The Pugcast

Glenn starts off the discussion with “On Weeds and Fairy Tales,” an article in Touchstone by Vigen Guroian. Guroian argues that reason and imagination work together to help us make sense of the world, but only imagination lets us get beyond facts into the realm of meaning and helping us develop a moral sense. This was one of the functions of fairy tales traditionally. But Guroian notes a number of weeds that can choke out the moral imagination which he labels the Idyllic Imagination, the Idolatrous Imagination, and the Diabolic Imagination. As usual, Tom and Chris join in the exploration of all these ideas and more.

Drawing inspiration from the Coronavirus, Glenn decided to talk about one of his favorite subjects: The Black Death.

He even brought some things for show and tell. There's a map that looks remarkably like Tolkien's map of Middle Earth, but the one Glenn brought is covered with arrows and dates which tell the tale of the spread of Plague throughout Europe. He also brought a cute little plush-toy of the deadly germ. If you'd like to see those just visit the Theology Pugcast Facebook page. And while you're there, like the page so that you can stay in touch!

In today's show Tom introduces the doctrine of "divine simplicity". The doctrine itself is simple enough, understanding its implications for theology and the work of the Church and salvation takes a bit of work.

Contemporary theologies have turned away from this classical doctrine and it is beginning to show--everything is devolving down to imminent-frame. Relevance, pragmatism, church-growth guruism--you name it--all in a breathless race to keep up with God the moving target. Whatever became of the God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever?

This show is a call back to the God in whom we live and move and have our being.

Today Chris introduces the subject of "Adiaphora"--a term which means "things indifferent". He notes that it is a fine term, so long as you use it correctly. He addresses its use by the Cynics, and then Glenn discusses briefly how it was used by some of the Reformers in a very narrow sense.

The trouble with it according to the gang is it has become a catchall for anyone who wants to shut down discussion on the meaning of certain things--reducing them to matters of taste. It is a favorite category for the Utilitarians in the church who wish to dismiss the promotion of Beauty entirely, and even narrow the application of Truth and Goodness to a very small set of concerns.

If, as Abraham Kuyper said, ‘There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!’--then how can we say something is indifferent? Everything matters to the Christian because everything belongs to Christ.

Tom, Glenn, and Chris have the week off this week--but never fear, the Pugcast hasn't let you down!

The Pugsters actually have a show that was recorded months ago and had been believed to be lost. But it's been found! The guys can't remember what was about though.

The one thing that they do remember is it was Tom's day for the topic of the day. So, listen in a long with three Pugsters who suffer from memory loss! Enjoy!

Glenn is still on the road, so Tom and Chris invited their friend Tom Plotkin to talk with them about cinema, or film, or the movies--or whatever you want to call the art form.

Tom is a former screen-writer and he worked on Buffy the Vampire Slayer as well as other Hollywood productions. Today Tom is a lawyer and a novelist living and working in Hartford, Connecticut.

Join a freewheeling conversation that takes us into Tom's childhood in Manhattan as a child a Jewish atheists to his conversion to Christianity through a remarkable supernatural event in his life. Along the way you'll learn a lot about the rarified world of "art-films"--we know that we did. Enjoy!

In today's show the guys join in the lament for the passing of conservative philosopher Sir Roger Scruton.

Tom selects a few passages on the nature of beauty from the voluminous body of work that Scruton left with us and the guys spend time reflecting not only on them, but also upon the sorry state of the world we find ourselves in. It's clear that the world needs a phalanx of Scrutons to replace him.

In today's show Glenn begins with a marvelous series of word studies ranging all the way from "enchantment" to "cosmology". His point is that our language is full of words that reflect a time when the world was full of meaning and words were spells that drew on those meanings. Undoubtedly, the very fact that we've lost the original meanings of words like "spell" and "magic" just reinforces the point that we now live in a disenchanted world.

Or do we? Tom points out in the conversation that what we actually have now is black magic. Our words now bend and twist things as we seek to dominate our world and other people. We've lost the "good magic" of Aslan and all we're left with is the "black magic" of the White Witch.

In today's episode Elizabeth Sunshine joins us again. We also inform listeners about exciting developments related to the Pugcast and it's future with the Fight, Laugh, Feast Network!

Today's show begins with Chris's memories of three LGBT networks that existed in evangelical institutions. These are not hearsay stories, the people involved remain nameless, but Chris knew them personally. Most troubling was the way these networks recruited new members and initiated them. In each case theology was twisted to provide justification for what was occurring.

The stories provide a basis for considering what is known as the "Lavender Mafia" in the Roman Catholic Church. For those unfamiliar with the term, "Lavender Mafia" is the name used by socially conservative Roman Catholics for a network of homosexual priests that many people believe exists in the Roman Catholic Church.

Chris then wonders aloud, "Is it unreasonable to suspect that something similar may exist in some places among evangelical clergy?"

This is a free-ranging discussion that includes reflections on some of the theological trends within evangelicalism and how those trends may serve these networks.

As a bonus--this show is the first one recorded on the new recording equipment. The guys are still learning how to use it, so hopefully the sound quality will improve with each episode going forward.

In today's show Chris introduces listeners to two of his favorite writers--Matthew Crawford, author of Shop Class as Soulcraft, and Eric Hoffer, author of The True Believer. Both men could be described as "blue collar intellectuals" because they actually are (or were) blue collar men. Crawford is a motorcycle mechanic and Hoffer was a stevedore (a dockworker). But even though they're blue collar, their thinking is first class, not low class.

Chris has been a blue collar guy over the years--having actually been a carpenter and a home improvement contractor. Chris uses his experience and the writing of these authors to raise the question, "Is one of the reasons that academe is so crazy these days because most academics have no real acquaintance with working with the physical world?" Tom and Glenn chime in with excellent commentary as usual.

 

Unfortunately the guys don't know how to use their new recording equipment yet--so the sound quality is not what it will soon be. Nonetheless, here is some very worthwhile content for anyone who'd like to know what it means to be a blue collar intellectual.