The Pugcast

On today's show Chris leads the Pugs in a reflection on the story of Jonah--not the Biblical prophet, but the seminary student Rod Dreher interviewed for his book, Living in Wonder. Jonah was raised in an evangelical home, and was even homeschooled, yet fell into a spell of dark enchantment that included visions of demons and the use of psychedelic drugs. Eventually he was delivered through exorcism. What happened, and why does Jonah now say his evangelical upbringing did almost nothing to prepare him for any of this? Tune in and learn what the Pugs think.

Living in Wonder: Finding Mystery and Meaning in a Secular Age, by Rod Dreher: https://a.co/d/1EIlSua

Knowledge is Power (Icon Science): How Magic, the Government and an Apocalyptic Vision Helped Francis Bacon to Create Modern Science, by John Henry: https://a.co/d/3RNoQym

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The Theology Pugcast is a ministry of Trinity Reformed Church in Huntsville Alabama. To view more media from TRC, visit their website: https://trinityreformedkirk.com/trc-media/

On today's show Tom brings along Paul Kingsnorth’s article, The Illusion of a Pagan West, for the Pugs to engage. Topics delved into range from why we still talk about Roman Civilization to the theatrics of subversive woke culture. Most interesting is Kingsnorth’s claim that we are not returning to paganism but are locked into to a shallow culture which subverts Christianity all the while being indebted to its ethical legacy, ending with nothing really worth living or dying for.

Article: https://unherd.com/2024/09/the-illusion-of-a-pagan-west/

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The Theology Pugcast is a ministry of Trinity Reformed Church in Huntsville Alabama. To view more media from TRC, visit their website: https://trinityreformedkirk.com/trc-media/

In this episode, Glenn the History Pug gets into revisionist histories on the left and the right that both argue that history has been distorted to favor elites, and that they have the real story about what happened. Oddly, they both identify people like Churchill as villains, though for different reasons, and functionally try to at least soften our view of the people traditionally seen as the bad guys. This opens up discussions with Chris and Tom on a whole set of related issues.

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The Theology Pugcast is a ministry of Trinity Reformed Church in Huntsville Alabama. To view more media from TRC, visit their website: https://trinityreformedkirk.com/trc-media/

Today the Pugs revisit Matthew B. Crawford's book, Shop Class as Soulcraft. Among the many fascinating things discussed in it is the essential difference between autonomy and agency. Ironically, we live in a world of manufactured illusions of autonomy. We're led to make choices between options presented to us by parties that profit no matter what choice is made. On the other hand, there are people who possess true agency. Those are the people who get things done, and consequently are people we respect. And yet most people chose the illusion of autonomy over agency. Why is that? Join the Pugs as they discuss why.

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The Theology Pugcast is a ministry of Trinity Reformed Church in Huntsville Alabama. To view more media from TRC, visit their website: https://trinityreformedkirk.com/trc-media/

Today the Pugs are shorthanded because Tom is in great demand. Never fear, Glenn and Chris are joined by Tim Adams, erstwhile conservative Methodist Minister. I know what you’re thinking, isn’t that an oxymoron? Sadly it seems so, but Methodism has a remarkable history and once was the fastest growing Protestant denomination in the United States. So, what happened? That’s what the show is about today. Join us for the cautionary tale of Methodism.

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The Theology Pugcast is a ministry of Trinity Reformed Church in Huntsville Alabama. To view more media from TRC, visit their website: https://trinityreformedkirk.com/trc-media/

Can we really have a ‘meaningful job’? Is such a notion delusional? Tom initiates discussion with the other Pugs around the topic of whether the very notion of a ‘meaningful job’ in the contemporary understanding is delusional. Introducing the topic by way of Stuart Whately’s recent article in Unherd, the Pugs unpack rich threads of conversation sparked by the article as it engages the contrast between the excessively practical-oriented lives of those pursing individual satisfaction within their career ambitions and those who pursue something altogether ‘useless’ by today’s standards.

Article: https://unherd.com/2024/05/the-delusion-of-having-a-meaningful-job/?=newsroomindexfrmemail

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The Theology Pugcast is a ministry of Trinity Reformed Church in Huntsville Alabama. To view more media from TRC, visit their website: https://trinityreformedkirk.com/trc-media/

In this episode, the Pugs use an article from The Imaginative Conservative called “The Artistic and Intellectual Temperaments” by Michael De Sapio as a jumping off point to discuss art, intellectual life, and the connections and disconnections between the two. The guys discuss medieval and Renaissance art, modern art, Romanticism, poetry, intellectual life and academia, and roller skating down the Gugenheim.

Article: https://theimaginativeconservative.org/2024/07/artistic-intellectual-temperaments-michael-de-sapio.html

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The Theology Pugcast is a ministry of Trinity Reformed Church in Huntsville Alabama. To view more media from TRC, visit their website: https://trinityreformedkirk.com/trc-media/

Today the Pugs discuss a fascinating article by Jacob Howland that was published in the always interesting online journal, "Unherd." The article reflects on the sad story of Timothy Treadwell documented by film maker Werner Herzog in his 2005 documentary, Grizzly Man. But that's just the occasion for reflecting on the even sadder story of the crisis of the west--a crisis with an ending prophesied in Euripides ancient tragedy, Bacchae. Tune in and learn why things might get even weirder in the days ahead, and why we can know what's coming.

Article: https://unherd.com/2024/07/the-grizzly-truth-about-the-west/

Support the Pugcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thetheologypugcast?fbclid=IwAR17UHhfzjphO52C_kkZfursA_C784t0ldFix0wyB4fd-YOJpmOQ3dyqGf8

The Theology Pugcast is a ministry of Trinity Reformed Church in Huntsville Alabama. To view more media from TRC, visit their website: https://trinityreformedkirk.com/trc-media/

Who counts as a theologian? Who gets to address the deep things of God and creation? Tom is at the helm this week and he is joined by a special guest, Dr. Jahdiel Perez of Villanova University. Dr. Perez is a C. S. Lewis scholar, writing the first doctoral dissertation in ‘theology’ at the University of Oxford on C. S. Lewis. Wrapping up our Lewis theme, Tom and Jahdiel discusses many of the rich ‘theological’ insights of C. S. Lewis, from questions of evil and suffering in light of God’s goodness to questions of Christian enjoyment of created goods in contrast to Nietzsche’s criticism of Christian faith as wholly joy denying. The highlight of the conversation centers around C. S. Lewis as a theologian, not merely as apologist or academic.

Special appearance by Glenn Sunshine, whose personal computer may have been hacked by the ghost of Rousseau during the show.

Dr. Perez’s latest Open Access article on Lewis: https://doi.org/10.1111/heyj.14306

Dr. Perez’s Faculty Page: https://www1.villanova.edu/university/liberal-arts-sciences/programs/humanities/faculty/[email protected]&xsl=bio_long

Dr. Perez on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jahdielnperez?igsh=MXJ3bjJwMGQ1MW5xZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

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The Theology Pugcast is a ministry of Trinity Reformed Church in Huntsville Alabama. To view more media from TRC, visit their website: https://trinityreformedkirk.com/trc-media/

Thank God for Bitcoin?

On today's show Glenn and Chris interview Jordan Bush--the man behind the "Thank God for Bitcoin Conference." If this sounds a bit odd to you, here's something else to consider--Glenn and Chris both spoke at this year's conference in Nashville. So, what is this Bitcoin thing, and why should Christians be grateful for it? Tune in and hear why and judge for yourself whether or not you should be grateful for Bitcoin!

Order Thank God for Bitcoin: The Creation, Corruption, and Redemption of Money: https://a.co/d/6lO35ZP

Learn more about Thank God For Bitcoin Media: https://tgfb.com/

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The Theology Pugcast is a ministry of Trinity Reformed Church in Huntsville Alabama. To view more media from TRC, visit their website: https://trinityreformedkirk.com/trc-media/