The Theology Mill

Steven E. Knepper is Associate Professor of English and the Bruce C. Gottwald, Jr. ’81 Chair for Academic Excellence at the Virginia Military Institute. He is the author of Wonder Strikes: Approaching Aesthetics and Literature with William Desmond (SUNY, 2022), the editor of A Heart of Flesh: William Desmond and the Bible (Cascade, 2023), and the co-author, with Robert Wyllie and Ethan Stoneman, of Byung-Chul Han: A Critical Introduction (Polity, forthcoming 2024). Ryan G. Duns, SJ, is Associate Professor of Theology at Marquette University. He is the author of Spiritual Exercises for a Secular Age: Desmond’s Quest for God (Notre Dame, 2020) and the forthcoming Theology of Horror: The Hidden Depths of Popular Films (Notre Dame, 2024). PODCAST LINKS: A Heart of Flesh: https://wipfandstock.com/9781666738452/a-heart-of-flesh/ Fr. Ryan’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/RyanDunsSJ Steve’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/StevenEKnepper Fr. Ryan’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/DunsSj CONNECT: Website: https://wipfandstock.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/wipfandstock Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wipfandstock Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wipfandstock/ SOURCES MENTIONED: Bespaloff, Rachel. “On the Iliad.” Desmond, William. Desire, Dialectic, and Otherness: An Essay on Origins. ———. Godsends: From Default Atheism to the Surprise of Revelation. ———. The William Desmond Reader. Duns, Ryan G., SJ. Spiritual Exercises for a Secular Age: Desmond and the Quest for God. Knepper, Steven E. Byung-Chul Han: A Critical Introduction. ———. Wonder Strikes: Approaching Aesthetics and Literature with William Desmond. ———, ed. A Heart of Flesh: William Desmond and the Bible. Taylor, Charles. A Secular Age. ———. Sources of the Self: The Making of the Modern Identity. Weil, Simone. “The Iliad, or the Poem of Force.” OUTLINE: (01:53) – Discovering William Desmond (05:12) – Fr. Ryan’s roundtable: Desmond, Levertov, Murdoch, Rahner (07:27) – Steve’s roundtable: Desmond, Marcel, Bespaloff, Chrétien (11:31) – Describing William Desmond (19:40) – Between metaphysics and phenomenology (28:17) – The four senses of being (35:47) – “A heart of flesh” (39:30) – Reading Scripture metaxologically (45:41) – Reading 1 and 2 Samuel with Desmond (50:47) – Reading Jesus’ parables with Desmond (55:43) – What’s next for Fr. Ryan (57:51) – What’s next for Steve (59:52) – Where to find Fr. Ryan and Steve

JD Lyonhart, Assistant professor of theology and philosophy at LCU, discusses Henry More's theories on divine space, its mediation of immanence and transcendence, and its relevance in modern science. The conversation explores the influence of More on Isaac Newton, the challenges posed by Einstein's theories, and the concept of divine space-time. The podcast also delves into contrasting views on pantheism and upcoming projects by the guest.

Dr. Aimee Patterson is a Christian ethicist at The Salvation Army Ethics Centre and adjunct faculty at Booth University College. She is the author of the new Cascade book, Suffering Well and Suffering With: Reclaiming Marks of Christian Identity, published within the New Studies in Theology and Trauma series.   PODCAST LINKS: Aimee’s website: https://www.aimeepatterson.com/ Aimee’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/AimeeEPatterson Suffering Well and Suffering With: https://wipfandstock.com/9781666765458/suffering-well-and-suffering-with/ The Word Bookstore (Montreal): https://www.thewordbookstore.ca/ Powell’s Books (Portland): https://www.powells.com/ CONNECT: Website: https://wipfandstock.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/wipfandstock Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wipfandstock Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wipfandstock/   SOURCES MENTIONED: Cassell, Eric J. The Nature of Suffering and the Goals of Medicine. Koyama, Kosuke. Three Mile an Hour God. Patterson, Aimee. Suffering Well and Suffering With. Schweitzer, Albert. On the Edge of the Primeval Forest. OUTLINE: (01:27) – Studying suffering and experiencing suffering (05:27) – Bookstores in Montreal and Portland (06:57) – Roundtable: Jesus, Job, and family (10:11) – Suffering and the body (17:20) – Severe suffering and social stigma (22:38) – Social responses to severe suffering (36:13) – Suffering and evil (47:14) – The church’s role in suffering well and suffering with (55:11) – The solidarity of suffering (01:02:02) – The role of the emotions in compassion (01:11:06) – How to listen well and show compassion (01:16:46) – What’s next for Aimee & where to find her

Leonard Grob is professor emeritus of philosophy at Fairleigh Dickinson University. John K. Roth is Edward J. Sexton Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Claremont McKenna College. Together they have published a number of books, including Encountering the Stranger (2012), which focuses on Jewish-Christian-Muslim relations; Losing Trust in the World (2017), a protest against torture; and most recently, Warnings: The Holocaust, Ukraine, and Endangered American Democracy (Cascade, 2023). PODCAST LINKS: Warnings: https://wipfandstock.com/9781666743968/warnings/ CONNECT: Website: https://wipfandstock.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/wipfandstock Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wipfandstock Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wipfandstock/   SOURCES MENTIONED: Applebaum, Anne. Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism. Buber, Martin. I and Thou. Delbo, Charlotte. Auschwitz and After. 3 vols. Dostoevsky, Fyodor. The Brothers Karamazov. Grob, Leonard, and John K. Roth. Warnings: The Holocaust, Ukraine, and Endangered American Democracy. ———, eds. Anguished Hope: Holocaust Scholars Confront the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict. Hallie, Philip. In the Eye of the Hurricane: Tales of Good and Evil, Help and Harm. Levinas, Emmanuel. Otherwise than Being, or, Beyond Essence.   OUTLINE: (01:39) – Converging on the Holocaust (11:40) – Dr. Roth’s roundtable 1: Charlotte Delbo, Anne Applebaum, Amanda Gorman (15:01) – Dr. Roth’s roundtable 2: James Madison, Elie Wiesel, Albert Camus (17:40) – Dr. Grob’s roundtable: (Plato’s) Socrates, Martin Buber, Charlotte Delbo (23:29) – The beginnings of a friendship (and a book or two) (31:45) – The Holocaust and contemporary dangers to American democracy (35:03) – (Liberal) democracy as a verb, not a noun (41:23) – Democracy and virtue (49:44) – Democracy and division (58:10) – Learning from the Holocaust era (01:08:27) – MAGA and the 2024 election (01:13:17) – The hurricane as political metaphor

Martin Koci, a professor at KU Linz, Austria, discusses Jan Patočka's influence on theology, exploring solidarity, sacrifice, and phenomenological philosophy. They delve into the intersection of Christianity and philosophy in Patočka's work, emphasizing faith as a way of life and the ethical implications of his ontological views.

Philosopher David Lloyd Dusenbury discusses Jan Patočka's view on European history, exploring war, mystical aspects, and Europe's spiritual unity. They delve into Patočka's writings on the impact of war, the Cold War, and the need for questioning in philosophy, while speculating on the future of Europe and Patočka's influence on modern ideas.

Erin Plunkett, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Hertfordshire, discusses Jan Patočka's philosophical beliefs, influence on political movements, and connections to theology. The podcast explores Patočka's unique perspective on sacrifice, interactions with Derrida, Husserl, and Heidegger, and his ideas on transcendence through actions. Plunkett also delves into Patočka's literary criticism, focusing on the 'solidarity of the shaken' and comparing his work to Derrida's deconstruction.

Explore metaphysics of creativity, radical orthodoxy, and ecumenical movements in theology. Delve into the influence of romanticism on modern thought and the concept of the Trinity in cultural and religious contexts. Navigate post-liberalism, advocating for relational personalism and strong families to counter extreme capitalist individualism.

Discussion on liturgical theology and Ukrainian church history, personal experiences in Ukraine, insights on Orthodox figures, Orthodox churches in Ukraine and Russia, roles of key individuals in church relations, geopolitical tensions between Ukraine and Russia, and upcoming projects on Ukrainian Orthodoxy and digital media presence.

The Bulgakov Booth is a four-part series of interviews on the Russian priest and theologian, Sergius Bulgakov (1871–1944). The interviews here will explore the many intellectual twists and turns in Bulgakov's biography as well as some key themes in his writings. Roberto J. De La Noval is Assistant Professor of Theology at Mount Saint Mary’s University (Emmitsburg, MD). A systematic and historical theologian, his work covers figures such as Sergius Bulgakov and Bernard Lonergan, with a focus on Christian eschatology. He is also a translator of Russian religious thought. His most recent publications are Sergius Bulgakov, The Sophiology of Death (Cascade Books, 2021) and Sergius Bulgakov, Spiritual Diary (Angelico Press, 2022, with Mark Roosien). Fr. Mark Roosien is the pastor of Holy Ghost Orthodox Church in Bridgeport, CT, and Lecturer in Liturgical Studies at Yale Divinity School and the Yale Institute of Sacred Music. He is a scholar and translator of Eastern Christian theology and liturgy. In addition to his translations of two books by Sergius Bulgakov—The Eucharistic Sacrifice (University of Notre Dame Press, 2021) and Spiritual Diary (Angelico Press, 2022, with Roberto De La Noval)—his monograph on liturgical and theological responses to natural disaster in Byzantium is forthcoming with Cambridge University Press.  PODCAST LINKS: Spiritual Diary: https://angelicopress.com/products/spiritual-diary?_pos=1&_sid=c7ba52dd8&_ss=r The Sophiology of Death: https://wipfandstock.com/9781532699658/the-sophiology-of-death/ The Eucharistic Sacrifice: https://undpress.nd.edu/9780268201418/the-eucharistic-sacrifice/ Rob's Twitter: https://twitter.com/roberto_noval?lang=en Rob's academia.edu page: https://nd.academia.edu/RobertoDeLaNoval Fr. Mark's academia.edu page: https://yale.academia.edu/MarkRoosien Hermitix podcast: https://hermitix.net/Home   CONNECT: Website: https://wipfandstock.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/wipfandstock Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wipfandstock Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wipfandstock/ Hermitix podcast: https://hermitix.net/Home SOURCES MENTIONED: Bulgakov, Sergius. The Bride of the Lamb. ———. The Comforter. ———. The Eucharistic Sacrifice. ———. The Lamb of God. ———. Relices and Miracles: Two Theological Essays. ———. Sergii Bulgakov: Towards a Russian Political Theology (edited by Rowan Williams). ———. The Sophiology of Death: Essays on Eschatology: Personal, Political, Universal. ———. Spiritual Diary. Florensky, Pavel. The Pillar and Ground of the Truth: An Essay in Orthodox Theodicy in Twelve Letters. Marion, Jean-Luc. In Excess: Studies of Saturated Phenomena. Solovyov, Vladimir. Lectures on Divine Humanity. OUTLINE: (02:14) – Drip coffee, ice water, and orange salt electrolyte water (07:15) – Rob’s roundtable: Bulgakov, Teilhard de Chardin, Balthasar, Simone Weil (11:42) – Fr. Mark’s roundtable: Bulgakov, Balthasar, Ernst Bloch, Augustine (15:45) – Biography: son of a priest –> Marxist economist –> theologian and priest (27:35) – Personalism, the hyper-real, and Sophia (34:10) – The Bulgakov of Spiritual Diary (42:23) – Bulgakov the friend (of Florensky and Sr. Reitlinger) (52:29) – The story behind The Sophiology of Death (01:01:44) – Bulgakov’s theology of death (01:11:44) – The Trinity and the eucharistic sacrifice (01:23:07) – Final thoughts