Listening to Learn
2020
Q Ideas. I subscribed for a few months and listened to dozens of TED-style talks on politics, gender, race, environment, pornography, economics, culture and more. Q Ideas provides current, top-tier thinking from believers and non-believers on the most pressing issues in American culture. I believe so strongly in its utility, I’ll pay $25 for a three-month subscription to the first three people with either a PayPal or Venmo account who ask me (clyde@visualstory.org).
Psychological Significance of the Biblical Stories (Dr. Jordan Petersen). I had not heard of Jordan Petersen before December 2019 when Shirin’s nephew told me about this series. I started on lecture 1 and was hooked. This is a 16-part lecture series he taught in 2017 in Toronto. He is a distinguished professor of psychology (Harvard, University of Toronto). He takes an evolutionary, psychological and literary view of key biblical narratives. He does not identify himself as a Christian. I found his insights on the texts he addresses to be surprising, believable and affirming of the truth of the stories.
He does not make the case the stories were historically true, but that they are true in reflecting how life should in fact be lived. While I don’t agree with his premises, I agree with many of his conclusions. This is by far the most time I’ve spent listening to someone (over 30 hours) other than a pastor in the last 20 years. Worth every minute. There were at least 200 times I felt he articulated something I felt to be true but had not considered or had been unable to articulate. If you’re looking for 3o minutes instead of 30 hours of Petersen, listen to 30 minutes starting here on the power of sacrifice from the story of Abraham.
Rhett and Link’s Faith Deconstruction and Lost Years. Very disheartening. My family and I were fans of these former Cru staff-turned-YouTube stars when they were still making videos in the storage closet of a Cru office. They were painfully honest about how their faith slowly devolved to the point where they are “hopeful agnostics.” There is a lot written and recorded about their loss of faith. I appreciated their honesty, but was surprised how indifferent they were to the large segment of their audience whose faith they now dismiss. It seems to me that they (Link followed Rhett’s leading) had a “too brittle, not-supple-enough” faith.
Turkish Tea Time. One of my life goals is to “die tri” (lingual). I’ve got English and French. In 2018 our daughter Sage told me she was listening to a French podcast so I figured there had to be something for Turkish. “Elbette,” I found what I was looking for. It only took me 29 months of listening a little during my lunch break…but I got through all 136 episodes.
On Love (Alain de Botton) de Botton explores the landscape of a modern relationship, presenting a realistic case study for marriage and examining what it might mean to love, to be loved and to stay in love.
A Discussion on Racism (Carl Lentz & Bishop T.D. Jakes) Bishop Jakes makes a powerful, pastoral case for systemic issues that he and other African Americans have experienced.
Away from Chaos: The Middle East and the Challenge to the West (Gilles Kepel). Scholar Gilles Kepel discusses his recent book and the trends and new fault lines shaping the region, including the impact of COVID-19, falling oil prices, political Islam, and the Arab Spring. I found this crucial for anyone interested in the Middle East.
Christian Media Marketing Podcast (Kavanah Media, Dr. Jon Ralls…ok, he’s not a doctor, but knows his stuff). Through this podcast, Jon has become the global guru on using social media marketing with a view toward disciple-making (Media to Movements). After listening to the first few, I started texting friends telling them they had to start listening. I’m only on episode 19, but I’ll catch up Jon!
US Turkey Relations and the Kurdish Question in Syria (Al Monitor interview with Amberin Zaman). Zamah gives key insights on the state of the Kurdish question as of the spring, 2020.
Anything with John Mark Comer. Our son got us to join him for Sunday online services through Bridgetown Church early in COVID. He is pastoral, philosophical, historical and profoundly biblical. His Marriage Myth sermon is the best message on marriage I’ve ever heard. I am linking to his sermons, but you may also want to check out his podcast “This Cultural Moment.” He and Evan Wickham (Park Hills Church San Diego) have become our COVID pastors more than Rick Warren (our plan is to return to Saddleback when the doors open again Pastor Rick).
The Last Question (Isaac Asimov). This is one of my friend Nate’s favorite short books. Only 28 minutes!
Modern Times (Camille Paglia & Jordan Peterson) Watch out if you want PC! These two academic outliers riff off of one another about the decline of modern humanities and the tendency toward intellectual conformity. This one is spicy.
Bema Discipleship (Marty Solomon). Marty is a pastor with a love for the biblical text. I’m only on episode #10 which gets me all the way to Genesis 17. Listen to the first three episodes to get an idea of how he comes at the text through a Jewish lens largely influenced by Rabbi David Solomon. His reading of the biblical stories will make you think you’ve never read them before. Shout out to my nephews Zac, Matt and Ben for the introduction.
Using Media, Story and Technology to Disciple the Nations (Zachary Leighton & moi). Zachary interviews me about the way God’s people can innovate so the kingdom comes.
Rabbit Hole (Kevin Roose, New York Times) The podcast series that is the audio equivalent of the documentary, “A Social Dilemma,” but more in depth. Roose looks at how the Internet has changed everything…and not necessarily for the better.
Between Two Trees (Curt Hamner, Christian Rowe) An older guy and a younger guy host an ongoing discussion about how to think biblically about marriage.
Stepping Up (Douglas Murray interview with Nigel Farage) This was my introduction to Murray, a conservative, gay British intellectual. He makes a case that some social movements start with legitimacy, but overreach and become problematic.
The Coddling of the American Mind: A First Principles Conversation (Dr. Jonathan Haidt) NYU social psychologist speaks at Biola University (his first lecture in a Christian university) for the release of his book by the same title. He critiques current educational trends that create a graduate who is anti-fragile, thinks with her emotions and lives for the tribe.
2019
This will have to be for another time. I’m out of time for now.
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BEMA is fantastic. I started listening to Brent and Marty last winter and have just caught up (188 episodes) this morning. Only one episode left to finish the last part of Revelation and conclude Session 4. The amount of biblical context that my (western) Christian education has missed is staggering. The Bible has certainly come alive, as has my desire to become a member of “The People of the Text.”
Bryan, 188??? I’m up to 12 now. It does feel like approaching the text in a very fresh way!