The Uncensored Unprofessor

In this conversation with Political Science professor Darren Guerra I ask, were the Founders Christian? Or better, how were they? What were they doing with their faith that is so lacking in the contemporary Church? What is presentism and how does it shape people's assessment of history? What were the Founders' core commitments about being human? What did they borrow from Greek philosophy to build society? Why do core principles matter so much? And, why oh why did they value the Old Testament so much?

Memes this episode counters: "American Christians are too patriotic!"; "America was not really founded in a Christian worldview"; "America was started as an evil nation"; and, "American Christianity is too darned American!" In a quest for historical nuance, I critically work through the Declaration of Independence to discern the worldview of the Founders.

For 20 years I've been studying progressive ideology from a philosophical angle. Eric Hoffer wrote a book 70 years ago that peeled my eyeballs back about the psychology and sociology of mass movements. What ingredients fuel a mass movement? Why do mass movements become a holy cause? Why is there such credulity among those who join mass movements? I also ask more critical questions about the vaccine mandates.

How do governmental vaccine mandates mirror an episode of the Twilight Zone I saw as a kid? How are officials going around the Constitution to censor freedom? What does "enlightened despotism" mean? The Bible teaches God is sovereign. Given evil's existence, how is that possible? Is God a puppet-master kind of king? What does belief in God's utter control do to social engagement?

I'm concerned that millions of church folk are not, in fact, Christians. How do I assess that? By what criterion? I also unpack mercy and grace as critical components of a Christian worldview; grand examples and daily examples. Along the way I tell a couple stories about having worked at a Burger King as a young man. Come think and laugh with me.

Stemming from God's character—perfect love permeated with pure holiness—Christians celebrate justice. Pertinent for today, we have to ask how that compares with a Postmodern sense of justice. So for example, if society is undergoing a "new rising consciousness" how should Christians process justice? I also reflect on Joe Biden's recent vaccine mandate speech and strategize about how to dialogue with a Postmodernist.

Long before Jesus walked on to the historical stage the ancient Hebrews celebrated life. They were themselves surrounded by cultures that promoted death. Building on that, Jesus upped the ante by emphasizing life eternal. What are the implications of all that for life today? For being a disciple? For babies? What do I think about the new Texas pro-life law?

The Christian worldview is dynamic because it is literate, shaped by eternity, and in touch with transcendence. How are those grounded? How do they play out? What does that mean across life? How, in their respective ways, do each of those three help to make life more meaningful and beautiful? I also discuss what has been the cause of my disorienting dreams.

I refer to it all the time: a Christian worldview. But what is it? What essential elements go into such a worldview? How does that worldview compare to common philosophic and religious worldviews? Or, how does it compare to a postmodern worldview? I explore how the Bible presents reality, the infection, and the topic of agency. Come laugh with me!

Michelangelo's painting of creation on the ceiling of the Sistine chapel is genius not only for its artistic composition but its psychological insight. I take Michelangelo's insights and combine those with Nero playing his fiddle while Rome is burning. Oh, and I tell an exciting tale of victory in a recent league golf match. Come laugh and think with me!