Protect Your Noggin

The sage learns that seeking goodness in the world isn't so much a matter of willpower as much as it the proper tuning of the senses to taste and see that good is good.

Here, Jeff isn’t saying he’s sorry for what he said in Part 1, rather he’s providing an apologia for his perspective on academic freedom within church related schools and universities. Check out the previous part, at least the first ten minutes, before heading to this part, which is more technical and deals especially with the epistemology of William of Ockham and it’s resonance with Lutheran epistemology later on.

If an academically free space is possible in society, it can only exist at a Christian University. 

Some folks mistakenly think that the Lutheran Confessions represent a constraint on an individual believer's freedom, or a way to give churches conclusions about Scripture that allow members to bypass the important work of engaging directly with the Bible. While recognizing that the Lutheran Confessions can be misapplied in such ways, I will explain how a philosophy of knowledge (epistemology) inspired by William of Ockham and adapted by Martin Luther made it possible for laypeople to stand boldly for the Gospel with a shared Confession, despite authoritarian political and religious pressures. I will show how this same Lutheran approach to knowledge can help protect the minds of all congregation members, especially young people, from spiritual abuse and various forms of manipulation. I will offer practical suggestions about how Lutheran church-related education--whether it be in schools, confirmation classes, or adult studies—can cultivate healthy critical thinking and empowerment of individuals who confess Christ.

Storms blow across hills in the morning, then give way to stillness. Rain bursts from thunderclouds in the afternoon, then the evening sky enjoys silence.

Feeling a deep love for all living beings, the sage is uninterested in besting them at a verbal fight. If others ask for help finding truth, the sage is generous and obliging. If they want to feel superior, the sage is generous and obliging. It’s not that she’s a pushover; it’s that they can’t harm her. She’s not playing her enemies’ games so they can’t possibly win.

Heather Choate Davis is an author and has created a new album with her network of musical friends called LIFE IN THE KEY OF GOD. We talk about how the Christian contemplative tradition and the recovery of the biblical concept of Sophia (divine wisdom) can help us protect our noggins and bring healing to our culture and churches. Several beautiful tracks are previewed.

How deep and how unfathomable!

Instead of theories and concepts, this chapter explains how Taosurfers behave and why they are misunderstood by others. 

A discussion of the concept of minimalism as understood by Lao Tzu, especially in chapters 59, 44, 48, and 80. 

Lay down philosophy and theology,
so everyone can be blessed
a hundredfold.
Lay down virtue signaling and legalism
so everyone can recover
genuine compassion and begin
to really care for one another.