Paul Louis Metzger / Christianity and Zen

Paul Louis Metzger, Ph.D., is Professor of Christian Theology & Theology & Culture, Multnomah Biblical Seminary/Jessup University, Director of The Institute for Cultural Engagement: New Wine, New Wineskins, and author and editor of numerous works, including Evangelical Zen: A Christian’s Spiritual Travels with a Buddhist Friend(2nd ed., Cascade, 2024),More Than Things: A Personalist Ethics for a Throwaway Culture(IVP Academic, 2023), Connecting Christ: How to Discuss Jesus in a World of Diverse Paths (Thomas Nelson, 2012), and A World for All? Global Civil Society in Political Theory and Trinitarian Theology (co-editor, Eerdmans, 2011). 

PODCAST LINKS:

-Evangelical Zen(book):https://wipfandstock.com/9781666768411/evangelical-zen-second-edition/

- Paul’s Patheos Blog: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/uncommongodcommongood/

- Paul’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paul.l.metzger/

- Paul’s website:https://paullouismetzger.com/

- New Wine, New Wineskins: https://www.new-wineskins.org/

CONNECT:

Website: https://wipfandstock.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/wipfandstock

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wipfandstock

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/wipfandstock/

OUTLINE:

(00:00) – Introduction

(03:44) – Roundtable: Kyogen Carlson, Augustine, Dogen, MLK, Steinbeck

(06:12) – Initial interest in Buddhism and Japanese culture

(10:35) – Where evangelical and Zen meet

(15:35) – Permanence vs. impermanence

(19:47) – Living with ambiguity

(23:22) – Holy envy

(26:55) – Buddhism and the culture wars

(35:40) – The life and poetry of Kobayashi Issa

(40:55) – Nirvana in Kanazawa

(44:54) – Inhabiting a tradition

(49:10) – The object of (this) multi-faith friendship

(51:25) – Book projects in the works

*The Theology Mill and Wipf and Stock Publishers would like to thank Luca Di Alessandro for making their song “A Celestial Keyboard” available for use as the podcast’s transition music. Link to license: https://pixabay.com/service/license-summary/.