Episode Summary: Charlie Kirk’s assassination shocked the culture—but what does it reveal about the world we’re living in? In this episode of The Beautiful Disruption, Tim Willard explores the machine world, the aesthetics of evil, and the deep longing for a lasting city—the polis tou Theou. Drawing from Hebrews 13:14, C.S. Lewis, and the writings of John, this is a reckoning with despair—and a call to live toward the City of God. Hello Everyone! I know. It’s been a minute. But if you’ll give me your ear, in today’s newest episode of the revitalized podcast, I explain where I’ve been, what I’ve been doing, and what’s on my heart. It’s been a full few months, in the best of ways. In that fullness, I’ve been writing—studying—and preparing the next phase of my work. My next book proposal will, Lord willing, go out this week to my agent, then to publishers. I’ll be sharing more about that soon. I think you all will like the concept! I’m also returning to regular rhythms here on Substack. The essays will be monthly, and, for the time being, will go to everyone. And, I’ll be posting more audio reflections here on the podcast. Finally, I’m opening the archives for a few months so everyone can explore the conversations we’ve been having here over the last couple of years. So, if you are new here, please take this opportunity to poke the tires and see if you like the ride. If you’ve been tracking with me for a while, thank you, thank you, thank you. You mean the world to me. If you’re new: welcome to something a little slower, and hopefully, a little more human, and a lot more disruptive. The Beautiful Disruption. As always, I love hearing your thoughts. So, if you have a moment, please join the conversation in the comments below. Support My Work This publication and podcast are completely listener and reader-supported. You are the lifeblood of this space, and your contributions through paid subscriptions make all of this possible. Please consider how you might help me reach my goal of making this writing project my full-time occupation. For a limited time, get 25% off a paid subscription forever. Earlier this month, I was blessed with the opportunity to join my friend Jeanne Oliver on her podcast. I love talking with Jeanne—she’s so thoughtful, and is a true seeker of beauty, goodness, and truth. Hit the link button below to listen to our conversation. My Study on Evil: Two Faces of Evil in John’s Writing: Diabolos and Ponēros In his letters, John uses two distinct Greek words to speak about evil—each revealing something different about how darkness operates. * διάβολος (Diabolos) – literally “the slanderer.”This is the Devil as personal tempter and deceiver—the voice that divides, distorts, and accuses. John uses it for the individual instigator of sin (1 John 3:8; John 8:44). Diabolos is intimate: the whisper that corrupts a single heart. * ὁ πονηρός (Ho Ponēros) – “the Evil One.”This term reaches further than the personal tempter. John links it with the κόσμος (kosmos)—the world system that “lies in the power of the Evil One” (1 John 5:19). Ponēros describes the architecture of evil itself—the atmospheric, systemic distortion of truth that shapes culture, language, and desire. It is what we might call the spirit of the age (zeitgeist). Where Diabolos deceives individuals, Ponēros corrodes civilizations. One whispers to use personally; the other builds structures of falsehood. This is why John speaks of “the world” not merely as humanity, but as an arranged order of rebellion, a cosmos bent away from the Light. The Christian task is to walk in the opposite direction—to live as children of the Light within a system ordered by darkness. Faith, Hope, and the Architecture of the City to Come Here are my notes from my continuing study on “city” and “hope.” Can you get a hint at what my next book might be about? 🤓 The writer of Hebrews weaves one of the most breathtaking metaphysical tapestries in the New Testament. His words turn philosophical terms from both the Hebrew Scriptures and Greek thought into a single architectural vision—faith as the structure of hope, and God as the architect of reality. 1. Faith as Substance, Hope as Orientation Hebrews 11 opens with a sentence that sounds almost like poetry: “Now faith is the hypostasis of things hoped for, the elenchos of things not seen.” The Greek word hypostasis can mean “foundation,” “reality,” or “that which stands beneath.” In classical Greek, it described: * a building’s substructure, * the essence or real nature of something, * and even the steadfastness of soldiers holding the line. When Hebrews uses it, faith becomes the underlying reality—the solid floor—of all we hope for. Hope itself (elpizomenon) means more than wishful thinking; it’s the active expectation of the good and beneficial. Faith is therefore the present solidity of future goodness. Think of it like this: Hope gives direction, faith gives structure. 2. God the Architect and Craftsman In Hebrews 11:10, the author describes Abraham as looking forward to “the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” The Greek titles are striking: technitēs and dēmiourgos—“artisan” and “maker.”The second term, dēmiourgos, comes straight from Plato’s Timaeus (a text I love), where the Demiurge is the cosmic Craftsman who shapes the universe after eternal patterns. But here’s what's awesome. The writer of Hebrews baptizes this idea: The God of Israel is not merely shaping pre-existent matter; He is the Creator who gives being itself its form and permanence. Faith, hope, and divine craftsmanship thus belong together—God builds reality; faith and hope are how humans participate in that construction. Faith and hope are not whimsical notions from the religious crutch of Christianity. No! They are bold, big, and beautiful words that define our daily reality and give us a structure for living. 3. The Polis Motif — City as Belonging Hebrews uses polis (city) four times (11:10, 11:16, 12:22, 13:14). In Greek, it means more than a cluster of buildings; it’s a community of shared life and purpose. By choosing polis instead of kosmos (“world”—as in many of our Bible translations), the author shifts the focus from geography to belonging. * In 11:10, Abraham longs for the city whose foundations are divine. * In 11:16, the saints desire a better, heavenly homeland. * In 12:22, worshipers already “come to Mount Zion, the city of the living God.” * In 13:14, believers “seek the city that is to come.” This “city” is the same radiant community glimpsed by the prophets—“We have a strong city; He sets salvation as its walls” (Isa 26:1)—and later by John in Revelation, the New Jerusalem descending, radiating God’s own light. 4. The Architecture of Hope Read together, Hebrews 11–13 sketches a cosmic blueprint. The result is a call to build now in light of what will endure. Faith lays the foundation; hope shapes the plan; love furnishes the dwelling with a kenotic people driven toward the divine act of a self-emptying love. Our lives become small replicas of the polis menousa—the “abiding city” whose light, in the end, will fill creation. The Beautiful Disruption Library This is a living canon of wonder, clarity, and truth. For the beauty chasers, the light bearers, and those who still believe there’s more to the world than meets the eye. Here you’ll find links to our growing list of resources. Each episode, I will add to the list so that we can, together, build an excellent resource library. Links to Resources Mentioned in Episodes * The Beauty Chasers: Recapturing the Wonder of the Divine, by Timothy D. Willard * C.S. Lewis * The Abolition of Man * That Hideous Strength * Mere Christianity * The Screwtape Letters * George Steiner * Grammars of Creation * Real Presences * The Aesthetics of Architecture, by Roger Scruton * The Aesthetic Understanding, by Roger Scruton * Beauty: A Very Short Introduction, by Roger Scruton * Roger Scruton, “Why I Became a Conservative | The New Criterion,” February 1, 2003, https://newcriterion.com/article/why-i-became-a-conservative/. * Pierre Marie-Emonet, The Dearest Freshness Deep Down Things * The Old Way of Seeing, by Jonathan Hale * Blaine Eldredge’s post on re-enchantment: * My former podcast, in which I discuss more of Jonathan Hales’s thoughts on architecture: The Saturday Stoke The Saturday Stoke #51 Timothy Willard The Beautiful Disruption is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. 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