The Two Cities

N.T. Wright joins The Two Cities podcast for a special interview episode about his upcoming new book, God and the Pandemic: A Christian Reflection on the Coronavirus and Its Aftermath (London: SPCK / Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2020). His new book is an expansion and development of a short article that he wrote for TIME magazine on March 29th, entitled, “Christianity Offers No Answers About The Coronavirus: It's Not Supposed To." In this episode, John Anthony Dunne talks with Prof. Wright about his new book, the biblical conceptions of lament, whether the coronavirus should be viewed as part of God's end-time tribulational judgment, and what the message of hope needs to be at the present time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Building further upon our previous conversations on the podcast about the nature of the gospel and the nature of faith (“Talking About The Gospel" and "Believing in the Gospel"), in this episode Amber Bowen and John Anthony Dunne discuss the popular notion of Faith as it has become famously expressed in the phrase, "A Leap of Faith." In this common recognition of what Faith is and does, it is an irrational exercise that seems to ignore evidence. This concept is often attributed to the great Danish philosopher of the 19th century, Søren Kierkegaard. This “Leap of Faith" is based, however, on a mistranslation as well as a misunderstanding of what Kierkegaard originally meant. Instead of what Faith does (i.e. leaps away from evidence), Faith is understood like a realm that one moves towards (as a kind of destination). Along the way the present discussion includes the reception of Kierkegaard among evangelicals, particularly evidentialist and classical apologists, reference to a popular interaction with this discrepancy in understanding Kierkegaard in the popular TV Show centered on ethics and the afterlife, The Good Place (Cf. Season 2, Episode 8 “Leap To Faith"), and finally the portrait of Faith as a crazy man on the top of a mountain in Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling. Amber explains that ultimately for Kierkegaard, Faith is a realm that we move into, and then come back from, with new eyes to see beyond the closed finite horizon in which Faith will inevitably be perceived as crazy, isolating, and solipsistic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we discuss what it means to believe the gospel, following up on our previous episode discussing recent debates on the blogosphere about what the gospel is and isn't ("Talking about the Gospel"). Building upon that previous conversation, Amber Bowen, John Anthony Dunne, and Logan Williams discuss binary thinking that impairs how we conceive of what faith is, and then address more helpful ways beyond that restrictive way of thinking that is more in line with how the Greek words for “faith” (πίστις; pistis) and “believing” (πιστεύω; pisteuō) were used and understood in the New Testament—as expressions of trust. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How should we define the gospel? Recently, there have been some heated discussions about the nature of the gospel. What should the central identifying feature be? Should it be the legal declaration of Justification by Faith? Or should it be the regal proclamation that Jesus is King? In this episode, Amber Bowen, John Anthony Dunne, Chris Porter, Kris Song, and Logan Williams call into question whether identifying a "center" to the gospel is even helpful in the first place, and draw attention to the broader implications about what tends to happen in our theological discourse when we talk about what the gospel is and is not. The way the gospel is often addressed in these kinds of conversations have implications for creating insiders and outsiders. In the end, we attempt to provide an account of what the gospel is in ten words or less, but conclude with the observation that the personal nature of the gospel and a relational understanding of the truth of the gospel breaks beyond reductionistic propositions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Getting a PhD is tough. What are the unique challenges that come with getting a PhD in theology? In particular, how can we maintain a vital devotional life in the midst of the stresses of a PhD program? In this episode John Anthony Dunne talks with The Two Cities team member Brandon Hurlbert to discuss this tricky subject; John went through a PhD program in New Testament at the University of St Andrews (Scotland), and Brandon is currently in the midst of a PhD program in Old Testament at Durham University (England) under the supervision of Professor Walter Moberly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.