Today the Pugs reflect on a remarkable essay by Jon Haidt in which he correlates the mental health of young people since 2013 and their sex and political outlook. The mental health of all young people has been getting worse, but it is worst for liberal girls and it is best for conservative boys. Why 2013? And why does sex and political outlook make a difference? These are the questions that the Pugs ponder. Please join us for the conversation. Here's a link to the article if you'd like to read it yourself--https://www.thefp.com/p/why-the-mental-health-of-liberal

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Today's show looks at Jacques Ellul's 'Those whom God wishes to destroy He first Makes Mad' from his book The Betrayal of the West. Tom introduces the topic by looking at how civilizational self-contempt became a defining orientation of Western cultures once it took a nihilistic and idolatrous turn from the Christian vision. Once culture lost its ground and aims in true transcendence the meaning and purpose at the heart of things was eclipsed and everything become seen as limiting and oppressing the only cultural value left: absolute autonomy. The guys join the discussion with fascinating insights into how irrationality and madness now largely define the times.

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The Man Who Was Thursday is considered by many critics to be G.K. Chesterton’s masterpiece. Published in 1908, it has never gone out of print. It’s simultaneously a comedy, a mystery, a philosophical action-thriller, a spoof on anarchism and German philosophy, and a serial romp from the real into the surreal and back. The guys talk about the book, its themes, and its relevance for today. Spoiler alert: you can’t deal with the book without giving away some of the plot, but hopefully not too much. And even with the spoilers, the book has a lot more going on than just the plotline.

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Today the Pugsters take up the notorious Klaus Schawb's prediction for an ideal future: "You will own nothing and you will be happy." Just what sort of human being would you need to be in order for this to be appealing, or even make sense. Chris proposes--you would need to be a plastic pleasure monkey. But is that so? Or are there other truer ways to think about human beings? If so, what are they? On today's show the guys turn to Christian metaphysics, Aristotle, and the US Declaration of Independence to find out!

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Order Jason Cherry’s The Making of Evangelical Spirituality: https://a.co/d/5LdNXiu

This week’s show engages one dimension of our current identity crisis in the West by attending the increasing loss of our ability to discern, define, and acknowledge the distinction between created natures and purposes and the artificial and constructed. Tom, Chris and Glenn unpack the topic by looking at the history of this loss and some of its core ingredients: theological and philosophical errors about divinity, creation, humanity and the increased use of scientific technique in bending nature to our will and wishes. In looking at the character and consequences of this shift in Western thought and culture, the guys discuss some of the rich analysis of Oliver O’Donovan in his classic work: Begotten or Made? and Mathias Desmit’s work: The Psychology of Totalitarianism.

Order Begotten of Made? from the Davenant Institute: https://davenantinstitute.org/begotten-or-made

Order The Psychology of Totalitarianism: https://a.co/d/5m2mK54

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This week’s Pugcast has another special guest. While Glenn is still away, Tom and Chris are joined by Labin Duke, the Executive Director of the Blake Center for Faith and Freedom of Hillsdale College in Somers, Connecticut.  Labin introduces our audience to the fascinating history, mission, and vision of the Center. Extending the reach of the Hillsdale vision of faith and freedom into the spiritual and political barrenness of New England is bold yet opportune. The gentleman unpack the challenges as well as opportunities of such a venture as Mr. Duke further gives details about the upcoming programs offered by the Center. You’ll not want to miss this rich interview.

Learn more about the Blake Center at blakecenter.hillsdale.edu

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Like The Theology Pugcast? Check out another show sponsored by Trinity Reformed Church in Huntsville AL: ‘Got a Minute?’ Theology, Philosophy, Economics, Politics (and more) for normal people. Featuring Rich Lusk, Larson Hicks, and the occasional special guest!

https://open.spotify.com/show/4fswVZmNEfSXA1JLZzgPhj

On today’s show Chris and Tom host the show without Glenn, but they are joined by Michael Warren Davis, author of the entertaining and informative book, The Reactionary Mind. Mike helps the pugs understand the differences between conservatives and reactionaries, and why genuine conservatives are actually the latter. Along the way the conversation ambles from Savonarola (a good guy) to Nom Chomsky (a very bad one). Tune in and see why you might actually be a reactionary and why that’s a good thing.

Find Michael at https://commonman.substack.com/

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Like The Theology Pugcast? Check out another show sponsored by Trinity Reformed Church in Huntsville AL: ‘Got a Minute?’

Theology, Philosophy, Economics, Politics (and more) for normal people. Featuring Rich Lusk, Larson Hicks, and the occasional special guest!

https://open.spotify.com/show/4fswVZmNEfSXA1JLZzgPhj

Few people today know about the remarkable career of Sabine Baring Gould. Anglican priest, father of fifteen, archaeologist, anthropologist, author of novels, short stories, hymns, biographies, and travelogues, amateur painter and ironworker, translator, preserver of folk music, the list goes on and on. Tony Esolen commented that he could only have lived in the nineteenth century. Using Baring Gould’s life as a starting point, the guys discuss Tony’s comment, examining why the nineteenth century produced such a wide-ranging genius, where we might find them today, and what we can do to begin recovering similar capacities today.

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Like The Theology Pugcast? Check out another show sponsored by Trinity Reformed Church in Huntsville AL: ‘Got a Minute?’

Theology, Philosophy, Economics, Politics (and more) for normal people. Featuring Rich Lusk, Larson Hicks, and the occasional special guest!

https://open.spotify.com/show/4fswVZmNEfSXA1JLZzgPhj

Listen in for a quick Q&A following yesterday’s episode: The New Asceticism 

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Like The Theology Pugcast? Check out another show sponsored by Trinity Reformed Church in Huntsville AL: ‘Got a Minute?’

Theology, Philosophy, Economics, Politics (and more) for normal people. Featuring Rich Lusk, Larson Hicks, and the occasional special guest!

https://open.spotify.com/show/4fswVZmNEfSXA1JLZzgPhj

In some pockets of the Protestant world ‘asceticism’ is a dirty word. It brings works righteousness and unbiblical acts of self-abuse to mind. But is that the whole story? Jesus said, ‘When you fast’ not ‘If you fast.’ In other words, it’s expected, and there’s a right way to do it. So, perhaps it comes as a surprise that self-denial is actually growing in popularity, and it’s doing so outside the church. Why is it happening, and what should we think about it. Tune in for the conversation!

Article by Matthew Crawford: https://unherd.com/2022/12/the-politics-of-masturbation/

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Like The Theology Pugcast? Check out another show sponsored by Trinity Reformed Church in Huntsville AL: ‘Got a Minute?’ Theology, Philosophy, Economics, Politics (and more) for normal people. Featuring Rich Lusk, Larson Hicks, and the occasional special guest!

https://open.spotify.com/show/4fswVZmNEfSXA1JLZzgPhj