Open to Truth

Do Faith and Science Conflict? Yes, but when? feat. Joe Vukov

Are you struggling to reconcile your faith with modern scientific findings? In this episode , we explore ways to navigate the intersection of faith and science. Philosophy professor, Joe Vukov, explains the main models used to understand the relationship: the conflict model, independence model, and dialogue model. Spoiler alert - the last one is ideal! Whether you are a person of faith or a skeptic, this episode has something for you. Tune in to discover how to approach this complex and often divisive topic with open-mindedness and respect.

Theological Hospitality

How can we create space for people to still have vibrant fellowship with one another despite severe differences of belief? Is it possible to genuinely cheer on someone who leads, believes, and teaches ideas that are different from yours?  Are there views that just create too large a chasm where fellowship must be broken?  Are there limits to showing theological hospitality?

Stay Curious!

Do You Have Data Rights?

Should big tech be able to use the data you freely give it for whatever legal purposes that they see fit?  Do we have privacy rights when it comes to our data and to what extent? What ought the legal and moral boundaries be for data collection and usage?  We explore this topic through conversation and see if we can come to a better understanding of the issue and our part to play as consumers of big tech's products.

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What’s Being Aborted?

The cultural conversation has shifted yet again to abortion, in light of happenings in the Supreme Court regarding the landmark case of Roe v. Wade.  In this episode, we attempt to get to the heart of the matter as we see it, which is whether the entity within the womb has certain rights.  That is, if such entities are persons that have various rights including a right to life, this limits the range of morally permissible options for how to treat it. 

 

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Lessons from ”The Slap”

We're a number of weeks out from the shocking slap that occurred on the stage of the Oscars.  Far from focusing on the celebrity drama of it all, the incident raises a number of important legal, ethical, and cultural questions.  Is there any kind of speech worth of a physical, violent reaction? How much does the setting matter? What if someone other than Will Smith had done this - how much should that matter for our legal and ethical decisions? Is there a limit to comedy and what is the role of comedy in a good society?  Enjoy the conversation and stay curious!

Building Churches and Paying Pastors

How do churches actually get started? Should the people that help lead them get paid? What is the purpose of church? Why gather together in this way? We discuss these questions and more in this week's episode. Stay Curious!

What’s the Meaning of the Bible?

When you read anything, part of what you're doing is trying to find the meaning. "What does this mean?" There's a number of theories about how to do this well and we focus on interpreting the Bible as our example.

We discuss a three-layer approach to meaning and unpack some common issues related to Biblical interpretation, particularly the New Testament's use of the Old Testament and the idea of sensus plenior or "fuller meaning."

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What Does It Really Mean to Pastor?

If you are a regular listener, you know that both Clint and Tony work in a local church.  A consistent question is "what does it mean to be a pastor" and we discuss the various hats pastors are asked to wear.  What is the primary job of a pastor? How does one know if they are cut out for such a role?  How is pastoring different from being a counselor, therapist, friend, spiritual director, etc...?

We discuss all this and more in this week's episode.

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How to Have Conversations That Matter

Have you ever felt like a conversation you were having about an important topic went really poorly? Like you were talking past each other and each party only cared about demonstrating the correctness of their side rather than trying to understand?

We have too - particularly online (I'm looking at you, YouTube comment section!).  We need to resurrect the art of the conversation.  A genuine, helpful conversation about things that matter most that are geared at discovering the truth.  In this episode, we outline what proper conversations of this sort should feel like and how we can become more skilled at having them.

Stay Curious!

Can We Really Forgive?

Most of us have been moved by a powerful story of forgiveness. What's going on there? Why do we find it moving? What's happening when we apologize, ask for forgiveness, and grant forgiveness when we've been wronged?

We discuss the "mechanics" of forgiveness - how it really works and whether we can ever just muster up the required attitude for forgiveness or if it just happens to us.

Stay Curious!

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