Deep Talks: Exploring Theology and Meaning Making Deep Talks: Exploring Theology and Meaning-Making

As the secular age approaches its inevitable demise, many who are dissatisfied with the claim that only what is immanent is real have begun to question whether immanence is real at all & considered pursuing transcendence through various forms of Neo-Gnosticism.
We see this “red pill suspicion of immanence” in popular modern cultural stories such as The Matrix, WandaVision, and Loki. 

In today’s episode, we’ll explore some of the symbols of those popular stories in the cultural zeitgeist and consider some of the practical manifestations of Neo-Gnosticism such as hyper-Charismatic theology, QAnon conspiracy culture, & the psychedelic resurgence. 

Can one be re-enchanted by black magic not knowing of the true, white magic?

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TAGS: Charles Taylor, James K.A. Smith, The Matrix, WandaVision, Loki, Secular Age, Lawrence Kraus, Paul Vander Klay, Jordan Peterson, John Vervaeke, Theology, Post-Secular, Meaning Crisis, Paul Anleitner, Nihilism, Theology & Film
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I’m honored to once again be joined by Dr. John Vervaeke. Vervaeke’s first appearance on this podcast was back in Episode 83, and it was one of my all time favorites. If you want to know more about his backstory and work, then I’d encourage you to listen to that episode.

John Vervaeke is a renowned scientist and award winning professor at the University of Toronto. He’s produced groundbreaking research in the area of cognitive science & the experience of meaning. He has also become a cult internet sensation with his “Awakening From the Meaning Crisis” YouTube/podcast lecture series. That series is truly an absolute gift to the world- a gift I still can hardly believe that he just gave away!

While I certainly don’t want to oversell this and I generally despise hype, this felt like one of the most thought provoking conversations I’ve ever recorded. I strongly encourage you to listen all the way through. We build towards some really important questions- questions that get at the very core of religion and human experience. 

Some topics/questions covered in this episode include:
- What is a psycho-technology? How do they change our experience of consciousness?


-What is nature of consciousness? Can it simply be the result of “bottom-up” emergence in a purely material universe, or does consciousness require a “top-down” emanation from some transcendent source?


-Is God “Ultimate Consciousness” or “Necessary Consciousness”? 
-Does Vervaeke agree with his colleague Jordan Peterson on value hierarchies determining what is relevant and salient to us? 


- Can science make value claims devoid of religion? Can science tell us what is wise or ethically good without consulting a higher layer of reality? How do we access that?

-Are there intermediary agencies or forces between our conscious experience and the highest degree of consciousness (which Paul believes is “God”, and John is properly agnostic on) that can negatively affect our experience of consciousness and move us away from wisdom?

Plus so much more at the intersection of theology, philosophy, and cognitive science… including some fun moments of charitable disagreement!

Dr. John Vervaeke’s “Awakening from the Meaning Crisis” is available on his YouTube channel here:
https://youtube.com/user/johnvervaeke






If you find this podcast to be helpful and you want to see it continue ad-free, would you consider becoming a supporter on Patreon?


Members of the Deep Talks Patreon Community receive bonus Q & A Episodes, articles, charts, forum discussions and more. STARTING THIS MONTH, WE'LL HAVE AN PATREON COMMUNITY GROUP ZOOM HANG-OUT to build relationships with others across the world and to do theology and meaning-making together.


Help us reach our first goal of 300 patrons in order to sustain weekly, ad-free theological and philosophical education to anyone with an internet connection!


https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast


To Subscribe & Review on Apple Podcasts:


https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159


 


Connect with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at:
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Recently I was interviewed on the Behind the Image Leadership Podcast to discuss the role of our guiding stories and values in shaping the behaviors of individuals, non-profits, and businesses.

I thought it was a fascinating conversation exploring points of application for cultural theology that I don't always explore on my podcast.

Make sure to check out and subscribe to the Behind the Image Leadership Podcast, hosted by my friend Rick Guttersohn.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/behind-the-image-leadership-podcast/id1464426816




If you find this podcast to be helpful and you want to see it continue ad-free, would you consider becoming a supporter on Patreon?


Members of the Deep Talks Patreon Community receive bonus Q & A Episodes, articles, charts, forum discussions and more. STARTING THIS MONTH, WE'LL HAVE AN PATREON COMMUNITY GROUP ZOOM HANG-OUT to build relationships with others across the world and to do theology and meaning-making together.


Help us reach our first goal of 300 patrons in order to sustain weekly, ad-free theological and philosophical education to anyone with an internet connection!


https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast


To Subscribe & Review on Apple Podcasts:


https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159


 


Connect with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at:
https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner

Paul Vander Klay returns once again for a discussion on the evidence for the looming end of the secular age in America.
We talk: the link Comic book movies & ancient mythology, Fight Club & Mammon, The Good Place theology, Jordan Peterson, Joe Rogan & psychedelics , Jonathan Pageau vs John Vervaeke, hyper-woke culture and the French Revolution, & did Blockbuster Video cause church decline?


 


Paul Vander Klay’s YouTube Channel:
https://youtube.com/c/PaulVanderKlay




If you find this podcast to be helpful and you want to see it continue ad-free, would you consider becoming a supporter on Patreon?


Help us reach our first goal of 300 patrons in order to sustain weekly, ad-free theological and philosophical education to anyone with an internet connection!


Members of the Deep Talks Patreon Community receive bonus Q & A Episodes, articles, charts, forum discussions and more. STARTING THIS MONTH, WE'LL HAVE AN PATREON COMMUNITY GROUP ZOOM HANG-OUT to build relationships with others across the world and to do theology and meaning-making together.


 


https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast


To Subscribe & Review on Apple Podcasts:


https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159


 


Connect with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at:
https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner


 

The Death of Superman. Kingdom Come. Fight Club. 


These are just a few of the cultural artifacts emerging from our collective cultural consciousness that give evidence to an imminent shift away from secularity in the West. Our modern myths are showing signs of a shifting cultural moment. We were told that if we killed God we'd have a religionless world, but what we got instead were new gods. Now, we're not so sure that we like these new gods better. Who or what are the new gods?


Let's look at a couple of significant cultural stories to see evidence of this growing discontent with the new gods of the secular age.


 


Plus, I'll discuss what happened in the 1960's and 70's in the New Age phenomenon, the psychedelic counter-cultural movement, and the Charismatic renewal movements which poked holes in the secular frame and how that eventually led to the New Atheism in the mid-2000's; and we'll see how New Atheism spawned the contemporary counter-movements to the meaning crisis like Joe Rogan pscychedllic resurgance, Jordan Peterson's intellectual dark web, Sam Harris materialist meditation practices, and John Vervaeke. 




If you find this podcast to be helpful and you want to see it continue ad-free, would you consider becoming a supporter on Patreon?


Help us reach our first goal of 300 patrons in order to sustain weekly, ad-free theological and philosophical education to anyone with an internet connection!


Members of the Deep Talks Patreon Community receive bonus Q & A Episodes, articles, charts, forum discussions and more. STARTING THIS MONTH, WE'LL HAVE AN PATREON COMMUNITY GROUP ZOOM HANG-OUT to build relationships with others across the world and to do theology and meaning-making together.


 


https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast


To Subscribe & Review on Apple Podcasts:


https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159


 


Connect with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at:
https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner

Kenneth Tanner is the pastor of Holy Redeemer Church, a Charismatic Episcopal church in Rochester Hills, Michigan. He is also a writer who weaves theological insights from the ancient witness of the global, historic Church into contemporary issues. He’s written for Patheos, Christianity Today, Mockingbird, and the Huffington Post.
You can read some of his articles over at his blog:

https://kennethtanner.medium.com/




If you find this podcast to be helpful and you want to see it continue ad-free, would you consider becoming a supporter on Patreon?


Help us reach our first goal of 300 patrons in order to sustain weekly, ad-free theological and philosophical education to anyone with an internet connection!


Members of the Deep Talks Patreon Community receive bonus Q & A Episodes, articles, charts, forum discussions and more. STARTING THIS MONTH, WE'LL HAVE AN PATREON COMMUNITY GROUP ZOOM HANG-OUT to build relationships with others across the world and to do theology and meaning-making together.


 


https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast


To Subscribe & Review on Apple Podcasts:


https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159


 


Connect with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at:
https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner