Postmodern Realities Podcast

The stereotype of old people as crusty, cantankerous complainers who have nothing better to do than remind young whippersnappers of how much better things used to be, tends to be supported by experiences we have with many of the elderly we meet. So its surprising when an old man or woman who does not fit this stereotype. As we age, how can we can be the kind of people who bear the burdens of old a...

Many Christians think of sports as having little to no value. They see the time, money, devotion, and energy that many put into sports as time, money, devotion, and energy that could be better used for the sake of the kingdom of God. But can we think about sports, and be involved in them, in ways that build the kingdom? Yes! To do this, however, will require that we approach sports in ways that ar...

Todays world is a laboratory for experimenting with all types of new media, and we are all creating our own ways of adopting technologies as they develop. It is not dramatic to say that these digital technologies and especially the ones we use on our computers, smartphones, and tablets we use every day, summed in the simple word app, are changing what it means to function as humans. Apps on our el...

Those familiar with the street preaching type of Hebrew Israelites have usually seen their 12 Tribes of Israel Chart. Hebrew Israelites are usually black, Hispanic, and Native Americans who claim they are the true biological descendants of Jacob from their paternal line. Hebrew Israelites of the street proselytizing variety usually trace their theological roots back to a small, New York City based...

Despite certain elements of the accounts of King David in the Hebrew Bible appearing to be legendary, there are several intriguing sources that strongly suggest that David existed and founded a dynasty and that Davids kingdom was more than a myth. Textual sources written from the perspective of the enemies of Israel and Judah mention the house of David, a clear reference to David as a dynastic fou...

Of all the public conversions from conservative evangelical too progressive, Jen Hatmakers is one of the most culturally appealing. Her trademark breezy, well timed humor penetrates to the heart of the overwhelmed American woman she gathers into her tribe and admonishes to keep up the hard work, which will, by her gritty love, save the world. This is Hatmakers gospel as you model your life on Jesu...

Steven Spielbergs made five movies featuring aliens: Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T., A.I., The War of the Worlds, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. But the really important alien movies are Spielbergs first two: Close Encounters and E.T. Like Spielbergs other early films, Jaws and Raiders of the Lost Ark, these movies refined a B movie genre into critically acclaime...

NBCs The Good Place television series has had three hilarious yet thought provoking seasons its final and fourth season begins Sept 26 2019 which tell a riveting story while examining crucial philosophical questions such as what it means to live a good life and whether we have any moral obligations to our fellow man. Along the way, viewers have been exposed to the ideas of several major figures of...

Losing the American universities is truly one of the greatest tragedies of world history. But first, why does it matter? It matters because the university is the most influential institution of western civilization. From it come our journalists, artists, doctors, lawyers, businessmen, political leaders, K 12 educators, and even future professors. As goes the university so goes the culture. Indeed,...

In the world of Self Help, a genre to which Americans are peculiarly addicted, Rachel Hollis is suddenly ascendant her diminutive figure bolstered in 6 inch heels, her flawlessly high lighted hair extensions framing her bright, inviting smile. She is the with it cream at the very top of an already fulsome pitcher. Her enthusiastic Girl, You Can Do It inspires millions of women to reach deep into t...

Are humans alone in the cosmos, or does some Divine Being watch over our lives? Is there a God who loves us, or are we left to ourselves? And how might human evil affect our ability to give an answer? Such questions arise from Cormac McCarthys 2006 Pulizter Prize winning, postapocalyptic novel The Road, a story in which the evil that has ruined the world is entirely the fault of humans. By juxtapo...

David Boonins new book Beyond Roe Why Abortion Should Be Legal Even if the Fetus Is a Person hits the shelves as the world ramps up the political wars over abortion. The Supreme Courts ideological make up may have shifted for the first time in decades as a result of President Trumps appointments of Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. Abortion rights supporters fear that Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme...

Watching a respected Christian walk away from his or her Christian faith the theological term is apostatize can be deeply disorienting. It leads us to ask all sorts of questions What argument against Christianity did they find so persuasive, and would I be persuaded by that same argument? What happened to them to make them exchange the Christian worldview for one so radically different? If they we...

A film review of I Am Mother Directed by Grant Sputore Streaming on Netflix, TV 14, 2019 Editors Note: Warning! This article contains plot spoilers for the film I Am Mother. Connoisseurs of science fiction cinema may not all agree on the core list of great making properties of a film or television series, but many would acknowledge that strong philosophical themes are a key element of a compelling...

Move over, Harry Potter there is a new icon in magical fantasy entertainment, and her name is Sabrina. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina CAOS, a Netflix series now in its second season April 2019, has fast become one of the most popular shows on TV, ranked second behind the recently ended HBO series Game of Thrones. Based on the Archie comics of the same name by Roberto Aguierre Sacasa, this companio...

The leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints LDS, or Mormon have reversed a Church policy that was implemented just three and a half years earlier. The original policy made on November 3, 2015, stated how a natural or adopted child of a parent living in a same gender relationship, whether the couple is married or cohabiting, may not receive a name and a blessing. In addition, the...

Hardly a day goes by without an editorial or video being published by a concerned parent lamenting their childrens obsession with Fortnite. If you are a parent yourself, as summer approaches, you are likely bracing yourself for the barrage of requests for more screen time to play with friends. From June 2018 to March 2019, Fortnites player base grew from 125 million players to 250 million, making...

Since it is a safe generalization to say that every person who has ever lived has experienced evil in some form or fashion, including pain and suffering, answering the problem of evil is a formidable task. Due to the breadth and depth of the effects of evil, the problem of evil is not only the number one intellectual obstacle to belief in God, but also the number one emotional obstacle to belief i...

Ban Conversion Therapy is the current rallying cry of the gay rights movement. Across the United States, LGBTQ activists and their allies call for the criminalization of counseling geared to helping people turn from homosexual behavior a form of counsel often labeled Conversion Therapy, and most of that counseling is provided by Christian counselors, pastors, or ministry leaders. Conversion Therap...

Early on the morning of May 5, 2019, Rachel Held Evans, only 37, died suddenly after a brief hospitalization. She left behind her husband, two very young children, and a theological legacy that will take years to unravel. She was immediately and intensely mourned on Twitter, her preferred social media platform and a Christian subcultural space she helped shape. Evans fled Bible belt evangelicalism...

It seems like every student copies others homework and to some students it seems as if teachers dont care if students cheat. And so, the copying proceeds without a thought or care. The assignment is turned in with the confident hope of a perfect score. The over inflated grade point average is maintained, along with the future hope for admission into a prestigious college and, ultimately, a posh jo...

Editors Note: This conversation includes plot spoilers from the film Tolkien. The new film biopic Tolkien covers the early years of the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. This podcast is a conversation about J.R.R. Tolkiens early life, his Christian faith, themes in his work, his love of languages, and why his work has such staying power more than seventy five years after firs...

In her new bestselling book, Shameless A Sexual Reformation, Nadia Bolz Weber, a foul mouthed, irreverent, tattoo covered pastor, posits that the traditional Christian view of sex has resulted in damaged souls who are mistreated, confused, angered, and or wounded by the shaming sexual messages so prevalent in religion. Her thesis is that the Christian church for centuries has tried to control huma...

Sometimes our evangelism efforts have been received with angry outbursts and personal insults by those rejecting God and the Bible. What should we do when those with whom we share the gospel are adverse? Sometimes Christians quote Matthew 7:6, Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you ESV to posit that there are...

Christians concerns for social justice have a rich history, rooted in the Lords commands and compassion revealed in Scripture. Biblically, justice is grounded ultimately in Gods character, who is just and calls us to be just because we are made in His image. Thus, the standard for justice is universal it is Gods communicable attribute, which is immaterial. While Christians agree that people should...