You Have Permission

Dan is joined by philosopher John Haught (Georgetown University), who argues that many people think we should look to the past, the deep past, for ultimate answers. This includes certain scientists who want to look to the Big Bang for ultimate explanations, or religious teachers focusing on God’s perfect design in the Garden of Eden, before everything got messed up. Others might tend to look to the so-called Eternal Present for God, or for ultimate meaning and answers. Through prayer, we may feel like we can tap directly into a timeless God, letting go of our worldly concerns, and, of course, there is some truth to this. Many philosophers have also preached something similar, that true contemplation of the One, or of capital “T” Truth, can take us out of our mortal, perishing bodies into the realm of the sublime. But Haught wants to point our attention to a third option: the future. What if the truest meaning of the grand story that we are living in right now, which includes a big bang, billions of years of lifeless space, followed by the forming of carbon, then of unicellular life, and biological progression all the way to sentient and self-conscious beings like humans -- what if the meaning of THAT story is not clear to us yet because that story is not over yet? Perhaps we do have some guideposts given to us by God along the way, but rather than looking back, we should be looking AHEAD.Tag Dan and a podcast host who you think should have Dan on as a guest:Dan’s Twitter: @DanKochDan’s FB: https://www.facebook.com/dan.koch.16youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.comThe John Haught Reader: https://www.amazon.com/John-Haught-Reader-Essential-Writings/dp/1532661029The New Cosmic Story: https://www.amazon.com/New-Cosmic-Story-Awakening-Universe/dp/030021703X/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=john+haught&qid=1574117845&s=books&sr=1-1Edited by Josh Gilbert (Gwall.Gilbert11@gmail.com)Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Human beings are primarily intrinsically sinful and evil.”“God’s truth can only be found in the Biblical text.”“The body and its desires are inherently wicked.”“Emotions are not to be honored and listened to; only God’s truth should be valued.”Mark Karris (author, therapist, professor at Point Loma Nazarene University) lists these among a group of claims that he believes are a part of “Toxic Christianity.” Mark and Dan talk through a number of these (false) claims, ask why it is that they get in the way of our relationship to God and our neighbors, and consider alternate options.Mark’s Original Post - https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10162264853155694&set=pb.740175693.-2207520000.1571761815.&type=3&theaterMark’s website: http://markgregorykarris.com/Mark’s Amazon author page: https://smile.amazon.com/Mark-Gregory-Karris/e/B01MZZLNV5?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1573700786&sr=8-1Deconversion Article Mark mentioned: https://www.dropbox.com/s/2v12uksryiwvscz/Breaking%20up%20with%20Jesus-%20a%20phenomenological%20exploration%20of%20the%20experience%20of%20deconversion%20from%20an%20Evangelical%20Christian%20faith%20to%20Atheism.pdf?dl=0Edited by Scott CangemiJoin the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can Christians believe that people are only “physical”? Must we have “souls” in order to be saved, to have relationships with God, to be God’s image-bearers in the world? My two guests today are biologist Kenneth R. Miller (Brown University) and philosopher Rebekah Rice (Seattle Pacific University), and they argue that there are good reasons to accept some kind of Christian Naturalism or Christian Physicalism, and that in fact one can do so and remain within the orthodx Christian tradition.The Human Instinct: https://smile.amazon.com/Human-Instinct-Evolved-Reason-Consciousness/dp/1476790264/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=kenneth+miller&qid=1573441718&sr=8-2Finding Darwin’s God: https://smile.amazon.com/Finding-Darwins-God-Scientists-Evolution/dp/0061233501/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=kenneth+miller&qid=1573441718&sr=8-1Edited by Scott CangemiJoin the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the episode that some of you have been waiting 40-some episodes for. Many of you know that I identify as a universalist, meaning that I believe that everyone will be saved in the end, whatever we mean by the word “saved.” There are a lot of reasons that people believe in Hell, and there are a lot of reasons that people don’t. Many of those reasons, maybe even MOST of the reasons, I would argue have nothing to do with actual arguments or theological reasoning, or even a close reading of the Biblical text. Most reasons, I think, are psychological. Why people ACTUALLY believe in Hell, at a more psychological level, is a very interesting question, but not one that we are spending much time on today. This episode is about the arguments themselves. The most central question is: Does Hell make sense, given the God of Christianity? The next one is - how do we make sense of various sayings of Jesus that seem to teach a painful judgement? My guest today is Brad Jersak. Brad is a Canadian theologian, author, and pastor, and his book “Her Gates Will Never Be Shut” is widely considered one of the best treatments of this question. Our first 15 min or so are spent getting our bearings with the current landscape on this topic, including some term explaining, and introducing David Bentley Hart’s new book as a centerpiece of both our conversation, and the wider theological conversation. If you want to go straight to the arguments themselves, you could skip ahead to about 18:00.Hellbound? -- https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B00D1NE8L0/ref=atv_dl_rdrThe Evangelical Universalist: https://www.amazon.com/Evangelical-Universalist-Second-Gregory-MacDonald/dp/1620322390/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=evangelical+universalist&qid=1572843722&sr=8-1Her Gates Shall Never Be Shut: https://www.amazon.com/gp/slredirect/picassoRedirect.html/ref=pa_sp_atf_aps_sr_pg1_1?ie=UTF8&adId=A09982251H1HAKCB4QUV8&url=%2FHer-Gates-Will-Never-Shut-ebook%2Fdp%2FB00IGGZRJY%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1_sspa%3Fkeywords%3Dbrad%2Bjersak%26qid%3D1572843756%26sr%3D8-1-spons%26psc%3D1&qualifier=1572843755&id=5413906602847107&widgetName=sp_atfIn: https://www.amazon.com/Incarnation-Inclusion-Abba-Lamb/dp/1082461733/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=brad+jersak&qid=1572843756&sr=8-2A More Christlike God: https://www.amazon.com/More-Christlike-God-Beautiful-Gospel/dp/1889973165/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=brad+jersak&qid=1572843756&sr=8-3Athanasius, On the Incarnation: http://www.copticchurch.net/topics/theology/incarnation_st_athanasius.pdfRazing Hell: https://smile.amazon.com/Razing-Hell-Rethinking-Everything-Judgment/dp/0664236545/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=sharon+baker+hell&qid=1572843854&sr=8-1Edited by Josh Gilbert (Gwall.Gilbert11@gmail.com)Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just in time for Halloween (not on purpose actually!)... What exactly is the "supernatural"? When God does something in the natural world, is that the same thing as saying that God broke the laws of physics? Theologian Thomas Jay oord helps Dan explore these questions, and whether or not it makes more sense to think of the “natural” and “supernatural” as essentially no different from one another. Or in Tom’s words, “For every event that happens in the world, there are both divine and creaturely causes.” They consider some possible ramifications of this move, including the resurrection of Jesus, miracles, the inspiration of Scripture, the life to come, and more.Tom’s website, including links to his books: http://thomasjayoord.com/Citizens - “Fear” (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/album/0abL7FZysjxpaxEPURpBsl Edited by Laura Kondourajian Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Philosopher Myron Penner (Trinity Western University) helps Dan think through some interesting but complicated and challenging findings from cognitive science (the study of the mind, not the study of the brain -- that's called neuroscience) and what they mean for our understanding of religions beliefs, behaviors and experiences. By explaining religious belief from a cognitive perspective, how does cognitive science of religion not *explain away* religion altogether? Does cognitive science of religion present evidence for God, for atheism, or neither?- “When God Talks Back” - https://smile.amazon.com/When-God-Talks-Back-Understanding/dp/0307277275/ref=sxts_sxwds-bia?keywords=when+god+talks+back&pd_rd_i=0307277275&pd_rd_r=eda4ec56-9673-42b7-bdb8-d6faeaa93daa&pd_rd_w=jfc0X&pd_rd_wg=PM7eF&pf_rd_p=a5491838-6a74-484e-8787-eb44c8f3b7ff&pf_rd_r=GA0N6HXQHCG8MZNJ3RE6&psc=1&qid=1571604451- Citizens - “Fear” (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/album/0abL7FZysjxpaxEPURpBsl - theopsych.com - Fuller Seminary initiativeEdited by Laura Kondourajian Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do we parent our kids after faith deconstruction? What if only one half of a couple is going through faith changes? Can people of different faith traditions have healthy marriages? How do I relate to my family, who haven’t had the same faith changes that I have, and who now think I’m going to Hell? Is this what “unequally yoked” is actually supposed to mean? This is a long, meaty episode, where we get into as many questions like these as possible (asked almost entirely by listeners of the show) with Dr. Doug Shirley, a psychotherapist who teaches at the Seattle School of Theology & Psychology and specializes in questions like these in his own private practice.dougshirleyresearch.comHoly Longing: https://smile.amazon.com/Holy-Longing-Search-Christian-Spirituality-ebook/dp/B004DEPESM/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=holy+longing&qid=1570899882&sr=8-1Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work: https://smile.amazon.com/Seven-Principles-Making-Marriage-Work/dp/0553447718/ref=sr_1_1?crid=9XGS9DL4PJFO&keywords=seven+principles+for+making+marriage+work&qid=1570899898&sprefix=seven+principles%2Caps%2C197&sr=8-1Finite and Infinite Games: https://smile.amazon.com/Finite-Infinite-Games-James-Carse/dp/1476731713/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1N9D2WRINZTQJ&keywords=finite+and+infinite+games+by+james+carse&qid=1570899926&sprefix=finite+and%2Caps%2C195&sr=8-1The Sin of Certainty: https://smile.amazon.com/Sin-Certainty-Desires-Correct-Beliefs/dp/0062272098/ref=sr_1_1?crid=SZU6J7FT9FDZ&keywords=sin+of+certainty&qid=1570899914&sprefix=sin+of+cer%2Caps%2C193&sr=8-1Edited by Josh Gilbert (Gwall.Gilbert11@gmail.com)Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why is everyone suddenly talking about psychedelic drugs again? What do we know about them, and what is their relationship to more “ordinary” religious experiences? Is taking a psychedelic as part of a worship service any different than dimming the lights and swaying together to worship music? What can we learn about human brains and religious experience in general from the research on psychedelics? Today we hear from theologian Sarah Lane Ritchie, who both works on these questions from a theological perspective and also has been a participant in a controlled psilocybin trial in the UK. And yes, she tells us about her trip! Later in our chat, she shares her personal struggles with experiencing God as “personal” in the way that so many of her friends and colleagues are able to do (myself included). This was an incredible conversation.Sarah is Lecturer in Theology and Science at the University of Edinburgh. She has a PhD in Science and Religion from the University of Edinburgh, where her doctoral work focused on the question of divine action in the human mind. A Michigander by birth, Sarah also holds a BA in Philosophy and Religion from Spring Arbor University, an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary, and an MSc in Science and Religion from the University of Edinburgh. Her published work focuses on questions arising from the intersection of theology, philosophy, and the various brain-related sciences. Sarah’s Book: https://smile.amazon.com/Divine-Action-Current-Issues-Theology/dp/1108476511/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=sarah+lane+ritchie&qid=1570383111&sr=8-2Sarah has a chapter in this much cheaper collection as well: https://smile.amazon.com/Philosophy-Science-Religion-Everyone-Pritchard/dp/1138234214/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=sarah+lane+ritchie&qid=1570383111&sr=8-1Edited by Laura Kondourajian Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is experience potentially a direct pathway to the God of the universe? Or is it simply “the heart [being] deceitful above all things”? Can we trust our spiritual experience, and if so, which experiences are trustworthy? This topic was recommended by my guest Dustin Kensrue (singer/songwriter of the band Thrice, former worship director at Mars Hill Church in Seattle), and I jumped at it. In today’s episode, we go through Dustin’s own story, from young Christian punk rocker, to prominent Neo-Calvinist, to church scandal whistleblower (sort of), to reconstructed liberal Christian, all the while considering the role of experience in that journey.Check out Dustin's new podcast Carry the Fire wherever you get your podcasts.Edited by Josh Gilbert (Gwall.Gilbert11@gmail.com)Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What exactly is “purity culture,” and why is everyone talking about it? Was it really so harmful? Isn’t it pretty straightforward to not have sex until marriage? Today’s guest Linda Key Klein has interviewed hundreds of young women about their experiences in and after purity culture, and she has written a fantastic book about it, “Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free.” But also, what comes AFTER purity culture? Simply an “anything goes” sexual ethic, or something more robust and still identifiably "Christian"? Pure: https://smile.amazon.com/Pure-Inside-Evangelical-Movement-Generation/dp/1501124811/ref=sr_1_1?crid=369666CXFZDKC&keywords=pure+linda+kay+klein&qid=1569189472&s=gateway&sprefix=pure+linda%2Caps%2C211&sr=8-1Linda’s personal site: https://lindakayklein.com/Edited by Scott CangemiJoin the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices