From the Center
75 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 23 ratingsDiscussions about ideas, the arts, and culture, with Director John Hodges with friends and faculty of the Center for Western Studies.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Responding to Social Justice: A Summary of our Recent Podcasts
May 07, 2021 13:00 - 58 minutes - 133 MBStarting back in February, we have been attempting to piece together elements that would assist in addressing the large and multi-faceted notion of "Social Justice." We discussed biblical definitions of terms like justice and forgiveness, we reviewed the history of the social justice movement starting in the 19th century, we had a conversation with a philosopher to address the reasons social justice is so persuasive among Evangelicals, and we have tried to find the good in the movement. In ...
Magic in the Mundane: The Real Reason for Fairy Tales
May 03, 2021 18:28 - 27 minutes - 25.1 MBIn this episode, Director Hodges gives an apology for Fairy Tales. Borrowing extensively on the writings of GK Chesterton, he shows how our present culture often misunderstands the purpose for Fairy Tales, and thus misses out on what can be learned from them.
The Enlightenment Strikes Back: Reasoning Atheists Oppose "Theory"
April 23, 2021 13:00 - 1 hour - 64.5 MBWe live in an interesting time. Christians and Atheists find themselves on the same side in a debate against those who would reject Reason and put the ideology/religion of "Theory" (Critical Theory) in its place. In this episode, Director Hodges and Pastor Kyle Dillon discuss the book "Cynical Theories" written by Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay. These two self-described atheists investigate the various facets of "Theory" -- anti-colonialism, feminism, homosexuality, and critical race t...
Beauty in the Middle Ages: The Wonders of Number, Light, and Symbol
April 16, 2021 18:13 - 31 minutes - 72.7 MB"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right?" How many times have we heard that? But the implication that beauty is purely a subjective thing is a relatively recent notion. It comes originally from Plato, but Irish novelist Margaret Hungerford may have coined the phrase in the 19th century...but what about the Medieval notions of beauty? Those are pre-modern, pre-Romantic, and quite profound. In this shorter-than-usual podcast, Director Hodges investigates some of the ways beauty has b...
Of Negative and Positive Rights: What Part Do They Play in Culture? Part 2
April 09, 2021 13:00 - 1 hour - 56.1 MBIn this, the second part of a discussion with Cal Beisner, Director Hodges and he continue their discussion on the nature of rights. What is justice, and how can it be properly understood? What is the place of forgiveness, and grace, and can they be distributed by a government? And as Christians, do we have any rights before God? Is it wrong to demand that we be treated fairly, or given what we want in life? Director Hodges discusses these questions and more with Dr. Cal Beisner of the ...
Of Negative and Positive Rights: What Part Do They Play in Culture? Pt 1.
April 02, 2021 13:00 - 1 hour - 56.5 MBNegative rights and positive rights are not the same things. To provide what you do not have is a positive, to keep you from losing what you already have is a negative. Are either of them truly rights in the way that the American Declaration describes unalienable rights? The government is geared to provide the second, that is, protection by law, but completely unable to provide first, that is, charity, without coercion. Director Hodges discusses this aspect of our cultural debate with Dr...
Tenors are People Too: A Conversation with Philip Himebook
March 26, 2021 13:00 - 1 hour - 62.4 MBDirector Hodges sits down with Philip Himebook and talks about Christians in the performing arts, their collaborations (Hodges conducting, Himebook on stage), and their approaches to social media.
The Attraction of "Wokeness": A Conversation with Doug Groothuis
March 19, 2021 13:00 - 1 hour - 67.6 MBThe Evangelical Church is struggling to make sense of the Social Justice movement. Why is it so attractive? How does it engage with bible-believing Christians? What does it offer the Church? Director Hodges discusses these questions with Dr. Doug Groothuis, professor of philosophy and apologetics at Denver Seminary. This episode refers to some articles that Dr. Groothuis has written. These can be found here, and here. We also recommend his book TRUTH DECAY.
History of Critical Theory Part II: Neo-Marxism in the 20th century
March 12, 2021 14:00 - 56 minutes - 52 MBDirector Hodges discusses the roots of what is called "Critical Theory," with faculty member Jonathan (Jack) Vowell, who is working on his PhD in literary criticism. In this second of two parts, they discuss how Marx's ideas have been adjusted to address more generally the entire culture, going beyond economic conflicts alone.
History of Critical Theory Pt I: Marx and Materialism
March 06, 2021 12:39 - 52 minutes - 50.9 MBIn an ongoing effort to make sense of the ideas that are most influential in our present day, Director Hodges discusses the roots of what is called "Critical Theory," with faculty member Jonathan (Jack) Vowell, who is working on his PhD in literary criticism. In this first of two parts, they discuss the idealism of GWF Hegel and the materialism of Karl Marx and then set the stage for part two, in which these two address how these ideas have influenced the 20th century, and today.
Does Reason Get Us to Truth? The Kafkatrap Defined and Addressed
February 26, 2021 13:30 - 51 minutes - 47.7 MBFor centuries we held that logical reasoning, supported by Revelation, was the way to get to the truth of any issue. At least to the best our finite minds can accomplish. In the last couple of centuries, while we have lost our communal trust in Revelation, we have at least retained the notion that logic and reasoning is the best way to know what is true. Today, we are hearing that logic and reasoning are only ONE way of many to approach truth, and logical fallacies that used to be "points ...
On Forgiveness: A Conversation with Ronnie Stevens
February 19, 2021 13:30 - 1 hour - 66.9 MBSince justice is on so many minds these days, we thought it would be good to discuss the call to forgive. Director Hodges has a conversation with world-class bible teacher, writer, missionary, and pastor Ronnie Stevens.
Of Tzedek and Mishpat: A Biblical View of Justice
February 11, 2021 18:35 - 1 hour - 60.6 MBHow does the bible approach the idea of Justice? It seems to be on everyone's mind these days, so Director Hodges and Pastor Kyle Dillon discuss how the word is used in the bible, and what implications it might have on our considerations of Social Justice.
Post-modernism, part II: The Roots of Irrationality
February 05, 2021 12:30 - 41 minutes - 40.9 MBThis is the second part of a two-part investigation into the history of the ideas that brought us to this place today. It began with Descartes and Rationalism, but in this episode, we begin with Nietzsche at the end of the 19th century and work our way to today. Hodges and Vowell in the continuation of a conversation from last May.
Post-modernism Part 1: The Roots of Irrationality
June 07, 2020 23:17 - 1 hour - 60.6 MBAt the end of our year at the Center, we offer an extended lecture on Post-modernism, and set of ideas closely related to Modernism, and to a degree outdated now, as we are moving into a new era, too new to name completely. In this first half of a long episode that we have broken into two parts, we ask faculty member Jack Vowell to give us the highlights of this year's lecture on post-modern thought, and in it Hodges and Vowell consider the effect that the assumptions of Modernism have had o...
What is Conservatism? The Moral Imagination II
April 17, 2020 12:09 - 1 hour - 70.4 MBContinuing the last episode, Hodges continues to lay out his four-points of "paleo-conservative" thought, taken from Burke, Eliot, Kirk, and others. The need for #3 intergenerational community, and for #4, common religion as a pre-requisite for healthy society. One mistake: In the recommendation portion of the podcast, Hodges refers from memory to a portion of TS Eliot's FOUR QUARTETS, saying that the quote he recalled was in the second section of East Coker - it is in the fourth section o...
What is Conservatism? The Moral Imagination Part I
April 10, 2020 12:13 - 1 hour - 65.9 MBOne of our most popular episodes has been the one we did on Socialism. We thought that the word "Conservative" has lost some of its meaning today, so we decided to address the essence of what some have called "Paleo-conservativism" in distinction to "Neo-Conservativism." Hodges and Vowell discuss the essences of Edmund Burke's "moral imagination" which he pits against the "idyllic imagination" found in the works of Rousseau, and lived out in the bloodbath of the French Revolution and the foll...
What is Conservativism? The Moral Imagination Part I
April 10, 2020 12:13 - 1 hour - 62.7 MBOne of our most popular episodes has been the one we did on Socialism. We thought that the word "Conservative" has lost some of its meaning today, so we decided to address the essence of what some have called "Paleo-conservativism" in distinction to "Neo-Conservativism." Hodges and Vowell discuss the essences of Edmund Burke's "moral imagination" which he pits against the "idyllic imagination" found in the works of Rousseau, and lived out in the bloodbath of the French Revolution and the f...
It's Not Fair! - A Meditation on the Tenth Commandment
April 03, 2020 12:16 - 17 minutes - 19.7 MBWhy would God require that we not covet? Is it for our benefit somehow? Or maybe it is just so that God won't have to listen to us whine? What if the answer to most of our social conflicts today is as simple as keeping the tenth commandment? In another solo podcast, Director Hodges muses about the meaning and application of the call God gives to resist the temptation to desire what others have.
Judge Not Lest Ye Be Judged: Do We Draw Moral Lines Where or When We Shouldn't?
March 27, 2020 12:10 - 15 minutes - 17.1 MBGK Chesterton -- remember him? -- said once, that "Art is like morals: you have to draw the line somewhere." In this episode, Director Hodges goes solo again offering a meditation on drawing moral lines. Are we SURE that we are not falling into traps laid by our Enemy when we demonize others over political and social issues, pointing fingers, claiming injustices, accusing others? How would our Lord have us address injustices and wrongs? They are real. aren't they? Of course they are rea...
Reason and Imagination: A Meditation on Metaphors
March 20, 2020 12:05 - 27 minutes - 28.2 MBHow did we get to the point of skepticism about reason? Do we trust our reason to give us a picture of reality? Or do we allow our fears, passions, concerns, anxieties, and experiences to lead us more than trusting our reason? What is the place for the imagination in reasoning? Are the two in opposition? Director Hodges gives a meditation on Reason and the Imagination, discussing how we can best apprehend the transcendent God through metaphor.
Birthrates in the West: Are We Reluctant to Have Children?
March 09, 2020 18:30 - 1 hour - 66.2 MBCan we still afford to have children? Are we putting them off for good reasons? What about the future generations? Hodges and Vowell discuss whether children are an asset or a liability in a technological society. What are the benefits of career over homemaking? How have we lost sight of the importance of the home? Could it be this is the fruit (or lack thereof) of the sexual revolution? Lower birthrates, but higher sexual confusions, pornography, sexual slavery, prostitution, divorce ...
On Socialism
February 22, 2020 16:17 - 1 hour - 64.5 MBWhat with several of the candidates for the US Presidency claiming to actually BE Socialists, we thought it would be good to discuss the characteristics of Socialism in all its manifestations. Hodges and Vowell address the misguided assumption that all human problems can be solved by way of the federal government. Once accepted as true, this assumption makes the claims of Socialism far more compelling, as the essence of Socialism is the promise of Utopia here and now. Who can argue against...
The New Sincerity: Are We Too Hip to be Serious?
January 13, 2020 20:14 - 1 hour - 62.4 MBBeing ironic is the way of our world. But is it possible to be "hip" enough to tell and know the truth? If we "see through" everything, as CS Lewis asks, how is it any different than being blind? When does our cynicism end and our genuine enjoyment begin? Happy New Year From the Center!
Speshial Christmas Podcast!
December 21, 2019 01:09 - 1 hour - 82.9 MBIt is Advent, and ALMOST Christmas! So we thought we would do a special Christmas episode where we recall Christmases from years past, discuss favorite recipes, Christmas songs, Christmas movies, do each others' hair...well, ok, not really that... but sometimes we need a break from talking about cultural Marxism and warning of the dangers of land wars in Asia...so come join us! Hear a few tunes, and allow us to wallow a bit in nostalgia!
Giving Thanks in Advent: The Health of Gratitude
December 14, 2019 20:07 - 1 hour - 61.9 MBThe problem with giving thanks is that we need someone to thank. In this episode, Hodges and Vowell discuss the importance of giving thanks and never more than for the gift of the Birth at Christmas. It seems even psychologists recognize the need human beings have for gratitude -- instead of complaining about the failings of...well...everything: family, job, country, the other political party, neighbors...perhaps we need to learn to be grateful for the good that we DO have. The family we ...
Excerpt from our reading of A CHRISTMAS CAROL
December 12, 2019 15:49 - 13 minutes - 15.8 MBDirector Hodges sat down in the studio recently and recorded the entire book A CHRISTMAS CAROL for the Center. All the great language, humor, horror, and profound truth captured in audio book form! Here we have placed a short excerpt to whet your appetite for the entire thing... And this book is available to donors to the Center! If you make a donation of $100 or more to the Center for Western Studies this Christmas, we will send you the link with which you can download the entire mp3 fil...
The Electoral College vs the Democratic Vote: Is the EC Obsolete?
November 23, 2019 21:06 - 1 hour - 70.3 MBThere have been only a few elections in US history in which a presidential candidate won the election without winning the popular vote. The 2016 election was one of those times, and that, combined with the 2020 election coming up, has reignited the debate about the significance of the Electoral College. Does it fairly represent the country? If not, how could it be bettered? If so, how does it answer the accusation that it grants more weight to one man's vote than another's? Hodges and Vo...
Barr Speaks at Notre Dame: Can We have Liberty Without Faith?
November 16, 2019 18:11 - 1 hour - 70.5 MBAttorney General William Barr recently gave a lecture at the law school at Notre Dame University about the necessity of the Christian faith in establishing but also sustaining civil society. In a plurality of beliefs, where do we turn for the foundation of society? Hodges and Vowell discuss the lecture itself, and whether giving such a lecture breaks the "establishment" clause or is making use of the "free-exercise" clause of the First Amendment, and whether he is right in saying that faith i...
Advance or Abdication? What Does "Progress" Really Cost?
October 19, 2019 03:37 - 54 minutes - 53.4 MBTechnology, health care, foreign policy, government - what do we give up to progress? Hodges and Vowell discuss a half-baked idea that the metaphysical cost of giving up our volition for efficiency and lower costs may actually not be worth the trade. Recommendations: Hodges suggests reading Os Guinness' "Renaissance" book; Vowell suggests a podcast called "The Remnant" episode 138 entitled, 'Half-baked' between Jonah Goldberg and Rep. Mike Gallagher.
Male, Female; Masculine, Feminine: What's the Diff?
October 04, 2019 12:06 - 1 hour - 65.5 MBIs sex the same as gender? If different, how? Hodges and Vowell start our third season of the From the Center Podcasts by diving into the thorny issue of gender. With no more authority on the subject than speaking as human beings, the two comment on an article that came from the Vatican in July of this year entitled, "Male and Female He Created Them, Toward a Path of Dialogue On the Question of Gender Theory in Education," (which can be read on line here). The document attempts to lay out "st...
Do the Humanities Describe Humanity?
July 06, 2019 06:01 - 1 hour - 59.1 MBHow does the study of the Humanities help us become more human? Could it be that the loss of the Humanities has encouraged confusion between humans and computers, robots, AI? Perhaps the more we look like Jesus, the more we become human, and the more we appreciate the Humanities that exhibit the characteristics of humanness? Hodges and Vowell discuss what the Humanities have become, and what they could be.
Power of History and the Arts: How Do They Improve Life?
June 20, 2019 12:30 - 57 minutes - 56.4 MBIt has been a while since we posted a podcast! Thanks for sticking with us as we traveled to Europe, sold and bought a house and moved ourselves and the Center to the beautiful retreat house we now have! We hope to get back on our weekly schedule. In this episode, Hodges and Vowell discuss the superiority of history and the arts over law and government for the improvement of life.
The Radical Truth: Ok, So if We Are Against That, What are we For?
March 19, 2019 12:00 - 1 hour - 73.9 MBThe Truth is a Person. As long as we are trying to choose which system of thought is the right one, we are missing the Truth. The problem isn't which system, it is which judge...Hodges and Vowell attempt to follow up on last week's podcast and provide what Christians are FOR rather than what they are against.
Of Facts and Narratives: Which Comes First?
March 12, 2019 01:04 - 58 minutes - 53.8 MBThere have been so many hoaxes in the last few decades, and they reveal a cultural predisposition toward accepting Narratives and disregarding facts. Or is there a deeper set of Facts that trump Narratives? Hodges and Vowell discuss the present society's fear of "Totalization" of any kind, whether Communism, Totalitarianism, or even Christianity.
Suffer the Little Children: Can We Be Pro-life and Pro-choice Simultaneously?
March 01, 2019 15:06 - 1 hour - 67.6 MBWith various states presently and recently debating the abortion issue, an article came out arguing that a Christian can be both Pro-life and Pro-choice at the same time. In an attempt to make sense of it, Hodges and Vowell address the article and its assumptions. (Here is a link to the article: https://www.upworthy.com/it-is-possible-to-be-morally-pro-life-and-politically-pro-choice-at-the-same-time)
Will The Real Men Please Stand?: Toxic Masculinity and The Gillette Ad
February 22, 2019 22:27 - 1 hour - 63.2 MBFor a few days there was nothing but discussion about an ad put out by the Gillette shave company (called a "short film" by its creators, 2 minutes long), that was made up of various scenes in which men were depicted as mistreating women or encouraging aggressive behavior. Hodges and Vowell discuss the implications of this view of men, how the term "toxic masculinity" is used in the ad, and whether or not it gave a fair view of men. Since both men wear beards, and thus don't need the produc...
Are You a Player? The Role of Play in God's Economy
February 15, 2019 20:29 - 1 hour - 57 MBRecalling a great discussion from one of our Sunday night dinners, Hodges and Vowell discuss human play. Is it the opposite of work? Is it of use? What part does play play in a biblical understanding of life? The fellas offer a new definition that is more about attitude than action.
Losing our Ability to See Through the World: The Decline of the Liberal Arts
January 21, 2019 23:14 - 1 hour - 61.4 MBHodges and Vowell discuss the liberal arts and their purpose. What happens to a civilization that loses its understanding of the liberal arts? Why should we return to them in our general education? Professors live for the "fire falling" of inspiration in the hearts of our students, but can it be taught? The loss of the doctrine of the image of God is connected to the loss of the love of the human (or even the definition of the human), and without the human, why study the Humanities?
Is it OK to Scream at People? Political Debate in the Early 21st Century
December 28, 2018 13:07 - 1 hour - 67.6 MBSeems each side in political world has given up debate in favor of increased ire and insult. We don't think that this is that unusual -- political differences have often come to blows, even on the floor of congress, but what IS unusual is that some have argued that one's political opponents should not be allowed to have peaceful meals in public, or feel secure in their homes in private. What has changed to make this acceptable behavior in a civilized country? Hodges and Vowell describe a q...
What's All This Then? Socialism and its Strange Attractiveness
December 22, 2018 15:01 - 1 hour - 84.7 MBIf the material world is all there is, equal distribution of the world's resources, capital, wealth would make sense. But if material is all there is, where do we get the notion that redistribution is virtuous? And what about those who believe there IS a God? Can Christians embrace Socialism as a virtuous means to fulfill the call to care for the Poor? Why would Socialism be so attractive that so many would forget their arguments for diversity and embrace an old white guy? Hodges and Vow...
Engaging the Culture: What is a Positive Approach for Christians?
December 05, 2018 12:55 - 1 hour - 69.9 MB"Be in but not of..." The Gospel requires a theological posture that embraces the culture as a single thing that is either influenced by Christians or is not - either is being seasoned with the salt of the Gospel or is not. There are two other approaches. We could form a Christian sub-culture removed from the rest of the world, OR we could offer a full embrace or capitulation to the culture, since there are so many elements that all people have in common. But can we love our culture enough...
Social Justice and the Calling to Care for Others
October 19, 2018 13:30 - 1 hour - 65.9 MBHodges and Vowell discuss the rise of Social Justice in the culture and in the Church, defining terms, and considering how it relates to the calling that Christians have to care for the poor, sick, and the widow.
Our Second Season! Introduction of our 2018 students
September 28, 2018 16:23 - 52 minutes - 48.5 MBWe begin our second year of podcasts at the Center! This first episode introduces our new students: Emma Peebles, Kate Korasick, and Ben Thompson. Plus, Hodges and Vowell lay out the philosophy of education at the Center.
Reason and Irrationality: An Interview with Ken Myers
August 20, 2018 12:15 - 1 hour - 62.7 MBDirector Hodges chats with Ken Myers at the Circe National Conference in Charleston, SC where they both were speaking. The two talk about the development and redefinition of Reason in the Modern world, since the 16th century, and how even the Church is more influenced by Modern thought than she realizes. Modern Rationalism is not so much the result of unbelieving philosophers, but Christian philosophers who departed from their biblical understanding.
Limits of Technology: Do We Get the Whole Truth Thru the Media?
August 14, 2018 18:00 - 1 hour - 67.9 MBHodges and Vowell discuss how we communicate, and whether or not technology can limit our ability to communicate.
Thou SHALL Judge? Under what circumstances do we use categories?
August 04, 2018 18:45 - 1 hour - 58.4 MBHodges and Vowell use our culture's judgment of races as a jumping off point to discuss the place of and means by which judgment is a properly human activity.
On the Revoice Conference 2
July 31, 2018 18:14 - 1 hour - 60.4 MBHodges and Vowell discuss the Revoice Conference to be held in late July, a conference to address how the Church can minister to those who are homosexually attracted but celibate. They raise and discuss the question of whether or not it is meaningful to speak of "Gay-Christians." Is there any prefix to "Christian" that contributes to the identity of a faithful believer? Is it meaningful to speak of an "adulterous Christian" or "kleptomaniac Christian"? Where exactly is the sin in sexual sin...
The St. Louis REVOICE Conference Upcoming in July
July 01, 2018 00:42 - 1 hour - 64.3 MBOne of our recent Sunday night discussions was centered on the debate surrounding the upcoming conference on how the Church might engage the so called LGBTQ community. That conversation is discussed here, as well as commentary on the articles pro and con. Is there such a thing as a "gay-Christian"? What does that mean? Hodges and Vowell discuss the details of the Revoice mission statement, vision statement, and those of the Center for Faith, Sexuality, and Gender.
End of the Year Review of Books: Lewis, Homer, Dante, and Hugo.
June 21, 2018 14:57 - 1 hour - 58.5 MBHodges and Vowell celebrate the end of the Center year by reviewing some of the highlights from the study of books read this year. Marriage and the "Inner Ring" seen in That Hideous Strength; the importance of hospitality in the Odyssey; the relation of sin to punishment in The Inferno; the worst of all sins in Dante and Victor Hugo.