A Pastor and a Philosopher Walk into a Bar

Text us your questions!Psychologist and author Richard Beck joins us to discuss his recent book Hunting Magic Eels: Recovering an Enchanted Faith in a Skeptical Age. Richard is an engaging critic of some forms of contemporary "disenchanted" spirituality. He's also a fun dialogue partner and a good sport, who was willing to roll with Kyle's annoying philosophy questions. Some stuff we discuss in this conversation:Is our age really disenchanted?Does enchantment need to be transcendent?What's wrong with consumerist spirituality?What about the "spiritual but not religious" crowd?Are Catholics more enchanted than Protestants?What do dancing gorillas and paying attention have to do with God?What about mystical experiences?Is Kyle a narcissist and/or a sociopath?And more!The whiskey we taste in this episode is 4 Roses single barrel 18 year old bourbon.=====Want to support us?The best way is to subscribe to our Patreon. Annual memberships are available for a 10% discount.If you'd rather make a one-time donation, you can contribute through our PayPal. Other important info: Rate & review us on Apple & Spotify Follow us on social media at @PPWBPodcast Watch & comment on YouTube Email us at pastorandphilosopher@gmail.com Cheers!

Text us your questions!David Gushee is back on the show to discuss his book Defending Democracy from Its Christian Enemies, an erudite, timely, and disturbing take on American democracy, its struggles with authoritarianism, and its place on the global political stage. We discuss such questions as: How are government and morality related? What does the United States have in common with France, Germany, Hungary, or Brazil? How close to fascism are we? How concerned should we be? Can we be in relationship with those who support authoritarian leaders? What is ARC and why can't we remember what it stands for? And a lot more!This is also our first ever in person interview! In case you're wondering, David is even more fun in person.Content note: This episode has some adult themes.=====Want to support us?The best way is to subscribe to our Patreon. Annual memberships are available for a 10% discount.If you'd rather make a one-time donation, you can contribute through our PayPal. Other important info: Rate & review us on Apple & Spotify Follow us on social media at @PPWBPodcast Watch & comment on YouTube Email us at pastorandphilosopher@gmail.com Cheers!

Peter Rollins, a philosopher and trinitarian Christian, delves into negative theology, differences in philosophical approaches, biblical themes, and his views on the historic Christian church. The discussion explores the Trinity, embracing emptiness to find God, and the relationship between quantum mechanics and ontological unknowing. It also touches on shared trauma, social bonds, and the pursuit of existence over productivity.

Philosopher Peter Rollins discusses disillusionment, pyrotheology, and the death of God. They explore questioning faith, embracing dissatisfaction, and ethical boundaries. Delve into Goedel's Incompleteness Theorem, epistemic unknowing, and the trinitarian nature of reality.

Text us your questions!Trey Ferguson of the New Living Treyslation and Three Black Men podcasts joins us to discuss his new book Theologizin' Bigger: Homilies on Living Freely and Loving Wholly. We talk about the Bible, the difference between "theologizin'" and theology, the racial dynamics of deconstruction, why evangelicals are so obsessed with "facts," why they're prone to grifters, white theology vs. Black theology, shame, heresy, Twitter (I refuse to call it X), and what "Michael vs. LeBron" has in common with theological frameworks. Trey is insightful, hilarious, gregarious, and humble. We hope you love this conversation as much as we did.You can find the transcript for this episode here.=====Want to support us?The best way is to subscribe to our Patreon. Annual memberships are available for a 10% discount.If you'd rather make a one-time donation, you can contribute through our PayPal. Other important info: Rate & review us on Apple & Spotify Follow us on social media at @PPWBPodcast Watch & comment on YouTube Email us at pastorandphilosopher@gmail.com Cheers!

Join the hosts in a philosophical discussion on the existence of the soul, materialism vs dualism, and the implications for religion and ethics. They explore the compatibility of Christianity with materialism, sensory experience with blind whiskey tasting, and the concept of the soul in philosophy of mind. Delve into Descartes' arguments on dualism, consciousness, beliefs, and the importance of humility in spiritual discussions.

Text us your questions!... drinking.This is a more personal episode for us, particularly for Randy. As you know, we like alcohol around here, especially whiskey. In this episode, we chat about that and the presence it's had on our podcast and in our lives.Can we have a "healthy relationship" with alcohol? What does that look like? How does that question get answered for each of us in honest ways? How do we responsibly balance our autonomy with the example we want to set for others?Also, what kinds of conversations do we want to cultivate? (Hint: they're not necessarily churchy conversations or purely academic conversations, but conversations you might have in a bar.) What does this mean for the show going forward? And maybe most importantly, is there such a thing as a good mocktail?The NA spirits we mixed in this episode are Monday "whiskey" and Martini Rossi Vibrante.You can find the transcript for this episode here.Content note: this episode contains some mild profanity.=====Want to support us?The best way is to subscribe to our Patreon. Annual memberships are available for a 10% discount.If you'd rather make a one-time donation, you can contribute through our PayPal. Other important info: Rate & review us on Apple & Spotify Follow us on social media at @PPWBPodcast Watch & comment on YouTube Email us at pastorandphilosopher@gmail.com Cheers!

David Gushee, an influential Christian ethicist, talks about his book "Changing Our Mind" which challenges the church's exclusion of LGBTQ Christians. They discuss the intersection of LGBTQ issues and religion, the importance of Christian ethics, and debates on scripture, slavery, and indigenous populations.

Philosopher Aaron Simmons discusses his book Camping with Kierkegaard, emphasizing intentional living. They explore faith through outdoor activities, challenge success-oriented mindsets, and discuss the concept of assholes. They also talk about the importance of vulnerability and relationality.

Text us your questions!Where do we engage when we're done with evangelicalism, but we don't want to be done with the church? Thanks be to God, there are new signs of life springing up in the post-evangelical wasteland, and we're so here for it.Keri Ladouceur leads one of those hopeful spaces called the Post Evangelical Collective. Keri is the Executive Director of the PEC, has been leading in influential church spaces for years, and she has some stories to tell. Keri's journey is one that's been marked by abuse, patriarchy, and sexism, but also by healing, goodness, beauty, and so much redemption. We're so excited about the work she is doing with the Post Evangelical Collective and can't wait to share Keri and the PEC with you.The whiskey we tasted in this episode is Wild Turkey 101 12 Year Japanese Edition.To skip the alcohol tasting, go to the 8:35. You can find the transcript for this episode here.Cheers!=====Want to support us?The best way is to subscribe to our Patreon. Annual memberships are available for a 10% discount.If you'd rather make a one-time donation, you can contribute through our PayPal. Other important info: Rate & review us on Apple & Spotify Follow us on social media at @PPWBPodcast Watch & comment on YouTube Email us at pastorandphilosopher@gmail.com Cheers!