What does it mean for a life to go well? What matters most in our time on Earth? These are the most important questions of our lives and yet most of us have no clue how to answer them. Miroslav Volf is a theologian and professor who has been grappling with these ideas for decades. He is the founding director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture where he teaches a class called “Life Worth Living,” and recently wrote a book by the same name.It turns out, life worth living is life helping others. This is…A Bit of Optimism.  For more information on Miroslav and his work check out: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/691260/life-worth-living-by-miroslav-volf-matthew-croasmun-and-ryan-mcannally-linz/https://faith.yale.edu/people/miroslav-volf 

Miroslav Volf and Pamela Ebstyne King discuss God's mission to make the world His home, church's need for ministry models, the concept of dynamic stabilization in modern society, contrasting realms of Babylon and New Jerusalem, preparing Earth for God's arrival, embracing identity and mission in God's love, and the mandate of fullness in Christian life.

Miroslav Volf, a prominent thinker exploring the human experience, discusses what it means to lead a meaningful life. He dives into the battle between good and bad within us, emphasizing the importance of nurturing positivity. Volf reflects on moral choices and their impact on happiness, alongside the role of societal values in shaping our desires. He addresses personal agency and the significance of balancing external influences with individual responsibility, all while advocating for deeper connections over superficial pursuits.

Religious extremism drives some of the most intractable conflicts around the world. Our guest knows this shadow side of the Christian faith in his personal history. We’ll speak about what goes wrong when religion turns violent, and why, he believes, the cure for religious zealotry is not less religion but more religion — or rather stronger and more intelligent practices of faith.

As you listen today, would you consider helping the Yale Center for Faith & Culture meet a $10,000 matching challenge for  2024 podcast production? visit faith.yale.edu/give to donate today."Christians are called to collaborate without compromise and to critique without dualism." (N.T. Wright, from today's episode)What better way to secure the greatness of your political state (or maybe political party) than to invoke the name of God as being uniquely supportive of your team? It brings a sickening and divisive new meaning to Romans 8:31—”If God is for us, who can be against us?” In this episode, revered New Testament scholar N.T. Wright joins Miroslav Volf to discuss Monotheism, Nationalism, & Violence. Together they reflect on the history and current realities of what happens when these three elements converge. The conversation was inspired by N.T. Wright's response to a short digital booklet by Miroslav Volf entitled Monotheism, Nationalism, & Violence: 25 Theses, which is available for download at faith.yale.edu.Click here to download Monotheism, Nationalism, & Violence: 25 Theses, a short digital booklet by Miroslav Volf, via faith.yale.edu.“In this essay, written in form of 25 interlocking theses, I approach the problem of religiously motivated or legitimized violence by exploring the relation between monotheism and nationalism. The first is allegedly the most violent of all forms of religion and the second one of the most violent forms of political arrangements, especially when it is cut loose from universal moral commitment and tied to some form of tribal identity (“exclusive nationalism”). I argue that monotheism is a universalist creed and that it is compatible only with inclusive nationalism, a nationalism that is a form of special relations framed by a universal moral code. When monotheism is aligned with exclusive nationalism—when it becomes a “political religion” aligned with exclusivist nationalism—monotheism betrays its universality, a feature which lies at its very core, and morphs into violence, generating and legitimizing henotheism: our god of our nation in contrast and competition to other nations with their gods. Alternatively, if monotheism keeps its universality while associated as political religion with exclusive nationalism it will tend to underwrite dreams of nationalist imperialism: our god and our nation as masters of the world.”Show NotesHelp the Yale Center for Faith & Culture meet a $10,000 matching challenge for podcast production; visit faith.yale.edu/give to donate today.Download Miroslav Volf’s short digital booklet, Monotheism, Nationalism, & Violence: 25 ThesesVolf introduces Monotheism, Nationalism, & Violence“The price monotheism always has to pay for its alliance with exclusive nationalism is the loss of its soul. When monotheism embraces exclusive nationalism, monotheism’s God morphs from the creator and lover of all people and all creatures into a selfish and violent idol of a particular nation.”Instrumentalizing GodWhat is religion anyway?Brent Nongbri, Before Religion: A History of a Modern ConceptMartin Riesenbrot, A Promise of Salvation, A Theory of ReligionChristians were regarded with suspicion, as atheistsWright: “…this leads some to say religion is itself a dangerous and violent thing because it leads to people saying I have this God and he's more important than your God or whatever. And all sorts of violence stem from that. Indeed, one could argue that the Enlightenment's redefinition radical redefinition of the word religion over against its, say, early centuries use, has been part of the problem. But that, that would be perhaps a more polemical thesis.”Religion plays an important role in political society.How did religion work in the ancient world?Is religion a force for evil in society? Working from a secularist paradigm or not?Monotheism revised by ChristologyTwo Christian groups anathematizing each other“Nothing hangs on the word religion.”Ultimate allegiance, and to what?What are the political responsibilities of the state to religion?Naming proper allegianceWright on Jesus and Political Authority in John 19: “In other words, in the famous Romans 13, um, it's not a totalitarian passage, though some have read it like that. But Paul says there is no authority except from God. In other words, there is the one God, but God wants his world to be wisely governed by human authorities. But he will then call them to account. And my favorite passage on that is in John 19, when Jesus is being interviewed by Pontius Pilate. And Pilate says, don't you realize I have the right to have you killed? And Jesus says, and it's extraordinary, think of Johannine theology, that Jesus says this to Pilate. You could have no authority over me unless it was given to you from above and then the corollary is therefore the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin and that's that's a very interesting differentiation which no doubt Pilate couldn't understand at all and of course violence enters in straight away because Pilate's response is to send him off to be crucified.”Polycarp (paraphrased by N.T. Wright): “Now I won't worship your God, but I will respect you enough to honor you if you want to have a conversation about this.”“That one God is doing justice in the world.”Jan Assman: creating the states in which violence in the name of God is possibleBringing in atonement theology“All three monotheisms in some sense affirm the freedom of religion.”Noble ideal of the post-enlightenment world: an inclusive nationalism and inclusive monotheism.Freedom of religionChristianity as trinitarian monotheismRomans 8: Spirit groaningJesus’s cry for derelictionWright: “Collaborate without compromise and to critique without dualism.”Production NotesThis podcast featured N.T. Wright and Miroslav VolfEdited and Produced by Evan RosaHosted by Evan RosaProduction Assistance by Macie BridgeA Production of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture at Yale Divinity School https://faith.yale.edu/aboutSupport For the Life of the World podcast by giving to the Yale Center for Faith & Culture: https://faith.yale.edu/give

Miroslav Volf and N. T. Wright discuss their faith journeys, church challenges, unity, and cultural influences. They explore the role of prayer in ministry, women's roles in the church, and the concept of costly grace. The conversation highlights the future of the church resting in God's hands.

Miroslav Volf discusses how world faiths interact with globalization, emphasizing the importance of maintaining spiritual values in a materialistic world. The podcast explores the core purpose of religions, the impact of globalization on faith, and the conflict between material wealth and spiritual values.

The theologian Miroslav Volf discusses common features of world religions and interfaith engagement in a globalized world. Topics include understanding diverse religious perspectives, the growth of world religions, political assertiveness of faiths, and the interplay between transcendent and mundane realities in religious beliefs.

Renowned theologian Miroslav Volf discusses his emergence as a theologian, the power of the gospel for healing in turbulent times, and the importance of Christian witness in promoting unity amidst diversity. Topics include forgiveness, reconciliation, and the challenges of embodying Jesus' teachings in today's society.

Join acclaimed novelist Marilynne Robinson and theologian Miroslav Volf as they explore the intricate depths of Genesis. Robinson shares her journey in writing biblical commentary, emphasizing the goodness of creation amid suffering. They shed light on theodicy, discussing how human agency interacts with divine grace. Key biblical narratives come alive as they examine morality, the flood, and the flawed nature of humanity. Their conversation unpacks profound themes of faith and hope, illuminating how literature and theology intertwine.