Heraclitus once stated that a man’s character is his fate. On first glance, such thinking appears utterly foreign in contemporary culture. But have we really abandoned the ancient understanding of identity entirely? From the Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony” to Better Call Saul, it quickly becomes apparent that the ancient conception of identity is alive and well.

From gender-neutral bathrooms to changing conceptions of marriage, the issue of identity underlies some of our most contentious cultural battles. The changes are happening so rapidly that it’s difficult to grasp just how far we’ve moved from ancient understandings of what it means to be a person. We’ll consider these vexing issues in the next 3 podcasts. This episode examines our current understanding of identity, and considers some of its long-term repercussions.

What is the role of sacred traditions in a post-Christian culture? In this episode, I talk about a group of musicians who call themselves “The Revolutionary Army of the Infant Jesus.”

In this episode, I talk about an experimental musician who makes “pagan music that dances on the ashes of a burnt church.”

This slogan went viral on social media in the hours following the shooting that took place in San Bernardino, California on December 2, 2015. It continues to make the rounds when tragedy strikes. Why do Christians pray in such circumstances? Are they simply hiding in their prayer closets, and shirking their proper responsibilities? Join me for a lively discussion of these issues on this week’s episode of Vital Signs.