Protect Your Noggin

Why it’s hard to find something to inspire us on streaming services these days, why a student found it hard to read history texts in Jeff’s class, why Christians shouldn't deny science, positive and negative examples of religious responses to epidemics, and eight suggestions for filling your time up with wholesome things to watch, read and do.

Obviously the way of Jesus invites us to love everyone, and this includes your parents. Moreover, it is good to seek wise counsel from people who have lived longer than you have. But Jesus teaches that it is important for you to follow what you believe to be good, true and beautiful, regardless of what your parents, teachers, and religious authorities might say. After seeking the wisdom of others, you as an individual are invited to think what you think you should think, believe what you believe you should believe, and do what you think you should do.

Reflections on our anxious times facing Covid-19 and uncertainties. A poem from Isaac Frazee. Stacie shares insights from her training as a death doula that apply to valuing life in the present. A bonus reflection from Stacie on Tao Te Ching chapter 10 closes the show out. 

PYNWJ5 Too often, people join a religion because they think it will bring them social or material benefits, as if God were some sort of genie in a bottle. Though the way of Jesus may ultimately be the best investment one could make, it nevertheless involves letting go of a lot of things we tend to hoard. If we go halfway, refusing to trust in the nature of his new kingdom, we make fools of ourselves and distract people from Jesus’ core message.  

Can the principles we promote on this show be applied within Christian education? While it isn't always easy, one longstanding way to do so is through the liberal arts, especially in the context of church-related higher education. Guests Joel Oesch (theology) and Daniel Deen (philosophy), two colleagues from Jeff's university (Concordia University, Irvine) discuss the difficulties and opportunities for critical thought in liberal arts institutions. 

Stacie is out of town this week, and Jeff will be traveling to Dallas, so we are shifting the schedule slightly. Next episode will return to our discussion of the teachings of Jesus, and how these teachings help students learn to outfox religious wolves.

Forgive some of the ambient sounds. We tried recording outside, since the day was beautiful. There are a few bird and vehicle sounds, but they shouldn't be too distracting. 

Go to the show page at protectyournoggin.org to find out more about the Crosswise Institute, something all three of the gents on today's show have been involved in crafting.

Why it's important to read outside your normal library, meet people outside your normal sandbox, and welcome wisdom from abroad. We explain a bit about why we got into creating a new English version of the Tao Te Ching, along with two sample audio readings and reflections. This gives you a bit of a preview of what we'll be up to with season 3, which will be about Protect Your Noggin with Lao Tzu.

protectyournoggin.org

The well-known parable of the talents teaches us something unexpected: that sometimes it's not better to be safe than sorry. Sometimes, you'll be sorry if you play it too safe. This is about the character of God and whether we are free to take bold creative risks in our families, places of work, and religious communities. Go to protectyournoggin.org to find out how to get copies of the chapters.

Through answering questions from listeners, Jeff and Stacie weave together a conversation about the importance of people old and young experiencing agency in their lives and how we might help young people gain agency through a concept called Unconditional Positive Regard. 

Equipped with the truth, Jesus demonstrates that we don’t need to be in fear of corrupt religious leaders, but are free to stir things up for the sake of what is right. Indeed, he invites us to be indignant and vocal when leaders are hurting the people they are called to serve. This is the famous story where Jesus smashes stuff up in the Temple. It's sometimes known as the “cleansing of the Temple” but it is not just a cleaning up, but a dismantling of a bad religious system that Jesus had in mind.

The first segment responds to a question about acts of evangelism for a seminary assignment. We discuss what it means to share good news that really is good. Then, 50 minutes in we move to an interview with a young woman named Autumn who demonstrates a bit of the boldness we discussed last week. Jeff asked her to join the show after hearing her poetry, which she shared at an open mic event headlined by Micah Bournes for the Crosswise Institute. As an exercise in unpacking her poem (which you can read at protectyournoggin.org) she shares her struggles with doubt, depression and anxiety but also her abiding faith. TW: Suicide, Depression