The Theology Pugcast

In today's show Tom returns to the theme of intellectual faithfulness in a church that has lost any sense of what that means. Glenn and Chris jump in with their thoughts.  

In today's show the Pugsters interview Dr. Benjamin Merkle, President of New Saint Andrews College. The show was recorded before an enthusiastic audience and at a different venue than the venerable Corner Pug. In this show the Pugcast invades the renowned Willimantic Brewing Company--one of the best brewpubs in Connecticut.  Dr. Merkle provides great insight into the philosophy and methods of classical learning, and Tom and Ben even get to reminisce about their days at Oxford. It was a lot of fun. We hope that you enjoy it.

Jokes about the uselessness of a liberal arts education are cliche--they also evidence the absence of a liberal arts education. The whole point of a liberal arts education is the study of things that are good in themselves, not good as a means to enjoying something else. Arts of that sort are servile--they serve a higher good.  Today Chris introduces listeners to the book, Leisure: The Basis of Culture by the late German philosopher Joseph Pieper.  Of course Tom and Glenn have a lot to add. The conversation gets into the parallel between Sabbath observance and leisure, social class and freedom, and many other matters.  Enjoy! Here's a link to the book on Amazon. 

Today we welcome to the show a friend of Glenn Sunshine: Francis Jabba, Disciple Making Coordinator for New Harvest Global Ministries in 16 African countries. Reports of the spectacular growth of Christianity in Africa are well known. What is less known is how it is happening. Glenn has visited Africa and has reported on the growth of the church in the book he co-wrote with Jerry Trousdale, The Kingdom Unleashed. In today's show the Pugcasters interview one of the leaders of this phenomenal movement. There were many remarkable things that they learned in the course of the interview--an important one being how Islam is growing in Africa through a combination of biological growth, conversion through marriage, business dealings with strings attached, and the building of mosques.  The show is a bit of a departure from the standard Pugcast fare--but that shouldn't surprise our listeners, the range of conversation on the show is pretty broad.  Here is a link to Glenn's book on Amazon. If you would like to donate to this important work in West Africa here is the contact information: New Harvest Global Ministries, P.O. Box 681691, Franklin TN. 37068. New Harvest's website is www.newharvestglobal.org  If you want to give a donation for Francis’s building, put “Francis Jabba building fund” in the Memo. 

In today's episode Tom asks the rhetorical question, "Who sets the agenda for the Christian faith?" Winsome market-oriented church growth types demonstrate through their methods that they believe people should do that.  But maybe people don't actually know what is in their best interests. Tom traces out how autonomy and "authenticity" have come to shape much of evangelicalism in our time. Chris notes that this is what underlies the call to be "relevant". Tom labels this "Humanistic Evangelicalism". But isn't this a case of tail wags dog?  By contrast Tom describes something he calls "Evangelical Humanism" and he says this is what constitutes a good Christian anthropology. 

Perhaps the most controversial character in all of Tolkien's writing is Tom Bombadil. People seem to either love him or hate him.  But regardless how you feel about him, most people can't figure out why he's even in the Lord of the Rings. What's the point of the man in the blue jacket and the yellow boots? Certainly Peter Jackson thought he was expendable. He isn't even in the film version of the story. Was he inserted to make Tolkien's children happy? Was Tolkien providing a little filler to buy time because he was still working out the plot? Chris thinks that Tolkien was up to far more than people give him credit for when it comes to Bombadil. Chris actually thinks that you don't really understand Tolkien, or the Lord of the Rings, until you receive Bombadil into your heart. Listen in as Chris, Tom, and Glenn discuss the meaning of the mysterious Tom Bombadil!

Glenn introduces consumer-choice as a kind of worldview in today's show.  Consumer choice is a fine thing when it comes to fast-food and designer clothing, but where does it end? Should we get to choose everything? Is consumer choice the apogee of freedom, or in some paradoxical way its denial and a form of slavery? Glenn dares to say that people shouldn't get to chose certain things--their family members for instance, or their religion. When it comes to the most important things we are choosers, we're receivers. And that entails an entirely different logic. 

In today's show, Tom outlines the coup against theology in academe.  Believe it or not, once upon a time theology ran the show. We can still see that in the pomp and circumstance at many college graduations--the theology faculty lead the way, followed by philosophy, then the other disciplines. Here's another fact--those disciplines back in the day were actually branches of theology, working out theological truths within various branches of study.  What happened?  Listen in as Tom, Glenn, and Chris talk about the demise of theology and its relegation to matters pertaining to the inner lives of religious people. 

In some theologies it seems like God is so sovereign there is nothing left for anyone else to do. Secondary causation and creaturely agency appear to be defined right out of existence. While this leaves people wondering about their agency, it also leaves angels with nothing to do. So, in today's show Chris raises the question, what are angels for? In the course of the conversation things gravitate toward the subject of the "principalities and powers" the Apostle Paul mentions in Ephesians and Chris recounts some disturbing personal experiences he's had with palpable evil, as well as one experience he had of a different nature when one of his parishioners lay dying in an Emergency Room because he had been cut open by a snow plow during a blizzard.  Glenn and Chris are joined once again by Dr. Ray Pennoyer, professor of philosophy.  

Just because someone is wrong about one thing, doesn't mean he's wrong about everything. And just because someone is right about many things, doesn't mean he's right about everything. Since the days of the Church Fathers Christians have had mixed feelings when it comes to Plato. It today's show Glenn returns to the theme of Platonism and what is indispensable in it. Perhaps we can even think about philosophical truth in the same way we think about truths that scientists discover concerning the workings of the physical world, philosophy may be able to tell us about immaterial structures and their workings--especially as they pertain to intrinsic meaning and the power of language to convey truth. Glenn is joined by Chris and by special guest, Dr. Ray Pennoyer, professor of philosophy.