Deep Talks with Paul Anleitner

This is the finale of The Problem of Evil series. Last week (Ep 87/ Part 17), I began sharing with you my conclusions and so I think it is important to listen to that one before you listen to today's episode. I imagine that some of you will still have questions, observations, and probably plenty of disagreements with where I have landed, but know that I welcome them all. The best way to share them is via our Patreon Discussion forum for this episode or by messaging me on Patreon. The next best option would be to reach out to me on Twitter. You'll find the links for all of those things below. Some work that I engage with in this episode includes the work of (no particular order): Karl Barth, Greg Boyd (Open Theism), Thomas Jay Oord, Ireneaus, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Origen, Plotinus, Gregory of Nyssa, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Luis De Molina (Molinism), Gottfried Leibniz, Immanuel Kant, Process Theism, and J.R.R Tolkien If you find this podcast to be helpful and you want to see it continue ad-free, would you consider becoming a supporter on Patreon? Members of the Deep Talks Patreon Community receive bonus Q & A Episodes, articles, charts, forum discussions and more. STARTING THIS MONTH, WE'LL HAVE AN PATREON COMMUNITY GROUP ZOOM HANG-OUT to build relationships with others across the world and to do theology and meaning-making together. Help us reach our first goal of 300 patrons in order to sustain weekly, ad-free theological and philosophical education to anyone with an internet connection! https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast To Subscribe & Review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159   Connect with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner

Well, this year-plus-long series is almost at an end. I have tried to be an impartial tour guide over the past 16 episodes (17 if you included the convo with Greg Boyd & Thomas Jay Oord), but now I get to share with you my own conclusions. I can honestly say that my own theodicy has changed as a result of going through this series together. This conclusion will be in 2 parts. Today, I talk about what to do with the book of Job and the obvious differences in the Old Testament and New Testament. Plus, I will share some nuanced agreements and disagreements with theologians like Karl Barth and Greg Boyd. I'll also talk about points of connection between the Cross, the Big Bang, and evolution. Finally, I will lay out three categories for interpreting our experiences of pain or suffering that will serve as an important framework for our finale. Are there evil AND good kinds of suffering? How could we discern them and respond properly? I'm sure questions and disagreements may abound, so I encourage you to participate in the Group Forum discussion on Patreon. You can find these forums on the Deep Talks Patreon page linked below. If you find this podcast to be helpful and you want to see it continue ad-free, would you consider becoming a supporter on Patreon? Members of the Deep Talks Patreon Community receive bonus Q & A Episodes, articles, charts, forum discussions and more. STARTING THIS MONTH, WE'LL HAVE AN PATREON COMMUNITY GROUP ZOOM HANG-OUT to build relationships with others across the world and to do theology and meaning-making together. Help us reach our first goal of 300 patrons in order to sustain weekly, ad-free theological and philosophical education to anyone with an internet connection! https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast To Subscribe & Review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159   Connect with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner

Ted Kim is senior pastor of Evanston Vineyard. He did his undergrad degree at the University of Chicago and has Masters of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. Ted joins me today to discuss the role of “story” in our quest for meaning in an increasingly “post-secular” America. How should followers of Jesus who believe in a true-overarching story for humanity interact with the stories we are constantly consuming via streaming services, movies, books and podcasts?  How do we sift through our cultural stories to find points of harmony and dissonance with the grand story of Scripture? How is Christ at work in the our mythological fantasy stories like The Lord of the Rings or Star Wars? What can be mutually gained by expanding our cultural horizons through friendship with people in different macro and micro-cultures? We’ll discuss all this and more in today’s episode. To watch the most recent Deep Talks video on Luke Skywalker/Star Wars mentioned in this podcast, visit the Deep Talks YouTube channel at : https://youtu.be/_7ixhW_Ts7Y If you find this podcast to be helpful and you want to see it continue ad-free, would you consider becoming a supporter on Patreon? Members of the Deep Talks Patreon Community receive bonus Q & A Episodes, articles, charts, forum discussions and more. Starting in 2021, WE HAVE A NEW BONUS REWARD- A PATREON COMMUNITY GROUP ZOOM HANG-OUT to build relationships with others across the world and to do theology and meaning-making together. To find out more and help us reach our first goal of 300 patrons which will sustain weekly, ad-free theological and philosophical education to anyone with an internet connection, visit: https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast To Subscribe & Review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159   Connect with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner

The week after the storming of the U.S. Capitol, I talked with my friend Adam Russell on The Ferment podcast about the historical, theological, & psychological reasons for the development of "Culture War Christianity" and American Civil Religion. How did we get here as Christians in America? What can we do differently in our church communities? This conversation was released last week on The Ferment podcast and I'm re-airing here this week as I recover from COVID 19.  Adam has been on Deep Talks several times before. Most recently in Episode 61, where you can hear more of his story and bio.  Here's the link to that convo: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-ieq4a-dcee40 If you find this podcast to be helpful and you want to see it continue ad-free, would you consider becoming a supporter on Patreon? Members of the Deep Talks Patreon Community receive bonus Q & A Episodes, articles, charts, forum discussions and more. STARTING THIS MONTH, WE'LL HAVE A PATREON COMMUNITY GROUP ZOOM HANG-OUT to build relationships with others across the world and to do theology and meaning-making together. Help us reach our first goal of 300 patrons in order to sustain weekly, ad-free theological and philosophical education to anyone with an internet connection! https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast To Subscribe & Review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159   Connect with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner

In part 17 of The Problem of Evil series, I talk with theologians Greg Boyd and Thomas Jay Oord about their unique responses to the problems of evil and suffering. Why did each of them find traditional responses to the problem of evil in various forms of classical theism unsatisfying? What is similar and different about their respective positions? Does either Boyd's Open Theism or Oord's Essential Kenosis/God Can't theodicy provide more satisfying answers than what people like Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, Leibniz, Barth provided in the past? How do they both respond to some of the more challenging theological or philosophical critiques aimed at their ideas? Dr. Gregory A. Boyd is theologian with advanced degrees from Yale and Princeton, senior pastor of Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, and is author of numerous books. Some of the more relevant books to today's conversation are: God of the Possible: A Biblical Introduction to the Open View of God  God at War: The Bible and Spiritual Conflict  Satan & the Problem of Evil: Constructing a Trinitarian Warfare Theodicy The Crucifixion of the Warrior God: Volumes 1 & 2   Dr. Thomas Jay Oord is a theologian and philosopher with advanced degrees from Nazarene Theological Seminary and Claremont Graduate University.  He directs the doctoral program at Northwind Theological Seminary and the Center for Open and Relational Theology. He's also authored numerous books and articles including: God Can't: How to Believe in God and Love After Tragedy, Abuse, and Other Evils  The Uncontrolling Love of God: An Open and Relational Account of Providence Defining Love: A Philosophical, Scientific, and Theological Engagement  If you find this podcast to be helpful and you want to see it continue ad-free, would you consider becoming a supporter on Patreon? Members of the Deep Talks Patreon Community receive bonus Q & A Episodes, articles, charts, forum discussions and more. STARTING THIS MONTH, WE'LL HAVE A PATREON COMMUNITY GROUP ZOOM HANG-OUT to build relationships with others across the world and to do theology and meaning-making together. Help us reach our first goal of 300 patrons in order to sustain weekly, ad-free theological and philosophical education to anyone with an internet connection! https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast To Subscribe & Review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159   Connect with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner

Dr. John Vervaeke is a renowned cognitive scientist at the University of Toronto. He's published groundbreaking research on the cognitive science of "meaning." His popular "Awakening from the Meaning Crisis" lecture series is a massive 50 part video & podcast series with well over 1 million total views on YouTube. In this series, Vervaeke weaves together insights from cognitive science, biology, philosophy, theology, and history to try and help people understand how we've arrived at our current cultural meaning crisis in the West and what he thinks can be done about it. It really is impossible to give a succinct summary of everything that we discuss together in this extended episode, but what I can say is that it was one of the more mind-blowing and insightful conversations I feel like I've had on this podcast. Plus, it was so great to have such a meaningful discussion with someone who would not profess to share my Christian convictions. Hopefully, we've modeled a way of dialogue together that shows that we can respect each other's convictional differences and still be open to learning from each other.  You can check out John Vervaeke's "Awakening from the Meaning Crisis" lecture series here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLND1JCRq8Vuh3f0P5qjrSdb5eC1ZfZwWJ If you find this podcast to be helpful and you want to see it continue ad-free, would you consider becoming a supporter on Patreon? Members of the Deep Talks Patreon Community receive bonus Q & A Episodes, articles, charts, forum discussions and more. STARTING THIS MONTH, WE'LL HAVE A PATREON COMMUNITY GROUP ZOOM HANG-OUT to build relationships with others across the world and to do theology and meaning-making together. Help us reach our first goal of 300 patrons in order to sustain weekly, ad-free theological and philosophical education to anyone with an internet connection! https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast To Subscribe & Review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159   Connect with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner

We're nearing the end of our problem of evil series. In today's episode, we'll explore the controversial theology and philosophy known as Open Theism, which was popularized in the 1990's by a group of predominantly evangelical theologians. These open theists challenged both classical and process views on God and attempted to find a way to make metaphysical sense of what they believed was essential to the biblical narrative. Believing that the entire biblical narrative collapses if we cannot find a way to account for human moral responsibility and that God cannot be good if He acts as the "arsonist firefighter" in creation, these controversial theologians attempted to bring an innovative approach to addressing the problems of evil and suffering. Did they succeed, or does open theism just fall into the same theodicy problems that both classical and process theists before them faced? If you find this podcast to be helpful and you want to see it continue ad-free, would you consider becoming a supporter on Patreon? Members of the Deep Talks Patreon Community receive bonus Q & A Episodes, articles, charts, forum discussions and more. STARTING THIS MONTH, WE'LL HAVE AN PATREON COMMUNITY GROUP ZOOM HANG-OUT to build relationships with others across the world and to do theology and meaning-making together. Help us reach our first goal of 300 patrons in order to sustain weekly, ad-free theological and philosophical education to anyone with an internet connection! https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast To Subscribe & Review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159   Connect with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner  

The discussion dives deep into the evolution of the problem of evil, linking historical and contemporary perspectives. It highlights Alfred North Whitehead's process theism, suggesting a dynamic view of God as an active participant in the universe. Contrasting process theism with classical theism, the talk raises questions about divine omnipotence and suffering. This thought-provoking exploration invites listeners to consider whether this philosophy offers genuine solutions or introduces a modern form of gnosticism.

Today's episode is a unique episode because I'm on the other end of the interview for a change!   Steven White is a pastor in Iowa, a long time listener of this podcast, and a member of our Deep Talks Patreon Community. He recently reached out to me to see if we could record an interview together as part of his Master's thesis he is completing focusing on cultural theology & church leadership. I was glad to be of help in that way, so we jumped on for a Zoom call last week. I thought he asked some really great questions about: -my own journey of faith and theological development -what the "meaning-making" part of my podcast title means (which I don't know if I ever properly explained on the podcast before!) - how values are connected to our cultural programming, genetic predispositions, and church environments & traditions - and some other excellent follow-up questions to material covered in the Christ and Culture series, the Mind Software series, the Hyper-Objects episode, liturgical programming and more. Steven had some really great insights of his own which really connected some dots together on how all of this stuff is related, so I asked him he wouldn't mind if I shared the recording of the conversation. I thought it might be a great way to recap so many of the things that have been discussed on this podcast throughout the course of 2020. If you find this podcast to be helpful and you want to see it continue on ad-free, would you consider becoming a supporter on Patreon? Members of the Deep Talks Patreon Community receive bonus Q & A Episodes, articles, charts, forum discussions and more. Help us reach our first goal of 300 patrons in order to sustain weekly, ad-free theological and philosophical education to anyone with an internet connection! https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast To Subscribe & Review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159   Connect with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner

This is part 2 of our miniseries. Make sure to listen to part 1 (Episode 78) before you listen to this one. In this episode we'll explore the differences between masculine & feminine cultures, and the differences between cultures that avoid uncertainty and those that embrace it. Plus, we'll try to answer some of the initial questions I posed at the start of part 1 and consider how Christians can begin to comparatively discern the values of Jesus' Kingdom of God and the values within their own cultural frame. For Patreon supporters, there is a PDF download with some helpful notes and visual aides to accompany this two part series. https://www.patreon.com/posts/mind-software-44833021?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copy_to_clipboard&utm_campaign=postshare f you find this podcast to be helpful and you want to see it continue on ad-free, would you consider becoming a supporter on Patreon? Members of the Deep Talks Patreon Community receive bonus Q & A Episodes, articles, charts, forum discussions and more. Help us reach our first goal of 300 patrons in order to sustain weekly, ad-free theological and philosophical education to anyone with an internet connection! https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast To Subscribe & Review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159   Connect with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner