The Great Controversy: Biblical Basis

Aaand we're back.  Thanks for sticking around as we're transitioning.  Dale's moved away, so we're figuring out the logistics and technical details of recording in two places at once.  In the meantime, I will be trying to write more here.  But this week, enjoy a new podcast.

After our last podcast I was talking with a friend and listener about the value of the Great Controversy as a narrative framework for understanding God, the Bible and life.  She asked about the Biblical basis for the narrative--a good question.  Admittedly, for Dale and I, this story is so much a part of our thought and life (and has been for so long) that it's difficult to try to go back to the beginning, to figure out how one might put this all together from just the Bible.  So, this isn't a comprehensive Bible study, but more a general discussion of some key points and ideas and relevant Bible passages and ideas.  We'd love to hear if you have any insights to add to the discussion.

Enjoy.

The Great Controversy: Biblical Basis

Hopefully we'll be back with another podcast next week.

The Great Controversy: The Narrative - Part 2

This week we finish telling how we understand the Great Controversy.  What has happened in the past matters, but so does the ending.  Thus we continue on, talking about the various parties involved and tracing how the story has developed since Christ.  How does a story end when the point isn't power and control?  When domination can't be the means of resolution?

This podcast is a little shorter than usual, but some of you will appreciate that.

The Great Controversy Narrative 2

If Nothing We Do Matters, All That Matters Is What We Do

We're back.  This should be the beginning of another run of regular weekly podcasts, just in time for school.  Of course, few of you are students anymore, but whatever.  You may notice we've updated the website.  Please bear with us as we're still working out some kinks.  For those who are interested, email subscription is now up and running.  You'll find the form in the right-hand column.  There are also a few more things we'd like to get done if we can find time.


This latest podcast is one we've been working towards for a while.  It explains one of the central ideas we often return to: "if nothing we do matters, all that matters is what we do."  This statement summarizes a great many different aspects of our thinking.  I apologize in advance for the length.  We still have material left to cover, but hopefully this at least clarifies the idea.  The statement comes from an episode of "Angel" which was a spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, by one of our favourite storytellers, Joss Whedon.  The story may seem a little odd to some of you, but bear with us.  The idea is profound.  Interestingly enough, Joss Whedon once referred to this particular quote to summarize his own beliefs.  (Maybe someday we'll actually get to have this conversation with him.)

Anywayz, this should hopefully be the last podcast laying out the ideas and language we regularly return to.  Next week we're hoping to begin a series exploring the ideas presented at the "A Third Way" conference we recently returned from.  Until then, enjoy.

If Nothing We Do Matters, All That Matters Is What We Do

Freedom as Responsibility: David's Thesis Part 2

Well, the week has flown by.  Here's the second part of our discussion of my thesis, picking up with "the contest for meaning."  Our central question this week is how do we speak our stories and listen to others without simply looking to win?  This is a huge driving question for me.  Our discussion drifts through Idle No More, Butler and Spivak's "Who Speaks the Nation-State?", and the relationships between language, identity, culture and nationhood.  Enjoy.  And please comment!

Freedom as Responsibility Part 2

Responding to Violence: Security, Responsibility and the Nation-State in Light of the Boston Bombings, Part 2

As promised, here is part 2 of our discussion of responding to violence in light of the Boston Bombings.  The first part didn't seem adequate and raised questions that both of us continued to think on.  We decided to address some of those questions in a second podcast.  It's not enough to say "forgive" in the face of sustained violence--we must find a way to respond that limits future violence without simply escalating force and violence.  If our only response to violence is escalating use of force and power, we do not address the problem.  However, we have to go deep to change this perspective.  Our response to violence is grounded in a number of stories about individuality, community, morality, freedom and God.  Our final question is does God merely do security theater as some contend?  This week, we try to explore some of those issues a little further.

Responding to Violence: Security, Responsibility and the Nation-State in Light of the Boston Bombings, Part 2

In the future, we are aiming for Monday releases so we have time to prep the recordings over the weekend.  Sorry about the late podcast this week, but Muskwatch is hard at work revising his thesis after a successful defense.  Next week, we'll be back with The Truth About Stories, Part II.