Faith Improvised

In our conversation, Steve and I mention a few books: Mark Tessler, A History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict; Elias Chacour, Blood Brothers: The Dramatic Story of a Palestinian Christian Working for Peace in Israel; Sandy Tolan, The Lemon Tree: An Arab, A Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East; Ari Shavit, My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel; Anne Applebaum, Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism. I also mentioned the documentary film, "With God on Our Side."

Explore the origins of individualism in American Protestantism and its influence on capitalism. Reflect on the impact of hyper individualism in white conservative evangelical culture, including the lack of emphasis on the common good. Examine the market as a sacred reality and critique the similarities between the Roman Empire and the current system of dominance. Learn about the value of self-compassion within Christianity and its history of self-negating tendencies.

This podcast explores the relationship between happiness and joy, the interpretation of Jesus' Beatitudes, and the concepts of intellectual humility and arrogance. It also discusses being for or against nothing, the role of nostalgia in small towns, and the importance of memory and the danger of doubt.

In this episode, Steve and I discuss the novel and the film adaptations of "True Grit"--their similarities and differences, and how the Coen version fits their vision of life in a cold, indifferent universe. We mention this article about the film by Stanley Fish, and the book by Adam Nayman, The Coen Brothers: This Book Really Ties the Films Together.

In this episode, Steve and I continue talking about happiness, with some references to the Book of Job and A Serious Man.

The podcast discusses pursuing happiness, wholeness, and healing. They explore the challenges of personal growth and reflect on their friendship. They also examine the consequences of judgmental attitudes and the need to break free from unhelpful family dynamics.

The podcast discusses various topics including visiting a church, criticizing driving patterns, confusion about Indiana license plates, the role of intellectuals in language manipulation, reconsidering evangelism as not the task of the church, the misconception of evangelism, and redefining evangelism as forming genuine relationships.

In this episode, I talk about my big move and new location in Louisville, and answer a few listener emails.

In this episode I finish talking about interpreting New Testament letters as occasional literature.

In this episode, I recommend my friend Max Botner's book, Beyond the Greek New Testament: Advanced Readings for Students of Biblical Studies (Baker Academic), and I talk about New Testament letters as occasional literature.