The Pugcast

Today the Pugs reflect on a Substack article by N. S. Lyons entitled, The Reality War. This insightful piece notes that we are living through a revival of the most pernicious of all heresies--Gnosticism. The bitter irony of our time is it is occurring in what many people have wrongly assumed is the triumph of materialism. Lyons begins with recounting the bloody Crusade the Medieval Church waged against the Cathars, then he explores three manifestations of Gnosticism in our time: "Scientific Gnosticism," "Luxury Gnosticism," and finally, and counter-intuitively, "Reactionary Gnosticism." The Pugs consider each and wonder how we can fight them in our time.   Article: https://theupheaval.substack.com/p/the-reality-war?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&triedRedirect=true   Support the Pugcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thetheologypugcast?fbclid=IwAR17UHhfzjphO52C_kkZfursA_C784t0ldFix0wyB4fd-YOJpmOQ3dyqGf8   Catch our new documentary ‘A Pugcast Pilgrimage: Lewis, Oxford, and Our Postmodern Age’ on Canon+: https://canonplus.com/tabs/discover/videos/34865?fbclid=IwY2xjawF-J-9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHXqj6CIhUs6mTwkMc-AHhKiP1E4dPAtOm60rgu69RZ2LfhqYLJg2JHx4uQ_aem_LV-nOWc1vnhV6scW9cGZpA

A recent post at Screen Rant complained that C.S. Lewis never explained Narnia’s magic system. This is an example of completely missing the point, as myth and legend never explain magic, though in recent fantasy lit, detailed out magic systems are almost an essential. For his part, Tolkien believed that fantasy had to make rational sense for it to work. The guys get go from these observations into a wide-ranging discussion of magic in fantasy, including Chris talking about the logic of magic in his fantasy series. They also get into a difference between the “magic” of the Elves and the magic of the Enemy in Middle Earth in light of Tokien’s essay “On Faerie Stories.”   Screenrant Article: https://screenrant.com/narnia-questions-greta-gerwig-netflix-reboot-answer/   Support the Pugcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thetheologypugcast?fbclid=IwAR17UHhfzjphO52C_kkZfursA_C784t0ldFix0wyB4fd-YOJpmOQ3dyqGf8   Catch our new documentary ‘A Pugcast Pilgrimage: Lewis, Oxford, and Our Postmodern Age’ on Canon+: https://canonplus.com/tabs/discover/videos/34865?fbclid=IwY2xjawF-J-9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHXqj6CIhUs6mTwkMc-AHhKiP1E4dPAtOm60rgu69RZ2LfhqYLJg2JHx4uQ_aem_LV-nOWc1vnhV6scW9cGZpA   The Theology Pugcast is a ministry of Trinity Reformed Church in Huntsville Alabama. To view more media from TRC, visit their website: https://trinityreformedkirk.com/media-podcasts

Today's episode delves into how the mystery of God assuming human flesh has continued to upturn paradigms of what it means to be a human creature, of what it means to be divine, and how the two are related. The pug’s engage this rich and timely topic by delving into the history of the scandal such teaching has evoked and ways we can draw upon this most profound mystery to challenge the fashionable distortions of our age and be led into a deeper appreciation of this amazing revelation in history. Support the Pugcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thetheologypugcast?fbclid=IwAR17UHhfzjphO52C_kkZfursA_C784t0ldFix0wyB4fd-YOJpmOQ3dyqGf8 Catch our new documentary ‘A Pugcast Pilgrimage: Lewis, Oxford, and Our Postmodern Age’ on Canon+: https://canonplus.com/tabs/discover/videos/34865?fbclid=IwY2xjawF-J-9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHXqj6CIhUs6mTwkMc-AHhKiP1E4dPAtOm60rgu69RZ2LfhqYLJg2JHx4uQ_aem_LV-nOWc1vnhV6scW9cGZpA The Theology Pugcast is a ministry of Trinity Reformed Church in Huntsville Alabama. To view more media from TRC, visit their website: https://trinityreformedkirk.com/media-podcasts

Today the Pugs discuss a post by Ted Gioia on his Substack, The Honest Broker. The title of the post is, "The State of the Culture, 2024" Gioia is a well known music critic, and is actually the brother of Dana Gioia (the poet). Ted Gioia's Substack is nearing 200,000 subscribers--that's very impressive. In the post the Pug discuss he outlines the demise both of art and entertainment by two new forces unleashed by Silicon Valley. It isn't a pretty picture. The guys respond with suggested spiritual disciplines that can counter the developments Gioia describes. Tune in to see if you agree!   Substack Article: https://www.honest-broker.com/p/the-state-of-the-culture-2024?r=3mqy0&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web   Support the Pugcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thetheologypugcast?fbclid=IwAR17UHhfzjphO52C_kkZfursA_C784t0ldFix0wyB4fd-YOJpmOQ3dyqGf8   Catch our new documentary ‘A Pugcast Pilgrimage: Lewis, Oxford, and Our Postmodern Age’ on Canon+: https://canonplus.com/tabs/discover/videos/34865?fbclid=IwY2xjawF-J-9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHXqj6CIhUs6mTwkMc-AHhKiP1E4dPAtOm60rgu69RZ2LfhqYLJg2JHx4uQ_aem_LV-nOWc1vnhV6scW9cGZpA   The Theology Pugcast is a ministry of Trinity Reformed Church in Huntsville Alabama. To view more media from TRC, visit their website: https://trinityreformedkirk.com/media-podcasts

Today the Pugs welcome Rory Groves, author of Durable Trades, and a new book, The Family Economy: Discovering the Family as It was Designed to Work. Rory transitioned out of a high tech career a few years back in order to build a family based economy with his wife and children. It took time, and there were many challenges, but he learned some important lessons along the way that he wants to share with people who would like to do the same thing. Tune in and find out if there's something to learn that could help you do it as well!   Find Rory at https://gatherandgrow.us/   Order The Family Economy: Discovering the Family as It Was Designed to Work: https://a.co/d/gEjjDwh   Support the Pugcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thetheologypugcast?fbclid=IwAR17UHhfzjphO52C_kkZfursA_C784t0ldFix0wyB4fd-YOJpmOQ3dyqGf8   Catch our new documentary ‘A Pugcast Pilgrimage: Lewis, Oxford, and Our Postmodern Age’ on Canon+: https://canonplus.com/tabs/discover/videos/34865?fbclid=IwY2xjawF-J-9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHXqj6CIhUs6mTwkMc-AHhKiP1E4dPAtOm60rgu69RZ2LfhqYLJg2JHx4uQ_aem_LV-nOWc1vnhV6scW9cGZpA   The Theology Pugcast is a ministry of Trinity Reformed Church in Huntsville Alabama. To view more media from TRC, visit their website: https://trinityreformedkirk.com/media-podcasts

Today the Pugs are joined by writer and editorialist, Bethel McGrew to discuss Paul Kingsnorth’s Erasmus Lecture for First Things. The Pugs found themselves both barking when they found disagreement as well as agreement, with a slight weight given to disagreement. We hope that you enjoy the show.   Paul Kingsnorth’s Erasmus Lecture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3hMSZqatHI   Bethel’s Substack: https://www.furtherup.net/   Support the Pugcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thetheologypugcast?fbclid=IwAR17UHhfzjphO52C_kkZfursA_C784t0ldFix0wyB4fd-YOJpmOQ3dyqGf8   Catch our new documentary ‘A Pugcast Pilgrimage: Lewis, Oxford, and Our Postmodern Age’ on Canon+: https://canonplus.com/tabs/discover/videos/34865?fbclid=IwY2xjawF-J-9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHXqj6CIhUs6mTwkMc-AHhKiP1E4dPAtOm60rgu69RZ2LfhqYLJg2JHx4uQ_aem_LV-nOWc1vnhV6scW9cGZpA   The Theology Pugcast is a ministry of Trinity Reformed Church in Huntsville Alabama. To view more media from TRC, visit their website: https://trinityreformedkirk.com/media-podcasts

Article: https://breakpoint.org/bioethics-and-big-sheep/   Support the Pugcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thetheologypugcast?fbclid=IwAR17UHhfzjphO52C_kkZfursA_C784t0ldFix0wyB4fd-YOJpmOQ3dyqGf8   Catch our new documentary ‘A Pugcast Pilgrimage: Lewis, Oxford, and Our Postmodern Age’ on Canon+: https://canonplus.com/tabs/discover/videos/34865?fbclid=IwY2xjawF-J-9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHXqj6CIhUs6mTwkMc-AHhKiP1E4dPAtOm60rgu69RZ2LfhqYLJg2JHx4uQ_aem_LV-nOWc1vnhV6scW9cGZpA   The Theology Pugcast is a ministry of Trinity Reformed Church in Huntsville Alabama. To view more media from TRC, visit their website: https://trinityreformedkirk.com/media-podcasts

In this episode, Glenn and honorary Pug John West of the Discovery Institute interview Indian Christian philosopher Vishal Mangalwadi about his life, his proposals for recovering the role of the church in higher education, and his analysis of where Western culture epistemology went wrong. This last point generated a lively discussion about general and special revelation between Vishal and John.   Support the Pugcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thetheologypugcast?fbclid=IwAR17UHhfzjphO52C_kkZfursA_C784t0ldFix0wyB4fd-YOJpmOQ3dyqGf8   Catch our new documentary ‘A Pugcast Pilgrimage: Lewis, Oxford, and Our Postmodern Age’ on Canon+: https://canonplus.com/tabs/discover/videos/34865?fbclid=IwY2xjawF-J-9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHXqj6CIhUs6mTwkMc-AHhKiP1E4dPAtOm60rgu69RZ2LfhqYLJg2JHx4uQ_aem_LV-nOWc1vnhV6scW9cGZpA   The Theology Pugcast is a ministry of Trinity Reformed Church in Huntsville Alabama. To view more media from TRC, visit their website: https://trinityreformedkirk.com/media-podcasts

Today Chris shares some thoughts on techno-utopianism--namely, what characterizes it? He proffers six distinctives and asks the guys to reflect with him on them. He suggests that while very few people would say they're on board with all six, most people seem to at least think that technology inevitably makes the world a better place. But is that necessarily so, or are we presented with a set of tradeoffs when it comes to technology?   Support the Pugcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thetheologypugcast?fbclid=IwAR17UHhfzjphO52C_kkZfursA_C784t0ldFix0wyB4fd-YOJpmOQ3dyqGf8   Catch our new documentary ‘A Pugcast Pilgrimage: Lewis, Oxford, and Our Postmodern Age’ on Canon+: https://canonplus.com/tabs/discover/videos/34865?fbclid=IwY2xjawF-J-9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHXqj6CIhUs6mTwkMc-AHhKiP1E4dPAtOm60rgu69RZ2LfhqYLJg2JHx4uQ_aem_LV-nOWc1vnhV6scW9cGZpA   Connect with Trinity Chattanooga: https://www.trinitychattanooga.com/ The Theology Pugcast is a ministry of Trinity Reformed Church in Huntsville Alabama. To view more media from TRC, visit their website: https://trinityreformedkirk.com/media-podcasts    

Today the Pugs welcome Rhys Laverty (all the way from the UK!) to discuss a new collection of essays on C. S. Lewis's Ransom Trilogy (sometimes misleadingly known as the Space Trilogy). The collection is being published under the title 'Life on the Silent Planet' by the Davenant Trust. Contributors include many friends of the Pugcast, including Michael Ward, of Planet Narnia fame. The Pugs enjoy a free-ranging discussion about everything from whether or not Lewis believed in intelligent life on other worlds to whether or not we're living in the world Lewis described in, That Hideous Strength. Join the fun!   Order Life on the Silent Planet: https://davenantinstitute.org/life-on-the-silent-planet   Connect with the Davenant Institute: https://davenantinstitute.org/   Catch our new documentary ‘A Pugcast Pilgrimage: Lewis, Oxford, and Our Postmodern Age’ on Canon+: https://canonplus.com/tabs/discover/videos/34865?fbclid=IwY2xjawF-J-9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHXqj6CIhUs6mTwkMc-AHhKiP1E4dPAtOm60rgu69RZ2LfhqYLJg2JHx4uQ_aem_LV-nOWc1vnhV6scW9cGZpA   Support the Pugcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thetheologypugcast?fbclid=IwAR17UHhfzjphO52C_kkZfursA_C784t0ldFix0wyB4fd-YOJpmOQ3dyqGf8   The Theology Pugcast is a ministry of Trinity Reformed Church in Huntsville Alabama. To view more media from TRC, visit their website: https://trinityreformedkirk.com/media-podcasts