Thinking Christianly

#12: The Problem of Nihilism

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As we watch the invasion of Ukraine in horror, we wonder what could possess Putin to use force so ruthlessly and indiscriminately. At least part of the answer lies in a philosophy of life that runs back through many other despots and finds it roots in the writings on Nietzsche. In this episode, Stan and JP discuss how pervasive the philosophy of Nihilism has come to be in shaping our daily lives, from the individual to the global level.

In this podcast we discuss:

  • What is Nihilism?
  • Nihilism in the trajectory of history
  • How Nihilism follows from the rejection of objective values and meaning
  • How Fredrick Nietzsche and his ideas impact culture
  • What Ecclesiastes says about Nihilism
  • How to spot Nihilism in popular culture
  • The “Ubermensch” according to Nietzsche and in history
  • How the collapse of the grand narrative of Christianity in the West impacts the future
  • How to have a meaningful conversation with someone who accepts Nihilism
  • The importance of committing to understand ideas as ambassadors in our culture

    • Resources mentioned during our conversation:

    • The Book of Ecclesiastes (NIV)
    • More information on Hilary Putnum’s life and work
    • Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spake Zarathustra
    • Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil
    • JP Moreland, The Recalcitrant Imago Dei: Human Persons and the Failure of Naturalism
    • Romans Chapter 8 (NASB)
    • George Weigel, “Europe’s Two Culture Wars”
    • S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
    • Randy Newman, Questioning Evangelism
    • The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, directed by Peter Jackson (Newline Cinema, 2012)
    • Stan’s article on Nihilism
      • ...more
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      Thinking ChristianlyBy Stan W. Wallace
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