Secular Christ
By Center of the Cross
Secular Christ Jan 09, 2022
E05 Richard Rohr and the rediscovery of contemplative Christianity
In the fifth episode of Secular Christ, Philosophy and Theology professor, Sean J McGrath continues his seeking for Christ in the Secular Age. His starting point this time is the work of the American Franciscan priest and writer Richard Rohr, who through his many books and public lectures has led to a rediscovery of the cosmic christ and contemplative Christianity.
McGrath aligns with Rohr in arguing that contemplative Christianity is the answer to the spiritual “movement east”, and to a rediscovery of the sacredness of our secular lives. As a former Catholic monk himself, McGrath shares a definition of what contemplative Christianity is and how it can be practiced in everyday life. McGrath discusses these themes together with Berlin-based psychoanalyst Jakob Lusensky.
Music in this episode is licensed under creativecommons.org. Artist.Xylo-Ziko, 'First light', 'Dark water' and 'Songbird'.
E04 The gnostic Slavoj Žižek | A philosophy of human poverty
“Why has somebody like Slavoj Žižek with his Lacanian atheism and cynicism a better purchase on the essence of Pauline Christianity? It’s because there is a tragic ground to Christianity. Tragedy and hopelessness is the prolegomena, it’s the port of entry into Christianity.”
In this episode of the Secular Christ, Philosophy and Theology professor, Sean J McGrath continues his seeking for Christ in the Secular Age. This time his "case study" is the Slovenian philosopher and Lacanian, Slavoj Žižek.
McGrath views Žižek as one of today's intellectuals who best understands Christianity but also as a representative of the philosophy of (unredeemed) human poverty. A tragic philosophy without hope or redemption and which he also contrasts with the philosophy of human potentiality (See e03 Jordan B Peterson). McGrath discusses these themes together with Berlin-based psychoanalyst Jakob Lusensky.
Music in this episode is licensed under creativecommons.org. Artist. Xylo-Ziko Titles: Rainbow, Brook, First Light.
E03 Christ is not an archetype | A critique of Jordan B Peterson
In this episode Philosophy and Theology professor, Sean J McGrath offers a critique of the phenomenon Jordan B Peterson’s archetypal take on Christianity. McGrath sees his fellow Canadian as a representative of the philosophy of human potentiality which he contrasts with a philosophy of human poverty. McGrath discusses these themes together with Berlin-based psychoanalyst Jakob Lusensky.
Music in this episode is licensed under creativecommons.org. Artist. Xylo-Ziko Titles: Dark Water, Perile, Locomotive and First Light.
E02: Religion as consumer product
In the second episode of Secular Christ Sean J McGrath helps us to make a necessary distinction between naive versus mature secularism. He follows Charles Taylor's description of what happens to religion in the secular age and how religious belief has turned into a consumer product. McGrath goes on to describe how Christianity in instances has become an absolute reversal of itself, the antichrist, and has brought with it a new form of evil into this world. McGrath discusses these themes together with Berlin based psychoanalyst Jakob Lusensky.
Reading: Charles Taylor - A secular Age
Music in this episode is licensed under creativecommons.org. Artist. Xylo-Ziko Titles: Dark Water, First light, Submersible & Brook.
E01: Who is Christ in today's secular world?
In our first episode, Philosophy and Theology professor and former Catholic monk Sean J McGrath lays the foundation for our search for Christ in the secular world.
Questions we will address in this podcast:
* What’s the value of individuation and Christian faith in a socio-political order which is apparently falling apart?
* How are we to understand the emptying of the western churches, while the waiting lines to therapy rooms are growing longer and longer?
* How can a cultural phenomenon such as Jordan B. Peterson best be understood today and what does it have to do with secular christ.
*Lastly, Sean also will share insights from contemplative Christianity and his years as a Catholic monk in establishing a practice that can be integrated into our secular lives of today.
McGrath discusses these themes together with Berlin based psychoanalyst Jakob Lusensky.
Music in this episode is licensed under creativecommons.org: 'Xylo-Ziko - Dark Water', 'Xylo-Ziko - First light.'