Devices and Desires
16 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 3 years ago -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.
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Episodes
Alcohol, Marijuana, and Soft Drugs
May 27, 2021 13:00 - 55 minutes - 38.2 MBDan Trippie joins us to discuss alcohol, marijuana, and soft drugs.
The Social Dilemma
May 06, 2021 13:00 - 1 hour - 50.9 MBWe discuss the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma.
The Intellectual Life and Discipleship
April 29, 2021 13:00 - 58 minutes - 40.5 MBWe 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.
How Urban People Relate to the Land
April 15, 2021 13:00 - 1 hour - 50.2 MBBefore: 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
Family Catechesis
April 01, 2021 13:00 - 49 minutes - 34 MBHow 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.
Ministering in a Conservative/Progressive Culture
March 25, 2021 13:00 - 1 hour - 48.7 MBFr. 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.
Season 02 Teaser
March 18, 2021 13:00 - 9 minutes - 6.93 MBHere is just the tip of the iceberg of what you can expect in Season 02 of Devices and Desires.
The Jordan Peterson Phenomenon
August 05, 2020 12:00 - 1 hour - 52.4 MBIn 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 dr...
Read the News Like a Christian: Part 02
July 22, 2020 21:00 - 1 hour - 50.1 MBPart 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.
What is News? Part 01
June 26, 2020 21:00 - 1 hour - 42.4 MBWhat 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?
Is the Church Essential?
June 07, 2020 02:00 - 1 hour - 42.1 MBIs 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.
Anxiety in our Modern Age
May 28, 2020 13:00 - 1 hour - 43.2 MBWe 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 ...
Sex and Society
May 14, 2020 13:00 - 1 hour - 53.1 MBWhat 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.
Was the Nuclear Family a Mistake?
April 27, 2020 15:00 - 1 hour - 46.8 MBWhat'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...
Smart Devices and Desires
April 16, 2020 13:00 - 1 hour - 41.6 MBHow 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 B...
Let Us Explain...
April 02, 2020 13:00 - 51 minutes - 35.6 MBWelcome 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 journey...