New Persuasive Words
Scott Jones & Bill Borror
New Persuasive Words is a sharp and insightful podcast that dissects the intersections of culture, politics, and theology with intellectual rigor and a conversational ease. Hosted by Scott Jones and Bill Borror, the show offers a thoughtful examination of contemporary issues, blending humor, historical perspective, and philosophical depth. With a keen eye for nuance and a willingness to challenge conventional wisdom, New Persuasive Words invites listeners into a space where ideas are tested, assumptions are questioned, and meaningful dialogue thrives.
Episodes
Mentioned books
May 30, 2017 • 37min
Episode 134: Monuments and Memory
In this episode we talk about the recent removal of Confederate Civil War monuments in New Orleans and the nature of historical memory.
May 25, 2017 • 28min
Episode 133: Ascension Matters
Today is Ascension day 2017, the most overlooked day on the Christian religious calendar. We think that's a shame. It's an important doctrine that offers real hope to real people living a complex, messy world.
May 23, 2017 • 38min
Episode 132: The Alienated Mind
This is a bullgeschichte episode where we're joined by Jace Broadhurst to talk about a recent David Brooks column in the NY Times entitled "The Alienated Mind".
Show Notes:
-You can find the Brooks article here: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/23/opinion/alienated-mind-trump-supporters.html?_r=0.Special Guest: Jace Broadhurst.
May 20, 2017 • 32min
Episode 131: Where Do Words Come From?
In this episode, inspired by a short essay written by the renowned novelist Cormac McCarthy. It deals with the origins of human language, and whether evolutionary explanations do it justice.
Show Notes:
The essay that inspired the podcast can be found here: http://nautil.us/issue/47/consciousness/the-kekul-problem?utm_campaign=5.11+Bill+Ringa+%28PVZrqH%29&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Official+-+The+Newsletter+%28US+-+East+Coast%29+.
May 16, 2017 • 25min
Episode 130: From Russia With Love
In this episode we discuss President Trump's recent sharing of code-word clearance intelligence information with the Russian Foreign Minister and the Russian Ambassador to the United States.
Show Notes:
The Washington Post article that first broke the story can be found here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-revealed-highly-classified-information-to-russian-foreign-minister-and-ambassador/2017/05/15/530c172a-3960-11e7-9e48-c4f199710b69_story.html?utm_term=.45503c59605f.
May 15, 2017 • 25min
Episode 129: The Road Not Taken
In this episode we consider the meaning of a poem often quoted during commencement season, Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken".
May 12, 2017 • 37min
Episode 128: Faith, Fragility and Friendship
In this episode, which is a combo of our Friday Night Lights and Bullgeschichte episodes, we talk with Matt Milliner. Our conversation is all about friendship, life's fragility and the life of faith. Special Guest: Matt Milliner.
May 8, 2017 • 30min
Episode 127: What Is Sophistry?
In this episode we talk about Sophistry and its role in contemporary public life.
Show Notes:
We reference a NY Times Op-Ed piece by Bret Stephens. It can be found here: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/28/opinion/climate-of-complete-certainty.html?_r=0.
May 5, 2017 • 38min
Episode 126: Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
In this episode we talk about break ups. It happens to friends, families, lovers, churches, even countries. Break ups and loss are a part of life, but can you come out of them ever feeling alive again?
May 2, 2017 • 33min
Episode 125: A House Divided?
Reflecting on a recent podcast by Dan Carlin and an Opinion piece in the New York Times, we consider the future of our country as a united one.
Show Notes
-You can find the Dan Carlin podcast here: http://www.dancarlin.com/product/common-sense-315-war-on-a-whim.
-You can find the NY Times piece here:https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/02/opinion/the-collapse-of-american-identity.html.
