The Pugcast

In today's show Chris introduces a subject that he's written a lot about: productive property.

Sometimes it is called "real property"--but whatever the name, we're not talking about your tooth brush here. Where talking about what the Founding Fathers had in mind when they limited the franchise to holders of property. They believed that productive property is essential for liberty.

It still is.

Chris is joined by Glenn and Tom for another wide-ranging discussion.

In today's show Chris introduces Glenn and Tom to the work of sociologist and paleo-conservative Robert Nisbet. 

Nisbet was a sociologist and professor at Columbia, and his work reflects a time when sociologists were liberally educated and could draw on the thinking of the likes of Alexis de Tocqueville and Edmund Burke as well as classical philosophy and theology. Nisbet's best known work, The Quest for Community had a strong influence on Chris's thinking. It is particularly evident in Chris's book, Man of the House. 

During the course of the conversation the Pugsters discuss the various schools of thought that are often thrown together under the label "conservatism": libertarianism, classical liberalism, and paleo-conservatism. Seeing as most listeners are unfamiliar with the last of these labels, and that it is also the school of thought Chris, Tom, and Glenn most strongly identify with, they spend some time defining each while explaining why paleo-conservatism is actually genuine conservatism.

Here are some helpful links for further study: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Nisbet, The Quest for Community, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleoconservatism

Just because someone is wrong about one thing, doesn't mean he's wrong about everything. And just because someone is right about many things, doesn't mean he's right about everything.

Since the days of the Church Fathers Christians have had mixed feelings when it comes to Plato. It today's show Glenn returns to the theme of Platonism and what is indispensable in it. Perhaps we can even think about philosophical truth in the same way we think about truths that scientists discover concerning the workings of the physical world, philosophy may be able to tell us about immaterial structures and their workings--especially as they pertain to intrinsic meaning and the power of language to convey truth.

Glenn is joined by Chris and by special guest, Dr. Ray Pennoyer, professor of philosophy.

In today's show, Tom outlines the coup against theology in academe. 

Believe it or not, once upon a time theology ran the show. We can still see that in the pomp and circumstance at many college graduations--the theology faculty lead the way, followed by philosophy, then the other disciplines. Here's another fact--those disciplines back in the day were actually branches of theology, working out theological truths within various branches of study. 

What happened? 

Listen in as Tom, Glenn, and Chris talk about the demise of theology and its relegation to matters pertaining to the inner lives of religious people.

Perhaps the most controversial character in all of Tolkien's writing is Tom Bombadil. People seem to either love him or hate him.  But regardless how you feel about him, most people can't figure out why he's even in the Lord of the Rings. What's the point of the man in the blue jacket and the yellow boots? Certainly Peter Jackson thought he was expendable. He isn't even in the film version of the story. Was he inserted to make Tolkien's children happy? Was Tolkien providing a little filler to buy time because he was still working out the plot? Chris thinks that Tolkien was up to far more than people give him credit for when it comes to Bombadil. Chris actually thinks that you don't really understand Tolkien, or the Lord of the Rings, until you receive Bombadil into your heart. Listen in as Chris, Tom, and Glenn discuss the meaning of the mysterious Tom Bombadil!

Today we welcome to the show a friend of Glenn Sunshine: Francis Jabba, Disciple Making Coordinator for New Harvest Global Ministries in 16 African countries.

Reports of the spectacular growth of Christianity in Africa are well known. What is less known is how it is happening. Glenn has visited Africa and has reported on the growth of the church in the book he co-wrote with Jerry Trousdale, The Kingdom Unleashed. In today's show the Pugcasters interview one of the leaders of this phenomenal movement. There were many remarkable things that they learned in the course of the interview--an important one being how Islam is growing in Africa through a combination of biological growth, conversion through marriage, business dealings with strings attached, and the building of mosques.

The show is a bit of a departure from the standard Pugcast fare--but that shouldn't surprise our listeners, the range of conversation on the show is pretty broad.

Here is a link to Glenn's book on Amazon.

If you would like to donate to this important work in West Africa here is the contact information: New Harvest Global Ministries, P.O. Box 681691, Franklin TN. 37068. New Harvest's website is www.newharvestglobal.org 

If you want to give a donation for Francis’s building, put “Francis Jabba building fund” in the Memo.

In today's show the Pugsters interview Dr. Benjamin Merkle, President of New Saint Andrews College.

The show was recorded before an enthusiastic audience and at a different venue than the venerable Corner Pug. In this show the Pugcast invades the renowned Willimantic Brewing Company--one of the best brewpubs in Connecticut. 

Dr. Merkle provides great insight into the philosophy and methods of classical learning, and Tom and Ben even get to reminisce about their days at Oxford. It was a lot of fun. We hope that you enjoy it.

In today's show Glenn explains how some evangelicals have managed to climb onto the critical theory bandwagon.

He begins with a quick overview of the modernist-fundamentalist controversy of the late 19th and early 20th century, he then shows how this created a void that critical theory has recently filled.

Tom and Chris along with Glenn point out the Marxist roots of critical theory, underscoring its materialism and its agonism--i.e. "progress through violence". (That's why there's no reasoning with critical theory--words, even reason itself--are merely other means for getting your way.)

Can "progressive evangelicals" find their way out of this morass? The Lord knows and time will tell--but the Pugcasters are not hopeful.

In today's show Chris and the guys put "niceness" into the Aristotle Virtue Analyzer to see if it makes the grade. They determined that it depends on the political economy you find yourself in. If it is a consumerist global fantasy-land--well, it's a virtue.

But is that a place that human beings really want to live--it means no history, no transcendence, and no depth. It's all here and now and on the surface.

But can such an inhuman and false community even last? Perhaps "niceness" still means what it meant in 12th century, "Stupid". https://www.etymonline.com/word/nice

Today's show features new number music by Chris's oldest son, Caleb!

In today's show Tom begins an exploration of the ideology of environmentalism and the ways that the monism underlying it is infiltrating churches and theologies that wish to be seen as "relevant".

Glenn and Chris push the discussion into the works of Tolkien as a faithful alternative for those who wish to cherish the created order as a gift in contrast to popular environmental ideologies.

The show is a bit noisy and a little choppy because it was recorded in the main part of the pub (we were exiled from the backroom by paying customers!), and Chris received a call that he couldn't ignore late in the show.