Church in Space

In which the 3Ds ponder the presence of aliens influencing human development in ancient times.  Does the Bible document ETs amongst the prophets?  On the way, we learn that Pastor Dave would make the universe's absolute worst Starfleet officer, who even now would feel much more comfortable in the Dark Ages.  Meanwhile, Drew and Dan shudder at the possibility that the solution to the Fermi Pardox is simply that humans are the oldest and wisest life forms in the galaxy.  We close with a few thoughts about the impact made by the late Nichelle Nichols, both on screen and off.

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In which the 3Ds debate the merits of hard versus soft science fiction -- and wonder which type each of the Gospel writers would be fan boys of.  Along the way, we learn that whoever wrote Matthew really didn't understand the point of poetry; the need for Bryce Dallas Howard and Leah Thompson to direct more sci fi (a lot more, please!); Alan Tudyk is the perfect anti-star; and Dan is disgusted at the utter and complete lack of science in Star Wars.  Dave and Drew are shockingly not surprised in the slightest.

In which Pastor Dave does for evildoers what Carl Linnaeus did for life: creates a classification system useful in wretched hives of scum and villainy everywhere.  The 3Ds promptly debate which villains -- one each from pop culture and the Bible -- fit into which categories.  Thanos and Paul fit in the same phylum; Khan and Cain; Loki and Pilate; Palpatine and Ramses; and so many more!  Along the way, Drew has visions of Bugs Bunny kicking in Hell's doors during the Harrowing.  Dan, meanwhile, concludes that complete world domination just isn't worth all the work.

In which the 3Ds contemplate the role of monastics in space.  From Dr. Who to Stargate, monk variants are almost ubiquitous in sci-fi -- usually resembling Catholic or Eastern Mystic traditions.  And they almost always gain special powers through their faith.  Of course, we talk Jedi, too; they're the low-hanging fruit, which doesn't stop us from figuring out that these Force-monks led to their own downfall.  The good news for geeks: doctrine maintains that Christians are resident aliens, wherever they live...a thought that makes us feel right at home!  

In which the 3-Ds contemplate Mad Max, and why the Southern Hemisphere's apocalyptic movies are so distinctly different from the Northern Hemisphere's apocalyptic movies.  Australians, in particular, seem to enjoy their post-apocalyptic lives!  Then it's on to Samuel L. Jackson's next role: the Punisher? Gandalf? Khan?  You be the judge.  It's the end of the world as we know it, distilled into a half-hour of smooth-sipping fun in the world's only barrel-aged podcast.

In which the 3-Ds return after an unplanned hiatus (due to unannounced "rolling blackouts," storms, and unseasonal high heat), we discuss the portrayal of climate change in science fiction.  Because reality.  On the way, we discover that Dan is the world's most dangerous lab partner...Drew is hip on hops as we plan the official church brewery...and Pastor Dave reveals he dreams of becoming Emperor Dave, benevolent ruler of the entire universe.  We suspect he'd become Darth Kamphuis.

It took a while to get this show to you -- what with podcasting requiring electricity and all -- but it's well worth the wait!

In which the 3-Ds build on a question from our last episode: who are you, really?  It's all about identity this time around.  We must be having an identity crisis, because all three of us are unusually serious in this show.  "To thine own self be true," quoth Shakespeare...but who be thee?  Does your identity change depending on the situation, or are you always the same person at your core?  Does your personality change into your favorite character the more you play a particular game? What's the real identity of a superhero: the mask or the person behind it?  Does your job define you?  Is Lord of the Rings more realistic in its characters' identities than Game of Thrones?  Why do I ask so many questions in these show descriptions?

In which the 3-Ds discuss immortality in sci fi, and as it gets closer in real science, would we really want it?  After all, why be immortal if you don't like change...or have a sucky personality you're not willing to change?  And if immortality means transferring your personality and memories into a computer, is that really you?  What makes you...you?  It's pretty heady stuff; Dave posits that immortality actually prevents eternal life theologically, because you couldn't be resurrected and live in the New Jerusalem.  Drew determines he doesn't have a soul.  Dan's just determined to get this episode edited before it's too far past the deadline...

In which the 3-Ds contemplate what makes humans so special.  In so much sci fi (and religion), humanity is something very special or unusually dangerous.  What's behind this human hubris?  Lazy writing, an author's low self-esteem, or simple human bias?  And does this all mean that the Bible has it backwards: God didn't create man in His image, but we created God in our image?  If God is omnipresent, that would explain why image is everything...

In which the 3-Ds ponder whether the emperor and the Galactic Empire in Star Wars were actually the good guys; that naturally leads to a discussion of what makes really good evil in fiction...and whether a Force ghost is trapped between Heaven and Hell.  Dave laments the difficulty in writing a good short sermon, while Dan & Drew riff on Who (and The Doctor's granddaughter).  We wrap it all up revealing our favorite female sci-fi authors.  It's all fun and games until Dan loses the kyber crystals...