Living as Creatures
Living as Creatures
Podcast Description
Human ways of thinking, relating, and worshiping are going extinct. If Wendell Berry predicted the future would be divided between those who wish to live as machines and those who wish to live as creatures, I want to throw my lot in with the creatures. Join me. www.benjaminchristenson.com
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The show explores themes such as the intersection of spirituality and secularism, the impact of philosophical ideas on modern life, and the importance of traditional practices in contemporary society. Episodes delve into subjects like the relevance of Eastern Orthodoxy in a secular world and the critique of the separation of the spiritual and physical realms, exemplified by discussions around sociopolitical constructs and philosophical allegories like Plato’s Cave.
Human ways of thinking, relating, and worshiping are going extinct. If Wendell Berry predicted the future would be divided between those who wish to live as machines and those who wish to live as creatures, I want to throw my lot in with the creatures. Join me.
Do you ever feel like American life today is stuck? Fruitless arguments, intractable problems, and a lot of shouting without any listening. My guest today, Dr. Zac Porcu, is trying to take a step back and examine the roots of all this.
He wants to question the premises of the secular worldview that we all instinctively adopt. This includes everything from the separation of Church and State to the separation of the physical and spiritual worlds. You may not agree with all his conclusions, but I find he helps shift these tired conversations onto fresh ground.
He has a PhD in Church History from Catholic University, but he’s also the catechist at one of the largest Orthodox churches in the country whose head pastor has a very popular YouTube channel.
With his combination of on-the-ground experience and theological training, I wanted to ask him about Eastern Orthodoxy’s perception, appeal, and role in American life going forward and what we can learn from stepping away from the daily outrage cycle. We ended up discussing Plato’s Cave, Orthobros, and a whole lot more.
To see more of his work, you can check out his Substack The Roots of Everything.
One note: We discussed the concept of a “cave within a cave” during the episode. This isn’t a McLuhan line, it’s from Leo Strauss. More here.
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