The Brain and Faith with Geoff Holsclaw

18 snips

Mar 17, 2024

In this podcast, Geoff Holsclaw and Steve Cuss discuss attachment theory, philosophy, and theology, exploring how liturgical practices and physical bodies shape spiritual connections. They touch on Holsclaw's journey in the Vineyard Movement, blending the charismatic and liturgical, and his fascination with brain science. The conversation encompasses all aspects of human experience, from spiritual and emotional to mental and physical.

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ANECDOTE

Augustine and Hegel's Influence

Geoff Holsclaw chose Augustine and Hegel to study the impact of corporate life and liturgy on personal and communal formation.
He was interested in how physical bodies interact in spiritual spaces and how that shapes individuals and groups.

INSIGHT

Transformation: Self vs. Transcendence

Hegel believed humans are self-transcending, meaning transformation comes from within, while Augustine believed true transformation comes from encountering transcendence (God).
Holsclaw contrasts Western liberalism's view of freedom as unconstrained self-expression with the Christian view of freedom as love for others and God.

ANECDOTE

Holsclaw's Spiritual Journey

Holsclaw's spiritual journey began in a Baptist upbringing, broadened through C.S. Lewis and Richard Foster's works, and led him to explore liturgy.
He later embraced the charismatic tradition within the Vineyard movement, seeking to combine it with his love for liturgical practices.

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"In Christ, God has come near and has walked with us. The transformation that is other than us has actually come near so that we could be changed and transformed.”

So says pastor and author Geoff Holsclaw as he joins host Steve Cuss on this episode of Being Human. Holsclaw, who cohosts the Embodied Faith podcast and runs Western Seminary’s doctor of ministry program in spiritual formation and relational neuroscience, is deeply interested in how people grow, transform, and connect to God.

On this episode, Holsclaw and Cuss talk about attachment theory, philosophy, and theology. They discuss liturgical practices that shape people and communities and consider how physical bodies relate to one another in spiritual spaces. Their conversation includes Holsclaw’s participation in the Vineyard Movement, what it looks like to combine the charismatic and liturgical, and what drew Holsclaw to brain science.

Tune in for an episode that incorporates all parts of what it means to be human, from the spiritual and emotional to the mental and physical.

Resources mentioned in this episode include:

Geoff Holsclaw
Vineyard USA
Augustine
Hegel
Doctor of ministry program at Western Seminary: Spiritual formation and relational neuroscience
Does God Really Like Me?: Discovering the God Who Wants to Be With Us by Cyd Holsclaw and Geoff Holsclaw
Embodied Faith podcast
Richard Foster
Dallas Willard
Devotional Classics: Selected Readings for Individuals and Groups by Richard Foster
Attachment theory
The Enneagram
The Change Monster: The Human Forces that Fuel or Foil Corporate Transformation and Changeby Jeanie Daniel Duck

“Being Human with Steve Cuss” is a production of Christianity Today

Executive Produced by Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper

Produced and Edited by Matt Stevens

Associate Producers: McKenzie Hill, Raed Gilliam, and Abby Perry

Theme song by Dan Phelps

Original Music by Andy Gullahorn

Mix Engineer: Kevin Morris

Graphic Design: Amy Jones

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