In this episode of Professors in Rooms Getting Coffee, Justin and Stephen wrap up the conversation about Stephen's disseration. The conversation includes consideration of the complex distinctions between the perspectives of Iraq and the US leading up to the Gulf War, as well as cultural issues in the conduct of the 2003 war in Iraq.  

The discussion includes recognition of both material and cultural issues. Stephen and Justin explore the apparent lack of intercultural competence in US foreign policy during this period, highlighting missed opportunities for recognizing the broader geopolitical instability. The episode touches upon the broader historical backdrop, including the fall of the Berlin Wall and the disintegration of the Soviet Union, and how these influenced global strategies.

They also speculate on counterfactual scenarios, such as how post-9/11 US foreign policy might have played out differently with increased intercultural competence. Stephen reflects on the intricate balance of reconstructing historical events, deploying critical realism to explore hypothetical alternatives while acknowledging inherent complexities.

The conversation further emphasizes the necessity of intercultural competence training for government and foreign policy sectors, advocating for an understanding of different cultural frameworks without compromising one's values. Stephen and Justin also discuss the personal and professional growth experienced through their PhD processes, highlighting the importance of research skills and critical thinking.

In a lighter vein, the hosts share holiday traditions and personal anecdotes, from family Advent activities to the challenges of persistent winter darkness in Berlin. Stephen recounts an extraordinary connection between his father and an Iraqi pastor, bridging their past wartime roles through shared faith.

As this episode marks a pause in the podcast, the hosts express gratitude for their audience's support over four years, indicating a thoughtful reflection on their journey and the meaningful conversations shared.

00:00 Jenny's choir sang Handel's Messiah beautifully.

05:47 Seasonal illness disrupted schedules and plans.

14:40 Fascinated by archaeology; struggles finishing books.

18:55 Explored culture's impact on US foreign policies.

22:27 Cultural perceptions of time affect understanding.

28:37 Misunderstandings before the invasion of Kuwait.

32:44 US underestimated Iraq's honor-related power dynamics.

39:35 Culture's impact on perception of history is potentially significant.

47:56 Russia and the tendency toward pendulum swings misinterpreted by the US.

57:26 Reconsider cultural research methods; traditional insufficient.

01:02:44 Satisfied yet uncertain about project outcome completion.

01:09:44 Imposter syndrome, discipline, feedback, humility, growth.

01:11:17 Learning process shapes you as writer, thinker.

Thank you to our Patreon supporters! Thank you Austin, for your significant work on the edit of this episode!

In today's episode, we dive into Stephen's research on global Christian reasoning. We consider the four cultural frameworks Stephen evaluated in this context, and examine their impact on interpretations of several Bible passages. But before we get into all the intriguing details of Stephen's dissertation, we catch up with our hosts, Stephen and Justin, as they discuss the challenges of living in a new country, dealing with bureaucratic paperwork, daily life, and the refreshing discovery of meaning in liturgy. 

As we delve into Stephen's research, we explore the existence of an epistemic community within global Christian reasoning and the importance of cultural self-awareness in theological reflections. We also touch on the complex issue of how culture and pre-understandings shape our interpretations of biblical texts, and the dangers of assuming a "plain meaning" without critical self-reflection. 

Join us as we uncover the fascinating relationship between culture and global Christian reasoning - a theme with potentially massive implications for missiology and theology. Grab your favorite cup of coffee and join us for another engaging episode of "Professors, in Rooms, Getting Coffee"!

Find Bonus Content, including a free beta transcript, on Patreon at https://patreon.com/envisionberlin

- Dealing with stress and overwhelm in work and personal life 

- Recognizing the impact of changing weather and daylight savings time on moods 

- Appreciation for liturgy, prayers, confession, Eucharist, and scriptures

- Comparing different church traditions and experiences

- Reflecting on the evolution of church practices over time

- Focus on understanding expressions of Christianity in the past century

- Accessible literature in English

- Focus on expressions of Christianity that emerged in the last 100 years 

- Literature primarily in English, allowing for accessibility 

- Understanding Christianity at multiple levels: epistemologically, cosmologically, theologically, and practically 

- Examining cultural differences and their impact on shared text

- Identifying four cultural frameworks: shame/honor, past/future, consent/authority, good/evil

- Recognizing the importance of land, time, and suffering in the literature

- Translation and cultural perspective affect interpretation and meaning

- Potential for further research on shame, honor, guilt, innocence, and time orientation in biblical passages

01:42 End of first full program year at Envision Berlin achieved. Exciting accomplishments and unexpected experiences.

06:05 Written prayers in Liturgy were more satisfying than spontaneous ones.

09:02 Stay focused on the core commitments.

11:19 New generation finds freedom in evangelicalism.

14:42 Stressed in daily life abroad.

17:30 Colleagues and friends overwhelmed by work and personal issues.

21:58 Seeking alternate definitions of culture for political science.

24:40 People writing about Christian thought worldwide, emphasizing Protestantism and recent expressions of Christianity, including practical aspects.

28:04 Limited focus, not comprehensive. Shared references, coherence.

30:43 Does culture exist? How does it matter?

34:42 Ethnic theologizing, response to western cultural influence.

38:23 Cultural differences matter in global Christian reasoning.

41:49 Different shades of meaning in text interpretation. Varying perspectives analyzed.

43:01 Searching scripture for cultural time differences.

46:32 Cultural differences impact shared understanding of text/events.

50:58 Culture and presuppositions impact our interpretation.

Local Theology for the Global Church

Return to Babel: Global Perspectives on the Bible

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Welcome back to another episode of "Professors, in Rooms, Getting Coffee"! In this episode Stephen and Justin talk about how Stephen sought to challenge established answers within political science by approaching questions about culture from a different angle while maintaining the rigors of academic methodology. The episode explores cultural differences in the perception and interaction with time and the influence of these differences on various aspects of life. They also touch on the interpretation of sacred texts and the significance of methodology in research.

In their introductory reflections, Justin and Stephen explore the nuances of understanding spiritual attributes and whether they emerge naturally or require conscious effort. They also delve into the power of habits and routines in shaping our behavior, and the importance of prayer and scripture in encountering God. They also discuss the joy of creative expression and the beauty of creating for the sake of creation itself. 

Get ready for an intellectually stimulating conversation on these intriguing topics and more. So grab your favorite drink, settle into your favorite chair, and join Elise, Stephen, and Justin for another enlightening episode of "Professors, in Rooms, Getting Coffee"!

Free Transcripts: We're posting free beta transcripts for all our episodes on our new Patreon page. Dive deeper into our conversations, revisit your favorite moments, and never miss a word of wisdom. Join us at our new home and continue supporting our mission at the intersection of art, faith, and culture. https://patreon.com/envisionberlin  

Exciting news for our listeners: More Bonuses: Explore old favorites and fresh exclusives from all Envision Berlin podcasts.

1. The Importance of Habits and Affective Experiences in Shaping Behavior

2. Morning and evening prayer as a way to encounter God together

3. Understanding the concept of abiding in the spirit and letting spiritual attributes emerge naturally

4. The joy of creating for the sake of the creative process itself

5. Dissatisfaction with the portrayal of Christianity as a quick fix for all problems

6. Challenging established answers within their field

7. Pursuit of reality and engagement with creativity and knowledge

8. Understanding cultural differences in relation to time

9. Different interpretations and versions of the Bible

10. Importance of transparency and methodology in research

[00:05:00] Attended international theological symposium hosted in France.

[00:06:12] Interacting with global leaders in theological education.

[00:12:46] Creating music as a response to life.

[00:18:24] "Morning and evening prayer to encounter God."

[00:22:09] challenging norms, tragedy in life, attending church to become more compassionate, blog for people to spill guts.

[00:28:19] Academic calendar offers flexibility and opportunity.

[00:32:17] Be transparent about methodology and limitations.

[00:40:15] Questioning field, engaging with different methods, new conclusion.

[00:47:20] Time perception varies among cultures. Complex and diverse definitions of cultural time.

[00:48:51] Cultural perspectives on time vary and matter.

[00:53:49] Timing and perspective shape cultural outlooks.

[00:58:22] Differences matter in international relations, misperceptions too.

[01:04:39] Interpreting Bible text through cultural perspectives.

[01:13:50] Cultural differences and US foreign policy.

[01:14:54] Research can feel like building a house of cards.

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abiding in the spirit, improving oneself, embodiment, creating, established answers, different approach, methodology, critique, habits, spiritual power of habit, prayer, scripture, cultural norms, knowledge, phenomenology, researcher as an instrument, statistical data, performance, time, polychronic culture, Bible interpretation, linguistic work, dissertation methodology, limitations.

Important Update: New Patreon Address!

We've moved to https://patreon.com/envisionberlin  

Exciting news for our listeners: More Bonuses: Explore old favorites and fresh exclusives from all Envision Berlin podcasts.

Free Transcripts: We're posting free beta transcripts for all our episodes on our new Patreon page. Dive deeper into our conversations, revisit your favorite moments, and never miss a word of wisdom. Join us at our new home and continue supporting our mission at the intersection of art, faith, and culture.

Thank you for being part of our journey!

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Stephen and Justin dive into the topic of intercultural competence and the intercultural development continuum. They explore the complexities of understanding and experiencing different cultures, highlighting the role of constructivism in shaping our knowledge and frameworks. They challenge simplistic approaches to culture in international relations, emphasizing the need for nuance and understanding of cultural factors in conflicts. The hosts also discuss the stages of intercultural development, including denial, polarization minimization, acceptance, and adaptation. They also reflect on the importance of empathy in relating to others' experiences.

They touch on the fear and polarization that can arise when interacting with different cultural groups and the ethics of cultural differences. The episode concludes with a discussion on the importance of adaptation and the difference between assimilation and acknowledging one's insider-outsider status in intercultural interactions. Throughout the episode, the hosts share their personal reflections and experiences, including their own projects, such as a book about a woman's experience with war in Ukraine.

Tune in to this enlightening episode of Professors, in Rooms, Getting Coffee for a deep dive into intercultural competence.

Become a supporter and find supporting materials at patreon.com/envisionberlin

Important Update: New Patreon Address!

We've moved to https://patreon.com/envisionberlin  

Exciting news for our listeners: More Bonuses: Explore old favorites and fresh exclusives from all Envision Berlin podcasts.

Free Transcripts: We're posting free beta transcripts for all our episodes on our new Patreon page. Dive deeper into our conversations, revisit your favorite moments, and never miss a word of wisdom. Join us at our new home and continue supporting our mission at the intersection of art, faith, and culture.

Thank you for being part of our journey!

¯ ¯

In this episode, we discuss the difference between culture and worldview. Stephen explains how culture goes beyond differences in thinking and includes everything ranging from our sometimes wordless embodied experiences to our deepest assumptions about what the universe is and means. We talk about how cultural values frameworks help us to see the differences between cultures by posing important questions, and Stephen talks about how approaches to intercultural communication that look the same on the surface can actually differ significantly, depending on whether a traits-based or process-oriented dyanamic approach to culture is used. 

We talk about the role of navigation in the development of the concepts of time, and how the approaches used at Greenwich reflect assumptions about what it means to know and research something. And, Stephen shares a just-for-fun project he was working on with his son.   

[00:02:19] New Keyboard Sparks Home Music Collaboration

[00:08:32] The Fascinating Connection Between Time and Navigation

[00:17:41] Inadequate Culture Definitions: Oversimplifying the Complex

[00:20:57] The Embodied Experience of Culture: Understanding Beyond Words

[00:26:12] Uncovering Cultural Differences: It's More Than Worldview

[00:30:14] Analyzing Humanity's Intrinsic Nature: Three Options

[00:32:48] The complexities of cultural research and approach

[00:36:51] Understanding Culture: Individualism, Collectivism, and Identity

[00:39:31] Cultural Frameworks and Our View of Death

[00:42:21] Intercultural Communication: A Process, Not Product

Patrons can find more, including a beta version of a transcript, at our Patreon page.

Important Update: New Patreon Address!

We've moved to https://patreon.com/envisionberlin  

Exciting news for our listeners: More Bonuses: Explore old favorites and fresh exclusives from all Envision Berlin podcasts.

Free Transcripts: We're posting free beta transcripts for all our episodes on our new Patreon page. Dive deeper into our conversations, revisit your favorite moments, and never miss a word of wisdom. Join us at our new home and continue supporting our mission at the intersection of art, faith, and culture.

Thank you for being part of our journey!

¯ ¯

In this episode Justin and Stephen review the history of the culture concept and how evolutionary interpretations of cultures eventually were replaced by more helpful values-based approaches to intercultural relations. They also reflect on the importance of recognizing good faith actors when their are different interpretations of text or events. Justin asks about the relevance of Stephen's study for missiology. 

The hosts also talk about the struggles of being present for their kids while balancing important tasks, homesickness (Heimweh), and perceptions about the US church from a distance. Tune in to join the conversation!

[00:04:16] "New exhibit showcases breathtakingly bright artwork"
[00:05:28] "Homesickness After 20 Months Abroad"
[00:12:34] "Refreshing Encounter with US Ministry Leaders Abroad"
[00:16:44] Parenting and Master's program regrets
[00:23:03] "The relatively recent and messy concept of culture"
[00:24:27] "The flawed idea of cultural evolution"
[00:26:33] The Evolution of Culture: From Race to Values
[00:31:27] "Revamping Literature Review: Conference Insights & Resources"
[00:39:49] "Recognizing Good Faith Interpretations: Importance and Benefits"
[00:41:34] "Assuming Best Intent: The Key to Intercultural Relations"

We may earn commission on purchases through this link via Amazon Associates. This helps us and does not reduce authors' earnings. At the same time, we'd love it if you support your local bookstore instead!

Important Update: New Patreon Address!

We've moved to https://patreon.com/envisionberlin  

Exciting news for our listeners: More Bonuses: Explore old favorites and fresh exclusives from all Envision Berlin podcasts.

Free Transcripts: We're posting free beta transcripts for all our episodes on our new Patreon page. Dive deeper into our conversations, revisit your favorite moments, and never miss a word of wisdom. Join us at our new home and continue supporting our mission at the intersection of art, faith, and culture.

Thank you for being part of our journey!

¯ ¯

Counterfactual analysis was a new idea for Justin in this episode - Stephen explains how he used that approach to consider what might have happened if international relations actors had been able to excercise interculturally competent adaptive frameshifting. Justin asks Stephen how far the implications of his project carry, and Stephen discusses the limits of research programs like this.

The guys also talk about highlights, lowlights, and insights for the week. Justin reflects on the time of the year and Stephen considers the ways in which a 1,000 piece puzzle reflects his own experience of the last several months. 

Patreon subscribers now have access to the dissertation itself, as well as to the beta transcript for this episode. Want to join? Check it out at https://patreon.com/profsinrooms

The beta transcript for this episode can also be found at our Patreon page.

Important Update: New Patreon Address!

We've moved to https://patreon.com/envisionberlin  

Exciting news for our listeners: More Bonuses: Explore old favorites and fresh exclusives from all Envision Berlin podcasts.

Free Transcripts: We're posting free beta transcripts for all our episodes on our new Patreon page. Dive deeper into our conversations, revisit your favorite moments, and never miss a word of wisdom. Join us at our new home and continue supporting our mission at the intersection of art, faith, and culture.

Thank you for being part of our journey!

¯ ¯

*Transcript now available (beta)* Justin and Stephen launch into a conversation about Stephen's dissertation dealing with the question of whether and how cultural differences matter in international relations.

They discuss how even though the question seemed obvious, that the literature in the field was missing conversations about culture in the way that intercultural relations scholars approach the idea. Justin asks Stephen about why he had to go outside of the political science field to find evidences of culture to bring back in to his research. This is the first episode of a series on Culture and International Relations, and we hope you find it enjoyable and interesting.

Justin and Stephen also discuss coffee, having fun, social anxiety, and the Crown Honor's banquet. 

Find more, including a beta transcript at our patreon page.

In their introductory conversation, Justin and Stephen discuss the insight that led to the creation the Advent Special (Episode 19) Lament. Then, Professor and Filmmaker* Jonathan Vinson joins to conclude the conversation about beauty. Justin asks about the sometimes disappointing quality of Christian film and music. 

Jonathan shares about theme in storytelling, and the ways in which Christian arts can end up undercutting their message by frontloading it and undercutting the story. Justin suggests that even attempts to write overt worship music can lose the message through jargonization.

Stephen asks whether the underlying issue is a lack of commitment to the art of storytelling, or whether the problem stems from a too-quick-resolution resulting from an inability to sit with tension, pain, and suffering.  Jonathan considers how technical abilities, theological shortcomings, and philosophical hang-ups all contribute to reduced quality in Christian art, and suggests that narrative epistemology may provide a way to sit in the tension and maintain a prophetic voice. 

In their highlights, lowlights, and insights, Justin and Stephen also discuss gracious and generous critique in scholarship, missing family over the holidays, the end of the semester, the feeling of February-forever, and Hope. 

Jonathan Vinson is a photographer, filmmaker, and assistant professor from Crown College. He has a Masters of Theological Studies from Bethel University and a Masters of Fine Arts in Film and TV Production from Asbury University.

Jonathan's Film Paradise Strong: Surviving California's Deadliest Wildfire is available for streaming from Amazon*.

Recommended resources:

_ _

Important Update: New Patreon Address!

We've moved to https://patreon.com/envisionberlin  

Exciting news for our listeners: More Bonuses: Explore old favorites and fresh exclusives from all Envision Berlin podcasts.

Free Transcripts: We're posting free beta transcripts for all our episodes on our new Patreon page. Dive deeper into our conversations, revisit your favorite moments, and never miss a word of wisdom. Join us at our new home and continue supporting our mission at the intersection of art, faith, and culture.

Thank you for being part of our journey!

¯ ¯

Christmas often comes as a time of light and joy, but it is often highlighted against a backdrop of sorrow. Justin and Stephen explore how lament, agreeing with God that things are not as they should be, can allow us to see more clearly what the arrival of Jesus as Messiah means historically, today, and as we look forward.  They consider the question of faith in the midst of difficulty and how crying out to God, either about one's own difficulties or as an advocate for others, can be an expression of hope and trust.

Our special Advent episode features music from BiFrost Arts' album Lamentations: Simple Songs of Lament and Hope, Vol 1, as Justin and Stephen consider the connection between Lament, Hope, and Advent.  

Featured songs include:

_ _

Important Update: New Patreon Address!

We've moved to https://patreon.com/envisionberlin  

Exciting news for our listeners: More Bonuses: Explore old favorites and fresh exclusives from all Envision Berlin podcasts.

Free Transcripts: We're posting free beta transcripts for all our episodes on our new Patreon page. Dive deeper into our conversations, revisit your favorite moments, and never miss a word of wisdom. Join us at our new home and continue supporting our mission at the intersection of art, faith, and culture.

Thank you for being part of our journey!

¯ ¯