The Belfast Podcast

Domitian and Jesus | What is rendered to Caesar? | Christians and Politics |BP Ep. 31

Continuing our discussion about the nature of literature and communication in a place and time, Daniel and I react to a sermon by Rob Bell on Revelation he gave at Willow Creek. In this sermon, Bell takes us back to the time of the early church and tells us how John flips Emperor worship in his letter to make a point about who is really on the throne.

Putting the Bible in its Place | ”Dune,” Mackie, and Heiser help us understand Divine Accommodation | BP Ep. 31

Continuing our discussion about the purpose of literature, using it as a lens, Daniel and I consider how time and place are necessary when understanding and interpreting a text, especially the Bible. Knowing time and place are essential; we see how the Bible communicates to us from a particular context and should be seen, especially for us today, as "cross-cultural" communication.

What is the Purpose of Literature? | Lewis, Abolition of Man, and ”Joker”| BP Ep. 30

How are we supposed to approach the things we read?

Daniel and I attempted to answer this question in the podcast by seeing what Lewis thought to be the aim of literature, what he says in the "Abolition of Man," and what this can do when viewing fiction like Todd Phillip's movie, "Joker." Links:

McGrath lecture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPWgZR7peJk&t=2601s

Behind the Curtain Joker Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-b2THmH1aE

Jordan Peterson Lecture clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEfyCVD7BgI

Abolition of Man on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Abolition-Man-C-S-Lewis-ebook/dp/B002BXH5RU/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2PCUFOHXGL7KQ&keywords=abolition+of+man&qid=1646262919&sprefix=abolition+of+man%2Caps%2C90&sr=8-1

What is an Egregore?

In this supercut, I attempt to streamline the conceptual work Daniel and I determined to do around what an Egregore is. With loads of help from Paul Vanderklay and Michael Heiser, I hope this can help turn on some light bulbs. 

Egregore, Sons of God, and the Spirits of the Age with Vanderklay and Heiser | BP Ep.29

In this episode, Daniel and I react to a video by @PaulVanderklay where he reacts to a @RebelWisdom video on the sensemaking crisis and COVID. BJ Cambell brings in the idea of an Egregor, a demonic non-physical entity that emerges from groupthink. I intertwine this with the history of the Egregor being from the Enochian tradition, bringing us to Heiser and the Sons of God in Genesis 6 and 11.

Vanderklay's Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHCACU53rqQ&t=509s

Peterson Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfAMvX_ioIU

Heiser's lecture video 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4pOF5oEHCE

Heiser Video 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSFOZfqFcx4

Interpreting the Bible as Art | Intertextuality and Augustine | Spider-Man: No Way Home | BP Ep. 28

Daniel and I discuss the Augustinian framework of interpreting the Bible as art. Within this, though, is the assumption that the Bible is artistic, which it is! So we talk about how intertextuality affects the interpretation of the text along with a modern-day example in the new Spider-man film. Also, I brought in Michael Heiser's podcast episodes about Revelation to show how intertextuality is used in the book and how sly these kinds of things can be.

Heiser Revelation Introduction Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0FBLrUZgYO4r06X5oowwDW?si=f797fe080dbc41c2

Heiser Revelation 1:4 Episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0ZJNGvEsQuRF4LZ8dwrmiv?si=D-eCdrW0TourPn1_a0tSzw

Reading the Bible as Fiction | How ”IT” can Help us Understand Biblical Narrative | BP Ep. 27

*Explicit Content Warning* (For the Bible too)

In this episode, I attempt to frame how reading the Biblical Narrative like we read fiction can be helpful in understanding how smart stories work. I start with Stephen King's "IT", using the story of Beverly Marsh, how her childhood affects her as an adult, and how those allusions can aid in understanding the stories of Judah in Genesis 37 and 38. 

C.S. Lewis on Hell, Integration of the Shadow, and Self-Control | BP Ep. 26

I read from "The Problem of Pain" and more of C.S. Lewis's thoughts on hell in this episode. Daniel and I then discuss what it means to be a monster and control it, the art of self-discipline.

Being Given a New Heart | A Conversation with Rich | BP Ep. 25

I was blessed to have a conversation with an old friend from boarding school who is now a pastor. We discussed a lot about the reality of being given a new heart by God at salvation, and I read from "Waking the Dead" and "The Divine Conspiracy".

Becoming a Heretic | Talking about the Problems with Original Sin and Hell | BP Ep. 24

Daniel and I discuss some things I have been thinking about recently, Original sin and Hell. I have run across scholarships against the usual Augustinian conceptions of original sin common in evangelicalism and reformed circles. The typical Augustinian view also has major Christological issues, which I address. Second, Daniel and I discuss conscious eternal Torment (the majority conception of hell) versus annihilationism or conditional immortality. This section is mainly me thinking aloud as I press the major narrative issues CET has with the Bible, along with a little help from Lewis.

Resources: Michael Heiser Blog Posts: https://drmsh.com/romans-512/

Michael Heiser on Original Sin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M97gjvIH8vA&t=1s Pete Enns on Jesus and Paul: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlfV-rQfycQ&t=30s

Pete Enns on Jesus and Paul: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlfV-rQfycQ&t=30s

Jon Wesley on Sin: https://www.etsjets.org/files/JETS-PDFs/5/5-1/BETS_5-1_18-24_Cox.pdf

Tim Mackie Hell Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLAhk0Cvqa4&t=1809s

Bible Project on Hell: I lied. I cannot find the series I thought I saw. If anyone knows what I'm referring to, please tell me where to find it. I may also just be crazy.  Belfast email: belfastpodcast@gmail.com