We're taking a deeper dive into the culture we live in. We'll need three things: (1) An understanding of the culture we find ourselves in. (2) A sharp analysis of the cracks in the smooth, seemingly solid narrative that our culture tells us about what it means to live a good life. (3) A new imagination of what it looks like for the gospel of Christ to open up and thrive from within the cracks of our culture. This podcast comes from clergy and laypeople at Church of the Atonement in Buffalo, and St. Bartholomew's Anglican Church in Tonawanda, New York.
Publisher
Fr. Bryan Wandel, Fr. Andrew Thebeau, James Kibby
Category
arts · religion & spirituality · society & culture
Dan Trippie joins us to discuss alcohol, marijuana, and soft drugs.
6 May 2021
The Social Dilemma
We discuss the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma.
29 Apr 2021
The Intellectual Life and Discipleship
We sit down with Dr. Phil Reed to discuss why the life of the mind is essential if we are to flourish as people of God.
15 Apr 2021
How Urban People Relate to the Land
Before: In the city, Empty lots are Monuments To scarcity. The soil is cracked And scarred, Overgrown with weeds Who offer some kind Of green, But only takes away. Now: In the city, Gentle hands trained in Gospel abundance Of the country Are healing the soil, Kissing its scars, Breaking it open In new ways for, Greener, Generative kinds. *Poem was written by James Kibby
1 Apr 2021
Family Catechesis
How do children relate to faith? What is our culture’s narrative? How does it fall apart? And what does it look like for the gospel to open up from within that secular culture? We interview Danielle Hitchen from Catechesis Books.
25 Mar 2021
Ministering in a Conservative/Progressive Culture
Fr. Bryan ministers in a more progressive culture, within the city of Buffalo. Fr. Andrew ministers in a more conservative culture in Texas. How can we learn together how the gospel transcends these cultural forces and speaks the transformation of Jesus to all places? The Reverends interview each other about the various challenges they face in reaching their respective communities, and share some of the ways that they're meeting those challenges with the Gospel.
18 Mar 2021
Season 02 Teaser
Here is just the tip of the iceberg of what you can expect in Season 02 of Devices and Desires.
5 Aug 2020
The Jordan Peterson Phenomenon
In this episode, we talk about Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson. Peterson rose to fame in 2016 with a resistance to progressive academic culture, lectures on the pscyhological significance of biblical stories, and the best-selling book "12 Rules for Life." Why are young people - especially young men - drawn to a scholar like this? We talk with Joseph, an atheist philosophy major who converted to Christianity. Joseph turned toward Christian faith, not in spite of, but because he was dra...
22 Jul 2020
Read the News Like a Christian: Part 02
Part 2 of our Episode on the News. We apply the 7 Classic Virtues to being a reader of the news: Prudence, Courage, Temperance, Justice, Faith, Hope, and Love. Also, Andrew wades into a Saudi cultural controversy, and Bryan discusses specific news sources to read or avoid.
26 Jun 2020
What is News? Part 01
What news is really worth paying attention to? What's just entertainment, or divisive, or a diversion? How can we use the news to be better Christians, rather than to give into the spirit of the age? This is Part 1 of a two-part series on the News: What is the News?
7 Jun 2020
Is the Church Essential?
Is the Church essential? As churches grapple with government directives about when to open after the COVID-shutdown, we’re confronted with this question. We’re talking about whether the church is really essential: not just in light the COVID-19 pandemic, but also as it pertains to our secular age.
28 May 2020
Anxiety in our Modern Age
We sit down with Dr. Sam Cloud to discuss Anxiety in this day and age and what the church's response should be. Dr. Cloud is an attending physician at the Erie County Medical Center, where he specializes in emergency medicine. He'll give us insights into how anxiety influences health outcomes, and how faith can impact that. We'll take a look at the big picture about why our culture seems to produce higher anxiety than in the past, and how the church can be a beautiful witness in the midst o...
14 May 2020
Sex and Society
What narratives for sexual relationships are affecting us in the 21st century? How are those narratives failing us? And what does it look like for the gospel to flourish in a sexually broken culture? For singles and for couples? In this episode, we'll take a theological look at how God "made us male and female" so that the church can better live out a life of faith and flourishing. Our main reference point is the book Divine Sex, by Jonathan Grant.
27 Apr 2020
Was the Nuclear Family a Mistake?
What's wrong with the nuclear family in the 21st century? What role does it play in the church and in the life of discipleship. We're continuing to seek a sacred world in a secular age, and today we're following up on a point made at the end of our last episode on Smartphones. Namely, how have we changed the way intergenerational relationships work over the years? What are we doing wrong that we're not even seeing? We're using a resource that made our heads turn immediately after recording ...
16 Apr 2020
Smart Devices and Desires
How does technology affect the life of faith and discipleship in the 21st century? Specifically, the use of mobile technology (Smartphones, wearable tech) makes our lives and minds a lot different than they were 15 years ago. What does this mean for us theologically? Practically? We'll engage in particular with two resources: 1. "Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?" by Jean Twenge. The Atlantic, Sep. 2017. 2. Faith for Exiles: 5 Ways for a New Generation to Follow Jesus in Digital Ba...
2 Apr 2020
Let Us Explain...
Welcome to Devices & Desires. We're seeking a sacred world in a secular age, and looking deeply into the life of faith in today's culture. We all long for something. As St. Augustine wrote, "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you." But rather than despair, we see within the cracks of our culture an opportunity for the Gospel to spring forth, bringing new life to the surface. Our hope is that you will track with us on this jour...
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