Mon, 13 March 2017
This is the first in a series of shows about the Reformations that took place in the sixteenth-century, outside of Germany and the Lutheran tradition. We explore Zwingli's thought, the affair of the sausages, and political aspects of the Swiss reformation. 1517legacy.com virtueinthewasteland.com
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Mon, 6 March 2017
Authoritarian personalities and evil revisited. |
Mon, 27 February 2017
Social movements with a real live sociologist. |
Mon, 20 February 2017
Dan and Jeff respond to tough listener questions raised by past shows. |
Mon, 13 February 2017
Why does painting matter? We discuss: La la Land, New Sincerity, Edvard Munch, The Scream, Impressionism, and the art of children. Join us for a great conversation with our friend Dr. Dan Siedell. Our guest is Director of Whale & Star, the Miami-based studio of artist Enrique Martínez Celaya, where he oversees research and development. He is visiting professor at Knox Theological Seminary and Kings College, NY. Previously, he taught modern and contemporary art history, theory, and criticism at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He was also Chief Curator of the Sheldon Museum of Art at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for eleven years. He holds a Ph.D. in Modern and Contemporary Art History, Theory, and Criticism. University of Iowa (1995), and an M.A. inArt History, Theory, and Criticism. SUNY Stony Brook (1991). He's the author of God in the Gallery: A Christian Embrace of Modern Art (Baker Academic, 2008) and Who's Afraid of Modern Art?: Essays on Modern Art and Theology in Conversation (Cascade, 2015). virtueinthewasteland.com 1517legacy.com
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Mon, 6 February 2017
Joe Laughon is back. Are we in an age of corruption and decay? Are we on the verge of a new world order, or on the edge of doom. Can we lock things down and keep the dangerous outsiders at bay?
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Mon, 30 January 2017
The corruption of power, why people want it, why we don't always realize that power is behind other "causes" and why people get aggressive when their power is questioned. Jeff and Dan riff on a theme close to home for them, and for all of us these days. 1517legacy.com virtuneinthewasteland.com
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Mon, 23 January 2017
Listen to find out. Also, the point: things have already changed and the results of those changes will affect institutions and ways we live in the future. No fear: everything is vanity, but all is enfolded into a larger, righteous cosmic story. |
Mon, 16 January 2017
Gustavo Arellano is one of the coolest journalists and authors in our neck of the woods. He’s the editor of the OC Weekly, where Dan and Jeff learned about bands to follow, local issues and stuff to see, when they were growing up. He is the author of the nationally syndicated column ¡Ask a Mexican! He is a best selling author with three great books to check out: ¡Ask a Mexican!, Orange County: A Personal History, and Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America We also discuss politics, syncretistic religion, and the Catholic church’s scandals here in Southern California.
virtueinthewasteland.com
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Mon, 9 January 2017
How a lot has already changed in 2017... it may have changed a while back but we discuss three ways in which politics, religion, and entertainment have shifted significantly. What we find each of these changes have in common is a questioning of longstanding authorities. |
Mon, 2 January 2017
On today's show we discuss the idea of normal. Having received so many emails from all around the world, we have a particularly American and west coast mentality. We think some things are normal when in fact it might be shocking to others. Is normal the same as good? how do we judge what is "normal"? Do we need to check what we believe is normal, or are they socially constructed and need not be judged as normal or abnormal? From Aquinas to Warren Harding to Oingo Boingo. Enjoy the show! |
Mon, 26 December 2016
In this, the last episode of 2016, Jeff and Dan discuss what they might slough off and let go of in 2017. Rather than think too much about we will do in the coming year, this show explores what kind of rubbish, litter and filth we would like to shake off for the coming year. We discuss politics, personal ideologies and the album of the year (and play what Dan believes is the best track... if you want to slip through it, he won't take it personally). We all know 2016 has been a tumultuous year, the guys discuss how we might enter the new year, #EGBOK style...
Direct download: sloughing_off_and_letting_go_of__2016.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00pm PST |
Mon, 19 December 2016
How a famous 19th c. Danish statesman, hymn writer, poet, theologian and education reformer, though little known to many Americans today, had a profound influence on the world, and represents an alternative to angrier approaches to life. |
Mon, 12 December 2016
Depression, Christmas, muddling through, hope, the Christmas blues, great but darker pop Christmas lyrics. The Pogues, Calexico, Eels and more. Why suicides don't really spike around Christmas. Why April is the cruelest month.
Direct download: Everything_Will_Be_Cool_This_Christmas.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00pm PST |
Mon, 5 December 2016
What happened to the European Christian world after Luther posted his 95 theses. Protestant scholasticism, pietism, Philip Melanchthon, Johann Sturm, Martin Bucer, Primoz Trubar, and Johann Arndt.
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Wed, 30 November 2016
Fidel Castro, evil, the media, failures in journalism, ideology, how to defeat or overcome self-defeating ideology.
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Mon, 28 November 2016
Why the 95 Theses of Martin Luther sparked a revolution beyond what anyone, including Luther himself, probably expected. The political, cultural, religious, and psychological issues surrounding a little academic document posted on a church door in Wittenberg, 500 years ago. |
Mon, 21 November 2016
Cultural, theological, and spiritual events leading up to the time of the Reformation. |
Mon, 14 November 2016
Following his recent death, we discuss Leonard Cohen's songs, which deal with biblical and romantic themes. Was he pessimistic and despairing, or was there a secret chord that some might miss if they don't listen close enough to this genius songwriter. Check out virtuneinthewasteland.com for show notes and links.
Direct download: Leonard_Cohen_Wrestles_with_Sex_Death_and_God.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00pm PST |
Mon, 7 November 2016
How will we live after nearly half the country is frustrated that their candidate didn't get what they hoped for? Healing and virtuous community in the aftermath of an ugly election cycle with Clinton and Trump. |
Mon, 31 October 2016
We discuss journalism, education, Williams syndrome, Trinity Broadcasting Network, and the changing shape of journalism. Teri Sforza is a journalist, author, filmmaker and mom. She contributed to the Orange County Register's Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation of fertility fraud at UC Irvine, covered what was then the largest municipal bankruptcy in America‘s history, and is the author of "The Strangest Song," the first book to tell the story of Williams syndrome and the extraordinary musicality of many of the people who have it. Sforza decided to harness the power of the moving image to help bring her stories to life, earned her M.F.A. from UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television, and has made two documentaries - "American Pie: Slices of Life (and pie) on America's Back Roads," which won the Audience Choice Award at the Palm Springs International Short Film Festival; and the OC Register's "The Boy Monk," a story that was also told as a series in the newspaper. Sforza birthed the OC Watchdog column aiming to keep a critical (but good-humored) eye on governments and nonprofits, large and small.
Direct download: Virtue_in_Journalism_with_Teri_Sforza.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00pm PST |
Mon, 24 October 2016
A conversation with a loyal listener. Elizabeth in many ways reflects our core listener base: interested in ideas, educated, not a theological specialist or ethicist, church background, with some frustrations about church experience, and aware of the complexities of our cultural wasteland.
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Mon, 17 October 2016
Art, symbolism, idols, faith, eye candy, and meaning. With an art critic and artist. |
Mon, 10 October 2016
You may have read Grapes of Wrath, but East of Eden is a powerful book. You don't have to have read it to join in the conversation. We share some parts of the middle of the book, but don't give away the ending. Are we capable of choosing virtue and vice freely? Are some people so monstrous that they are unredeemable? We don't answer all these questions, but we explore them.
1517legacy.com faithfulmasks.org virtueinthewasteland.com
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Mon, 3 October 2016
This is the second, and longer part, of the story of Gina Eilers, former Lutheran pastor who now identifies as a woman, but believes she will be male once again, in her glorified, resurrected body. In this part, we discuss the implications of Gina's transition for family and church relationships. |
Mon, 3 October 2016
Gina, formerly known as Greg Eilers, resigned from the pastoral office after coming to terms with gender dysphoria. This is a sensitive, complex but important story to consider. In this first part, we hear Gina's story. In the second part, we will hear how this affected her family and church affiliation. |
Mon, 26 September 2016
Micah took a short break from his heavy spoken word poetry touring to share about his new blues album No Ugly Babies, which will be released Sept. 27, 2016. We discuss the power of love and grace, the perplexities related to race and violence in America, symbolic patriotism, the real Martin Luther King, Jr., and forms of protest in the NFL. There are some songs shared, and Micah recites a poem that hits the spot. micahbournes.com faithfulmasks.org virtuneinthewasteland.ocm |
Mon, 19 September 2016
Lest you think venturing out on entrepreneurial projects is all fun and games, Dan and Jeff discuss the anxiety of freedom in life, and the necessity of remembering our histories, tracing our steps, and staying centered. They discuss their tattoos too, and how they tell stories about their lives. |
Mon, 12 September 2016
Frolic with us through our conversation about doing what you love. Anne tells about leaving a decent job to take a risk and become a food photographer. Her bold move paid off in terms of acclaim and personal fulfillment. Her many awards include 2016 Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year and Errazuirz Wine Photographer of the Year. OC WEEKLY called her OC's most beloved food photographer and a "badass photo ninja." She provided the photography for a book with her husband: There & Back Again to See How Far it Is: Cultural Observations of an Englishman Aboard a Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Across Small-Town America (2011).
Her website: http://annewatsonphoto.com Our websites: virtueinthewasteland.com faithfulmasks.org 1517legacy.com |
Mon, 5 September 2016
The killer robots are still worth worrying about. But how is the digital and cybernetic world threatening human embodied sexuality. Joel is on the theology faculty at Concordia University, where he overseas the MA Program, and heads up the Crosswise Institute, which will this year host an event for high school students on the topic of transhumanism and theology. He runs a blog called Fishing for Leviathan which talks about embodiment and spirituality in our technological age. |
Mon, 29 August 2016
We've talked about leaving your job to follow your vocation before. This time, one of the guys actually put the theory of resigning into practice. One of the guys shares some ideas related to the nature of quitting the traditional concept of a 40 hour a week job and taking on multiple revenue sources in our changing economy.
Direct download: Saying_Goodbye_and_the_Changing_Economy.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00pm PST |
Fri, 26 August 2016
Capitalism, the love of money, virtue, economics, Marx, and love of neighbor. |
Thu, 25 August 2016
How the two party system got started, and why it might be a major problem. |
Wed, 24 August 2016
How our Janus faces of secularism and Christianity have helped create the complex situation we find ourselves in, at least in America. |
Tue, 23 August 2016
The four basic types of foreign engagement doctrine in US history, and what that means for today. |
Mon, 22 August 2016
This is the first in a series of shorter chats, trying to make sense of the reasons why things have become so perplexing in our culture.
Direct download: How_Did_We_Get_Into_This_Mess__Part_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00pm PST |
Mon, 15 August 2016
Jeff and Dan discuss their experiences teaching English and virtue overseas, along with some recent graduates. There is also mention of a culinary adventure. |
Mon, 8 August 2016
Dan and Jeff discuss sexual ethics and the art of being sexy, and introduce a talk on the subject Jeff gave at the Shaped by What You Love event, sponsored by, among other entities, Cross of Christ Church in Costa Mesa, CA.
1517legacy.com virtuneinthewasteland.com faithfulmasks.org |
Mon, 1 August 2016
What is the mythic value of the Lord of the Rings? What is Dan's reaction to the films, having not seen them, nor read the books? What are the enduring themes for life found in this story? faithfulmasks.org virtuneinthewasteland.com 1517legacy.com
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Mon, 25 July 2016
The virtuous shopping list! Dan and Jeff discuss the idols of consumption in our homes and offices. What sorts of thing are worth investing in? What is a waste of time? How can we simplify our lives yet live richly? 1517legacy.com virtuneinthewasteland.com faithfulmasks.org |
Mon, 18 July 2016
How can we learn the rules of conventional wisdom, learn when to break them, and avoid putting on costumes instead of faithful masks? Dan and Jeff discuss practical examples of how to navigate these waters, while knowing that we are free to break even these protocols of cultural practice. We discuss examples from film, television, music, and branding.
virtuneinthewasteland.com 1517legacy.com faithfulmasks.org |
Mon, 11 July 2016
With several distressing events and impending cultural issues abounding, we defend the overall thesis that all manner of thing shall be well, despite the terrifying snags along the way. virtuneinthewasteland.com 1517legacy.com faithfulmasks.org
Direct download: Despite_What_You_Heard_Everything_Is_Gonna_Be_OK.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00pm PST |
Sun, 3 July 2016
How not to be a poser. When to break the rules. The relationship between fashion, culture, and virtue ethics. This show sets the stage for several shows to come on the topic of knowing when to break with conventional rules for the sake of goodness, truth, and beauty. The guys also talk about their experiences visiting the post-apocalyptic landscape of the Salton Sea. |
Mon, 27 June 2016
Jeff talks about why he thinks Dan is one of the most together person he knows, then shares a bit about what it's like to have family and friends who are addicts or recovering addicts. Then we include Dan's presentation at the 2016 Christ Hold Fast Conference, in which he shares about his struggles with alcohol and his six years of sobriety. Jeff begged Dan to let him post this, because of how much it meant to him personally. We left in some language this time, instead of bleeping it. If you don't need the first part, you can find the audio by itself, along with other good talks, including one by Jeff here: http://www.christholdfast.org/chftalks/
Direct download: When_A_Loved_One_Has_a_Drinking_Problem.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00pm PST |
Mon, 20 June 2016
Going to a party this summer? What will you do when the conversation turns to religion and or politics? Can you hang? Can you keep your principles?
Direct download: How_to_Have_A_Conversation_in_Polite_Company.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00pm PST |
Mon, 13 June 2016
Recreation, rest, working, vocation of vocation, sail boats, Boy Scouts, rest, recharging, introversion, love, grace, Aristotle and ethos and habituation and virtue.
virtueinthewasteland.com 1517legacy.com |
Mon, 6 June 2016
Veteran civil engineer and founding board member for the League of Faithful Masks Dave Atkinson discusses the challenges and changes to our cultural landscape, especially in the Orange County CA scene. Mentoring, and how to get and keep a good job is also discussed. |
Mon, 30 May 2016
We discuss books we are digging and reading through this summer. We also give you a digest of the contents of those books. So, even if you don't end up reading them, you'll get some good summaries and ideas to mull over. Since we are doing research for our own writing projects, you won't be surprised to find that they tend to be related to sexual ethics, addiction, and edgy memoirs. Just take a shot on this one, because we think you'll dig it, but if you don't come back soon for some great interviews we've got lined up.
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Mon, 23 May 2016
The poignant importance of the father-child relationship. We discuss Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling, the story of Abraham and Isaac, the Terrance Malick film Tree of Life, and fatherhood in general. |
Mon, 16 May 2016
We figured it was time to explain ourselves. We are unashamed to call ourselves Christians in the sense that we cannot deny the hope that is within us. But have any of us really let it sink in that the radical call of Christianity is more devastating and indeed impossible than most of us ever admit to ourselves or others? Come with us on this special show about why we "feel" more Christian than ever but have also come to realize how offensive the the Law and Gospel are to us all. The song at the end is Wovenhand "The Threshing Floor" Go to 1517legacy.com to donate to the show for our campaign. |
Mon, 9 May 2016
During the spring 2016 semester, Dan and Jeff team taught an upper division course on several themes from our show, including TS Eliot's "The Wasteland," Zizek, Living in the End Times, Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling, short stories, Bonhoeffer's ethics, C.S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man, the Tao Te Ching etc. We then selected two excellent students to discuss and reflect back on the semester. Sam Leanza's family makes Jeff's favorite incense, which you too can buy here: |
Mon, 25 April 2016
The twenty dollar bill. Holocaust memorials. The confederate flag. How do symbols become important to us as we try to remember and not forget past cultural mistakes? David Schulz is an expert in communication theory and is currently chair and professor of Communication at Trinity Lutheran College. He formerly served as an assistant professor at California State University, where he taught persuasion and rhetoric courses. He has also taught at Penn State, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Columbia College. He has published a book, book chapters, several peer reviewed journal articles, and a number of book reviews. He has presented research both nationally and internationally at academic conferences. He holds a B.A. in Communications from Western Washington University and an M.A. in Communication Studies from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He earned a Ph.D. from the Pennsylvania State University in Speech Communication. David lives on a little lake in Marysville with his wife and two sons. |
Mon, 18 April 2016
Raleigh Sadler is based in New York city, where he works to fight human trafficking. As a speaker, his work has taken him to universities and churches across the country speaking on how the Christian faith frees us to explore justice and mercy in our communities. With that said, he believes that the church should be leading the way in the fight against human trafficking. The local church, he says, best fights human trafficking by loving those vulnerable to it. With this message, He has worked with the Price of Life Invitational, New York City Urban Project, the MNYBA, the New York State Anti-trafficking Coalition, Restore NYC, City Serve, as well as several other justice and mercy organizations. He currently leads the Let My People Go movement, which challenges leaders to do justice though innovation and collaboration with the Gospel as their motivation. He believes strongly that the world will not see an end to the problem of human trafficking until the local church rises up against it.
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Mon, 11 April 2016
Ted Giese is our go to guy for movies and theology. We chat about the death of doubt in films of late, and several interesting recent releases. We spend a good deal of time on God Is Not Dead 2. Apologies for occasional audio glitches that resulted from the Skype feed. Apologies also for not having time to bleep two mild profanities. For more from Pastor Giese: |
Mon, 4 April 2016
Jesus movies from start to finish, the good and the bad and the compelling. We spend much of our time on the cultural phenomenon and now direct examination of the controversial film, The Last Temptation of Christ, though we also discuss the Jesus Film, the Life of Brian, and some Jesus musicals. Rick Ritchie is a thinking fellow at 1517, and has a long history of contributing to outlets like Modern Reformation magazine and online theological platforms. 1517legacy.com virtuneinthewasteland.com faithfulmasks.org |
Mon, 28 March 2016
Losing yourself and finding yourself. What kind of self do you have anyway? Self optimization the ViW way. virtuneinthewasteland.com faithfulmasks.org 1517legacy.com
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Mon, 21 March 2016
How to end well. How to end at the right time, and how to keep moving forward even when the grass might look greener on the other side. Kierkegaard, White Sox baseball, Lost, X-Files, Leonard Cohen |
Mon, 14 March 2016
Trump, Sanders, Clinton, populism, the media, journalism, and how it all went wrong. Can it be made right? What caused this mess? Is there any earthly hope for American democracy? |
Mon, 7 March 2016
Wai shares his story and the story of violence in Sudan. He has worked with Sudanese refugees who live in San Diego. sudaneseamericanyouthcenter.org
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Mon, 29 February 2016
Women in conservative Christian communities. Santa Ostapowich is in charge of the Higher Things Conferences (higherthings.org). |
Mon, 22 February 2016
Jeff interviews Dan about his upcoming book: Monsters.
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Mon, 15 February 2016
Spoken word artist Emily Joy joins us for a discussion of the ways in which poetry might change our world and help us gain empathy for those whose voices are sometimes silenced or ignored. We chat about Nashville weather, growing up in the evangelical world, adolescent sexuality, and the experiences of women in Christian communities. Our guest doesn't mince words or pull punches, so expect a lively conversation. Check her work out at emilyjoypoetry.com, or buy her albums on Bandcamp or iTunes. |
Mon, 8 February 2016
This year, we are trying out yet another Lenten challenge: reading poetry or listening to it read instead of watching t.v. or playing background music. On this show, we discuss the ways in which poetry can inspire the imagination and also create silence and space for reflection and insight. We talk a bit about psychologist Paul "Stormy" Fairweather, lots about T. S. Eliot, especially his poems "The Hollow Men" and "Ash Wednesday". We also chat a bit about the Superbowl and Jeff's Broncos. Jeff read a list of global poetry, recommended by our colleague Adam Lee. Here's that list, since Jeff had a hard time with the pronunciations: virtueinthewasteland.com 1517legacy.com |
Mon, 1 February 2016
Why does every attempt at a perfect society always become such a drag? We discuss Jeff's run in with some KKK fellows, Zizek's book, Living in the End Times, the backstory to utopian literature, such as that of Thomas More, and some interesting examples of utopian societies. |
Mon, 25 January 2016
Is there an ultimate sublime reality outside of our own opinions, emotions, and sentiments? We think so, but it isn't always easy to identify and like the good. Sometimes we are misguided intellectually, sometimes our hearts are in the right place. Such is life in the wasteland. The medicine is virtue. We discuss: Dudes that Know (DTK), Zizek's Living in the End Times, C.S. Lewis' Abolition of Man, aesthetics, virtue theory, Aristotle, the ethics of belief, ethical habituation, elitism, Yelp, and the democratization of cultural criticism online and through social media. |
Mon, 18 January 2016
Can we really study war no more? Or is war inevitable, a natural and irremovable aspect of our human nature? We don't come to a final answer, but we explore the tough elements of the question with Dr. Caleb Karges, who specializes in military history and war in the eighteenth century. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of St. Andrews. We also throw in a brief bit about the theories of Mark Juergensmeyer on cosmic violence, and René Girard on mimetic violence. |
Mon, 11 January 2016
We share our reflections, review, and theories, regarding Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Joining us via Skype (sorry the audio gets weird once again because of connections) is Ted Giese, who writes thoughtful film reviews, when he isn't serving in his role as pastor (or maybe, that's part of the role). Spoilers abound, as you might expect from the title. The first half is Jeff and Dan, the second half is Jeff and Ted. Rev. Giese is associate pastor of Mount Olive Lutheran Church. Born in Edmonton, he grew up just outside the city in Stony Plain Alberta were he attended St. Matthew Lutheran Church and School. In his travels he has lived in Prince George, British Columbia and Halifax, Nova Scotia. He earned a Bachelors Degree in Fine Art from NSCAD in Halifax, a Masters of Theological Studies Degree (2000) and a Masters of Divinity Degree (2007) from Concordia Lutheran Seminary Edmonton. For eight years (1998 - 2006) he worked at Andy's Valleyview IGA in Edmonton, five of those years as a manager. From 2004 to 2006 he also worked as the night manager at Ronald McDonald House in Edmonton.
Here's his film review site: http://lutheran-church-regina.com/news?topic=37466 |
Mon, 4 January 2016
What stories really mattered in 2015? What can we expect in 2016 in culture and politics? |
Mon, 28 December 2015
What do we do when the euphoria of Christmas morning is past? We discuss the Persian holiday of Yalda, the future, a bit more about Christmas movies, and share stories about our family Christmases. |
Mon, 21 December 2015
The obligations of virtuous citizens, with respect to the Syrian refugee situation, Trump, Angela Merkel, journalism, and American self-imposed ignorance. Uwe is a lay theologian and internationally-renowned journalist. Siemon-Netto was born in Leipzig, Germany, where his devoutly Lutheran grandmother was the pivotal figure in his childhood in World War II. He is the former religion editor of United Press International. He began his journalism career 1956 as a trainee at Westfalenpost, a large regional newspaper in southern Westphalia. In 1958, he joined the Associated Press in Frankfurt first as copy editor, then as slot editor and roving reporter, covering, among other things, the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961. From 1962 to 1969, he worked as a correspondent for Springer Foreign News Service in London, Paris, New York, Vietnam, the Middle East and Hong Kong. His assignments included the United Nations, the U.S. civil rights movement, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the Vietnam War (over a period of five years), the Arab-Israeli Six Day War, and China's Cultural Revolution. From 1969 to 1973 Siemon-Netto was North American correspondent for the magazine, Der Stern, writing about many major news events in North, Central and South America, East Asia, France, and again Vietnam.From 1973 to 1986, Siemon-Netto served as Managing Editor for Hamburger Morgenpost, taught journalism at Hamburg's Journalistenschule Henri Nannen, worked as a freelance correspondent for German, Swiss, French and U.S. publications, and as a media consultant overseeing a variety of design and management tasks at publications in Germany and the United States.
faithfulmasks.org virtueinthewasteland.com thejaggedword.com 1517legacy.com christholdfast.org
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Mon, 14 December 2015
Expert in the history of Christian-Muslim relations, Dr. Francisco chats with us about the perplexing circumstances of our era. How do we balance our love for neighbor with our concern for our neighbors' safety. How do we juggle religious freedom and obvious threats from radicalized believers. We discuss Trump, ISIS, ISIL, jihad, refugees, and radical Islam.
Direct download: Extremism_and_The_Limits_of_Hospitality.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00pm PST |
Mon, 7 December 2015
Many atheists and conservative Christians have one thing in common this Christmas season: they worry about whether they should tell their kids a benevolent but not exactly true tale about Santa Claus. There are economic, mythic, religious, and cultural issues at play. We learn about the history and development of the Santa legend. |
Mon, 30 November 2015
Twitter, public vitriol, shrill rhetoric, journalism, the history of political debate, postmodern thought, the linguistic turn, analytic philosophy and speech act theory. |
Mon, 23 November 2015
Give thanks for even the things you think you resent. Hear how Jeff, Dan, the 1517 crew, and sports radio all interconnect. |
Mon, 16 November 2015
The cultural, philosophical, and religious significance of Star Wars, as we anticipate the reboot in December. virtueinthewasteland.com 1517legacy.com faithfulmasks.org thejaggedword.com |
Mon, 9 November 2015
Are you a Chicken Little, always shouting about impending doom? Are you an ostrich with your head in the sand, not attending to the threats on the horizon? What kind of bird are you? This week, Dan and Jeff reset after several shows about societal collapse and discuss various aspects--all in free-form--of the phenomenon of being right but not having any satisfaction once vindicated. We mess about but have some fun. |
Mon, 2 November 2015
Modern art and art critic and author, Dr. Daniel Seidell, all while we watch a muted game 2 of the World Series. What does art provide? Is there a way in which beauty might bring us back to truth? And what does that mean? Maybe our favorite show. This cat is the real deal. Too much fun amidst profound exploration of ideas.
Direct download: The_Art_of_Faith_with_Dr._Dan_Seidell.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00pm PST |
Mon, 26 October 2015
Dr. Deen is a Faithful Masks Fellow, a 1517 Thinking Fellow, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Concordia University, Irvine, and a dude who specializes in the ethics of belief. We think virtue is the way out of the intellectual wasteland, and we discuss ways to move forward with respect to perplexing issues like science and religion, and reproductive ethics. |
Mon, 19 October 2015
World War I, the Lost Generation, postmodernity, continental philosophy, and the US presidential contenders, like Trump, Clinton, Bush, and Sanders. We don't recount all the events, we just put them into context. virtueinthewasteland.com faithfulmasks.org 1517legacy.com |
Mon, 12 October 2015
Dr. Olson is chair of Exercise Sports Science at Concordia University, where he also serves as Assistant Dean. He helps us sort out the confusion of the idea of getting healthy. We learn that we don't know a lot. Nor do many of the famous gurus. We unlearn some things and learn other things. And we have a bit of fun. |
Mon, 5 October 2015
After back tracking to discuss monasticism as an option for cultural (dis)engagement, we discuss the valuable contributions of the Enlightenment, ending with a warning that, despite its gifts, not all was well during the autumn of the progressive era. |
Mon, 28 September 2015
Fatherhood, the Prodigal Son, and grace in the home. Scott Keith is an Associate Dean of Students and Adjunct Professor of Theology at Concordia University, Irvine. He is also a Thinking Fellow of 1517 The Legacy Project. Here, he discusses his new book On Being Dad, available at NRP Books and on Amazon. |
Mon, 21 September 2015
Transhumanism, theology, cyborgs, and what to do about it all. We discuss H+ as a movement, focussing on the ideas of super-longevity, super-intelligence, and super-wellbeing. Ray Kurtzweil's dream of living forever on a digital platform may come true; if it does, Jeff requests his consciousness be kept on a Mac OS not a PC.
Dr. Oesch is Associate Professor of Theology and director of the MA in Theology at Concordia University, Irvine. He is also the creator and essayist on fishingforleviathan.com. |
Mon, 14 September 2015
We look for the resources from sages past to see how they figured out how to live at peace and find virtue in our cultural wasteland. A bit of ancient philosophy like Taoism and a discussion of Seneca, Sextus Empiricus, Luther, and Calvin. |
Mon, 7 September 2015
This one's a bit of a downer. We explore some reasons why we are all, whatever we think about the grass on someone else's side, terribly stuck. We are stuck in this penultimate world hoping for ultimate victory but sometimes unable to see it. We still believe everything is going to be ok. That doesn't mean every day between now and our deaths will be an easy road. No sir. No ma'am. We begin a theme for fall: the Fall. Why can't we expect political, ecclesiastical, and mental health utopias? Cause it's all fallen. But it's all redeemable. Let's try and press on together, dear listener. Moral courage and sincere humility are where we start. Hope is our banner. But we must first face the abyss. Here's the show mainly about the abyss. |
Mon, 31 August 2015
Jeff and Dan discuss the personal development that occurs through travel and by being open to new people and experiences even near home. Jeff shares a series of insights he and his son Auggie drafted while watching the sun set over the Yulong river. |
Mon, 24 August 2015
Are things getting better or worse? What do the statistics say about crime and can we trust them. Faithful Masks fellow Dr. Kristen Koenig helps answer these questions. |
Mon, 17 August 2015
What to wear and the history of style just in time for back to school wardrobe upgrades. Maybe deeper stuff too. |
Mon, 10 August 2015
By letting three outside observers reflect on American culture, we reflect on the nature of the American spirit, our anxieties, and our hopes. History, religion, and politics. Join our expedition.
virtueinthewasteland.com faithfulmasks.org 1517legacy.com |
Mon, 3 August 2015
The history, famous personalities, and social importance of fundamentalism in America.
virtueinthewasteland.com faithfulmasks.org 1517legacy.com |
Mon, 27 July 2015
Is Harper Lee's novel worth reading? Does it disappoint us about the complexity of racism in America? Listen up and find out. |
Mon, 20 July 2015
Reinke discusses the back story and aftermath of the circumstances surrounding the critically-acclaimed documentary, "The Overnighters" (2014), winner of several awards, including the Sundance special award for best documentary. This is an amazing conversation, reflecting on the work of Reinke and his LCMS congregation to help displaced workers who came to North Dakota to benefit from the fracking boom. Reinke is by no means a perfect guy, he never claims to be. But he also has a way of inspiring folks to consider radical hospitality and grace--even to the unloveable. He is an underdog, and a champion of underdogs. That isn't always a formula for earthly succes. Perhaps the best quote from our guest (who had a good many): "Love is not an investment. Love is a gift."
virtueinthewasteland.com faithfulmasks.org 1517legacy.com thejaggedword.com |
Mon, 13 July 2015
What do you do when you hate what you do? Before that, we discuss emails and feedback related to our previous show. We share a bit about what's been going on this summer with our family vacations. We reveal a dream Jeff's dad had about the nature of this life's journey. We read through and discuss a letter a young Hunter S. Thompson wrote to a friend.
virtueinthewasteland.com faithfulmasks.org 1517legacy.com |
Mon, 6 July 2015
Gay marriage, the constitution, ethics, Christianity, and America.
Will the 14th Amendment threaten the 1st Amendment? Is there a difference between what is legal and what is moral? Should conservative Christians be as upset as they are about the recent Supreme Court decision? On this show, we risk upsetting everyone from right to left. We challenge the conservative view that the sky is falling. We challenge the view of those who want to use the state to further biblical positions. We agree with some of the concerns of the consevative, dissenting justices on points of law, and yet suggest that the overall outcome is a reasonable one. |
Mon, 29 June 2015
What is pietism, who were the Pietists, and why does this all matter for contemporary American culture?
We chat about Wesley, Zinzendorf, Spener, Arndt, Haugee etc. |
Mon, 22 June 2015
Narnia, myth, mere Christianity, and how to be both faithful and willing to play nice with others. Dr. Mueller is Dean of Christ College, Concordia University Irvine, where he is also a Prof. of Theology. He is the author of several books, including Called to Believe, Teach, and Confess: An Introduction to Doctrinal Theology (Wipf & Stock, 2005), Not a Tame God (CPH, 2002), and The Reformation Heritage Bible Commentary (CPH, 2015). |
Mon, 15 June 2015
Another show in the Wrong Side of History series, we sit down with a native Hawaiian and a missionary to the Navaho Nation to discuss the ways in which Western Christians have made mistakes, but also some positive contributions, to first nations people around the world, especially in US states and territories. De Lude III (Native Hawaiian) serves the Native Hawaiian people on the island of O’ahu, the third largest and most densely populated island comprising the state. Having received his master’s in Lutheran education and serving many years as vice-principal, Clarence is now enrolled in the Cross-Cultural Ministry Center (CMC) Program at Concordia University, Irvine, Calif., leading to ordination. Tim Norton and his family serve the Navajo Nation – the largest Native nation both in terms of population and area of more than 25,000 square miles. Tim works with Louise Lee (Navajo), who also serves with Lutheran Indian Ministries at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, Navajo, N.M. Tim is enrolled in the Cross-Cultural Ministry Center (CMC) Program at Concordia University, Irvine, Calif., leading to ordination.
http://lutheranmissionariesandpilots.org
virtueinthewasteland.com
1517legacy.com
faithfulmasks.org
Direct download: Missions_to_Hawaiians_and_Native_Americans.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00pm PST |
Mon, 8 June 2015
LA Country music, religion, hipsters, and making sincere music. samoutlaw.com virtueinthewasteland.com
Direct download: Sex_Drugs_and_Country_Music_with_Sam_Outlaw.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00pm PST |
Mon, 1 June 2015
Music and book suggestions to change things up for you this summer. Don't get into a rut. We created a playlist on spotify to sample some of the stuff we mention: https://play.spotify.com/user/virtueinthewasteland/playlist/6DfJ5Lp4JWdYQhCPDdjVkI You can find a full list of readings on our website: virtueinthewasteland.com
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Mon, 25 May 2015
Climate change, desertification, ethics, ecology, fisheries, and caring for our neighbors around the world. Dr. Bignmami is a marine biologist, specializing in the relationship between fish and the acidity of our oceans. Another episode with the "wrong side of history" theme. virtueinthewasteland.com |