Men Among Demons

Dan, Greg, and guest Nick P. discuss martial arts, the body, competition and games seeking out what role they might play in a Christian life and in society at large. A possible need for more attention to bodily exercise and training among Christians emerges, and the three tackle the question of whether competition is fundamentally fallen or truly has a place in a Christian life and in God's Kingdom.

Greg and Dan discuss the new pope, the institution of the papacy, and the costs and benefits of various church and community structures within the Christian world.

In this episode, Dan and Greg discuss human intelligence and free will in the context of some problematic enlightenment assumptions about humanity. How do we as Christians grapple with the simple fact that human intelligence varies tremendously across individuals, and that while free will clearly exist it is difficult to exercise for all human beings? What problems arise in our political and social life owing to Enlightenment assumptions that all human beings are capable of "rational self interest," clear critical thinking, and the detached exercise of free will?

Greg and Dan discuss the cult of change and our culture's obsession with disruption for its own sake, reflecting on how change is an essential but differently oriented part of the life in Christ. The episode concludes with reflections on the importance of forgiveness in a world in which human beings are both dynamic and fallen.

Dan and Greg discuss the meaning of maturity, and the immaturity of our present age, looking for the demonic patterns that draw us to immature places and the telos of human life into which we are called to grow.

Greg and Dan discuss experiences of demonic activity and the presence of conscious demons in the world.

Dan and Greg discuss one of the most interestingly wrong visions of theological anthropology circulating in our society today: the idea that humans are effectively computers, and that human consciousness may one day be downloaded into electronic machines. By reflecting on the demonic twists in this vision of humanity we can see more fully what humans are genuinely created to be.

Dan and Greg discuss death, exploring funeral rites and rituals, the cultural fear and denial of death, the demonic twists and distractions the falsely frame life, and ultimately the meaning of Resurrection in Christ.

Greg and Dan welcome Fr Yuri Hladio for a conversation about celebrities, fame, and their impact on western culture and the Church.

Dan and Greg discuss modern expectations around romantic love and relationships, moving forward into a discussion of the place of eros in the Christian life. In a world where finding the perfect partner and living up to a romantic ideal have become so important, how do Christians respond? Is there any value at all to romantic love, or is it side-lined by the pursuit of universal agape? And what is eros anyway?

Our apologies in this episode for mixing up Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky. We have included a clarification at the end of the episode.