Virtue In The Wasteland Podcast

Modern art and art critic and author, Dr. Daniel Seidell, all while we watch a muted game 2 of the World Series. What does art provide? Is there a way in which beauty might bring us back to truth? And what does that mean? Maybe our favorite show. This cat is the real deal.  Too much fun amidst profound exploration of ideas.  

Dr. Deen is a Faithful Masks Fellow, a 1517 Thinking Fellow, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Concordia University, Irvine, and a dude who specializes in the ethics of belief.  We think virtue is the way out of the intellectual wasteland, and we discuss ways to move forward with respect to perplexing issues like science and religion, and reproductive ethics.

World War I, the Lost Generation, postmodernity, continental philosophy, and the US presidential contenders, like Trump, Clinton, Bush, and Sanders.   We don't recount all the events, we just put them into context. virtueinthewasteland.com faithfulmasks.org 1517legacy.com

Dr. Olson is chair of Exercise Sports Science at Concordia University, where he also serves as Assistant Dean.  He helps us sort out the confusion of the idea of getting healthy.  We learn that we don't know a lot.  Nor do many of the famous gurus.  We unlearn some things and learn other things.  And we have a bit of fun.

After back tracking to discuss monasticism as an option for cultural (dis)engagement, we discuss the valuable contributions of the Enlightenment, ending with a warning that, despite its gifts, not all was well during the autumn of the progressive era.

Fatherhood, the Prodigal Son, and grace in the home.  Scott Keith is an Associate Dean of Students and Adjunct Professor of Theology at Concordia University, Irvine.  He is also a Thinking Fellow of 1517 The Legacy Project.  Here, he discusses his new book On Being Dad, available at NRP Books and on Amazon.  

Transhumanism, theology, cyborgs, and what to do about it all.  We discuss H+ as a movement, focussing on the ideas of super-longevity, super-intelligence, and super-wellbeing.  Ray Kurtzweil's dream of living forever on a digital platform may come true; if it does, Jeff requests his consciousness be kept on a Mac OS not a PC.   Dr. Oesch is Associate Professor of Theology and director of the MA in Theology at Concordia University, Irvine.  He is also the creator and essayist on fishingforleviathan.com.  

We look for the resources from sages past to see how they figured out how to live at peace and find virtue in our cultural wasteland.  A bit of ancient philosophy like Taoism and a discussion of Seneca, Sextus Empiricus, Luther, and Calvin.

This one's a bit of a downer.  We explore some reasons why we are all, whatever we think about the grass on someone else's side, terribly stuck.  We are stuck in this penultimate world hoping for ultimate victory but sometimes unable to see it.  We still believe everything is going to be ok.  That doesn't mean every day between now and our deaths will be an easy road.  No sir.  No ma'am.  We begin a theme for fall: the Fall.  Why can't we expect political, ecclesiastical, and mental health utopias?  Cause it's all fallen.  But it's all redeemable.  Let's try and press on together, dear listener.  Moral courage and sincere humility are where we start.  Hope is our banner.  But we must first face the abyss.  Here's the show mainly about the abyss.  

Jeff and Dan discuss the personal development that occurs through travel and by being open to new people and experiences even near home.  Jeff shares a series of insights he and his son Auggie drafted while watching the sun set over the Yulong river. 

Are things getting better or worse?  What do the statistics say about crime and can we trust them.  Faithful Masks fellow Dr. Kristen Koenig helps answer these questions.

What to wear and the history of style just in time for back to school wardrobe upgrades.  Maybe deeper stuff too.

By letting three outside observers reflect on American culture, we reflect on the nature of the American spirit, our anxieties, and our hopes.  History, religion, and politics.  Join our expedition.   virtueinthewasteland.com faithfulmasks.org 1517legacy.com

The history, famous personalities, and social importance of fundamentalism in America.   virtueinthewasteland.com faithfulmasks.org 1517legacy.com

Is Harper Lee's novel worth reading?  Does it disappoint us about the complexity of racism in America?  Listen up and find out.

Reinke discusses the back story and aftermath of the circumstances surrounding the critically-acclaimed documentary, "The Overnighters" (2014), winner of several awards, including the Sundance special award for best documentary.  This is an amazing conversation, reflecting on the work of Reinke and his LCMS congregation to help displaced workers who came to North Dakota to benefit from the fracking boom.  Reinke is by no means a perfect guy, he never claims to be.  But he also has a way of inspiring folks to consider radical hospitality and grace--even to the unloveable. He is an underdog, and a champion of underdogs.  That isn't always a formula for earthly succes.  Perhaps the best quote from our guest (who had a good many): "Love is not an investment. Love is a gift."     virtueinthewasteland.com faithfulmasks.org 1517legacy.com thejaggedword.com

What do you do when you hate what you do?  Before that, we discuss emails and feedback related to our previous show.  We share a bit about what's been going on this summer with our family vacations. We reveal a dream Jeff's dad had about the nature of this life's journey.  We read through and discuss a letter a young Hunter S. Thompson wrote to a friend.   virtueinthewasteland.com faithfulmasks.org 1517legacy.com

Gay marriage, the constitution, ethics, Christianity, and America.   Will the 14th Amendment threaten the 1st Amendment?  Is there a difference between what is legal and what is moral?  Should conservative Christians be as upset as they are about the recent Supreme Court decision?   On this show, we risk upsetting everyone from right to left.  We challenge the conservative view that the sky is falling.  We challenge the view of those who want to use the state to further biblical positions.  We agree with some of the concerns of the consevative, dissenting justices on points of law, and yet suggest that the overall outcome is a reasonable one.

What is pietism, who were the Pietists, and why does this all matter for contemporary American culture?   We chat about Wesley, Zinzendorf, Spener, Arndt, Haugee etc.

Narnia, myth, mere Christianity, and how to be both faithful and willing to play nice with others. Dr. Mueller is Dean of Christ College, Concordia University Irvine, where he is also a Prof. of Theology.  He is the author of several books, including Called to Believe, Teach, and Confess: An Introduction to Doctrinal Theology (Wipf & Stock, 2005), Not a Tame God (CPH, 2002), and The Reformation Heritage Bible Commentary (CPH, 2015).