Lead Balloons: The Alchemy of Unpopular Opinions

Spiritual Masochism

Beating ourselves up seems to come naturally for us.  But why?  And what are the alternatives?  Trent and Joel converse about the topic of spiritual masochism in this episode of Lead Balloons.  Joel shares about how he led his faith community one summer to dive deep into the topic of self-care and loving oneself.  Trent talks about how a healthy society is one in which selfish interest and group interest are kept in dynamic tension, per Sebastian Junger.
But there is a conundrum: what happens to those in a competitive, capitalist society who err on the side of self-sacrifice? Joel and Trent discuss how they can get gobbled up by those willing to exploit their benevolent nature.  

Has Christianity Done More Harm Than Good

Trent and Joel square off in a debate about whether Christianity has done more harm than good.  Trent contends it has done more harm, while Joel maintains the converse.  Trent focuses on the harmful doctrine of hell, religious warfare, and how fundamentalist Christianity retards scientific progress and civilizational development.  Contrarily, Joel highlights how Christianity emphasized and delivered help for the poor, as well how it increased the general level of education in society.  Joel and Trent agree that Christianity has had its bright moments and major blind spots.  
 
 

Out of Our Elements

This episode showcases some fun travel memories from Joel and Trent's time in the Philippines and South Korea, respectively.  Joel studied abroad during his seminary training, and Trent taught English overseas.  They discuss how they grew, the challenges of assimilation, and what lessons they returned with.  Join these two Lead Balloons for this episode, which will inspire you to travel intentionally and stay open to new experiences and new kinds of people.  

Huzzah for Hitchens

This week's episode features one of Trent's intellectual heroes: Christopher Hitchens.  Hitchens was a famed atheist, journalist, and public intellectual.  He lived from 1949-2011.  
Trent describes how Hitchens had such a monumental impact on his departure from Christianity, including some classic moments from Hitchens' debates with Christians.  Joel shares his praise and criticism of the New Atheists and atheist arguments in general, including their tendency to dogmatize about quite complicated matters.  Trent closes with some thoughts on how even Christians are atheistic about all other religions but their own.  

The Book of Job: A Cynic's Guide to the Universe

Is there a place in Scripture for you to rage against God?  To ask hard questions?  To get more than patented answers?  Trent and Joel explore the Old Testament book of Job in this installment of Lead Balloons Podcast.  
They set the stage by describing the genre of wisdom literature, referencing Joel's favorite OT book, Ecclesiastes.  They then explore how Job's variegated voices and styles serve to unsettle those who have too rashly concluded what the meaning of suffering is.  Could the book of Job be a welcome antidote to the malady of all-too-easy solutions to life's toughest problems?  Come find out!!

The Bible: Inerrant or Errorific

So, what's this inerrancy thing all about?  Inerrancy is the belief that Scripture is without error.  Joel and Trent delve into this key doctrine of evangelical Christianity.  They discuss when inerrancy became a hot-button issue for evangelicals, what's at stake in believing it, and alternative ways for viewing the Bible.  Joel recalls a time when he was a pastor when he learned more about Jewish ways of engaging the Old Testament, while Trent offers his customary rant on the inveterate mediocrity of evangelical study of the Bible.  You'll geek out on this episode if you're into theology and/or the Bible.

Favorite Books: The Dawn of Everything

What if human beings aren't locked into a narrow repertoire of political and sociological options?  Rousseau and Hobbes have narrowed our minds about who humans are and what we are capable of being.  In this episode of Lead Balloons, Trent and Joel discuss a rebuttal of standard narratives about human "essentialisms" in Graeber and Wengrow's The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity.  
Joel asks Trent why this book is one of his favorites, as well as how linear human progress may not tell the whole story.  Findings in anthropology and archaeology can open our eyes to the myriad ways humans have lived historically.  Trent enumerates three freedoms that Wengrow and Graeber claim prevailed through multiple epochs in human history.  If you are keen to wonder if human beings might organize themselves differently and experiment a bit more than we do currently, check out this episode!

Favorite Books: The Great Divorce

Continuing on the Favorite Books Series, Joel and Trent dive into The Great Divorce, by C.S. Lewis.  This is one of Joel's favorites.  The book tells the story of a man who boards a train that leaves terra firma and takes its passengers on an adventure that will invite them to make choices about what they'll be willing to leave behind and lose in order to gain they know not what.
Trent asks Joel how this book grabbed him many years ago, and whether it still affects him the same way today.  Joel shares some favorite passages and why he loves the way Lewis spurred his imagination.  Trent pushes back a bit on Lewis's allegorical approach, while sharing fond memories of his own encounter with the book twenty years ago. Both Joel and Trent were moved by Lewis's imaginative rendition of heaven and hell and what he perceived to be the heart of the matter.

Cults and Trump

Could there be parallels between cult-like behaviors and the adoration of Donald Trump? Joel and Trent enumerate some of the key facets of cults and how the Trump following shows some similarities and dissimilarities. They also discuss how Trump became so popular among evangelicals. It takes some weird mental-theological gymnastics to perceive Trump as God's anointed, but, rest assured, some readily take up the challenge.
Mixed into the conversation are some of Joel's anecdotes from his work as a pastor as well as his experiences growing up in the church. Trent again rails against Christian biblical illiteracy. They both emphasize the need for American citizens to engage in kind, educated debate.

Carnivore Controversy: The Diet Debate

Could Joel and Trent be slightly out of their depth here? These two lead balloons aren't afraid to go into murky waters and dredge up some controversial goodies.  Joel and Trent debate whether a carnivore or vegetarian diet is healthier for humans.  They share personal anecdotes as well as thoughts on what diet humans are better evolved to eat.