Protect Your Noggin

In recent years, there’s been an increase in hysteria about Critical Race Theory in the schools. We discuss the nature of this theory, the ways we ought to engage the subject in our current context, and the ways in which the theology of the “Orders of Creation” in Nazi-enabling Lutheran theologians like Paul Althaus shed light on the issue of CRT in schools. We conclude with a discussion of the orders of creation teaching (Schöpfungsordnungslehre) as it relates to asking for a woman's hand in marriage. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/support

Stacie and Jeff reflect casually on their experiences within the revival of reformed theology in Southern California during the 1990s, then chat with Luca Azuma, alumnus from Concordia University’s history program, who has written on the history of the young, restless and Reformed response to non-denominational evangelicalism, and what this means about authoritarianism, masculinity, and dogmatism. We realize we paint with a broad brush at times. We recognize there are sophisticated forms of Reformed thought that don’t resemble what some prominent “Reformed” folk espouse, but we are now talking about popular forms of Calvinism, especially in independent churches.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/support

53. Even with only half my wits about me, I would travel the way of the Tao, the only thing to fear is getting off course. For it is a safe, wide open highway. Oh, but men love to get sidetracked. Politicians’ vanity projects get funded while infrastructures crumble, and natural resources get depleted. They wear expensive suits, own trendy status symbols, drink the best whiskey, dine at exclusive restaurants, and have more toys than they have time to play with. This is white-collar piracy. It is most definitely not what it means to surf the Tao. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/support

What does the controversy about vaccination teach us about civilization, religion and politics, and the effectiveness of legalism as a way to order society? We share our own decisions about vaccination, share briefly our advice to others who want to be healthy and ethical, but ultimately focus on whether one can be a part of the system without obeying the mandates of the system. What about civilization leads to pandemics in the first place? Is there another way of conceiving society that might bypass the current jam we're in as humans globally? It's not about vaccinations, it's about the price of civilization. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/support

A reading of Tao Te Ching chapter 52, in the Taosurfers' rendering. Reflection on the importance of awareness for coping with frustrating patterns of life.  See protectyournoggin.org for a written reflection and links.  See taosurfers.com for more information about our ongoing rendering of the Tao Te Ching. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/support

Jeff Mallinson explains how ancient Taoists and early Christians both faced worlds that were uncertain, violent & riddled with factionalism & war. According to him, both approaches to life encouraged a sort of spiritual anarchism, which is the central topic of this outside lecture in the CUI Heritage Garden. Anarchism here refers to the idea that the state serves its own interests, rather than ours & is thus not to be trusted let alone worshipped. The sage-disciple will avoid the very systems of domination that work to enslave us & steal our joy, albeit in a nonviolent way. The difference between Taoism & Christianity is primarily the difference between letting things run their course as the sage goes fishing on the outskirts of society on the one hand (Taoism), and working to repair the world and heal our neighbors with Good News, even when it means the followers of Jesus will face suffering and death at the hands of the powers that be on the other (Christianity). --- Send in a voice m

An overview of the history and contemporary landscape of yoga. Is it something worth considering for folks who are wary of uncritical religious ideas, cults, or worship of strange deities? Is it bad for your health or wholesome? What about terms associated with Hinduism like namaste, used in most practices? What forms of yoga are there? How might yoga help me with anxiety, health, spirituality, and weight loss? Join us even if you’ve already made up your mind or don’t care about yoga in particular, since it is representative of so much more than just one practice. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/support

We explore the historical background of the dietary traditions and rules of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, AKA Mormons. Learn about fry sauce, root beer, and dirty soda, along with some general background on the history and development of a quintessentially American religion, and its well-known food and beverage practices. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/support

Jeff discusses the positives and pitfalls of the liberal arts, the Western classical tradition, and anarchist ideas about schooling, then shares the audio of his opening convocation address this week at Concordia University Irvine, in which he shares ways in which church related universities can offer a liberating experience, given the right commitments. If you want to skip to the convocation address, that starts half an hour in.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/support

We got wind of an odd idea in American evangelicalism: some are provocatively and or implicitly saying that empathy is a sin. It leads, it seems, to too much tolerance and not enough doctrinal purity. We discuss this, a negative article written about Jeff and his views on science at church related universities, and why we had to take bit of a pause for the last few weeks of our road trip down from Portland.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/support

Reflection on Stacie’s hypothesis that American Christian beliefs about hierarchy and inequality in the home are negatively affecting the sex lives of evangelicals and others whose ideologies or theologies reject the basic equality of all partners in a sexual relationship. Also a discussion of why people fight at campsites and the conditions in which people can be genuine friends. This season, we're talking about nourishment, and this is a casual investigation into the nourishing role of positive, healthy and non-coercive sexuality.   Stuff We Mention Relationship quarrels during camping Hormones, menopause, and relationships Harriet Lerner, The Dance of Anger Jeff Mallinson, Sexy: The Quest for Erotic Virtue in Perplexing Times Politics and camping John Stuart Mill On Feminism --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/support

Two outsiders’ assessment of initial inquiry into this ancient Indian esoteric tradition related to using food as medicine. We seek valuable wisdom from the tradition but also note the problems of ideological and religious dogmatism, the nutritional dangers of uncritical acceptance of authority, and the scientific evaluation of ancient Indian principles. We come from a Christian and Western background as non-specialists who are interested in the possibilities and possible pitfalls of the tradition. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/support

The Tao births them. Then Te nurtures them. Stuff affects them. Life events complete them. There's not a single living thing that doesn't exalt the Tao and proclaim Te's glory. They exalt the Tao and proclaim Te's glory not through coercion, but spontaneously, because of who they are. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/support

About a 1/4 of the world’s population has a religious restriction against pork. For other cultures, pork represents a sustainable way to find food independence, apart from empire. We discuss scholarly and intuitive hypotheses related to the reason why the Hebrew Bible and later rabbinic and Islamic traditions refrain from eating certain animals. We end with a discussion about the importance of integrating our lives in such a way that ethics, spirituality, and diet are aligned, whatever our values may be. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/support

We discuss some ways in which a macrobiotic diet-- which consists of consuming locally sourced, organic, sustainable produce commonly in the form of brown rice, fruit, vegetables, seeds, soy products, buckwheat noodles, beans, etc.--expounded for Westerners via George Ohsawa (1893-1966) & adapted in an allegedly criminal way by Italian food cult leader Mario Pianesi. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/support

Discussion of news stories reporting on allegations of sexual assault, misconduct, and mismanagement of a hyper sexualized culture at Concordia Preparatory School, near Baltimore.We laud the courage of the young women who have spoken out bravely about their experiences. How does this all demonstrate system justification theory? What lessons can concerned parents school administrators learn from this tragic situation, one that is all too common at schools around the country? CW: sexual assault --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/support

In the course of life and death, three in ten are cautious disciples of life. Three in ten are reckless disciples of death. Three in ten chase life but actually veer toward death. Why is this? By worrying too much about staying alive and consuming life’s treasures, they never truly live, yet death catches up with them. Still, I’ve heard of rare individuals who’ve mastered the art of living. They travel nimbly through the world. They eat local foods abroad. They visit vibrant cities in developing nations. Remarkably, these same adventurers often carry on without getting mugged or sick, or shaken down by border agents. How do they pull this off? They travel confidently and respectfully, unafraid of death, knowing that death can’t touch them, since there is no way to kill their true self. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/support

The Sage is not closed-minded but considers what ordinary folks have on their minds. I am good to those who are good. I am good to those who are not good. This is the goodness of Te. I hope in those who are hopeful. I hope in those who are hopeless. This is the hope of Te. The Sage is engaged with the world. She brings balance to the world by carefully uniting her heart with it. Ordinary folks, hearing her wisdom, turn their attention to her actions. So she sets a wise example for them, as if they were her own children.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/support

A discussion of the spirituality of art and whether we ought to pay attention to art created by narcissistic creeps. We discuss the differences between Dali; and Bosch, and between his possible nihilism and what we find wholesome about Taoist artistic depictions of nature. This discussion comes on the heels of our visit to a Dali exposition in Monterey, California. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/support

Seek academic knowledge  and you can accumulate facts  day by day. Seek the wisdom of the Tao and you’ll release junk from your life, day by day.  Let go of more and more so you can surf the Tao. Surfing the Tao allows you to accomplish anything  without forcing everything. If you want to flourish in the world don’t try to control the world. Indeed, if you try to control the world you aren’t ready to flourish in it. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thepynp/support