Postmodern Realities Podcast

Hindus believe that life is basically a search, or a quest. One cannot expect to find all the answers to lifes deepest questions in one lifetime in a simple, easy to digest formula. It is a long, ongoing endeavor. Hindus believe that a search of this magnitude and importance takes an immense amount of time and energy and lasts likely more than one lifetime. Most Hindus struggle with the gospel presentation because it takes away the deep search of humankind, hinders spiritual progress, and impedes the evolutionary cycle of self knowledge established by nature and Hindu many gods. Christians, on the other hand, believe that one has to put his or her faith in Jesus Christ to be saved, and although Hindus do not argue with this teaching choosing rather to overlook it, they wonder about the concept of a continuing spiritual search that has been, according to their teachings, in progress for countless ages. This occurs through many lifetimes and life forms in the cycle of birth to death through reincarnation a quest for the ultimate, the final realization of Self the inner being, the eternal Atman within oneself, and which is the ultimate destiny of humankind. The final destination is becoming one with Brahman, the ultimate impersonal oneness. This Postmodern Realities Podcast episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author C. Wayne Mayhall about his Effective Evangelism article in Volume 41 1 called A Christian Response to the Hindu Concept of Spiritual Quest.

Asking when we should begin teaching apologetics assumes it is a discipleship endeavor that is separate from the rest of a childs spiritual development. For many people, the reason for that idea is an assumed definition of apologetics that is overly narrow and difficult to apply to young kids. With a more comprehensive understanding of what apologetics is, however, it becomes clear that there is a much wider scope of teaching opportunities available. Yes, even for kindergarteners. Most Christians who have at least some knowledge of apologetics think of it simply as defending the faith. Christian parents, aware of the fact that the world is becoming increasingly hostile to Christianity, often want their kids to learn apologetics so they are prepared to make that defense. But if a parent thinks teaching apologetics means sitting a child down with a textbook on biblical archaeology or textual criticism, that child wont be learning to defend their faith for many years. Meanwhile, young elementary kids are already hearing from classmates, friends, and popular media that God doesnt exist, that the Bible is a fairly tale, that Christians are unloving, that the most important thing in life is to be true to yourself, and much more. The bridge must be gapped, and it starts with identifying what kinds of knowledge are involved in defending the faith. This Postmodern Realities Podcast episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Natasha Crain about her Volume 41, no. 1 feature article, Kindergarteners Need Apologetics, Too.

In The Shape of Water, Mexican writer director Guillermo del Toro blends a wide variety of sources from fairy tales to classic Hollywood movies to the Bible to tell an original and unusual love story about a humanoid fishlike monster and a woman who works as a janitor in the secret government laboratory where the fish man is being held captive. While del Toro is undeniably pushing a secular progressive agenda, he uses Christian stories and imagery. Surprisingly, he ends up getting a lot of the gospel right. This Postmodern Realities Podcast episode is a JOURNAL author conversation with John McAteer about his online film review of the Oscar nominated film The Shape of Water called How The Shape of Waters Fish Man Symbolizes Christian Grace.

Fans of The Handmaids Tale, Hulus television adaptation of Margaret Atwood 1985 dystopian novel, have taken to donning the red handmaids attire to protest current cultural and political threats to reproductive freedom, specifically abortion rights. If those rights go, they surmise, then so will all of the progress feminism has achieved to this point, and America will soon resemble Atwoods imagined Gilead, where women have no rights save for those granted by corrupt men in power. Those claiming that the television adaptation created by Bruce Miller is more documentary than fiction may be closer to the truth than they realize, but the similarities between Gilead and 2017 America do not stem from Christianity. Both worlds teeter on a functional view of human value, a system brought about in todays world in large part by secular feminism, the availability of abortion on demand, and the idolization of sexual freedom. Instead of Atwoods provocative prose depicting a caste system distinguished by colored clothing, however, todays handmaids tale is told in terms of wealth, performance, and status, as well as in the language of artificial reproductive technologies that cross moral boundaries. As so called progress continues, children are continually reduced to products whether disposable or purchasable and women (as well as men) steadily are being defined out of existence. Were not hurtling toward a dystopian Gilead were already there. Ultimately, neither story can be told without glimmerings of human dignity, particularly deep longings for identity and justice. True Christianity answers both worlds and tells a far better story. This Postmodern Realities Podcast episode is a JOURNAL author conversation with Megan Almon about her Volume 41 1 cover Seeing Red The Handmaids Tale, Human Dignity, and Hope

Has secular hip hop gone religious? One platinum selling artist gives performances on high profile stages that resemble worship services. Another critically acclaimed rapper includes on his album interludes with expositions from Deuteronomy. This small trend is a surprise. In the 90s, hip hop music was generally anti Christian see Ras Kass. Paris, Public Enemy, and X Clan advocated militant nationalism. Wu Tang, Brand Nubian, Rakim, Digable Planets, and Poor Righteous Teachers espoused Five Percent beliefs a Nation of Islam sect. Nas and Jay Z employed semiblasphemous statements and imagery. Hip hop music has often been spiritually minded, but recent times saw less spiritual content. Hedonism and nihilism permeate hip hops current stars are preoccupied with girls, gold, and a good time. Yet, there are anomalies twenty four year old Chance the Rapper and thirty year old Kendrick Lamar. This Postmodern Realities Podcast episode is a JOURNAL author conversation with Vocab Malone about his Volume 40 6 feature article film Spirituality in Modern Hip Hop The Theology of Kendrick Lamar and Chance the Rapper

Malcolm X is arguably one of the most important people in African American religious and political thought. He was a man heavily influenced by his own personal experiences and the historic moment into which he was born. Along with the societal hardships that accompanied being Black in America when Jim Crow discrimination was enforced by law, Malcolms family endured racial violence. His life trajectory began to be characterized by his rejection of the society that had rejected him. This landed him in prison, where he was converted to the Nation of Islam. On release from prison, Malcolm rose in the ranks of the Nation of Islam and spread the message of Elijah Muhammad across America. His ministry developed in the context of the civil rights movement and was characterized as the violent alternative to the peaceful solutions that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. offered the nation. Many who have rejected Malcolms social philosophy unfairly have interpreted him as a preacher of wanton violence against White people. However, this has left them susceptible to the charge of hypocrisy because there are elements within his ethic of violence that many Christians would defend if applied to their own lives. Malcolms ethic of violence has at least three essential parts self defense, revolutionary, and retaliatory. A full theological examination of each of these exceeds the limitations of this article. However, one can conclude that Christian ethics allows for violence in the act of self defense. Contrarily, Malcolms advocacy of retaliatory violence conflicts with biblical Christianity. Rather than softening the critique of Malcolm, I believe that this strengthens the argument against his philosophy because its precision protects the apologist from condemning what God allows. Therefore, African Americans should reject Malcolms teaching on retaliation because it conflicts with biblical Christian ethics. This Postmodern Realities Podcast episode is a JOURNAL author conversation with Jimmy Butts about his Volume 40 6 feature article Malcolm X and the Christian Ethic of Violence.

Editors not: We realize that interpretations and reactions to storyline elements and their ramifications have been hotly debated. We offer this review as one plausible viewpoint. Theoretically, the Force in the Star Wars movies has always been religious. It is referenced in terms of religion at least twice in the original 1977 Star Wars a.k.a. Episode 4 A New Hope. But in practice, there is not much religion in either the original trilogy or the prequel trilogy Episodes 1 to 3. Yes, as they train the young Luke Skywalker in the ways of the Force, the elderly Jedi masters Obi Wan Kenobi and Yoda spout some vaguely Taoist and Buddhist philosophical principles about a spiritual energy source with light and dark sides, overcoming attachments, and trusting intuition, but when we see them at the height of their powers in the prequels, the Jedi Council leaders of those who follow the light side of the Force are more political than spiritual, acting primarily as a police force for the Galactic Republic. In the two most recent Star Wars movies, however, the series has begun to foreground the more religious elements of the Force. Warning this conversation has spoilers for the Star Wars film The Last Jedi. This Postmodern Realities Podcast episode is a JOURNAL author conversation with John McAteer about online film The Last Jedi A Star Wars Movie for the Era of the Nones

When considering recent critical responses to the resurrection of Jesus, believers may envision the centuries old, well worn alternatives. Did Jesus disciples steal His dead body, as mentioned in Matthew? Five such counter moves are found in the gospels, with three of them even being proposed by believers! The most recent scholarly research has been significantly more open toward Jesus healing the sick and predicting His resurrection beforehand, His burial tomb being empty, and even His resurrection appearances. So the latest brand of criticism has often shifted gears, with critics now responding more frequently with what I term metacritiques comebacks that question the overall resurrection message instead of disputing individual items within the story. Two of these approaches are considered here 1 resurrections simply do not occur, there is insufficient evidence ever to establish them, and 2 we cannot use the New Testament writings to support the Resurrection because it is a biased or prejudiced text. More than one approach should be used in answer to the first challenge. Naturalism itself should be challenged. If this worldview is going to be utilized as the basis for questioning the Resurrection, then this critical starting point itself must be established first. Regarding the second challenge, something must be wrong with this charge from the start, because critical scholars not only allow well attested New Testament texts but employ them! This Postmodern Realities Podcast episode is a JOURNAL author conversation with Gary Habermas about his Volume 40 4 feature article Changing Attitudes toward the Resurrection of Jesus

What exactly is the Benedict Option? In short, the book includes a call for Christians to consider withdrawing from some aspects of, and strategies for engaging, American culture, such as seeking change through the means of political power. The heart of the book is not about escaping culture rather, it focuses on the fact that the local church should be a community of individuals who love, care for, and support one another in their daily lives. Many Christians, especially in America, have for far too long ignored the classic disciplines of spiritual growth that Dreher discusses in Chapter 3 prayer, asceticism, stability, community, and hospitality. The focus of the book that all believers should be able to agree on includes the revitalization of our churches through a focus on the classical spiritual disciplines of the church, building community among members outside of Sunday morning, equipping our children in the faith, and valuing relationships in the home and with other believers. This Postmodern Realities Podcast episode is a JOURNAL author conversation with Michael W. Austin about his Volume 40 4 book review Is the Benedict Option a Live Option? Mike answers questions including Why do you think our culture has encouraged feelings over reason? Why do you think there is a problem with anti intellectualism in the church? What is the role of knowledge in the life of the follower of Christ?

In the new faith based film All Saints, in theaters Sept. 2017 newly ordained, Michael Spurlocks first assignment is to pastor All Saints, a struggling church in Tennessee with and handful of members and a mortgage beyond its means. The best option may be to sell the church. But when All Saints church hesitantly risks welcoming a community of Christian Karen refugees from Burma former farmers scrambling for a fresh start in America Pastor Michael feels they may be called to an improbable new mission. Michael must choose between closing the church and selling the property or listening to a still, small voice challenging the people of All Saints to risk it all and provide much needed hope to their new community. Together with the Karen refugees, they risk everything to plant seeds for a future that might just save them all. Importantly, this revival of a church happens when the church turns outward, looking both to help those who showed up as outsiders and also to receive help from the wider community, instead of focusing inward on maintaining self sufficiency. When the church faces a crisis toward the end of the film, even non Christians show up to help out, because they can see the good work the church is doing. It is like Matthew 5:14-16 in action. In simplest terms All Saints makes the argument that love is the best apologetic for the truth of the gospel. This Postmodern Realities Podcast episode is a conversation with John McAteer about his web film review The Apologetics of Community in All Saints