The PloughCast

Joy Clarkson discusses her new book, and the importance of metaphor.Why are metaphors important? How can they help us live well – and how can they go wrong? Why should we not think of ourselves as computers? And what does all this mean for our language about God?In the discussion, Joy and Susannah range widely through topics including apophatic theology, the inevitability of metaphorical language, Owen Barfield, Anthroposophy, Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi, Suzanne Simard’s research on how trees communicate via fungal networks, and much more.

William Thomas Okie says plants can talk; but is anyone listening?

Colin Boller explains how regenerative agriculture helps farmers care for the land and pay the bills.

Clare Coffey gives a defense of the dandelion, the plant that always comes back.

Matthew Scarince and Sebastian Milbank discuss Tolkien and technology. Susannah chimes in.Is J. R. R. Tolkien anti-technology? What is the relationship between magic and technology in the world of the Lord of the Rings, and in ours? What do the elves have to do with that? What can we tell by looking at the rings, the palantíri, the silmarils?Should the Lord of the Rings be read as a straightforward critique of industrial society? How can the categories of mending and preservation be used to understand how the various heroes and heroines of Middle-earth go about shepherding this world into its next age, and how can those categories help us to do the same in our age?

Daniel J. D. Stulac, a newcomer to Saskatchewan, searches for the Old Testament promise.

Caroline Moore has studied moths since she was a child. She writes how they showcase nature’s richness and vulnerability.

Alastair Roberts revisits the resurrection stories of the Old Testament.Jesus expected his followers to know that he was going to have to die and would then be resurrected – but, famously, they didn’t figure it out until it happened. What were Jewish expectations of resurrection, and where is the idea found in the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible?Alastair discusses the hints and implications found throughout the text, from metaphors which point to Israel’s return from exile as a kind of political resurrection, to more literal expectations of life beyond death.He then discusses how we are to understand Christ’s resurrected body itself, and therefore ours: Saint Paul says that “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God,” and yet Jesus tells his disciples to notice that he has “flesh and bone.” What is a spiritual body? How did first century Jews think of flesh and spirit? And what can we expect?

Explore the essence of Christian fellowship, emphasizing communal bond and shared spirit. Delve into the radical transformation post-Jesus' resurrection, advocating for generosity and communal living. Discover Jesus's definition of love through actions and relationships, promoting economic equality. Examine the concept of voluntary fellowship versus forced communism, with focus on resource distribution based on need. Embrace inclusivity and equality in Christian fellowship, inspired by Jesus' teachings.

Ross Douthat discusses why what is natural is not a guide to what is good.The idea that the natural world is to be worshiped can take many forms. Douthat and Peter Mommsen and Susannah Black Roberts discuss these forms, ranging from Wordsworthian spiritual experiences in a national park, to worshiping ancestral or local gods, to civic religions of left and right, to tarot card reading, to affirming the Darwinian struggle for existence as a source of moral guidance. They discuss varying understandings of natural law, talk about euthanasia, and revisit Fight Club. Then they discuss whether Darwinism is compatible with the traditional idea of the Fall, and whether we should accept the teaching that human beings are made to not just live in harmony with the natural world but to transcend it.