From the Center

How did Western Civilization start, and how was it different than other Middle Eastern Civilizations? In this episode, Director Hodges and Ben Cumming describe the foundations of the West, and compare them to the ways of Mesopotamian Civilizations: Paul's supernatural leading and ideas compared with the Epic of Gilgamesh.

Are all Civilizations the same? In this episode, Director Hodges and Ben discuss whether or not two civilizations can judge each other. Since axioms are, by definition, givens and cannot be arrived at by reason, what criteria are there for discerning between or among the assumptions made by civilizations?

We're back! In this episode, the first of a series on the state of Western Civilization, Director Hodges wades into the definitions of "civilization" and "culture" with Ben Cumming.

We would love you to engage with us! Please send comments and questions to our email, [email protected], and we will interact with you in future episodes!

Starting back in February, we have been attempting to piece together elements that would assist in addressing the large and multi-faceted notion of "Social Justice."  We discussed biblical definitions of terms like justice and forgiveness, we reviewed the history of the social justice movement starting in the 19th century, we had a conversation with a philosopher to address the reasons social justice is so persuasive among Evangelicals, and we have tried to find the good in the movement. In this episode, Director Hodges gathers together some of the salient points in those past episodes, and draws 8 conclusions that might serve as a Christian response.  We invite you to write us if you would like to ask questions that might arise from these episodes, or debate (serious debate only - we have no time for flaming) with us.  We all want to grow in our understanding and to walk in the Spirit, for the glory of our Lord.  [email protected].

In this episode, Director Hodges gives an apology for Fairy Tales.  Borrowing extensively on the writings of GK Chesterton, he shows how our present culture often misunderstands the purpose for Fairy Tales, and thus misses out on what can be learned from them.  

We live in an interesting time.  Christians and Atheists find themselves on the same side in a debate against those who would reject Reason and put the ideology/religion of "Theory" (Critical Theory) in its place.  In this episode, Director Hodges and Pastor Kyle Dillon discuss the book "Cynical Theories" written by Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay.  These two self-described atheists investigate the various facets of "Theory" -- anti-colonialism, feminism, homosexuality, and critical race theory, among others, and reveal the dangers of embracing them.  The fact that SOME Christians and SOME atheists have joined together on the side of Theory, while others of each stripe are against it proves this issue is not an easy one to discern.  This episode attempts to show the strengths and weaknesses of the book's arguments.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right?"  How many times have we heard that?  But the implication that beauty is purely a subjective thing is a relatively recent notion.  It comes originally from Plato, but Irish novelist Margaret Hungerford may have coined the phrase in the 19th century...but what about the Medieval notions of beauty?  Those are pre-modern, pre-Romantic, and quite profound.  In this shorter-than-usual podcast, Director Hodges investigates some of the ways beauty has been understood in the long past.  The builders of the great cathedrals of the 12th and 13th centuries had some specific ideas about number, light, and symbol that were specially relevant in their day, as they still held that there is an invisible spiritual realm that could be reflected to us in materials like stone, light, music, and space.  Perhaps they are still relevant today?

In this, the second part of a discussion with Cal Beisner, Director Hodges and he continue their discussion on the nature of rights.  What is justice, and how can it be properly understood?  What is the place of forgiveness, and grace, and can they be distributed by a government?  And as Christians, do we have any rights before God?  Is it wrong to demand that we be treated fairly, or given what we want in life?  Director Hodges discusses these questions and more with Dr. Cal Beisner of the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of the Earth.  The hope is to clarify what we can and should expect from government and from the Church by considering the government's role in God's economy.

Negative rights and positive rights are not the same things.  To provide what you do not have is a positive, to keep you from losing what you already have is a negative.  Are either of them truly rights in the way that the American Declaration describes unalienable rights?  The government is geared to provide the second, that is, protection by law, but completely unable to provide first, that is, charity, without coercion.  Director Hodges discusses this aspect of our cultural debate with Dr. Cal Beisner of the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of the Earth.  The hope is to clarify what we can and should expect from government and from the Church by considering the government's role in God's economy.

Director Hodges sits down with Philip Himebook and talks about Christians in the performing arts, their collaborations (Hodges conducting, Himebook on stage), and their approaches to social media.