Wow. I found your podcast through a link on Fr. James Martin's Facebook page, watched your interview with him, and immediately subscribed. As an American with past experience in interfaith dialogue who is now just trying to hide out from the scary polarization happening in my country and world, these interviews are blowing my mind. I know you said you wished you had pushed yourself more on certain topics, but let's give you credit for pushing and exploring difference in a context of open and friendly dialogue and fellowship in a way that is desperately needed in the world today--and deeply satisfying to my soul! Thank you.
I'm so totally down with that longer conversation with Rod. It should happen! I share your intuitions about Rod's political theology, and I'd love for you two to flesh that area out more. On the statement about you having once identified as a post-liberal, I call myself a post-liberal too, but I think it needs a new name. What do you think?
I wonder how he squares holding authority and hierarchy as sacred and the fact that those values were employed against him, destroying his marriage and relationship with his family and how this relates a desire for certainty that authoritarians offer, it made him feel safe at home, safe in the streets of Budapest. It’s worth reflecting on.
You said right at the end that you weren’t “brave enough to push it” after Rod gave his explanation for why he is voting for Trump. I think you are very wise not to push back. What you excel at Elizabeth is allowing people to express themselves so that we, as listeners are able to come to assess how they think, however, painful it might be for us to hear such views.
Curious if Rod has read 'School of Darkness' by Bella Dodd. The Catholic Church needs masculine men, not men who run away, like you have Rod. In hoc signo vinces +.
Great conversation. I know some don’t appreciate Rod, but I really do - though not to say I agree with everything he says. I’m less interested in the political/cultural content.
The political principalities are very strong in how they engage our intuitions. "It feels high stakes" and neither of you are living in the States. Interesting.
For an interesting further exploration of magic and its intersection with Christianity, I would recommend a book, Meditations on the Tarot: A journey into Christian Hermeticism. Also, I really appreciate this podcast. I have been listening for years and frequently find these dialogues to be challenging, uncomfortable, taxing. You make a mess of my would-be tidy assumptions. I need that, but I don't like that I do. Thanks for the hard work.
Rod comes across as an interesting and likeable character, but is he aware of the contradictions involved in (a) supporting Orban's anti-immigrant stance while living as an immigrant in Hungary and (b) leaving the Catholic Church because of the sexual abuse scandal yet wanting to make a sexual predator president of the USA? In both cases, he seems to be employing Utilitarian arguments that don't really go with his theology.
Rod has paid a heavy price trying to reconcile the shunning he received from his family, particularly his father. I feel sorry for him. The evil he suffered has debilitated his mind and heart to such an extent that his views don’t seem like they emanate from God‘s grace upon him, but rather they are worldly views that can never be justified by his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Anyhow that’s my two cents.
Christianity is just the otherside of the coin of Greko-Roman paganism.. So talking about faith here .. really doesn't make it for me .. sorry I can't compete this broadcast
