S5E6 - Post-Pandemic America: How Did the World Respond?

Early in 2020, the world came to a screeching halt. Whole states went into lockdown. International travel was stopped. Everyone was told to go home and isolate in an attempt to slow the viral spread. Even the slightest sign of illness caused panic and paranoia. And even when solutions were proposed and created, the journey out of the pandemic was a slow and grueling one.

For the most part, we are now living in a post-pandemic America. But it is not the same America. There are few places in American life that have not been changed because of the pandemic. From politics to education, business to employment - changes were made that make getting “back to normal” impossible. And we’re still trying to figure out what the new normal is.

In this episode, we ask: How did the world respond to the COVID-19 pandemic? Did it unite or divide us? How has the pandemic and the things that came as a result of it affected the way we view humanity and human worth? All that and more on this edition of the podcast.

S5E5 - Revival at Asbury?

Religious movements have had a long history in America. From the Great Awakening in the 18th century to the Jesus Movement of the 20th, seasons of what some call moves of God are in no short supply.

The most recent of these religious movements is what is now being called the “Asbury Revival.” What began at a small Christian university in early February quickly caught the attention of many. Among Christians, it sparked conversations regarding its legitimacy and religious pilgrimage.

In this episode, we ask: How should we think about the so-called Asbury Revival? Is it real? Can we rightly call it a revival? More importantly, how should we think about what ought to happen on the other side of it, once the movement has ended? All that and more on this edition of the podcast.

S5E4 - Questions & Doubts: Can We Move Past Doubt?

A secure and unshakeable faith is often viewed as the goal of anybody who calls themself a Christian. The mark of someone who is spiritually mature is certainty and unwavering confidence in all matters of faith. There are whole organizations and ministries dedicated to helping people feel certain in their beliefs. People who are in positions of leadership are often thought of as people who have answers, not necessarily people who ask good questions. Questions and faith are pitted against each other, as if a person’s faith cannot be strengthened by doubts and questions he or she raises. And so the ideal picture of a person of faith is one who has all the right theological answers, possessing a kind of certainty even in the face of the most troubling or baffling questions.

Yet what we’ve seen recently is a host of people who thought they had achieved that level of spirituality only to be faced with new questions which shook the foundations of their certainty. And so it seems that we never get beyond the point of asking questions. But, understandably, that is an uncomfortable thought for many people.

In this final episode of our series on Questions and Doubts, we ask: Can we move past doubt? How can churches do a better job of being a safe space for doubts and questions? All that and more on this edition of the podcast.

S5E3 - Questions & Doubts: "Help My Unbelief"

It is easy to think of life in terms of black and white, this or that. But rarely is that ever the case. We live in the in-between more than we think we do. Nowhere is that more evident than in the realm of faith, spirituality, and religion. Faith and doubt are often thought of as being in opposition to each other. If your faith is strong, then no doubts will arise. But if you have doubts, you have to have more faith. This creates an imbalance where the two are not fully addressed in a meaningful way.

In the pursuit of a strong faith, we ignore our doubts and questions. In asking questions and voicing doubts, we often forget to ask what part faith has in answering them. And so, the two remain ever at odds. Perhaps it is good to sit in that in-between space instead of rushing to one side or the other. Perhaps a more worthwhile goal is not to arrive at a conclusion, but to understand how to live in a state of flux and observe how God is working in it.

In this episode, we ask: Are faith and doubt always enemies? What does it mean to have faith? What does it mean to doubt? Can one drive the other? What does it mean to say, “Help my unbelief?” All that and more on this edition of the podcast.

S5E2 - Questions & Doubts: Are There "Dangerous" Questions?

If you spend any time taking care of young children, you’ll know that they ask a lot of questions, often more than you have energy to answer. They’re usually simple, even humorous. But once in a while they ask the big questions - questions about the meaning of life, death, purpose, and faith. No matter how old we get, we continue to ask those kinds of questions in one form or another. And it can feel like these questions can never be answered with complete certainty. And this makes some people uncomfortable.

The search for certainty has had often disastrous results. For example, the Exvangelical movement has garnered a large amount of attention in the past few years, making many church leaders nervous. Among other reasons, it seems that the questions those people are asking are not being answered by the Church, at least not in a satisfactory way. But this is not a modern phenomenon. And if you grew up in church, chances are you know that there were some questions that were off limits, and asking those questions would be a signal of a shaky faith. But are those unspoken boundaries really keeping people safe?

In this episode, we ask: Has our obsession with certainty driven us to label some questions as “dangerous?” How have we done this implicitly or explicitly? Is there such a thing as a dangerous question? If so, what is the danger? All that and more on this edition of the podcast.

S5E1 - Questions & Doubts: The Idol of Certainty

The unknown is a scary place to be in. Whether that’s in the context of finances, personal relationships, professional goals, or any other area of life, not knowing for sure can be nerve racking - even paralyzing. Humans attempt to plan for the unpredictable from the cradle to the grave, creating college savings accounts for their newborns and paying for life insurance policies that will provide financial stability for loved ones in the event of their deaths. This obsession has touched more than just the everyday matters of human life and has affected the way we ask and answer the bigger questions of what it means to be human, questions of faith and spirituality.

The Enlightenment of the 17th and 18th centuries changed the way humans approach these questions, and we feel its effects to this day. Modern faith seems to rise and fall on certainty. And when the standard of certainty is not met, faith that was once thought to be unshakeable often collapses. For some, they are able to reconstruct something meaningful from the rubble. But for others, uncertainty and doubt signal the exit from faith. But without taking away from the real struggle involved in that process - whichever side you land on - we must ask questions about the thing on which faith rises or falls.

In this first episode of season 5, we ask: Can human beings ever be certain? Is certainty a goal worth pursuing? Would human existence be better if doubt or uncertainty were resolved? Have we made certainty an idol? All that and more in this edition of the podcast.

S4E21 - War: How Should We Feel About War?

Films have done much to shape how we view war, for good or ill. It was through the medium of film that much of the military propaganda of the 20th century was spread. Even today, we remember past and present wars with films. And there has been a marked shift between depicting the glories of war to depicting its horrors. The individuals portrayed in those films have gone through a shift as well, from the certain warrior to the reluctant fighter.

In our previous series on The Lord of the Rings we talked about the power of narrative in shaping us and in shaping the culture. With war being such an inescapable part of human existence, it is no surprise that narrative has had a role in shaping our ideas of it and those who engage in it. Yet the Bible calls Christians to be peacemakers, a role that seems out of place in many portrayals of war in cinema.

In this episode, we ask: How has the portrayal of war in cinema had a part in how we as a culture feel about war? What does it mean to be a peacemaker? All that and more on this edition of the podcast.

S4E20 - War: It's Not a Pretty Thing

Religious wars seem out of place in a modern society. As moderns, we view events like the Crusades or the religious wars of the Protestant Reformations as both strange and sad. Religion is sometimes seen as a useless relic of a bygone era. Given the modern age we live in, we no longer need religion to help explain reality, direct our lives, or give us purpose. Or so the argument goes. The fact that religion has so often been connected to war only strengthens the argument. And yet with advances in science and technology, humanity has invented more ways of killing itself, even while moving further away from religion.

War is an ancient practice and so it shouldn’t surprise us to find accounts of warfare in the Bible. But the Bible has often been co-opted to prop up the military aspirations of political leaders. While we don’t see it as often today, theology still plays a role in the decision to go to war, whether at a large scale or at the individual level. The ancient text is still being used in modern discussions of war. At the same time military technology continues to advance, making modern warfare more efficient and devastating at the same time. How do we make sense of this paradox?

In this episode, we ask: How has the Bible been used to justify the atrocities of war? How has modern technology removed the human element from war? All that and more on this edition of the podcast.

S4E19 - War: Modern Warfare & Scripture

Violence and warfare are not problems for one culture or for one time. Even though mankind has progressed in multiple arenas, we still can’t quite figure out how to get along. Countless solutions to violence in society have been proposed, but they only provide surface level treatments or short lived remedies. None provide a long-lasting or permanent solution. And somehow, in the middle of the mess is the Kingdom of God.

Christians of all stripes seek to live lives informed by the Bible. But as we’ve talked about in other episodes, that is more easily said than done. After all, the Bible is an ancient collection of books that were written in a different time and place than modern-day America. But how do we apply ancient wisdom to the incessant problem of warfare and violence?

In this episode we ask: What are the views of violence in the New Testament versus the Old Testament? Can the Biblical narratives of local warfare help us navigate socio-politics given the global scale at which war can now be waged? All that and more on this edition of the podcast.

S4E18 - War: War, the Bible, and Theology

War has been a part of human existence since the dawn of time. No civilization has risen to power and influence without the brutality of war. From the ancient Egyptians to Alexander the Great’s expansive empire; from the Crusades of the Middle Ages to today’s religious wars in the Middle East. We fought a war to end all wars but ended up fighting another world war not even a generation later. War is a dark reality in the human experience.

Christians are called to live in a new reality, that of the Kingdom of God. But it’s difficult to reconcile that invisible reality with the one that we see. Of course, there is the hope that one day all will be made right, but the pain and suffering of our present reality is still a difficult one to live through. And yet it is one which Christians are called to.

Today, we’re starting a new series on war and violence. In this episode, we ask: How does the Bible depict war? How did the idea of “just war” develop and is there a theological foundation for it in our modern age? All that and more in this edition of the podcast.

S4E17 - LOTR: Mixed Take Crossover (Part 2)

In this episode, we continue our conversation with Doni and Robert, hosts of Mixed Take. Join us as we continue talking about the importance of narrative and retelling old stories in a new way. We also ask: What is more important, being faithful to the story or reinterpreting it for a contemporary audience? Or is that even a dichotomy that should exist? All that and more on this edition of the podcast.

S4E16 - LOTR: Mixed Take Crossover (Part 1)

Stories are not meant to stay in the past. In many ways, they take on a life of their own, captivating the hearts and minds of generations, even after the original audience or even the author have long passed. They are told and retold, adapted and reimagined by each successive generation. This doesn’t always happen without bumps along the way, but that is what a good story can do.

The Lord of the Rings was originally written as a book for one generation and adapted as a series of films for another. Both were acclaimed masterpieces in their own right. And now, with the new Amazon series, “The Rings of Power,” the world of Middle Earth continues to capture the imaginations of a new audience. All of this came from the mind of one man, but countless others have, in some ways, carried on his work.

In this episode, we’re joined by Doni and Robert, hosts of Mixed Take, another podcast in the World Outspoken network. Together, we ask: Why is narrative and retelling old stories in a new way so important? What is more important, being faithful to the story or reinterpreting it for a contemporary audience? Or is that even a dichotomy that should exist? All that and more on this edition of the podcast.

S4E15 - LOTR: Beyond Its Own Time

Great literature stands the test of time. But it’s not just because of its literary qualities. Of course, things like a well thought out plot and mastery of the language have a role in the longevity of a work of literature, but it also speaks to the audience it was written for. Not only that, but it continues to speak beyond its own time.

The Lord of the Rings does that. For some reason, the epic story of good versus evil continues to speak to modern audiences. No doubt, it has a great plot and Tolkien certainly had a mastery of the language. But readers, both original and modern, have been shaped by this work of fiction.
In this episode we ask: Does The Lord of the Rings have any wisdom for us today? How do we rightly allow narratives to affect us? All that and more on this edition of the podcast.

S4E14 - LOTR: Outdated or Irrelevant?

It’s been said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. That is to say, even the seemingly purest motives can result in disaster and even evil. But if humans are inherently good, then why is that the case? Throughout history there have been multiple examples of movements that started out as a way to address ills of society, but ended up harming it instead. The common link? Humans.

J.R.R. Tolkien saw this up close and personal. Serving in the first World War, he saw first hand how corruptible mankind truly was. And not long after, they repeated their mistake in World War II. But, certainly, we’ve progressed since then, right?

In this episode, we ask: Is the idea behind the relationship between the corrupting Ring and the corruptible ringbearer still relevant today? What are our modern notions of the goodness/depravity of human beings? All that and more on this edition of the podcast.

S4E13 - LOTR: Interpreting the Present

Film and literature are rarely, if ever, neutral. They are saturated with ideas of their creators and they invite the viewer or reader to think with them. What’s great about that interaction is that it is not bound by time. Stories that are decades removed from their original authors can be read by modern audiences and have a meaningful impact on their world.

The author of The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien, had some strong thoughts about the modernizing world, and they can be seen in his books. From his opinions about the disappearing countryside to his opposition to the mechanization of society, he was a bridge between an old world and an ever increasingly modern society. Modernization hasn’t stopped since The Fellowship of the Ring was first published in 1954 and we are still reading Tolkien’s books today.

In this episode we ask: How is The Lord of the Rings a commentary on our modern age? How does narrative act as both a mirror and a lens? All that and more on this edition of the podcast.

S4E12 - LOTR: Reading with the Past

As timeless as some works of art may be, they are still created within a particular time period, so they show signs of that period. That’s why adaptations of books into film are rarely, if ever, 100% faithful to the original work. The new presentation is modified for its contemporary audience. Some critics of The Lord of the Rings claim that the literary work implies outdated ideas about ethnic or racial groups through the way certain races of creatures in the book are described and characterized. Some have even gone as far as to call Tolkien himself a racist. And The Lord of the Rings is not the only work that has been accused of these things. 

In this episode we ask: Is The Lord of the Rings racist? How do we find value in literature that expresses the outdated views of the age of the author? All that and more on this edition of the podcast.

S4E11 - LOTR: Are Christians Obsessed?

The media we consume - whether it’s books, film, or music - have a way of shaping who we are. Not only that, but we shape those media based on how we view the world. It’s an interesting interconnectedness that defines how cultures function.

Christians, of course, aren’t separated from their culture. Rather, they are ingrained in it and have a part in being shaped by it as well as shaping it. The Lord of the Rings is a part of that phenomenon we call culture. It has shaped its readers and viewers, and those people have gone on to shape other aspects of culture because of it.

As we continue our conversation from last week we ask, why are Christians so obsessed with The Lord of the Rings? What other media are Christians obsessed with for good or bad? All that and more on this edition of the podcast.

S4E10 - LOTR: What's the Big Deal?

There are probably some books or films that have fundamentally shaped who you are as a person. Maybe it was a novel you read in elementary school. Maybe it was a film you watched as a young adult. Whatever it was, it shaped the way you viewed yourself and the world. Many consider J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings to be one such work. Both the books and the films have captured the hearts and imaginations of generations. And they still hold up.

In the first episode of this series, we ask, why is The Lord of the Rings such a big deal? Why is narrative a big deal? All that and more on this edition of the podcast.

S4E9 - Bible Series Q&R

In this episode, Lucas and Reichert talk about a few questions listeners submitted after listening to the Bible series.

S4E8 - Is Reading Scripture Really This Hard?

Anything worthwhile takes work. That’s a common sentiment. High school teachers use it to encourage their students when they struggle to see the point in what they’re studying. Coaches use it to  inspire athletes to push past their limits. Those words can reframe an otherwise dreaded or seemingly impossible task. But we never think about it in connection with reading the Bible. It’s almost uncomfortable to think of reading the Bible as work. After all, if it’s God’s message to us, shouldn’t it be as easy as a conversation between two people?

If you’ve been listening to our Bible series, you know that really understanding the Bible takes more than reading a few chapters for thirty minutes. Actually, it takes a lifetime of reading and rereading, learning and relearning, interpreting and reinterpreting; meditating on Scripture. And the great thing is that it’s a never ending journey; the more you dig the more you find. The more you listen, the more clearly you’ll hear God’s voice through ancient writers.

In this final episode of our Bible series, we ask, is reading Scripture really this hard? If you don’t have an advanced degree, should you bother even trying to understand the Bible? Isn’t that what pastors are for? What are some avoidable mistakes when it comes to Bible reading and interpretation? All that and more on this edition of the podcast.