Dr
Barry Whitney's "THINKING
about GOD" and "PEACE
with GOD" Podcast Resources are
making available audio and video podcasts which
can be found both on "iTUNES"
in the
"Higher Education" and "Religion
and Spirituality"
categories. While the "THINKING
about GOD" Podcasts are
intended primarily for
university students, they have relevance also for pastors,
priests, academics, and an informed populace. Many of these
podcasts (appropriately altered, when necessary) are listed
also on Dr. Whitney's "PEACE
with GOD" Podcast on iTunes since they are useful also
to a more general audience, especially those interested in
religion and spirituality and, in particular, Christianity.
These podcasts avoid the complexities of academic jargon. Hundreds
of hours have been recorded over the past few years, but the
editing process can be understaken only as time permits.
As such, there are only a small sample of podcasts presently
available.
The
podcasts are produced by Juliann
Whitney (nee Blackmore), a former CTV and CBC Television
award-winning producer/reporter anchor, and the researcher
and director of several television shows. She is also
the producer/director of the widely acclaimed Icelandic-Canadian
film, A
Saga of Hope: An Icelandic Odyssey.
 ..
| iTunes's
Category: Higher
Education |
iTunes's
Category: Religion and
Spirituality |
|
Subscribe
to the God and Evil Series on iTunes
PODCASTS
SERIES
• GOD
and EVIL:
Reconciling Belief in God with the Evil, Suffering,
and Injustice in
the World
• BIBLE REFLECTIONS: Studies in Biblical Theology
• JUSTIFYING RELIGIOUS BELIEFS: Studies
in Apologetics: The Defense of Christian Religious Beliefs
• CULTURAL WARFARE I:
Christianity and New Age Spirituality, Cults and Counterfeit
Christianities
• CULTURAL WARFARE II:
Christianity and Secular Culture's Humanism, Naturalism,
and Atheism
• BASIC CHRISTIANITY:
Discussion of Basic Beliefs and Controversies
|
"THINKING
about GOD" Podcasts
GOD
and EVIL Series, Part One (available
here and on i-Tunes)
This
is the Introduction to the Series. It introduces
the Problem of Reconciling Belief in God with
the evil. suffering, and injustice in the world. It's
an edited (shortened) version of the Introductory
Lecture from Dr. Whitney's university course, "God
and Evil," recorded in the Winter Semester
of 2006. More than 140 undergraduate students
were enrolled. Course Notes for this class
in available on this website when the class is being taught.
GOD
and EVIL Series: Part Two (available
here and on i-Tunes)
In
this episode, Dr. Whitney discusses why the problem
of evil is so threatening to belief in God, and why
monotheistic religions like Christianity have a unique
problem of evil which demands a different solution
than that of eastern religions. He then shows how
the problem of evil has been formulated and responds
to some of the arguments used by skeptics to reject
belief in God, based on these formulations.
GOD and EVIL Series:
Part Three (pre-publication available
here and final publication on i-Tunes soon)
This
episode extends the discussion
to consider the question of divine punishment
in relation to natural disasters and animal sufering. Dr Whitney
argues that divine punishment and other explanations for suffering
are far too simplistic and cannot be gereralized to explain
all suffering. He argues also that seeking meaningful explanations
is one of the best means of coping with suffering: poor explanaitons
greatly hinder coping.
GOD
and EVIL Series: Part
Four (pre-publication available
here and final publication on i-Tunes soon)
This
episode provides further
information is given about moral and social evils, natural
disasters, and the importance of seeking credible explanations
for suffering to cope more effectively. Divine punishment
in particular is not to be extended to explain all suffering.
"PEACE
with GOD" Podcasts
GOD and EVIL Series: Part
One (available here and
on i-Tunes)
This
is essentially the same podcast as the God and Evil
Series, Part One, in the THINKING about GOD Podcasts..
This podcast series is intended not only for the Higher
Education category but for I-Tunes' Religion and Spirituality
section: it is relevant to a much wider audience
than professional theologians and students, pastors and
priests. The problem of reconciling belief in God with
human suffering is one of the most important of theological
-- and personal -- issues. Course Notes for this class
is available on this website.
GOD
and EVIL Series: Part Two (available
here and on i-Tunes)
This
is essentially the same "God and Evil," Part
Two episode found in the THINKING about GOD podcast.
It is relevant also for a more general audience than
professionals and university students, pastors and priests.
See the description of the content in the THINKING about
GOD series above. For Dr. Whitney's Course Notes and
references referred to in this Series, check the Class
Notes link on this website when the class is being taught.
GOD and EVIL Series:
Part Three (pre-publication to
be available here and on i-Tunes soon)
This
episode extends the discusson to consider the question of divine
punishment in relation to natural disasters and animal sufering.
Dr Whitney argues that divine punishment and other explanations
for suffering are far too simplistic. He argues also that seeking
meaningful explanations is one of the best means of coping
with suffering: poor explanations greatly hinder coping.
GOD
and EVIL Series: Part Four (pre-publication
to be available here and on i-Tunes soon)
In
this podcast, Dr. Whitney provides further information about moral and social
evils, natural disasters, and the importance of seeking credible explanations
for suffering to cope more effectively. Divine punishment in particular should
not be used as the explanaiton for all suffering.
PODCAST SERIES
GOD
and EVIL Series: Reconciling
Belief in God with Human Suffering, Injustice,
and Evil. The podcasts in this series will examine
the major issues involved in the theological,
philosophical and personal dimensions of the
issue. Other resources include Dr Whitney's God
and Evil Course Notes and the
Theodicy and Web
Publication pages
on this website. The problem of evil is by
far the most important of theological
issues since it is the main challenge
to belief in a God of power and love
and justice. This issue has been the
specific focus of Dr Whitney's research
and writing for over 35 years. He has
published the definitive book, Theodicy:
An Annotated Bibliography on the Problem
of God and Evil,
entries on "Evil" and
"Theodicy" in the New
Catholic Encyclopedia (2002),
the popular book, What
Are They Saying About God and Evil? (1989), Evil
and the Process God (1985),
and many journal articles, book chapters, and
reviews on this issue. For testimonials
to Dr Whitney's work check the Testimonials
page.
JUSTIFYING
RELIGIOUS BELIEFS Series: Studies in Christian
Theology: The
Justification of Religious Beliefs seeks
a religious faith which is reasonable, a "Reasonable
Faith" which
avoids the extreme positions of mere "faithism" (blind
faith, without any attempt to justify beliefs)
and the likewise unrealistic demand for conclusive
scientific proof for Christian beliefs and
doctrines. Apologetics gives reasons and
evidences for religious beliefs like the
Divinity of Jesus, His resurrection, miracles,
and the Bible's Trustworthiness. Apologetics
also presents arguments for God's existence
and answers the criticisms of those who reject
belief in God and other Christian beliefs.
Dr Whitney's Class Notes on the course "Justifying
Religious Beliefs" provides
a basic resource which provides some of the
background for the Apologetic podcasts. See
also the Apologetics
pages on this web site and Dr
Whitney's recent chapter on Faith in The
Big Argument (2006).
CULTURAL
WARFARE Series I: Christianity and New Age
Spiritualities Series: Western
Culture is engaged in cultural warfare between
Christianity and Alternative (New Age) Spiritualities,
religions, cults, counterfeit Christianities,
and revival of metaphysical cults
like New Thought, Scientology, Theosophy, Science
of Mind, etc., all of which have infiltrated
western culture. The basic premises of these
alternatives to Christianity oppose every basic
Christian tenet and belief, from God, humanity,
sin, salvation, ethics, absolutes, etc. New Age
spirituality has influenced Health Care techniques
and philosophy, post modern, mystical science,
ethics, the meaning of human history, life after
death, and even Christianity itself as evidenced
in Word of Faith, Mind and Faith Visualization,
The Prosperity Gospel, and other Christian
deviations. The podcasts will discuss these issues.
Other resource include the Class Notes for Dr
Whitney's "Religion
and Culture" and "Belief
in God in Contemporary Culture " courses.
"God
and Atheism"
and "Religion
and Culture." His chapter
on "scientism"
(the belief that science alone is the source
of truth) is found in The
Big Argument (2006),
and his chapter on the irony of Atheism is
found in the book, God,
Literature and Process Thought. The
podcast series will summarize the arguments
therein. Dozens of valuable on-line references
are found in the Class Notes on Naturalism,
Atheism, Scientism, and Secular Humanism.
CULTURAL
WARFARE Series II: Christianity and Secular Culture
Series: Western
Christian Culture is in cultural warfare not
only with Alternative (New Age) Spiritualities,
but with the skeptical atheism of Secular Humanism.
The educational system, including higher learning,
is dominated by secular humanism presuppositions
in all of the social and physical sciences, and
in the Humanities as well. Religious beliefs
are largely ignored at best and ridiculed at
worse, in academia. The podcasts will discuss
this situation. Background resources can be found
in the Class Notes for Dr Whitney's courses on "God
and Atheism"
and "Religion
and Culture."His chapter on "scientism"
(the belief that science alone is the source of
truth) is found in The
Big Argument (2006),
and his chapter on the irony of Atheism is found
in the book, God,
Literature and Process Thought. The podcast
series will summarize the arguments therein.
Dozens of valuable on-line references are found
in the Class Notes on Naturalism, Atheism,
Scientism, and Secular Humanism.
BASIC
CHRISTIANITY Series: Beliefs and Controversies:
This podcast series offers studies in basic
Christian beliefs: God, Christ, Salvation,
Redemption, the Trinity, Life After Death,
etc. The series also considers areas of controversy
among Christians: the free will--divine predestination
question, for example, and the issue of Christianity
and Other Religions, etc.
BIBLE
REFLECTIONS Series: This series discusses
basic Christian beliefs -- God, Christ, Salvation,
Redemption, The Trinity, Life After Death, Sin,
etc. The series also considers areas of controversy
in Christianity -- the free will/divine predestination
debate, Christianity and Other Religions, etc.
Finally, the series intersects with the Bible
Studies series-- for example, "The
Continuing Relevance of The Book of Job," for
example, and "The
Meaningfulness of Life: Book of Ecclesiastes," etc.
Dr. Whitney's Web
Publications page has downloadable essays
on Job and Ecclesiastes which will be revised
to function as transcripts of the podcasts
on these topics.
Other transcripts for the podcasts in all of
the series will be provided, as time permits.
