Would you like your Radio Worldview hosts to respond to listener mail? So would Jeff! Unfortunately, co-host Bill is feeling especially random in this podcast, and so it begins with a discussion of the zombie movie “Warm Bodies” (no kidding!), and then transitions into a discussion of the new country song “She Loves Me Like Jesus.” Eventually Jeff is able to steer Bill back to the task at hand, and they respond to an excellent listener e-mail about suffering. Then Jeff is taken to task for his attitude toward Massachusetts and France. A rousing episode!
Posts in category Worldview
Technology and Paranoia
Do you live under a rock? Then you probably haven’t heard about the technological advances that co-hosts Bill Jack and Jeff Baldwin will be discussing today on Radio Worldview. Although Bill and Jeff live far from the cutting edge, they occasionally like to discuss technology, like the Up by Jawbone or the new Field Trip app. In this episode, Jeff supplies the “technology” part of our title, and Bill supplies the “paranoia” part. Think of it as a “Where the Tech Are We?” segment that rambles on and on.
Hitler’s Cross
What are we reading now? Radio Worldview co-host Bill Jack is fired up about a book entitled Hitler’s Cross by Erwin Lutzer. In this book, Lutzer reminds his readers that many Christians stood by and did nothing as Hitler rose to power and persecuted the Jews. Bill points out that it’s easy to assume, in hindsight, that you would have taken a stand against the Third Reich — but can you really be sure? This leads to a broader discussion of the false sacred/secular dichotomy.
Have Yourself a Spooky Little Christmas!
Radio Worldview has never claimed to be on the leading edge of news stories or any part of the calendar, so it should come as no surprise that this episode deals primarily with the Christian response to Halloween. Bill and Jeff have been working hard to catch up on listener mail, and one of the last questions deals with our most popular secular holiday. Conveniently, Jeff recently finished reading horror story master H.P. Lovecraft, so this becomes a podcast mostly concerned with ghosts, aliens and witches. Put on a yule log, cozy up under the mistletoe, and listen up!
Islam, Mormonism and the Big Rock Candy Mountain
It’s been too long! Hosts Bill and Jeff podcast from the Worldview Academy Leadership Camp in New Mexico as they try to catch up with listener mail, what they’re reading now, and the ever-satisfying “Roadkill Cafe.” Was Mohammed visited by a demon? What about Joseph Smith? Why is Islam dying, according to the book Bill is reading now? And what obscure literary figure will Jeff rant about?
Here Comes the Crazy Talk, Part Three
This is it! You’ve finally reached the limits of the crazy talk. This is the last episode of Radio Worldview that features Bill Jack unfettered by his co-host, Jeff Baldwin. In this show, Bill is joined by a Worldview Academy staff director, August Huckabee, and they discuss what motivates him to volunteer his time with our ministry, and what it looks like to live out the Christian faith on the college campus. Stay tuned at the end for everybody’s favorite segment, Roadkill Cafe.
Here Comes the Crazy Talk, Part One
Have you missed Bill Jack? Has Radio Worldview seemed a little less crazy the last month or so? Good news! The “crazy talk” is back. In this episode, Bill Jack leads fellow Worldview Academy faculty member Mike Schutt in a long, winding discussion about vocation, remembering, and God using even tragic circumstances to accomplish His good ends. And it’s not all serious: at the end, Bill waxes eloquent about a new dive in the segment “Roadkill Cafe.”
“Surprisingly Stupid”: Foreign Films and Worldview
It’s not often that Radio Worldview hears from listeners describing the views of one of your hosts as “surpisingly stupid,” so when we do we know we need to talk about it. In this episode, hosts Jeff Baldwin and Bill Jack are so excited to talk about the e-mail heaping vitriol on Jeff that they hardly goof around at all — instead, they dive into a discussion of foreign films and Jeff’s sarcastic description of a fellow faculty member’s Night at the Movies. Can’t we apply the same standard to cinema as we do to literature? Why make fun of another faculty member’s efforts to improve the tastes of his audience? And what does Jeff have against movies with subtitles? Tune in for the answers!
Franky Schaeffer
Few men have influenced worldview thinking more than Francis Schaeffer, so Worldview Academy obviously owes a debt to him — which makes it all the more painful to see how his son, Franky, has gone off the deep end. In this podcast, Jeff and Bill discuss Franky’s latest book, as well as the perils of fatherhood.
Tebowmania!
As long-time listeners know, co-hosts Bill Jack and Jeff Baldwin both live in Colorado, so they are naturally Broncos fans. They would always be thrilled to find a quarterback leading a mediocre team to a 7-2 record, but when that quarterback is an outspoken Christian who seems to understand his faith as a total worldview, they are ecstatic. But does God really care about who wins football games? The national media seems to think the answer is an obvious “no.” Jeff and Bill discuss this, and talk about living out your faith in the glare of the spotlight.
E-books, Libraries and Small Towns, Part Two
Yes, your hosts from Radio Worldview are still ranting and raving about the Kindle. Is Jeff right to worry that e-books signal the demise of actual books and the loss of valuable but unpopular literature? Is Bill right to call Jeff an elitist? Is it true that libraries will still exist 75 years from now? Are small town libraries fundamentally different from big-city libraries? And why does all this matter for Christians? Jeff and Bill disagree, but this discussion should make you think.
The Most Overlooked Great Book and E-books
Not all great books lists are created equal. Just as education can’t happen in a value-neutral environment, great books lists are always created with reference to their creator’s worldview. While all great books lists include Homer, Plato, Dante, Chaucer and Shakespeare, they also include more idiosyncratic choices. Which brings us to Jeff Baldwin’s choice for the work of literature that had the biggest impact in history and is largely ignored today: Piers Plowman by William Langland. Christians need to know about this book! Jeff explains why in the first half of this episode, and then he and Bill Jack argue more about e-books and the Kindle.
Does “Lost” Create a New Worldview?
Yes, Jeff and Bill have already lambasted the last episode of the hit TV show Lost, but now Jeff’s two oldest children are watching the DVDs, and Jeff’s had an epiphany: Lost perfectly articulates the absurdity of existence if the Bible is not true. But even though its message is wishy-washy universalism, Lost‘s willingness to openly undercut the meaning attached to each and every human decision makes it something more than just a dressed-up version of the New Age movement. So what exactly is this terrible, apt picture of the meaninglessness of human “choice” apart from God?
The Sacred/Secular Dichotomy in the Pulpit
Is it wrong to preach about public policy from the pulpit? Should pastors abjure providing political guidance to their flock? Not if God is relevant to the realm of politics — which is precisely what your hosts Bill and Jeff argue for in this episode. In addition, Bill tries to get a new segment about candy bars off the ground, Jeff talks about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Bill recounts his adventures in “rational discussion” with pro-union protesters at the state capitol.
“Worldview” is not a Subject
Lots of Christian educators are waking up to the concept of worldview and looking for ways to teach it to their students. Unfortunately, this has caused a common misconception to take root: Christians now assume that you can teach worldview like any other discipline — say, algebra or economics. But of course worldview is not merely “another subject” for the curriculum — it is the organizing principle behind all subjects. Until we understand this, we won’t really help students make the necessary paradigm shift. At least, that’s how your co-hosts Jeff and Bill see it, and so they do their level best to explain what they mean. Initially, though, Jeff raves about the book he thinks is the greatest American novel since To Kill a Mockingbird.
“Lost” is Lost
Spoiler alert! If you haven’t finished watching the television show “Lost” yet, welcome to planet Earth. Also, you won’t want to listen to this podcast until you see the last episode. After a lengthy discussion about donuts, hosts Bill Jack and Jeff Baldwin settle in to discuss the show that Jeff calls the best ever to air on network TV. In spite of such lavish praise, Jeff and Bill were thoroughly disgusted by the last episode, and are even more appalled when a listener writes in to suggest that it was somehow biblical. Talk about crazy talk!
Avatar, the Noble Savage, and Romance Novels
Thanks to our listener mail, this edition of Radio Worldview proves to be quite far-ranging. Hosts Jeff and Bill begin by poking a little fun at Worldview Academy faculty member Mark Bertrand for publishing a romance novel called “Beguiled,” but then quickly settle down to discuss the worldview of the movie Avatar and the concept of the Noble Savage. Jeff tries to defend people who like to spend time alone in the outdoors, but Bill is adamant that those who try to go “back to nature” revert to savagery (as an example, he cites “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer). An uneasy truce is reached.
The Jehovah’s Witness at your Door
Hosts Jeff and Bill spend a little time talking about what they are reading now, but mercifully cut the discussion short to delve into the Jehovah’s Witness worldview. A listener admits that she panicked when she saw JWs on her street, and asks how to share the gospel with them. Bill and Jeff provide a little historical background and then get down to brass tacks.
The New Atheists
Lately, there has been a profusion of books asserting the validity of atheism and attacking Christianity. Books like “Letter to a Christian Nation,” “God is Not Great,” and “The God Delusion” have caused some culture-watchers to talk about the “New Atheists.” But what about this movement is new? And do Christians have anything to fear from this swaggering atheism? Worldview Academy faculty members Mark Bertrand and Jay Winslow discuss these questions with host Jeff Baldwin. As a bonus, Jay launches into a tirade about Dawkins’s response to C.S. Lewis’s “Liar, Lunatic or Lord” trilemma.
Mail From Oregon
As Worldview Academy continues to host Leadership Camps nationwide, Jeff Baldwin and his guests Jay Winslow and Mark Bertrand report in from the road–specifically, Oregon. After some whining from Jeff about his poison oak, they get down to discussing listener mail. The first two e-mails offer encouragement; then a listener asks for more recommendations re. books about worldview. The last e-mail presents a dilemma: Is it ever appropriate for Christians to lie, or to deceive others in any way?
Gnosticism in the Church
After a prolonged complaint about the absence of used bookstores in Northern Pennsylvania, your host Jeff Baldwin and guest Mark Bertrand get down to business: a discussion of the effects of Gnosticism on the Body of Christ. As Mark points out, Gnosticism plays a prominent role in Plato’s philosophy, which in turn influenced the Church. Was Augustine tainted by Gnosticism? What about Gregory the Great, or Thomas a Kempis? Is Gnosticism still influential today? Tune in now to find out!
Rethinking Worldviews
Your library is incomplete! As host Jeff Baldwin attests, everyone needs to rush out and purchase Worldview Academy faculty member Mark Bertrand’s latest book Rethinking Worldviews. In this show, Jeff interviews Mark about his new book, which explores the relationship between worldviews, wisdom and our witness. Mark explains why you should read Rethinking Worldviews, and how to pre-order it before it is released in October.
Discovering God’s Will
Brace yourself! This show begins with the shocking revelation that “Radio Worldview” actually has a fourth international listener. After some kind words from her, hosts Bill Jack and Jeff Baldwin respond to a listener question about finding God’s will for your life. Is there more than one valid path? How do you reconcile God’s sovereignty with free will? Is it easier to know if God wants you to do something you want to do, or something you don’t want to do? And can’t Jeff just get along with Calvinists?
Cultural Practices and Values
In this podcast, hosts Jeff and Bill respond to a listener who thinks they are too quick to dismiss non-Western cultures. Can’t a culture’s values be valuable, she asks, even when their practices are less than desirable? In other words, can’t we condemn the human sacrifice of the Aztecs without being dismissive of the whole culture? Bill bases his answer on the Mafia, and Jeff pontificates on St. Patrick. Guess who the spiritual one is!
Mormons at Your Door
Incredibly, hosts Jeff and Bill get right down to business here and stay focused in their discussion of Mormonism. Jeff recently had two separate discussions with Mormon missionaries, and he wanted a chance to talk about what he learned. Don’t listen to this if you want long expositions about the minutia of the Mormon worldview! Instead, Jeff and Bill focus on the key distinctives of the Christian worldview, with an emphasis on how to present these distinctives to Mormons.
Teaching Younger Students about Worldviews
As Bill likes to say, Worldview Academy alumni need to put what they’ve learned into practice, making disciples (2 Timothy 2:2). But can you teach your five year-old brother about worldviews? How about your ten year-old niece? When can someone wrestle with big questions like the nature of man and the nature of God, and understand the implications? Hosts Jeff and Bill discuss some unique tools for training younger students in worldview and apologetics.
The New Age Worldview
Is there an effective way to discuss worldviews and share your faith with someone trapped in the New Age movement? Host Jeff Baldwin answers this listener question, focusing especially on the New Age tendency to embrace irrationalism. Even though New Age people don’t mind holding irrational beliefs, as Jeff explains, we can still have a fruitful discussion with them. Includes a brief discussion of New Age leaders like M. Scott Peck, Shirley MacLaine and Marianne Williamson.