Episode 412: This is Your Brain on God with Dr. Jim Wilder
- Phil Vischer
- Jul 8, 2020
- 1 min read
Updated: Jul 10, 2020
Some people spend years learning theology and studying the Bible, but experience little or no transformation in their lives. What have we gotten wrong? Dr. Jim Wilder is a neurotheologian—that means he studies theology and brain science—who says we’ve mistakingly made the gospel about knowledge when it’s actually about attachment. You don’t want to miss what he has to say about the importance of food, joy, and gratitude in spiritual formation.
Also this week, how does having power—or not having it—influence our beliefs? David French says America is experiencing a religious fundamentalist revival, but it’s not Christian. And is the Holy Post guilty of being an echo chamber?
Episode #412
Opinion | When Antifa Hysteria Sweeps America - New York Times -
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/17/opinion/antifa-protests.html
Slave Religion: The "Invisible Institution" in the Antebellum South
by Albert J. Raboteau
America Is in the Grips of a
Fundamentalist
Revival
—
But it’s not Christian. - The Dispatch -
https://frenchpress.thedispatch.com/p/america-is-in-the-grips-of-a-fundamentalist
Is Intersectionality a Religion? - Intelligencer -
Opinion | The Real American Idol and the Lives We Sacrifice to Appease It -
Minute 14...to say that the 'white church' has not suffered in the US is to ignore the persecutions that people have been perpetuated on each other and the suffering that has taken place in the 'white church'- such as Catholic oppression by Protestants, oppression of 'non-violent' denominations at the hands of 'pro war' denoms and gov't, public whippings of practitioners of non-accepted traditions, retaliation against 'white churches' that were anti-slavery, etc. - https://historynewsnetwork.org/article/180388
YES, it is ALL about the power dynamics. At the same time, it is the black church that as a whole, has suffered the longest, the most broadly, and the deepest, in this nation. I agree there. Just encouraging a nuanced vision of suffering in the America…
I've been binge listening to episodes (love what you all do) and I remember hearing Phil's list of marks of fundamentalism -- whether "christian" or "liberal." I cannot remember which episode it was or where in the podcast. I'm in conversations with some friends and want to be able to point them in the right episode direction. Was it this episode? How far in?
Phil - is it possible to get the list? I found your tweet on Dec 23, 2019 that references the list, but I can't find it anywhere.
Michael - I've never said, as far as I can remember, that I would "never bring on a Christian who supports Trump." We have, in fact, had guests on who support Trump. Skye and I are centrist evangelicals (or "neo-evangelicals"), and we generally feature centrist evangelical authors and leaders and discuss issues from a centrist evangelical point of view. The reality is that very few centrist evangelical authors or leaders support Trump, because of their concern for immigrants, refugees, racial justice, and numerous other biblical priorities (honesty, civility, etc.).
Again, if you want a podcast that leans further to the right, there are plenty of those. Our goal is to carry on the tradition of Carl Henry and Billy Graha…
Paul JR touched on something the right seems to be missing about "Antifa." Namely, Antifa isn't a coherent group with a website or ideology (I think you guys mentioned this in your episode) like BLM (And even with those things, Black Lives Matter is not a completely coherent group as the phrase is taken up by many people who would not partner with the group). Antifa is an ad hoc description of various groups of left wing vigilantes. There seems to be a particular difficulty among older conservatives in understanding the nebulous nature of many groups engaged in modern politics. Antifa is not an organized machine under anyone's control. Much like BLM protesters are not. There are networks of activists…
Phil's video is a world changer. I now understand much better how systemic racism (not necessarily systematic racism - that requires intentionality) poisons America. THANK YOU, Phil. I have shared it widely. I am following your podcast weekly. That is coming from an old, conservative white male Christian!
I am concerned, though about your recent dismissal of concerns about Antifa. Phil and Skye (and Christian?) apparently think (thought?) that it's no big deal just because it is regional. That is insensitive.
Here in Oregon, Portland has suffered through a month and a half of nightly violence from a little known group called the Pacific Northwest Youth Liberation Front. https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2020/06/who-is-the-pnw-youth-liberation-front-at-the-center-of-recent-portland-protests.html
Antifa is not so much a specific organization as a network of…