John has returned from a trip to Mozambique where slave castles and the old world mixed in his brain to produce this episode. It's a little about our culture (Chuck D and Public Enemy), it's a commentary on the Enlightenment and the cost of utopian dreams. And it's a reflection on all the "leftover" people when utopian dreams fall through.

Interested in joining First Things Foundation? Check out our Join FTF page: https://first-things.org/opportunities for more info, or email Daniel at [email protected].

Gagimargos! Wait, what does that mean? Learn more about the Georgian Supra, why it's integral too our work, and its symbolic significance here: https://thesymbolicworld.com/articles/the-symbolism-of-the-supra/

If you like this podcast, please consider leaving a review with your comments. Your support keeps this podcast alive and allows us to broaden our discussion. You can also check out First Things Foundation: https://first-things.org/ for more information on who we are and what we do.

You can support our work around the world and this podcast by visiting https://first-things.org/donate - all recurring donors will also gain access to our weekly Podcourse: https://first-things.org/wawtar-podcourse where we further explore New World, Old World themes in an online class setting (capped off by a Supra dinner at the end of the semester).

---

Credits
Music:
Intro / Outro Provided by Edward Gares / Pond5.com

Sound effects and additional music:
Sounds provided by https://www.zapsplat.com

2 years. Deep cultural immersion. Intense personal discovery. See what it means to become a Field Worker with FTF: https://first-things.org/opportunities or email Daniel at [email protected] for more information.

Please leave a review with your comments! Your support keeps this podcast alive and allows us to broaden our discussion.

"Why Are We Talking About Rabbits?" takes you beyond rhetorical "rabbits" and the shallow approach that the media and most thinkers today take to examine contemporary cultural phenomena. Using theology, history, philosophy and years of travel in Mali, the Republic of Georgia, Haiti, and beyond, John Heers offers a refreshing take to how we got to where we are now. WAWTAR is all about talking about those heavy things… lightly.

Credits Music: Intro / Outro Provided by Greg Gilbertson & Band

Jonathan Jackson joins the show to talk about art and Orthodoxy, how Orthodoxy has affected his view on art, and a discussion on what beauty might be. 

Jonathan is a five-time EMMY® Award-winning actor and Critics’ Choice Award nominee, who has starred in numerous TV and films including ABC/CMT’s hit drama “Nashville,” “General Hospital,” “Tuck Everlasting,” among others

His band Enation has performed alongside artists across the musical spectrum, including post-punk legends Echo & The Bunnymen and he is also a published author. His current books include a work of Mystical Poetry entitled, “Book of Solace and Madness” and the non-fiction prose “The Mystery of Art”, which has been translated into multiple languages.

Links:

• Jonathan's website: https://www.jonathanjackson.com/home
• The Mystery of Art: https://tinyurl.com/55dzb6az
• Enation: https://www.youtube.com/c/EnationMusic

 On the Orthodox Arts Festival (from the website): "The Orthodox Arts Festival is an online event devoted to Orthodox Christian Artists that takes place every year. Our goal is straightforward. To provide possibilities for all active Orthodox Artists, as well as to share their combined creativity and inspiration with the rest of the world."

 "Our Inspirational sparks are as different as our places of origin, yet we are bonded by our shared love of Orthodoxy and the arts. Iconography, Fine Arts, Photography, Film, Church Music, and Literature are the fields represented during the Festival. All of the works are based on Orthodox Christian ideas, culture, and values."

---

Interested in joining First Things Foundation? Check out our Join FTF page: https://first-things.org/opportunities for more info, or email Daniel at [email protected].

Gagimargos! Wait, what does that mean? Learn more about the Georgian Supra, why it's integral too our work, and its symbolic significance here: https://thesymbolicworld.com/articles/the-symbolism-of-the-supra/

If you like this podcast, please consider leaving a review with your comments. Your support keeps this podcast alive and allows us to broaden our discussion. You can also check out First Things Foundation: https://first-things.org/ for more information on who we are

2 years. Deep cultural immersion. Intense personal discovery. See what it means to become a Field Worker with FTF: https://first-things.org/opportunities or email Daniel at [email protected] for more information.

Please leave a review with your comments! Your support keeps this podcast alive and allows us to broaden our discussion.

"Why Are We Talking About Rabbits?" takes you beyond rhetorical "rabbits" and the shallow approach that the media and most thinkers today take to examine contemporary cultural phenomena. Using theology, history, philosophy and years of travel in Mali, the Republic of Georgia, Haiti, and beyond, John Heers offers a refreshing take to how we got to where we are now. WAWTAR is all about talking about those heavy things… lightly.

Credits Music: Intro / Outro Provided by Greg Gilbertson & Band

La Tanya Hall is a renown singer and musician who has played with some of the world’s most celebrated artists, including  Steely Dan, Diana Ross, and Aretha Franklin among many others. She has also appeared as a solo artist in her own right with the  American Composers Orchestra, The Denver Symphony, and the St. Louis  Symphony and at jazz clubs around the world. Her new record, Say Yes (Blue  Canoe Records), debuted in November of 2020. 

She is also a teacher, having created the first vocal jazz degree program at Oberlin Conservatory five  years ago and continues to teach there as an associate professor of jazz voice.

In this episode John and La Tanya sit down to talk about the roots of Jazz, and by extension, almost all modern music not classical in nature. They discuss the soul and it's reaction to the beauty found in music. And along the way there is a Light-O-Meter test and a bunch of musical insight.

Links:

• About La Tanya: www.latanyahall.com

Interested in joining First Things Foundation? Check out our Join FTF page: https://first-things.org/opportunities for more info, or email Daniel at [email protected].

Gagimargos! Wait, what does that mean? Learn more about the Georgian Supra, why it's integral too our work, and its symbolic significance here: https://thesymbolicworld.com/articles/the-symbolism-of-the-supra/

If you like this podcast, please consider leaving a review with your comments. Your support keeps this podcast alive and allows us to broaden our discussion. You can also check out First Things Foundation: https://first-things.org/ for more information on who we are and what we do.

You can support our work around the world and this podcast by visiting https://first-things.org/donate - all recurring donors will also gain access to our weekly Podcourse: https://first-things.org/wawtar-podcourse where we further explore New World, Old World themes in an online class setting (capped off by a Supra dinner at the end of the semester).

---

Credits
Music:
Intro / Outro Provided by Edward Gares / Pond5.com

Sound effects and additional music:
Sounds provided by https://www.zapsplat.com

2 years. Deep cultural immersion. Intense personal discovery. See what it means to become a Field Worker with FTF: https://first-things.org/opportunities or email Daniel at [email protected] for more information.

Please leave a review with your comments! Your support keeps this podcast alive and allows us to broaden our discussion.

"Why Are We Talking About Rabbits?" takes you beyond rhetorical "rabbits" and the shallow approach that the media and most thinkers today take to examine contemporary cultural phenomena. Using theology, history, philosophy and years of travel in Mali, the Republic of Georgia, Haiti, and beyond, John Heers offers a refreshing take to how we got to where we are now. WAWTAR is all about talking about those heavy things… lightly.

Credits Music: Intro / Outro Provided by Greg Gilbertson & Band

Fr. John Strickland is an Orthodox Priest, teacher, and podcast host of Paradise and Utopia on Ancient Faith Radio. He is also the author of several books including: The Making of Holy Russia, The Age of Division, and The Age of Paradise. He joins John Heers today discussing the historical roots of the secular dimension. What was the world view before it included a secular "space?" And how has the secular space changed from it's inception to now?

Links:

• Paradise and Utopia podcast: https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/paradiseutopia
• The Age of Paradise: https://tinyurl.com/5y74kb88
• The Age of Division: https://tinyurl.com/zx2asvvx
• The Making of Holy Russia: https://tinyurl.com/7aemrh8r

Interested in joining First Things Foundation? Check out our Join FTF page: https://first-things.org/opportunities for more info, or email Daniel at [email protected].

It isn't too late to grab a last minute seat on our Keipi Journey to the Georgian Republic! Past Journeys have included stops in Kazbegi, Tusheti, Tbilisi, and Kakheti among others. You'll experience the Supra (learn more in the link below), traditional foods like Khachapuri, and fantastic wines. This isn't just a trip, it's cultural deep dive that will leave you wanting more. Click here to find out more and get in contact with us: https://first-things.org/georgian-journey.

Gagimargos! Wait, what does that mean? Learn more about the Georgian Supra and its symbolic significance here: https://thesymbolicworld.com/articles/the-symbolism-of-the-supra/

If you like this podcast, please consider leaving a review with your comments. Your support keeps this podcast alive and allows us to broaden our discussion. You can also check out First Things Foundation: https://first-things.org/ for more information on who we are and what we do.

You can support our work around the world and this podcast by visiting https://first-things.org/donate - all recurring donors will also gain access to our weekly

2 years. Deep cultural immersion. Intense personal discovery. See what it means to become a Field Worker with FTF: https://first-things.org/opportunities or email Daniel at [email protected] for more information.

Please leave a review with your comments! Your support keeps this podcast alive and allows us to broaden our discussion.

"Why Are We Talking About Rabbits?" takes you beyond rhetorical "rabbits" and the shallow approach that the media and most thinkers today take to examine contemporary cultural phenomena. Using theology, history, philosophy and years of travel in Mali, the Republic of Georgia, Haiti, and beyond, John Heers offers a refreshing take to how we got to where we are now. WAWTAR is all about talking about those heavy things… lightly.

Credits Music: Intro / Outro Provided by Greg Gilbertson & Band

Welcome one and all yet again to "Why Are We Talking About Rabbits?" This week is an Uncle Seth special where we attempt to close out some outstanding topics. Whether that happens or not is entirely unknown.  Teaching and parenting are on the table alongside the new never normal COVID-19 reality and God. It's Uncle Seth folks, everything is up for grabs.

Interested in joining First Things Foundation? Check out our Join FTF page: https://first-things.org/opportunities for more info, or email Daniel at [email protected].

We are going to Georgia this September and you should come! Keipi Journeys by FTF is an immersive 10 day trip across the Georgian Republic. Past Journeys have included stops in Kazbegi, Tusheti, Tbilisi, and Kakheti among others. You'll experience the Supra (learn more in the link below), traditional foods like Khachapuri, and fantastic wines. This isn't just a trip, it's cultural deep dive that will leave you wanting more. Click here to find out more and get in contact with us: https://first-things.org/georgian-journey.

Gagimargos! Wait, what does that mean? Learn more about the Georgian Supra and its symbolic significance here: https://thesymbolicworld.com/articles/the-symbolism-of-the-supra/

If you like this podcast, please consider leaving a review with your comments. Your support keeps this podcast alive and allows us to broaden our discussion. You can also check out First Things Foundation: https://first-things.org/ for more information on who we are and what we do.

You can support our work around the world and this podcast by visiting https://first-things.org/donate - all recurring donors will also gain access to our weekly Podcourse: https://first-things.org/wawtar-podcourse where we further explore New World, Old World themes.

---

Credits
Music:
Intro / Outro Provided by Edward Gares / Pond5.com

also:
BWV 633: Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier byJames Kibbie
Licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License.
Distributed by

2 years. Deep cultural immersion. Intense personal discovery. See what it means to become a Field Worker with FTF: https://first-things.org/opportunities or email Daniel at [email protected] for more information.

Please leave a review with your comments! Your support keeps this podcast alive and allows us to broaden our discussion.

"Why Are We Talking About Rabbits?" takes you beyond rhetorical "rabbits" and the shallow approach that the media and most thinkers today take to examine contemporary cultural phenomena. Using theology, history, philosophy and years of travel in Mali, the Republic of Georgia, Haiti, and beyond, John Heers offers a refreshing take to how we got to where we are now. WAWTAR is all about talking about those heavy things… lightly.

Credits Music: Intro / Outro Provided by Greg Gilbertson & Band

Interested in joining First Things Foundation? Check out our Join FTF page: https://first-things.org/opportunities for more info, or email Daniel at [email protected].

We are going to Georgia this September and you should come! Keipi Journeys by FTF is an immersive 10 day trip across the Georgian Republic. Past Journeys have included stops in Kazbegi, Tusheti, Tbilisi, and Kakheti among others. You'll experience the Supra (learn more in the link below), traditional foods like Khachapuri, and fantastic wines. This isn't just a trip, it's cultural deep dive that will leave you wanting more. Click here to find out more and get in contact with us: https://first-things.org/georgian-journey.

Gagimargos! Wait, what does that mean? Learn more about the Georgian Supra and its symbolic significance here: https://thesymbolicworld.com/articles/the-symbolism-of-the-supra/

If you like this podcast, please consider leaving a review with your comments. Your support keeps this podcast alive and allows us to broaden our discussion. You can also check out First Things Foundation: https://first-things.org/ for more information on who we are and what we do.

You can support our work around the world and this podcast by visiting https://first-things.org/donate - all recurring donors will also gain access to our weekly Podcourse: https://first-things.org/wawtar-podcourse where we further explore New World, Old World themes.

---

Credits
Music:
Intro / Outro Provided by Edward Gares / Pond5.com

Sound effects and additional music:
Sounds provided by https://www.zapsplat.com

2 years. Deep cultural immersion. Intense personal discovery. See what it means to become a Field Worker with FTF: https://first-things.org/opportunities or email Daniel at [email protected] for more information.

Please leave a review with your comments! Your support keeps this podcast alive and allows us to broaden our discussion.

"Why Are We Talking About Rabbits?" takes you beyond rhetorical "rabbits" and the shallow approach that the media and most thinkers today take to examine contemporary cultural phenomena. Using theology, history, philosophy and years of travel in Mali, the Republic of Georgia, Haiti, and beyond, John Heers offers a refreshing take to how we got to where we are now. WAWTAR is all about talking about those heavy things… lightly.

Credits Music: Intro / Outro Provided by Greg Gilbertson & Band

Baseball is changing. In fact it has been changing for a while now. And the shift involves a move from "old timer wisdom" to KPIs, swing statistics, and algorithms that let a team win for less money. It might also be heralding a deeper problem in our society as a whole. Join Heers as we take a quick look at how greed and selfishness are changing the game.

Interested in joining First Things Foundation? Check out our Join FTF page for more info, or email Daniel at [email protected].

We are going to Georgia this September and you should come! Keipi Journeys by FTF is an immersive 10 day trip across the Georgian Republic. Past Journeys have included stops in Kazbegi, Tusheti, Tbilisi, and Kakheti among others. You'll experience the Supra (learn more in the link below), traditional foods like Khachapuri, and fantastic wines. This isn't just a trip, it's cultural deep dive that will leave you wanting more. Click here to find out more and get in contact with us: https://first-things.org/georgian-journey.

Gagimargos! Wait, what does that mean? Learn more about the Georgian Supra and its symbolic significance here: https://thesymbolicworld.com/articles/the-symbolism-of-the-supra/

If you like this podcast, please consider leaving a review with your comments. Your support keeps this podcast alive and allows us to broaden our discussion. You can also check out First Things Foundation for more information on who we are and what we do.

---

Credits
Music:
Intro / Outro Provided by Edward Gares / Pond5.com

Sound effects and additional music:
Sounds provided by https://www.zapsplat.com

2 years. Deep cultural immersion. Intense personal discovery. See what it means to become a Field Worker with FTF: https://first-things.org/opportunities or email Daniel at [email protected] for more information.

Please leave a review with your comments! Your support keeps this podcast alive and allows us to broaden our discussion.

"Why Are We Talking About Rabbits?" takes you beyond rhetorical "rabbits" and the shallow approach that the media and most thinkers today take to examine contemporary cultural phenomena. Using theology, history, philosophy and years of travel in Mali, the Republic of Georgia, Haiti, and beyond, John Heers offers a refreshing take to how we got to where we are now. WAWTAR is all about talking about those heavy things… lightly.

Credits Music: Intro / Outro Provided by Greg Gilbertson & Band

Kingsnorth is an English writer and thinker currently living in Ireland. Growing up he was actively involved in protests, at one point going so far to chain himself to a bridge. He has worked for Greenpeace, openDemocracy, and EarthAction, is an honorary member of the Lani tribe and was infamously named one of Britain's top 10 troublemakers. He is also a recent convert to Orthodoxy. Today John and Kingsnorth talk about the journey from protest to humbleness and seeing the divine around us.

Links:

• The Cross and the Machine, First Things Article (https://www.firstthings.com/article/2021/06/the-cross-and-the-machine)
• The Abbey of Misrule (https://paulkingsnorth.substack.com/welcome)
• Oswald Spengler - Decline of Western Civilization (https://www.amazon.com/Decline-West-Vol-Form-Actuality/dp/B08FP7SH1Y/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=spengler&qid=1626191843&s=books&sr=1-2)
• Light-O-Meter Test (https://first-things.org/lightometer)

Interested in joining First Things Foundation? Check out our Join FTF page for more info, or email Daniel at [email protected].

We are going to Georgia this September and you should come! Keipi Journeys by FTF is an immersive 10 day trip across the Georgian Republic. Past Journeys have included stops in Kazbegi, Tusheti, Tbilisi, and Kakheti among others. You'll experience the Supra (learn more in the link below), traditional foods like Khachapuri, and fantastic wines. This isn't just a trip, it's cultural deep dive that will leave you wanting more. Click here to find out more and get in contact with us: https://first-things.org/georgian-journey.

Gagimargos! Wait, what does that mean? Learn more about the Georgian Supra and its symbolic significance here: https://thesymbolicworld.com/articles/the-symbolism-of-the-supra/

If you like this podcast, please consider leaving a review with your comments. Your support keeps this podcast alive and allows us to broaden our discussion. You can also check out First Things Foundat

2 years. Deep cultural immersion. Intense personal discovery. See what it means to become a Field Worker with FTF: https://first-things.org/opportunities or email Daniel at [email protected] for more information.

Please leave a review with your comments! Your support keeps this podcast alive and allows us to broaden our discussion.

"Why Are We Talking About Rabbits?" takes you beyond rhetorical "rabbits" and the shallow approach that the media and most thinkers today take to examine contemporary cultural phenomena. Using theology, history, philosophy and years of travel in Mali, the Republic of Georgia, Haiti, and beyond, John Heers offers a refreshing take to how we got to where we are now. WAWTAR is all about talking about those heavy things… lightly.

Credits Music: Intro / Outro Provided by Greg Gilbertson & Band

Secret meetings. Plots. Unexplained things. Our imaginations can run wild when we think about conspiracies. They are the proverbial rabbit hole. Instead of talking about a bunch of conspiracies directly, today Heers discusses the historical and post-enlightenment understanding of conspiring along with ice trays and Emmanuel Kant.

Links:

• Check out this semesters podcourse on Conspiracies here: https://first-things.org/wawtar-podcourse

Interested in joining First Things Foundation? Check out our Join FTF page for more info, or email Daniel at [email protected].

We are going to Georgia this September and you should come! Keipi Journeys by FTF is an immersive 10 day trip across the Georgian Republic. Past Journeys have included stops in Kazbegi, Tusheti, Tbilisi, and Kakheti among others. You'll experience the Supra (learn more in the link below), traditional foods like Khachapuri, and fantastic wines. This isn't just a trip, it's cultural deep dive that will leave you wanting more. Click here to find out more and get in contact with us.

Gagimargos! Wait, what does that mean? Learn more about the Georgian Supra and its symbolic significance here: https://thesymbolicworld.com/articles/the-symbolism-of-the-supra/

If you like this podcast, please consider leaving a review with your comments. Your support keeps this podcast alive and allows us to broaden our discussion. You can also check out First Things Foundation for more information on who we are and what we do.

---

Credits
Music:
Intro / Outro Provided by Edward Gares / Pond5.com

Sound effects and additional music:
Sounds provided by https://www.zapsplat.com

2 years. Deep cultural immersion. Intense personal discovery. See what it means to become a Field Worker with FTF: https://first-things.org/opportunities or email Daniel at [email protected] for more information.

Please leave a review with your comments! Your support keeps this podcast alive and allows us to broaden our discussion.

"Why Are We Talking About Rabbits?" takes you beyond rhetorical "rabbits" and the shallow approach that the media and most thinkers today take to examine contemporary cultural phenomena. Using theology, history, philosophy and years of travel in Mali, the Republic of Georgia, Haiti, and beyond, John Heers offers a refreshing take to how we got to where we are now. WAWTAR is all about talking about those heavy things… lightly.

Credits Music: Intro / Outro Provided by Greg Gilbertson & Band

Today Richard Rohlin joins Heers to talk about missionary work, the idea of immersion, silence, and a little on the Medieval mindset.

Richard Rohlin is a software developer, Germanic philologist, and Orthodox Christian. He speaks and publishes on Germanic poetry, the Inklings, and the Sacramental Imagination. His podcast on Ancient Faith Radio, Amon Sul, explores the themes of JR Tolkein as informed by the Orthodox way of life.

Links:

• The Amon Sûl Podcast - Tolkien & Orthodox Christianity
• Finding the Golden Key - Sacramental Imagination
• Blog On the Barrow Downs (Germanic Philology, Tolkien, Poetry...)

Interested in joining First Things Foundation? Check out our Join FTF page for more info, or email Daniel at [email protected].

We are going to Georgia this September and you should come! Keipi Journeys by FTF is an immersive 10 day trip across the Georgian Republic. Past Journeys have included stops in Kazbegi, Tusheti, Tbilisi, and Kakheti among others. You'll experience the Supra (learn more in the link below), traditional foods like Khachapuri, and fantastic wines. This isn't just a trip, it's cultural deep dive that will leave you wanting more. Click here to find out more and get in contact with us.

Gagimargos! Wait, what does that mean? Learn more about the Georgian Supra and its symbolic significance here: https://thesymbolicworld.com/articles/the-symbolism-of-the-supra/

If you like this podcast, please consider leaving a review with your comments. Your support keeps this podcast alive and allows us to broaden our discussion. You can also check out First Things Foundation for more information on who we are and what we do.

---

Credits
Music:
Intro / Outro Provided by Edward Gares / Pond5.com

Sound effects and additional music:
Sounds provided by https://www.zapsplat.com

2 years. Deep cultural immersion. Intense personal discovery. See what it means to become a Field Worker with FTF: https://first-things.org/opportunities or email Daniel at [email protected] for more information.

Please leave a review with your comments! Your support keeps this podcast alive and allows us to broaden our discussion.

"Why Are We Talking About Rabbits?" takes you beyond rhetorical "rabbits" and the shallow approach that the media and most thinkers today take to examine contemporary cultural phenomena. Using theology, history, philosophy and years of travel in Mali, the Republic of Georgia, Haiti, and beyond, John Heers offers a refreshing take to how we got to where we are now. WAWTAR is all about talking about those heavy things… lightly.

Credits Music: Intro / Outro Provided by Greg Gilbertson & Band