In this chapter, they discuss the theological arguments made by Rushdoonie about how the Council of Chalcedon enabled liberty through its Christology. They explore the idea that by emphasizing salvation through grace rather than self-deification, Christianity laid the groundwork for the separation of church and state and the development of individual liberty. They also debate whether liberal democracy is a natural progression of Christian ideas or a rebellious departure from them.
Last year, Tyler asked his readers “What Is the Strongest Argument for the Existence of God?” and followed up a few days later with a post outlining why he doesn’t believe in God. New York Times columnist Ross Douthat accepted the implicit challenge, responding to the second post in dialogic form and arguing that theism warrants further consideration.
This in-person dialogue starts along similar lines, covering Douthat’s views on religion and theology, but then moves on to more earth-bound concerns, such as his stance on cats, The Wire vs The Sopranos, why Watership Down is the best modern novel for understanding politics, eating tofu before it was cool, journalism as a trade, why he’s open to weird ideas, the importance of Sam’s Club Republicans, the specter of a Buterlian Jihad, and more.
Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links.
Recorded January 11th, 2018 Other ways to connect