run into people at Effective Altruism meetups who were aghast at the idea of putting a dollar price on a human life, people at LessWrong meetups who did not know what Bayes Theorem was, and people at Magic: The Gathering meetups who thought the old lands tapped for two mana. (Because, you see, new lands don't have a "T: Add [Mana Symbol] to your mana pool" ability, maybe the cards that do say that do something extra when you tap them?) Laughter and incredulity can come across as insulting and push people away. Instead, consider how to make sure the information you care about transmitting is regularly conveyed. It can happen to you! I. As I understand it, the standard Jewish Synagogue service includes a reading from the Five Books Of Moses such that at the end of a year the books have been read in their entirety. Anyone attending every week for a year will have at least heard all of those words once, and if someone has been around for a couple of years it's a reasonable assumption that if they missed a week here or a week there, they'd have heard it the next year. You can't go to synagogue for years and accidentally not know about the slavery in Egypt. I'm not Jewish, so my synagogue knowledge is mostly second hand. I was raised Christian, and while my family branch of Protestantism doesn't have such an organized sequence as the Five Books Of Moses I can confirm that it would have been practically impossible to somehow attend three months of church services and not have been told Jesus loved you. If you skipped a week, that's fine, it came up in other sermons too. If you zoned out at that bit, the first thing I remember being told about writing sermons was to repeat things about three times at different points in the speech. If you showed up with earplugs in, it was written in the program and sometimes in bright colours on the walls. I have on occasion been tempted to put that kind of redundant and overlapping effort into making people aware of such rationalist lessons such as "Zero And One Are Not Probabilities" or "Your Enemies Are Not Innately Evil." Linear education systems play by an entirely different set of rules. A standard American student will go through first grade, second grade, third grade, and so on up to the end of high school. Many will then go to university, and the university can assume that new students already know how to write essays and do algebra. (Though they can't safely assume this is true of every student! There was a college professor at my dinner table growing up, and overheard complaints about how college freshmen were unable to do things such as, without loss of generality, reliably remember the difference between "their" or "there" in a written essay.) Society as a whole does not get to make this assumption. The overt purpose of the entire education edifice is to deal with the fact that civilization has a constant influx of people who don't know how the government works, how written language works, or how we wound...

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: Never Drop A Ball, published by Screwtape on November 24, 2023 on LessWrong. Previously I talked about the skill of doing things One Day Sooner. Today I'm going to talk about a different way of working which is in some ways its opposite. The Sazen for this approach is "Never Drop A Ball." I was exposed to this approach in my teens, though I didn't grasp it on an intuitive, fluid level until I was midway through university. It's the method of work I've been in most often for the last year or so, and while it's not the way to get things done that I most enjoy, it does have some benefits. Never Drop A Ball has some downsides in use, with the main issue being fairly predictable from the phrase "reliably doing the bare minimum." For my own case, the part I like the least is that I don't feel proud of most of the output. It works something like this: make a list of the things that actually, really, no fooling needs to happen, and then take multiple routes to ensure that those things happen. What does it look like? In grade school, I would sometimes get confused by how repetitive teachers got on field trips. "Is everyone here?" they would ask again and again. "Line up neatly as you go into the next room," they'd call, and then count us as we walked by. When I was older and sometimes responsible for shepherding kids myself, I began to realize the wisdom of my elders on this point. You have many goals when guiding a bunch of ten-year olds through a wilderness hike. First among these goals is not to lose any kids. If you counted fifteen when you started the hike, you really really want there to be fifteen kids when you get to the end of the hike. Perhaps in theory you might be willing to grant that filling the children with the joys and wonders of the natural world is worth a tiny bit more risk to them! That's the reason for the hike after all. This argument will do little to help you in the event you can only count to fourteen kids at the end. You will observe people attempting to never drop a ball constantly comparing against very specific rubrics. Convergent pressures create check lists and todo lists. No task is allowed to be added to the plate without a written (preferably digitalized and timestamped!) reminded of it. Never dropping a ball wants redundancy, and when it can get extra resources those resources are spent quadruple checking things or getting to the same list marginally faster. From the outside, this can look like spending more time and people and money being spent to change nothing except maybe complaints become a little less frequent. I have worked adjacent to organizations that were constantly dropping the ball. I have talked to them, they'd say a task was very important, and then a month later I'd realize I hadn't heard anything more about it and when I talked to them again they'd slap their forehead and go "oh, right, I forgot!" When I asked them how they forgot, they'd shrug and gesture to piles of paper on their desk. "So much to do. You know how it is." When I asked if the task was in that stack of paper, I'd be told they weren't really sure, maybe it was. Surgical checklists reportedly save lives by reminding doctors to do things like wash their hands. Airplane pilots have checklists too, segmented by when to use each list, and the one for landing includes "Landing Gear - Down". I used to use a checklist when pushing software to production, and it included (details changed slightly in case a former employer decides this would be a proprietary competitive advantage) "Tests were run. Tests passed. Test results are for this build, not a previous build that worked before you changed things." Those checklists are the organizational scar tissue created from dropping the ball. How do you do it? Above all, every single time a ball gets dropped, you write down...

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: On Tapping Out, published by Screwtape on November 17, 2023 on LessWrong. I. It has been said that rationality is akin to a martial art. Very well. If we're going to borrow from martial arts, let us borrow properly. There is a technique known in some parts of the rationalist community called "Tapping Out." Tapping out in this context means you would like to exit an argument or debate. I believe this technique was first imported to LessWrong in this comment by Rain, and it is defined in this tag. As someone who has been practicing martial arts for most of his life, I have some thoughts on the ritual that is tapping out. If you're unfamiliar with the term's origin, let me describe the physical form. Tapping out looks like slapping either the ground or the opponent three times in an open handed strike of light to medium force. It's about the amount of power you'd use to clap your hands, and in fact the sound is pretty similar to clapping. It doesn't have to be exactly three times either; if you're wrestling and your opponent keeps tapping you over and over, you let them go, you don't hold on because it was seven instead of three. Tapping out can be more exactly codified in competitive martial arts like MMA matches or intercollegiate wrestling. It's also used in martial arts dojos where there isn't a competitive focus, and I all but guarantee you'll learn about it if you go to a dojo that does a lot of sparring or partner practice. Notably, tapping out is functionally the same in every dojo I've every learned at.[1] There is a good reason for this: you want it to be immediately clear whether someone is tapping out. I was repeatedly told that if it was ever unclear to me whether my opponent was tapping out, I was supposed to assume they were doing so and let them go. II. Actually, I want to back up and look at that sentence again. I used the phrase "my opponent" to refer to the other person, but the majority of the times when I or the other person tapped out wasn't during a competition. It was common for a drill to start with me attacking them, for them to deflect the attack and pin me, and then for me to tap out as soon as the pin was complete. Often we would do this a few dozen times in a row, alternating which of us attacked and which of us defended. I would be in pain during the pin, and I wasn't going to escape anyway since that wasn't the drill, and I risked it hurting later after we'd stopped, because my arm had been wrenched repeatedly. In a competition, tapping out generally means that you lose the point. In a drill, what would it even mean to say that I "lost" the round? At the end of twenty minutes, the score would probably be forty to thirty-nine, and the winner would entirely be down to who went first. We'd tie half the time! Even when we weren't drilling a specific sequence and were instead freely practicing, tapping out didn't have a negative connotation or stigma. You tried something, it didn't work, so you stopped and set up again. Saying someone "lost" when they tapped out in that context would be like a music teacher saying a new student had "lost" when they played a chord wrong or worse, like a skilled musician feeling that they'd "lost" when trying to write a new melody and discovering they didn't like how it sounded. Yeah, ideally you'd play it perfectly the first time and it would be great, but what you're reinforcing is never trying anything new. While I'm on the subject: the ability to tap out did not depend on whether or not you were the "aggressor." If we both stepped into the ring, I swing first, you counterattack, and then I tap out? That's fine, everything working as expected. If you're part of a debate club and it's a competition day against another school I would expect saying that you tap out to mean you lost the round. Don't do that unles...

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: In Defense of Parselmouths, published by Screwtape on November 16, 2023 on LessWrong. Prerequisites: The Quaker and the Parselmouth. I. First, a quick summary. In the prerequisite post, Benjamin Hoffman describes three kinds of people. These people are hypothetical extremes: they're the social and epistemic equivalents of perfect spheres interacting in frictionless vacuums. There are Quakers, who always tell the truth and keep their word when they say they'll do something. There are Actors, who always say what seems good to say at the moment and who don't reliably keep their word even if they swear and oath. Lastly, there are Parselmouths, who can lie freely to Actors but speak only the truth to other Parselmouths and (by implication) speak only truth to Quakers. I approve of this distinction. It is abstracted and the real world is never this clear, but in my experience it does get at something useful to understand. I think truthtelling is a powerful institutional advantage, and wish more people were Quakers in this dichotomy. Benjamin points out that Parselmouths are somewhat odd, in that habitually telling lies likely erodes the instinct or maybe even ability to tell the truth; it may not be possible for real people to stay consistently Parselmouths without slowly becoming Actors. Speaking truth is hard. It's hard work to figure out what the true state of the world is. It's hard to quickly and accurately state what you think is true; the English language makes "I believe there's a ninety percent chance of rain tomorrow" a much longer sentence than "it's going to rain tomorrow." There's a lot of extra emotional sharp elbows you wind up throwing when someone asks you how you liked the (burned and unseasoned) casserole they brought to the potluck. Quakers of the world, I salute you. Actors of the world, I get it. My first claim is that it's reasonable to be a Parselmouth. II. Storytime! The following story details events that happened about two decades ago, when I was several feet shorter than I am now. Some details have been substantiated by other people who were around at the time, but many likely have morphed over the years. When I was a kid, I had to get a bunch of shots. My mom took me into the office, and I goofed around in waiting area for a little bit before a nurse waved me past the front desk and Mom and I went in. The nurse sat me down in the doctor's office on a big plastic chair and rubbed my shoulder with something cold while asking my mother questions, then she asked me to sit still for a moment and said "This won't hurt a bit. Are you ready?" I nodded. Then she stabbed me with a needle. It hurt. I started crying, and continued crying for some time, well after the pain had faded to a dull ache. No amount of consoling from my parents or treats from the nurse changed this. I did not have the ability to articulate what made me upset then, but it was not the pain (even as a child, I had a remarkably high tolerance for pain when it had a purpose) but at confusion. It wasn't supposed to hurt- were they wrong about whether it would hurt? That didn't make sense, sticking a sharp thing into someone usually hurt them, why would someone think it wouldn't? Did I misremember what they said, and they said it would hurt instead of that it wouldn't? Is my memory really that fallible? I was utterly confused, and couldn't make sense of what happened. With the benefit of years experience, it's obvious what happened. The nurse lied to keep a small child still while giving them a shot. This story would repeat itself for years, and I would be bewildered and confused each time. The hypothesis that someone would simply lie would not occur to me until much later, after an epiphany on how the world regarded truth. While painful, that understanding turned out to be a useful skele...

Welcome to Day 15 of the 21 Days of Gratitude series on the Grace Enough Podcast. Today, we're exploring the power of gratitude to combat the enemy's schemes. Join host Amber Cullum as she explores letter 15 of C. S. Lewis' "Screwtape Letters", where the protagonist, Screwtape, encourages his nephew, Wormwood, to exploit human ingratitude. Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of the spiritual battle and the tactics the enemy uses to undermine faith and character.  4 Week FREE Gratitude Practice: https://www.graceenoughpodcast.com/freegratitudepractice/ Follow Grace Enough on IG: https://www.instagram.com/graceenoughpodcast_amber/ Follow Grace Enough: https://www.facebook.com/graceenoughpodcast www.graceenoughpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Friday morning, the 3rd of November, 2023, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. I want to speak to you this morning about probably the greatest and the most powerful weapon every Christian has at their disposal. We go to James 5:16: "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." You know, they asked Dr Billy Graham, probably the greatest of all modern-day evangelists, what was the secret of his success? He said words to the effect, "First, it was prayer, secondly, it was prayer, and thirdly, it was prayer." Oh, my friend, why do we always leave it to the last before we pray? We try everything else, don't we? Then, when it doesn't work we say, "Well, let's pray." I want to tell you that prayer is a supernatural weapon against the powers of darkness, sickness and disease. Prayer means so much to me that if there is no prayer cover at a meeting where I am invited to speak, I will decline the invitation. "God is not looking for great people but for people who will dare to prove the greatness of their God." A.W. Simpson said that. You see, it is the prayer of faith which moves the hand of God, not prayer, the prayer of faith. Jesus Himself, prayed more than He spoke. He taught His disciples in Matthew 6 how to pray. Prayer must become a lifestyle, my friend. It's not just spending a few minutes in prayer; you pray all day, and you pray in every situation. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to pray without ceasing. Now, remember that great Christian writer, C.S. Lewis? He wrote a book called, "The Screwtape Letters"? It's a fictitious story about Screwtape, an experienced devil, teaching his young nephew, Wormwood, an effective way to turn people away from God. In a nutshell, he said, "Stop them from praying, distract them from praying. Let them do everything else. They can praise God, they can go to church, but don't let them pray." Why? Because when we pray we move the hand of God, and also don't limit God with prayers of unbelief. Be prepared to pray for great impossibilities. Luke 1:37: "For with God nothing will be impossible."We went down to the Kouga Dam Wall, and we went down to Jeffries Bay in the Eastern Cape. They had no water, nothing at all, and we prayed. Many of us, thousands of us prayed the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man, and the Eastern Cape has got plenty water and the Kouga Dam is overflowing for the first time in many years. Let's continue to pray together today,God bless you and goodbye.

The Screwtape Letters is C.S. Lewis' satirical book of letters where Hell is imagined as a gruesome bureaucracy and demons labor in a vast enterprise to lure and deceive humans away from the "enemy", a.k.a. God. Among Lewis' best-known works, Paul McCusker brought the source material to life when he turned it into a full-cast audio drama starring Andy Serkis as Screwtape. On today's episode of the Great Stories podcast, McCusker joins Charles Morris to discuss how this project came about, how he adapted a book of letters into a compelling drama, and how this story brilliantly conveys the subtleties of darkness while reinforcing a biblical perspective that leads to Jesus. Paul McCusker is an American writer and producer. He is best known for his work on the radio drama Adventures in Odyssey, and for his work with Focus on the Family's Radio Theatre, including The Screwtape Letters and The Chronicles of Narnia (Collector's Edition). He has written over 50 books, 21 plays and 4 musicals.

The 14th Installment of the Screwtape series. In this episode, the ever-bitter, Uncle Screwtape provides the  foil for the virtue of Humility.  "Humility is contingent upon you understanding Truth." -Fr. Stephen FelicichiaListen to Fr. Koehl's talk on The Screwtape Letters: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1411843/13642867Join your hosts on pilgrimage: https://stcharlespilgrimages.com/koehl-italy