Orthodox priest, speaker, writer and long time friend of FTF joins Heers to talk about his ministry, the challenges men and women face in contemporary culture, and of course, the structure of reality. This one goes deep and you wont want to miss a second! Links: St. Paisios Brotherhood - https://www.stpaisiosbrotherhood.com/ Bulgakov, Philosophy of Economy - https://tinyurl.com/2p8dvwac Pageau, The Language of Creation - https://tinyurl.com/6mfk9p2f WAWTAR now has a Facebook group: Why Are We Ta...
May 11, 2022•1 hr 12 min
From a recent talk that John gave concerning the death and dying in the Old World. How do different cultures confront the ultimate unknown? And what is the status of the soul in our modern age? WAWTAR now has a Facebook group: Why Are We Talking About (More) Rabbits? Join us for more conversation at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/797121200908155 If you like this podcast, please consider leaving a review with your comments. Your support keeps this podcast alive and allows us to broaden our disc...
May 04, 2022•33 min
A growing trend in the NBA for seasons now has been the rise in players missing game time. As in more and more players are missing more and more games (previously unimaginable). is this laziness? Or is a reflection of something deeper, something tied to our western work ethic that is breaking down? WAWTAR now has a Facebook group: Why Are We Talking About (More) Rabbits? Join us for more conversation at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/797121200908155 If you like this podcast, please consider le...
Apr 26, 2022•29 min
On a recent (domestic!) flight, Heers had the chance to see a rather interesting movie called the Night of the Kings, from the Ivory Coast (link below). The story it tells is fascinating and old world, but does everyone receive the story in the same way? Are other narratives constructed to fit a particular world view? Here comes a heavy dose of universal storytelling...lightly. Links: Night of the Kings - https://tinyurl.com/344s66vy WAWTAR now has a Facebook group: Why Are We Talking About (Mor...
Apr 20, 2022•28 min
Most of us at one point or another have been on the receiving end of that phrase. Maybe we've even dished it out a few times. But what can this seemingly innocuous statement tell us about the culture we live in? To do that we go back to Aristotle and Plato and it gets old world fast here on WAWTAR. WAWTAR now has a Facebook group: Why Are We Talking About (More) Rabbits? Join us for more conversation at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/797121200908155 If you like this podcast, please consider le...
Apr 13, 2022•28 min
Jonathan Pageau rejoins John and WAWTAR for a sprawling conversation that winds between themes of Orthodoxy, proper aid, the internet, America, and what the future may hold for us. It's a lot of heavy ideas done lightly. Jonathan Pageau is a professional icon carver & founder of the Symbolic World podcast: https://thesymbolicworld.com/content/videos/ WAWTAR now has a Facebook group: Why Are We Talking About (More) Rabbits? Join us for more conversation at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/797...
Apr 05, 2022•55 min
Fellow podcaster and philologist Richard Rohlin joins WAWTAR today to explore the roots of European Christianity and by extension American Protestant Christianity. Along the way John and Richard talk about Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and the history of the European church (just a little anyways). Links: Amon Sul Podcast: https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/amonsul WAWTAR now has a Facebook group: Why Are We Talking About (More) Rabbits? Join us for more conversation at: https://www.facebook.com/group...
Mar 29, 2022•57 min
Using three stories pulled from our work and observations on science and thought today, John wonders aloud about the decline of meekness. He dives into the bicameral mind, the overthrow of the old gods and the rise of a new, singular one. Please consider helping our sister organization as they attempt to continue giving critical care to Guatemalans and Nicaraguans: he-he.org WAWTAR now has a Facebook group: Why Are We Talking About (More) Rabbits? Join us for more conversation at: https://www.fa...
Mar 23, 2022•32 min
Uncle Seth! Need we say more? Today he and John talk about the new (old?) American God: politics. Seth and John take a little "test" designed for middle school students to help determine where they land on the political spectrum. Are Seth's new world ideals Liberal? Are John's old world leanings Conservative? Time to find out... Links: Political Views Survey: www.first-things.org/political-views-survey Pew Research Religious Landscape Study: https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/pol...
Mar 16, 2022•1 hr 29 min
This week Heers talks with Fr. Deacon Ananias about science, scientism, and our cultural obsession with it. Borrowed from Fr. Ananias's website: "Fr. Deacon Ananias Sorem, PhD is CEO, Founder, and President of Patristic Faith. Father is an Orthodox apologist and Professor of Philosophy at Fullerton College and Carroll College... Father is the author of several articles and peer-reviewed papers [and] is also known for his YouTube channel, the Norwegian Nous , where he provides content on theology...
Mar 08, 2022•1 hr 24 min
Today on WAWTAR, Heers is excited to bring on the authors of the book, Development in Mission. Monty Lynn, Rob Gailey, and Derran Reese discuss poverty alleviation, the traps missionaries and foreign aid workers can easily find themselves in, and how we can all adopt a better method moving forward. From their book description: "Jesus's words, "Blessed are you who are poor," are the seeds of a new reality. So how can God's people participate in this transformation of how to live and serve? Develo...
Mar 01, 2022•58 min
This week Heers takes a look at a new world phenomena of becoming our own kings and queens. In Haiti this even goes so far as building castles...with moats. But in breaking all this down we need to examine what royalty throughout history and whether or not we really want the same today... WAWTAR now has a Facebook group: Why Are We Talking About (More) Rabbits? Join us for more conversation at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/797121200908155 Interested in joining First Things Foundation? We are ...
Feb 22, 2022•29 min
So what the heck happened with Whoopi and her (Old World?) take on race? Heers takes a quick look at why Whoopi may not be as crazy as she seems and how her ideas are fundamentally an Old World view. Don't think that's true? Get ready for the Greeks to blow your mind. Links: Race and Ethnicity in the Classical World: https://www.amazon.com/Race-Ethnicity-Classical-World-Translation/dp/1603849947 If you're interested in joining our podcourse (this semesters theme is on Race!) and want a deep dive...
Feb 16, 2022•32 min
The Supra (also sometimes known as a Keipi ) is an ancient feasting dinner from the Georgian Republic. Today Heers talks about how this feast unites heaven and earth and exposes deep truths about ourselves and each other. You can find more information about the Supra below. Links: The Symbolism of the Supra, Daniel Padrnos: https://thesymbolicworld.com/articles/the-symbolism-of-the-supra/ 2 Part Series with John on the Supra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xvik25_9DWc If you're interested in jo...
Feb 08, 2022•24 min
Welcome back! We apologize for the short hiatus last week, but we are back on schedule and this week John talks postmodernism. What were all those crazy French philosophers talking about? And how is it in fact a sort of return to old world thinking? If you're interested in joining our podcourse and want a deep dive into the same themes and ideas as WAWTAR follow the link below to find out more. Classes start tomorrow, January 19th! https://first-things.org/wawtar-podcourse WAWTAR now has a Faceb...
Feb 01, 2022•44 min
Jake Marquez and Maren Morgan join the WAWTAR podcast to talk about the major ecological and societal issues facing us today. Jake and Maren are partners, environmental activists and the creators of "Death in the Garden," a multimedia project that spans film, writing, and podcasting to talk about and educate on issues like globalization, our cultural aversion to death and its consequences, the climate crisis, and so much more. Their mission aims to regenerate ecology and culture using a holistic...
Jan 18, 2022•1 hr 5 min
Uncle Seth returns to help answer the burning question, "What or who is an American?" As expected there are some differences of opinion. As always John takes the time to lift Seth's spirits at the end with comments from the listeners. If you're interested in joining our podcourse and want a deep dive into the same themes and ideas as WAWTAR follow the link below to find out more. Classes start January 19th! https://first-things.org/wawtar-podcourse WAWTAR now has a Facebook group: Why Are We Tal...
Jan 12, 2022•1 hr 21 min
This week Heers returns to wrap up the question of children. In the first part he examined the new world view on children. This week he goes old school, as in 7th century old school. Historically how were children viewed? And how does that inform our understanding of them today? If you're interested in joining our podcourse and want a deep dive into the same themes and ideas as WAWTAR follow the link below to find out more. Classes start January 19th! https://first-things.org/wawtar-podcourse WA...
Jan 04, 2022•37 min
Nicholas Kotar joins WAWTAR again for a discussion about the narratives we are using to find our way through life. Nick walks us through ideas of rootedness in story telling, the coming metaverse reality, and how it all got to this point. Nicholas Kotar is a storyteller, vocalist, and translator with his own podcast, In a Certain Kingdom, that explores Slavic myths and their symbology: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-a-certain-kingdom/id1532251501 If you're interested in joining our pod...
Dec 28, 2021•57 min
What are children? Cosmic mystery? Pain in the ...? It's a very large question, but one that invites all sorts of interesting discussion when viewed from different perspectives. In the West we see a rise in the percentage of parents regretting having children. Is that even a possibility in the Old World? Join Heers as he takes on children in part one of this two part series. If you're interested in joining our podcourse and want a deep dive into the same themes and ideas as WAWTAR follow the lin...
Dec 21, 2021•37 min
Don't worry everyone there is a ton of great content coming soon! In the meantime we wanted to a share a little bit of our podcourse and the types of conversations that take place there. If you're interested in joining this addendum to the podcast and want a deep dive into the same themes and ideas as WAWTAR follow the link below: https://first-things.org/wawtar-podcourse We'll be back next week with a great episode going into the holidays. Gagimarjos! WAWTAR now has a Facebook group: Why Are We...
Dec 16, 2021•12 min
Story time! Dan Shays and his rebellion are revisited by Heers today as an allegorical exploration for COVID, lock-downs, and what is "good" for you and me. Maybe big pharma is good. Maybe everyone receiving the vaccine is great. But maybe Mr post-revolutionary Shays would have gotten a little rowdy over all of this. WAWTAR now has a Facebook group: Why Are We Talking About (More) Rabbits? Join us for more conversation at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/797121200908155 Interested in joining Fir...
Dec 07, 2021•37 min
This is an excerpt from James' podcast, Classic of Difficulties. For the full episode and to support Dr. Mohebali please visit: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/classic-of-difficulties-difficult-questions-in/id1561103699 The Keipi or Supra dinner from the Republic of Georgia is an ancient tradition stretching far back in time. It also happens to touch on deep, meaningful themes of life that can provide a type of catharsis for many. James and John explore this healing factor and we invite yo...
Dec 03, 2021•39 min
What is alone time really? And isn't that really just "sitting at my desk and working" time? The Old World sees it as a potential sickness and in the West as a necessity. Come explore (alone or otherwise) what this very common thing actually is with us on WAWTAR. Like the intro music? That was Hilltop who will be joined by Brunes Charles and Georgia Heers for the First Things Foundation benefit concert being held December, 4th in Naples, FL. You can find tickets and info here: https://tinyurl.co...
Nov 23, 2021•22 min
What does success look like? Well the NoVo Foundation seems to think that we can measure it using love as a metric. But how does that work? And as some have noted, can love really be quantified so easily? John tackles this and counters with an old world concept called the nous - which offers a possible meeting ground for these concepts. Links: Quartz article by Suzanne Guillette - https://tinyurl.com/xc7npbc8 Orthodox Psychotherapy by Metropolitan Vlachos - https://tinyurl.com/277c6hda Life of M...
Nov 16, 2021•30 min
Foreign aid...what's it really? Did George Washington have a foreign aid policy? And is it only about sending aid overseas, or is there an element of receiving as well? Or is it all about making lots of money? Heer's takes a quick look at what aid is and how it's delivered. WAWTAR now has a Facebook group: Why Are We Talking About (More) Rabbits? Join us for more conversation at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/797121200908155 Interested in joining First Things Foundation? We are looking to send...
Nov 10, 2021•25 min
Welcome! Welcome! Today John dives into the dowry (not to be confused with bride price - don't worry we clear that up). What was it, what is it, and how has it transformed in the modern world? Also, yes, there are people who kidnap their brides and we talk about that too. WAWTAR now has a Facebook group: Why Are We Talking About (More) Rabbits? Join us for more conversation at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/797121200908155 Interested in joining First Things Foundation? We are looking to send p...
Nov 02, 2021•30 min
The From the Field Series is a conversation between First Things Foundation Field Workers and John as they explore the lesser talked about aspects of life. This is not a series devoted to what FTF does per se, but rather, a meaningful look at how experiences and decisions shape our lives. This week Isabella Copeland joins us from our Appalachian site to talk about her experience as a hospital chaplain and her intimate and life changing experience with death and those coming to terms with it. WAW...
Oct 28, 2021•34 min
Big companies have become the movers and shakers of the modern world. But was it always that way? How were merchants understood in the "old world?" And do big, global companies have a problem that most of us aren't discussing? WAWTAR now has a Facebook group: Why Are We Talking About (More) Rabbits? Join us for more conversation at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/797121200908155 Interested in joining First Things Foundation? We are looking to send people to Sierra Leone and the Georgian Republi...
Oct 19, 2021•24 min
In the "Old World" you see a lot of interesting things. A truck lodged in the roof of a Guatemalan hut for instance. You also see, especially in Africa, men holding hands. What is that all about? You might be surprised to find out that the underlying reasons are more important culturally than is first apparent. WAWTAR now has a Facebook group: Why Are We Talking About (More) Rabbits? Join us for more conversation at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/797121200908155 Interested in joining First Thi...
Oct 12, 2021•29 min
