The Pugcast

As new forms of immodesty become fashionable and impact our everyday wolds in innumerable ways, dimensions of what is broken in us often remain what is 'hidden' or ignored. Tom and the guys engage this topic, especially from the insight that as image bearers we are imitative by nature, and when this is broken in us, we imitate badly, and also want to be imitated in our broken image.   Support...

In this episode, Glenn talks about four causes of civilizational collapse: mass migration combined with corrupt and ineffectual government; sexual license; loss of belief in society and its values, and massive deficit spending. The guys talk about each of these, and, given that they are all are in place in America right now, discuss how we should be responding in our families and churches.  ...

Today we are joined by Annie Crawford, a cultural apologist, a classical educationalist, and home-school mom. Today we discuss the incredible C. S. Lewis, a Pugcast favorite, and the wealth of his contribution to preserving ancient wisdom as it was received and refashioned in accordance with the Christian faith, especially its sacramental vision of reality in Christ. We cover a wide range of topic...

Richard Niebuhr's classic, Christ and Culture has shaped the way we understand the relationship of the church and culture by assuming that what we mean by "Christ" when we discuss Christ and culture is Christian ethics. But is that the right place to start? Shouldn't ontology be the starting place since all things were created by Christ and for him? (Col. 1:15-17) If we take this as our starting p...

Culture, especially its charged symbolism. After unpacking insights from church fathers like Tertullian and Augustine, in their Christian critiques of Public Spectacle Events, the gang enters into important discussion about the impact, function, and role of current Celebrity, Popular Culture, and Spectacles like the Super Bowl, and ponder Christian ways of reading, relating to, going to war with t...

Today’s episode was prompted by responses to an admittedly provocative post Glenn put up on Facebook that generated some virulently antisemitic remarks from Christians. The guys explore the problem of antisemitism, the common ground between the far right and the progressive left, group identity, and a range of related topics.   Support the Pugcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/the...

Today the Pugs are joined by the Executive Editor of American Reformer, Timon Cline. Timon is a lawyer, and a writer, and a deep thinker about the political implications of the Christian faith. Political theology might be a new term for you, and if you had a public school education--and even a certain form of Christian education--the term might even seem sinister to you. But hopefully by the time...

Today the Pugs are a little short-handed--Tom isn't feeling well. But we do have Rosaria Butterfield with us to discuss her new book, Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age. It was a wonderful and free-ranging discussion that touched on many things, among them the subject of what time it is. And while it was a sober assessment on the sorry state of Big Eva and the heretical trends in that world, it w...

Today the Pugcast welcomes Dr. David Talcott, professor of philosophy at New Saint Andrews College and all around good guy to the show. David has a new book on Plato published by Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing. Today on the show we ask David to clear up a number of falsehoods people believe about Plato. It was an enjoyable conversation and we welcome you to listen in!   Order Dr. Talcot...

Today Chris shares some fascinating passages from a book entitled: Intellectual Appetite--A Theological Grammar by Paul J. Griffiths. In the book Griffiths contrasts two forms of intellectual appetite: "curiositas" and "studiositas" and why one form of knowledge enriches the soul while the other degrades it. Join us as we discuss forbidden knowledge!   Support the Pugcast on Patreon: https://...

In this episode, Glenn gives a quick history of Islam’s Golden Age in Spain and its role in spreading Greek thought into Europe. The guys talk about the impact of Aristotelian texts coming out of Spain, the roots of nominalism and voluntarism in Islamic thought, and the end of the Hellenistic Islam of the Golden Age due to a resurgence of conservative Islam.   Support the Pugcast on Pat...

Have you ever wondered why evangelical elites when they get a platform in The New York Times, or The Atlantic Monthly never have anything good to say about their fellow evangelicals? We have too. Turns out Andrew T. Walker, Opinions Page Editor at World Magazine is wondering why too. So, he wrote about it in National Review. Andrew is one of the editors that Chris works with regularly, and Andrew...

Today’s show looks at the topic of ‘glory’ and suffering in light of the Incarnation of Christ. Tom introduces the topic and draws upon Augustine’s early chapters of the City of God, where Augustine engages the topic of suffering and glory as he contrasts the Christian vision with Pagan (especially Roman) notions. Glenn and Chris help unpack this important topic as the gang...

In this episode, the Pugsters talk about the Christmas sermons preached by St. Augustine, focusing particularly on his descriptions of all of the paradoxes of the Incarnation. Christ’s Incarnation combines the infinite and the finite, the transcendent and the immanent, and so provides lots of fodder for discussion and especially for wonder. Merry Christmas!   Sermon’s referenced b...

The 20th century might go down as the most horrific century of them all with hundreds of millions killed by their own governments. But there were authors who predicted that things would get even worse. There was George Orwell, of course, and 1984, and Aldous Huxley, and Brave New World, and even Ray Bradbury, and Fahrenheit 451. But each of those visions has a blind spot. But the most prescient ma...

On today's show Tom introduces a timely topic about the birth of Christ and some of its historical consequences. Chris and Glenn jump in with a host of insights and reflections. What exactly did the angelic announcement of 'peace on earth and goodwill towards men' mean now that the Prince of Peace has arrived? What does it mean for us? Also, how are we encouraged by the biblical imagery to revamp...

Kemper Crabb joins the Pugsters once again for a conversation about mysterious creatures mentioned in the Bible, including particularly satyrs (Hebrew sa’iyr) and dragons (Hebrew taninim or leviathan), with cameos by behemoth and Lilith. The conversation then turns to how Christians can recover a supernatural worldview and the necessity to do so, given that much of the culture is already mov...

Today Chris reflects on an OpEd he wrote for World Magazine responding to an article in the Wall Street Journal: "What if Men Could Make Their Own Egg Cells?" While the title seemed entirely speculative the article revealed that some scientists are actually making "progress" when it comes to this. Why is it that so many people--including some Christians--can't see the down side to technological de...

On today's show Tom introduces the topic through a few articles written in response to Adam Kirsch's new book: The Revolt Against Humanity, where Kirsch unpacks and positively promotes the case for welcoming 'the end of humanity's reign'. Two writers from a symposium respond to this disturbing trend: Noel Gertz and Gilbert Meilaender. The guys interact with the content and engage the trend from a...

Two themes swept through evangelicalism in the 1980s and 90s--they were "Church Growth" and "Contextualization." Both were the promoted by Fuller Theological Seminary. The Church Growth faculty at Fuller drew on social science, and research on what was successful in foreign mission fields. What they failed to incorporate into their theories is the intellectual tradition of the post Christian west....

Do you have the feeling that something has gone terribly wrong with evangelicalism? Today the Pugs talk with Michael Clary author of, God’s Good Design. The topic is the drift into approval of sexual sin by a growing number of Pastors and Christians throughout the western world. What happened, and what can be done? Michael and the pugs discuss the prospects for evangelicalism.   Order G...

Working off a Breakpoint article written by Glenn, the guys discuss the situation in Israel and Gaza. Glenn begins with a brief overview of Zionism and the history of modern Israel before the discussion moves to the conduct of war, terrorism, and the worldview ideas that connect the woke left and Hamas.   Read Glenn’s Article: https://breakpoint.org/barbaric-norms-hamas-israel-and-just-...

Increasingly many people think the world we live in is unsustainable. When that is said in some circles climate change comes to mind. But at a social level, with the continued erosion of social life, healthy families, and a loss of local control at a community level, social conservatives say the same thing. What's happening? Today the Pugcast is joined by political philosopher, Patrick Deneen, aut...

Here’s a little sample of what’s in store for the Rogue Food Conference at WPC, November 3-4.     Grab your tickets to Joel Goes Rogue: the Bible and Food Freedom on November 3rd: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/joel-salatin-goes-rogue-tickets-716483149387?aff=oddtdtcreator   Grab your tickets to The Rogue Food Conference on November 4th: The Rogue Food Conference is a sepa...

We live in interesting times. One of the more interesting features of it has to do with arts and entertainment and how new technologies are upsetting the applecart of established media. With streaming services little guys can now compete with the big guys. Today the Pugs interview Jason Farley of Loor TV about these opportunities and how Christians who happen to be film-makers and writers are taki...