On Becoming

The Philosopher Who Changed My Life Forever

When I first read Gadamer, it was as if my eyes were opened. Reading his work broadened my mind and helped me understand everything from theology and philosophy to what I do as a jazz musician. In this episode, I discuss some of the aspects that were so welcome to hear and put so many things into perspective.

Resisting Forgiveness Oppression--Part Two

In this episode, I conclude our discussion of forgiveness and, specifically, the idea of forgiveness oppression. Victims of abuse and violence are often pressured to forgive their perpetrators, despite a lack of remorse or a change of behaviour. I show how Jesus' teachings have been significantly distorted to create the norm of unconditional forgiveness. Finally, I consider the value and place of resentment.

Resisting Forgiveness Oppression--Part One

Victims of abuse and violence are often pressured to forgive their perpetrators. The idea of unconditional forgiveness—forgiveness granted regardless of apology, remorse, or change of behaviour—has become a norm for many in the west and those who refuse to forgive are often seen as resentful and bitter. Yet those imploring forgiveness are often the powerful and those asked to forgive are often minorities who have comparatively little power. Since forgiveness in western culture derives from Jesus’s teachings, I return to those teachings.

The Rich Aroma of Forgiveness without the Danger--On Faux Forgiving, Part Two

This episode completes the discussion begun in the previous episode, which focused primarily on the idea of faux forgiveness that I term 'moving on'. In this episode, we consider other varieties of faux forgiveness--evolving memory, changing the calculation, excusing by understanding, and balancing the books. While we'll see that they aren't actually forgiveness, they do give us many clues as to what real forgiveness is.

The Rich Aroma of Forgiveness without the Danger--On Faux Forgiving, Part One

In this week's episodes, I take a similar approach to forgiveness as I did to the subject of apology last week--examining various things that people often assume count as 'forgiveness' that are, at best, faux forgiveness. For this episode, I consider 'moving on' (the thing most commonly but inaccurately defined as 'forgiveness') and then begin a discussion of the next aspect, 'evolving memory' that will continue in the next episode.

How to Avoid Apologising--Part Two

In this episode, we continue on the theme of apology. We talk about gender differences in apologising, the difficulty (at least in serious cases) of figuring out exactly what one has done wrong, the problems with the word 'apology' and the phrase 'I'm sorry', and the hope that an apology can restore a relationship.

How to Avoid Apologising--Part One

Having discussed the issue of religious trauma this past week, turning to the subjects of apology and forgiveness seemed a natural transition. In this episode, I introduce the concept of apology and why it is problematic. In short, I think that many things put forth as 'apologies' fail to qualify as actual apologies, and often make things worse.

Recovering from Religious Trauma

This episode continues the discussion of religious trauma. My focus here is on how one recovers from such trauma. One of the difficulties in recovery is that strong religious beliefs learned as a child cannot simply be left behind. Or, as Nietzsche would remind us, they might be left behind intellectually while still remaining in the emotional core of our being.

Religious Trauma Syndrome

In this episode, I turn to the phenomenon of religious trauma in order to see how such trauma can affect us. Trauma is felt at the deepest core of our being, which means that simply leaving it behind will be very difficult or perhaps even impossible. Religious trauma has received very little attention by psychologists and therapists, though I've discovered some resources that can help.

My Experience in Evangelical Higher Education

In this episode, we move from focusing on Christian nationalism to the state of higher education in the Evangelical world. I consider the aspect of academic freedom and the kinds of restrictions placed on faculty at conservative Christian institutions. Since those restrictions can be found (among other places) in the institutional statement of faith, that raises the question of who gets to interpret such documents.