With the novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) continuing to spread throughout the world, all around the world we are turning to technology like never before to facilitate our regular lives—our work, our church life, our interpersonal relationships, etc. For some of us, the majority of the people that we typically interact with are now confined to our screens and laptops, mediated through FaceTime, Google Hangouts, Zoom, and Skype. It sort of feels like we're living in a strange episode of Black Mirror. In this podcast episode, John Anthony Dunne, Brandon Hurlbert, and Amber Bowen discuss this dystopian anthology TV show about our daily (ab)use of technology. Amber is a PhD Candidate in Philosophy at the University of Aberdeen (Scotland), and Brandon is a PhD Candidate in Old Testament at Durham University (England). Presently, Amber and John are co-editing  and contributing to a book on the show called Black Mirror & Theology (Fortress/Lexington Press), and Brandon is also contributing an essay of his own. As part of this episode's conversation, Amber and Brandon discuss their essay topics, which each bring a particular episode (5.1 "Striking Vipers" for Amber and 2.2 "White Bear" for Brandon) into conversation with Kierkegaard and the Old Testament book of Judges respectively. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today (April 8, 2020) marks the 30th anniversary of when the classic TV show Twin Peaks first aired. In our previous episode ("Twin Peaks: Why We Love It – Part One"), John Anthony Dunne and Kris Song discussed the cultural phenomenon that is Twin Peaks. In this episode, we discuss further how dreams function within the show as well as the broader work of David Lynch. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today (April 8, 2020) marks the 30th anniversary of when the hit TV show Twin Peaks first hit our television sets. Twin Peaks was a major cultural phenomenon in the early 1990s. As an innovative TV show, it was a victim of its own success, being canceled after its second season. TV viewers coming out of the 80s, accustomed to Soaps and episodic storytelling, were simply not ready for a long form narrative spanning multiple episodes without resolution to the central inciting mystery—who killed Laura Palmer? Additionally, being in part the product of filmmaker David Lynch, famous for quirky, creepy, and bizarre films, TV viewers of the time did not have the palette for Lynch's niche vision of the world. After the show was canceled, Lynch made a prequel film in 1992 called Fire Walk With Me, which was summarily booed and trashed at the Cannes film festival. At the time that seemed to be the final nail in the coffin. However, in the summer of 2017, after the improbable growth of a cult following of Twin Peaks—thanks in part to the rise of the internet, the publication of a fan magazine called Wrapped in Plastic, and some annual fan summer festivals—the show returned to Showtime for a third season. In this episode, John Anthony Dunne chats with The Two Cities team member Kris Song about their love of this show that is both wonderful and strange. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a follow up podcast on our earlier conversation called “Is Virtual Communion Valid?" (posted on March 25th, 2020). In that discussion we talked through the tricky issues of taking communion during this time of social distancing in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19). We addressed how we should frame the conversation in terms of "less ideal and more ideal," and that even though taking communion in our homes under normal circumstances would not be recommended, in this difficult time where we long to be together, there are good reasons to continue the practice of communion in order to maintain Jesus' commandment. There are some who contend that the Lord's Supper ceases to be the Lord's Supper unless it is taken while we are gathered together, as Paul prescribes in 1 Corinthians 11 (see Bobby Jamieson, “Can Baptism and the Lord's Supper Go Online?" The Gospel Coalition posted on March 25, 2020). In this episode, John Anthony Dunne, Josh Carroll, Logan Williams, Brandon Hurlbert, and Chris Porter address whether it is legitimate to conceive of churches gathering together in a virtual space during online church services, which would meet that criterion of 1 Corinthians 11. The discussions extends from the implications for trans-local gatherings to trans-temporal ones as well. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During this Coronavirus pandemic many of us are practicing social distancing, self-quarantining, and sheltering in place. It's a stressful time existentially and economically, and as a result, what we eat might not seem like much of a concern. Many of us have stocked up on non-perishable food items in case we need to stay tucked away for a few weeks or longer. During this time is it possible that there are better strategies for stocking up that might actually be beneficial for us? In this episode, John Anthony Dunne discusses these things with his sister Christina Fehrenbach, RND, LD, who is a clinical dietitian. Recipes/shopping list can be found below.A) Tina’s healthy non-perishable shopping listDried or low sodium canned beans and lentilsLow sodium canned tuna/chickenDried whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, whole grain dried noodles)Seeds (chia seeds, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds)Peanut butter/ almond butter powdersDried fruits and vegetablesLow sodium broth/stocks (vegetable, chicken)Whole wheat tortillas/whole grain breadsFrozen foods are also a great option (Frozen vegetables, fruits, meats, fish; remember to freeze fresh foods as able before they expire)B) Tina’s Immune boosting Egg Scramble (Serves two)Ingredients 2 teaspoons olive oil 1/4 cup diced yellow onion 1/4 cup diced green bell pepper ¼ cup diced red bell pepper 1/2 cup diced cremini mushrooms 1 cup baby spinach 4 large eggs, beaten (substitute egg white for a low fat/calorie option)Directions· Using a large non-stick skillet with olive oil, heat pan over medium heat. Add onion, bell peppers, and mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes until vegetables are softened· Add spinach and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Add eggs and stir mixture. A silicone spatula works best. Cook until eggs are done and reach a temp of 165 degrees.· Serve with a side of roasted sweet potatoes for added nutrition! (cube fresh sweet potatoes, place in sheet pan with olive oil and bake for about 45 minutes on 375 degrees).Nutrition Facts (estimated): 220 calories, 15 g fat (less for egg white variation), 5 g carbohydrates, 15 g protein.C) Tina’s immune boosting chili recipe (Servings: 8)Ingredients: 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium yellow onion - diced 1 yellow bell pepper - diced 2 tablespoons minced garlic 1 medium jalapeño seeded - finely chopped 1 (12 oz) bag rainbow baby carrots, chopped 1 (28-ounce) can fire roasted crushed tomatoes 3-4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree 1 (14-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed 1 (14-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed (substitute 8 oz ground turkey - fully cooked for meat option) 2 tablespoons chili powder 2 teaspoons ground cumin ½ teaspoon cinnamon 2 teaspoons ground turmeric 1 teaspoon dried oreganoDirections: In a large pot, sauté the onion and garlic in oil over medium heat until onion is translucent. Add bell pepper and carrots, jalapeño and sauté for another 5-8 minutes. Add tomatoes, broth, pumpkin, and stir. Add beans, turkey, spices and cook uncovered for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to low-medium and let simmer for about 1 hour or until carrots are slightly softened.Nutrition Facts (estimated): 254 calories, 5.3 g fat, 37 g carbohydrate, 14 g protein, 130% Vitamin A, 80% vitamin C. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The sports world is in disarray during this global pandemic. For many, sports are a perennial source of conversation and entertainment. But when there's no sports to watch, but everyone's stuck at home, that makes for a sad state of affairs in an already horrible situation. In this episode, John Anthony Dunne chats with his brother Jacob Dunne about current storylines, future possibilities, and media coverage of this phenomenon. Jacob co-runs a fantasy basketball podcast (Take A Ride) and writes for fantasy basketball and fantasy baseball blogs as well. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we discuss the difficulty of doing church and being the church in the midst of the present Coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19). To what extent is virtual communion valid? Given the mandates around the world to practice social distancing, and in some sectors sheltering in place, what does the communion of the saints look like in isolation? Additionally, what does the sacramental practice of communion, or the Eucharist, look like during these days? Representing different ecclesial traditions from Baptist to Presbyterian to Anglican, a panel of team members from The Two Cities, including John Anthony Dunne, Kris Song, Logan Williams, Brandon Hurlbert, and Josh Carroll, discuss more ideal and less ideal approaches to virtual communion. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Book of Judges from the Old Testament is quite puzzling from the vantage point of Jesus' teachings. It is full of characters who do not represent the paragons of morality that we might expect from the Bible. In fact, it is perhaps the most violent and sexual of all the texts in the biblical canon. What are we to make of this as Christians? Can we read the Book of Judges as Christian Scripture? In this episode John Anthony Dunne discusses this topic with Brandon Hurlbert, a PhD Candidate at Durham University who is doing his thesis on the Book of Judges under the supervision of Prof. Walter Moberly. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apocalpytic is a term that evokes particular images today that are foreign to what ancient apocalypticism was concerned about. At present, certain scholars and theologians use the label of apocalyptic to describe their theological projects and readings of scripture. In this episode, John Anthony Dunne talks with Paloma Herrera, who is a PhD student at the University of Aberdeen, studying apocalyptic theology under Professor Grant Macaskill. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Parasite (dir. Bong Joon-ho) is a Korean black comedy about wealth disparity, and is the winner of four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, which made history since it was the first international film in a foreign language to do so. In this episode John Anthony Dunne, Kris Song, and Brandon Hurlbert discuss the themes of hope, wealth, and metaphors in the film. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.