Young Christians hanker for mystery and meaning in a world that has become progressively disenchanted over the past five hundred years. Philosopher Charles Taylor begins his much discussed tome A Secular Age by asking this question Why was it virtually impossible not to believe in God in, say, 1500 in our Western society, while in 2000 many of us find this not only easy, but even inescapable? Premodern Christians lived in a world of spirits, demons, and moral forces. Because the liberal democrat...
Aug 09, 2017•33 min
This podcast episode is a conversation with author Stephen Mitchell as he answers questions about his literary apologetics article, Alexander Solzhenitsyn Confronts the Grand Inquisitor and covers topics including free will and Russian gulags
Aug 02, 2017•37 min
People use the word potential in many different ways. A child can show potential when it comes to having sports or musical aptitude. If a speaker gives a presentation without being adequately prepared, there is the potential for disaster. However, in philosophy, potential is a technical term, and it is not as simple as one might expect. An oak sapling has the potential to become a mature oak tree, and it has the potential to become a house. But each of these senses of the word potential is diffe...
Jul 26, 2017•29 min
Understanding Our Response to LGBT Culture" (Volume 40 #3, 2017) with Matt Holland This podcast episode is a conversation with author Matt Holland as he answers questions about his Postmodern Realities Column article including What motivated you to write this article? Can you be gay and be a Christian? Some Christians condemn homosexuality over other sins. Are they just in doing this? Are people naturally attracted to the same sex? Is this something they choose? What should happen when a gay cou...
Jul 19, 2017•30 min
A battle over free speech dominates the newsfeeds of online media. The rhetoric grows harsher as two sides seek to establish competing narratives. Are our universities dominated by a privileged class that forces vulnerable minorities to study in a hostile environment, or is the problem really that emotionally fragile students cannot handle dissenting opinions without experiencing emotional meltdowns? It can be difficult to establish a clear definition of safe spaces or to determine limits to the...
Jul 12, 2017•39 min
Wonder Woman is a movie about heroes and the power of heroic role models to inspire heroism in others. Part of the cultural significance of Wonder Woman as a character is to provide young girls with a larger than life image to which they can aspire, parallel to the role Superman plays for young boys. This spoiler-filled podcast episode is a conversation with author John McAteer as he answers questions including what is the approach to heroes that Wonder Woman takes. Wonder Woman is a feminist ic...
Jul 05, 2017•24 min
During the 1950s and 60s, Americans were confronted with a unique time of racial conflict. African Americans organized a movement to challenge the racial caste system in the nation. Amidst this largely Christian movement were African Americans who were disillusioned by Christianitys complicity in their experience of racial terror. Many of these people joined the movement known as the Nation of Islam NOI. Those two decades mark the zenith of the NOIs recruitment and activity. Although presently t...
Jun 21, 2017•23 min
Over the past decade, there has been a revival of interest in comic book superheroes, driven in large part by the Disney owned Marvel Comics brand, publishers of such characters as Spider Man, the X Men, the Avengers, and more. Every culture has had its own heroes, from Hercules to King Arthur to the Lone Ranger, but the phenomenal popularity of Marvel superheroes in recent years suggests that Marvels unique approach to envisioning heroism is, for better or worse, feeding some sort of spiritual ...
May 31, 2017•27 min
It is often useful to prepare people for the gospel by asking them some key philosophical questions to help them recognize that truth is exclusive. In our postmodern culture, people think that we all create our own truth, so why would it matter what religion we believe? Universities claim to teach young people to think, but most teach relativism and thus undermine even the most basic distinction between truth and falsehood. Therefore, Christians should help an unbeliever understand the concepts ...
May 24, 2017•22 min
A conversation with author Caleb Woodbridge as he answers questions about freedom and conscience when consuming TV shows and films. Issues discussed include What are some of the pitfalls that Christians fall into when deciding what to watch? What are the foundations for making wise choices? Did you grow up in a Christian family? What approach did your parents take to media consumption? Have there been stories you have enjoyed that other Christians have had a problem with? How do you recommend th...
May 12, 2017•35 min
Postmodern Realities Episode 036: "Three Ways to Teach Your Kids Apologetics (Without Them Realizing It)" (Volume 40 #2) with Paul Gould
May 03, 2017•34 min
Postmodern Realities Episode 035: Viewpoint-"All Sins Are Not the Same" (Volume 40 #2) with Michael W. Austin
Apr 21, 2017•17 min
Postmodern Realities Episode 034: "The Ethics of Modern Board and Card Games?" (Volume 40 #2) with Richard J. Poupard
Apr 06, 2017•31 min
Postmodern Realities Episode 033: "The Shack Movie - Heretical or Healing?" with Adam Pelser
Mar 16, 2017•27 min
Postmodern Realities Episode 032: "On Chimeras and What It Means to Be Human" with Jay Watts
Mar 06, 2017•32 min
Postmodern Realities Episode 031: "Love is Love, or Is It?" with Adam Tucker
Mar 03, 2017•27 min
Postmodern Realities Episode 030: "Evangelizing the Cultural Christian" with Clay Jones
Feb 27, 2017•32 min
Postmodern Realities Episode 029: "The Hidden Faith of Silence" with John McAteer
Jan 27, 2017•26 min
Postmodern Realities Episode 028: "The Unending Bending of Gender: Helpful or Harmful?" with Ellen Dykas
Dec 19, 2016•38 min
Postmodern Realities Episode 027: "Evaluating the Star Wars Worldview" with Robert Velarde
Dec 15, 2016•23 min
Postmodern Realities Episode 026: "Christians and Public Education: A Matter of Biblical Justice" with Jemar Tisby
Dec 02, 2016•32 min
Postmodern Realities Episode 025: "Arrival" (film review with major spoilers) with John McAteer
Dec 01, 2016•31 min
Postmodern Realities Episode 024: "Dr. Strange" (film review with spoilers) with John McAteer
Nov 15, 2016•28 min
Postmodern Realities Episode 023: "Hacksaw Ridge" (film review with spoilers) with John McAteer
Nov 15, 2016•19 min
Postmodern Realities Episode 022: "Can God Fit in This Machine? Video Games and Christians" with Kevin Schut
Nov 15, 2016•36 min
Postmodern Realities Episode 021: "Christians and Marijuana-Is Medical Marijuana OK? What about Voting for Marijuana Ballot Initiatives?" with Elliot Miller
Oct 19, 2016•35 min
Postmodern Realities Episode 020: "Should We Continue to Use the Term Sexual Purity?" (Issue 39 Volume #5, 2016) with Richard J. Poupard
Sep 30, 2016•26 min
Postmodern Realities Episode 019: "Doubt as Virtue: How to Doubt and Have Faith without Exploding" (Issue 39 Volume #4, 2016) with Travis M. Dickinson
Sep 15, 2016•28 min
Postmodern Realities Episode 018: "The Origin and Insufficiency of the Black Hebrew Israelite Movement" (Issue 39 Volume #4, 2016) with Jimmy Butts
Sep 08, 2016•29 min
Postmodern Realities Episode 017: "Suicide Squad, Deadpool, and the Rise of the Comic Book Antihero" (CRJ Issue 39 Volume 05, 2016) with John McAteer
Aug 17, 2016•28 min
