More Christ

Dr. Jens Zimmermann was born and raised in Germany. He studied at the University of British Columbia, earning his first Ph.D in Comparative Literature in 1997.  He taught at UBC briefly before moving on to Trinity Western, where held the Canada Research Chair of Interpretation, Religion and Culture from 2006-2016.   In 2010, he earned a second Ph.D in Philosophy from the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany. He was awarded a research fellowship at Cambridge University (Trinity Hall) for 2016-17, and a British Academy Visiting Fellowship in theology at the University of Oxford (Christ Church College) for 2018-2019.  He is currently visiting fellow at Oxford University’s Centre for Theology and Modern European Thought and also a research fellow at the University of the Free State, South Africa (2021-2023).  His main intellectual interests are anthropology and epistemology. He has pursued these two central questions across a broad range of interests that include theological anthropology, hermeneutics, European literature, Martin Heidegger, Hans-Georg Gadamer, Paul Ricoeur, the church fathers, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Eastern Orthodox theology.   His published works include the monographs Hermeneutics: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2015) and Humanism and Religion: A Call for the Renewal of Western Culture (Oxford University Press, 2012), and the collection Reimagining The Sacred: Debating God with Richard Kearney, co-edited with Richard Kearney (Columbia University Press, 2016). His most recent book is Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Christian Humanism (Oxford University Press, 2019).   Current Research    Dr. Zimmermann directs “Human Flourishing in a Technological World: A Christian Perspective,” a three-year research project through which several scholars work toward a comprehensive Christian perspective for human flourishing in a world of technology. Scholars meet annually to share research, which is then published as essays, blogs, and finally an edited volume with Oxford University Press.  Visit Human Flourishing (christianflourishing.com) and https://www.jenszimmermann.ca/ for more.

Welcome to More Christ. We seek to bring some of the world's most interesting and insightful guests to discuss life's central and abiding questions.  In this seventy fifth episode in a series of discussions, I'm joined once again by two former guests, Jonathan Pageau and Dr Bernardo Kastrup.    Jonathan carves Eastern Orthodox and other traditional images.  He also designs products, teaches, and makes fantastic videos for The Symbolic World that explore how ancient patterns can re-enchant our contemporary life.   See his channel here:  Jonathan Pageau - YouTube Bernardo Kastrup is the executive director of Essentia Foundation. His work has been leading the modern renaissance of metaphysical idealism, the notion that reality is essentially mental. He has a Ph.D. in philosophy (ontology, philosophy of mind) and another Ph.D. in computer engineering (reconfigurable computing, artificial intelligence).   As a scientist, Bernardo has worked for the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and the Philips Research Laboratories (where the 'Casimir Effect' of Quantum Field Theory was discovered). Formulated in detail in many academic papers and books, his ideas have been featured on 'Scientific American,' the 'Institute of Art and Ideas,' the 'Blog of the American Philosophical Association' and 'Big Think,' among others. Check out his website here:  Home | Essentia Foundation

Wayne Cristaudo, a retired professor with a rich background in political science and philosophy, shares his insights on the intertwining of human experience and ideas. He reflects on Augustine's thoughts about sin and the dangers of ideological abstraction, urging a return to authentic community. The conversation also tackles the delicate nature of identity politics, modern metaphysics, and the transformative role of the Bible during personal crises. Cristaudo emphasizes the importance of cultural engagement and the balance between philosophical ideals and lived truths.

Welcome to More Christ, where we seek to bring some of the world's most interesting and insightful guests to discuss life's central and abiding questions.  In this seventy third episode in a series of discussions, I'm joined by Dr Bernardo Kastrup.    Bernardo Kastrup is the executive director of Essentia Foundation. His work has been leading the modern renaissance of metaphysical idealism, the notion that reality is essentially mental. He has a Ph.D. in philosophy (ontology, philosophy of mind) and another Ph.D. in computer engineering (reconfigurable computing, artificial intelligence).    As a scientist, Bernardo has worked for the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and the Philips Research Laboratories (where the 'Casimir Effect' of Quantum Field Theory was discovered). Formulated in detail in many academic papers and books, his ideas have been featured on 'Scientific American,' the 'Institute of Art and Ideas,' the 'Blog of the American Philosophical Association' and 'Big Think,' among others. For more, please see:  https://www.bernardokastrup.com/

Welcome to More Christ, where we seek to bring some of the world's most interesting and insightful guests to discuss life's central and abiding questions.  In this seventy second episode in a series of discussions, I'm joined by Dr Andrew Root and Pastor, Paul Vander Klay.    Andrew Root (Ph.D., Princeton Theological Seminary) is the Carrie Olson Baalson professor of youth and family ministry at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. Andrew is the Carrie Olson Baalson Professor of Youth and Family Ministry at Luther Seminary, USA. He writes and researches in areas of theology, ministry, culture and younger generations.  His most recent books are Churches and the Crisis of Decline (Baker, 2022), The Congregation in a Secular Age (Baker, 2021), The End of Youth Ministry? (Baker, 2020), The Pastor in a Secular Age: Ministry to People Who No Longer Need God (Baker, 2019), Faith Formation in a Secular Age (Baker, 2017), and Exploding Stars, Dead Dinosaurs, and Zombies: Youth Ministry in the Age of Science (Fortress Press, 2018).   Paul is the pastor of Living Stones Christian Reformed Church in Sacramento, California, USA, and host of a marvellous YouTube Channel which wrestles with being a Christian in a secular age, the struggle for ultimate meaning, identity, and more. He has worked at length to share and critique insights from Jordan Peterson, Jonathan Pageau, and other figures to a worldwide audience, adding his own unique contributions, and somehow producing videos at a prolific rate without diluting quality.  

Welcome to More Christ, where we seek to bring some of the world's most interesting and insightful guests to discuss life's central and abiding questions.  In this seventy first episode in a series of discussions, I'm joined by Alex Kaschuta.  Alex is a writer, cultural critic, and podcast host from Romania.  Her writing has been featured in the New York Post, the American Mind, Vice, and other outlets. She is the host of the Subversive Podcast.

Welcome to More Christ, where we seek to bring some of the world's most interesting and insightful guests to discuss life's central and abiding questions. In this seventieth episode in a series of discussions, I'm joined by Dr Erika Bachiochi. EPPC Fellow Erika Bachiochi is a legal scholar specializing in Equal Protection jurisprudence, feminist legal theory, Catholic social teaching, and sexual ethics. She is also a Senior Fellow at the Abigail Adams Institute in Cambridge, MA, where she founded and directs the Wollstonecraft Project.  Her newest book, The Rights of Women: Reclaiming a Lost Vision, was published by Notre Dame University Press in 2021.

Welcome to More Christ, where we seek to bring some of the world's most interesting and insightful guests to discuss life's central and abiding questions. In this sixty ninth episode in a series of discussions, I'm joined by Dr Matt Segall. Matthew D. Segall, PhD, received his doctoral degree in 2016 from the Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness program at CIIS. His dissertation was titled Cosmotheanthropic Imagination in the Post-Kantian Process Philosophy of Schelling and Whitehead. It grapples with the limits to knowledge of reality imposed by Kant's transcendental form of philosophy and argues that Schelling and Whitehead's process-oriented approach (described in his dissertation as a "descendental" form of philosophy) shows the way across the Kantian threshold to renewed experiential contact with reality.  He teaches courses on German Idealism and process philosophy for the Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness program at CIIS. He blogs regularly at footnotes2plato.com.

Welcome to More Christ, where we seek to bring some of the world's most interesting and insightful guests to discuss life's central and abiding questions.  In this sixty eighth episode in a series of discussions, I'm joined again by the magnificent, Dr Michael Martin.  This time we discuss his recent book, Sophia  in Exile.  Michael is a philosopher, theologian, poet, musician, songwriter, editor, and biodynamic farmer. He is the editor of the journal 'Jesus the Imagination' and director of The Center for Sophiological Studies.

Welcome to More Christ, where we seek to bring some of the world's most interesting and insightful guests to discuss life's central and abiding questions. In this sixty seventh episode in a series of discussions, I'm joined by Dr J. Richard Middleton. Dr J. Richard Middleton is widely published in religious periodicals and journals and is the author of five books. His special areas of interest include Old Testament theology, the books of Genesis and Samuel, the doctrine of Creation, and Christianity and contemporary culture.  Dr Middleton has been president of the Canadian-American Theological Association (2011–2014) and president of the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies (2019–2021).  He serves as adjunct professor and consultant on theological programs at Jamaica Theological Seminary and the Caribbean Graduate School of Theology in Kingston, Jamaica. For more, please see: https://jrichardmiddleton.com/