The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self 

I'm very fortunate to be a student of Carl Trueman. He is a wonderful professor and his classes are very insightful.

Also for post-modern thought and religion, I'd recommend, Authentic Christianity by Gene Veith Jr. Great read.

I am trying desperately to break this paradigm (authenticity and existentialism) within my own psychology; I greatly appreciate you presenting a coherent, concise alternative to embody and why.

If a completely "secular" or "religiously neutral" society is an impossibility... And moral (and preferably religious) foundations are necessary for the flourishing of societal laws (which is an interesting push back against a R2K approach among many American Lutherans) -- but the establishment of a _state church_ is inherently fraught with issues (as you've alluded to elsewhere); what is the ideal solution? P. S. This idea is very reminiscent of Edmund Burke (christianity as the soul of society, the state as the body, etc.), I'm wondering if you're familiar with his school? Either way, I think it's interesting from a Lutheran perspective to assert that the Church has a _spiritual role_ in society and not merely in the individual soul of each believer -- which is how Two Kingdoms is often framed.

Ben Shapiro's endorsement made me skeptical but I'm glad it didn't stop me. Trueman's work is very well done and it's breath of fresh air to get a book like this from a classical protestant and not a Catholic who always feels the need to say Luther is the root of all evil and Protestantism ruined everything

Thank you for all you do. God's peace be with you.

This is extremely relevant to those of us who work in civil service. Thank you.

I appreciate your insight on the farm life, Pr. Cooper. I am a 3rd generation cattlemen.

I thoroughly enjoyed this video and appreciate your commentary on the culture. I was a 60’s kid growing up in the utopian ideologies of California sub-culture. In those days these issues were popularly addressed by a Reformed pastor/evangelist named Francis Schaeffer for a lot of young Christians like myself. He, too, emphasized how academic changes in epistemology during the Renaissance and modern era infiltrated the Arts, Music, General Culture, etc., and made its way through the media into American homes so rapidly that most people were passively indoctrinated before they had had time to critically appraise what was had happened. This situation as proliferated because of technology and, as you said, for many different reason. Schaeffer also had a lot to say about Existentialism’s role in all this. He wasn’t an academic philosopher, but he was instrumental in my study of philosophy as a tool in service to theology. I am looking forward to your upcoming book and have enjoyed the ones I currently possess. Thank you for demonstrating that faith and reason are not necessarily and always bitter enemies. God’s blessings to you and yours!

Excellent summary friend

I am rereading The Gulag Archipelago. All these ideologies are so remote from reality and the person within culture. The book shows us what happens when Government determines what is moral and how society becomes normalized to any situation. The 20th century will become known as the most blood thirsty in the history of the world. There is no sense that anyone can talk about society marching towards utopia.

Just a suggestion, Paul Vanderklay and Jonathan Pageau are great conversation partners tracking these cultural and philosophical matters albeit perspectives from different Christian traditions. They have channels under their respective names if you would like to check them out.

Obviously you have expressed your disagreements and critiques of reformed theology and Calvinism, but what do you think of Calvin himself? Do you see any notable differences between what Calvin actually taught vs what his legacy is?

Yes, you can copyright a new translation. Add a coauthor of Amazon if giving you issues. Also subtitle and introduction.

Nice pocket square Dr. Cooper.

Interesting video even though I don't agree with some of the things you've said BUT I would love to hear more about your progression from being punk rock into being a Lutheran Theologian lol

Jordan...It sounds like you're writing a book on truth, beauty, and goodness, which is a topic I've been interested in for some time. So I'm looking forward to taking a look at it when it's finished. Personally, I find it maddening trying to convince Christians that beauty is not a subjective individualized taste, but an objective reality, particularly when I hear Christians sing about the "beauty" of God in they're pop songs. Interestingly, my five year old recognizes the objectivity of beauty in things like music, better than many Christians I know. Anyroad, I was wondering if you're familiar with Richard Weaver's classic treatment erosion of distinction and hierarchy beginning with the rise of nominalism in his book Ideas Have Consequences. I think his notion of The Great Stereopticon (not a catchy name) has infinitely more profound implications in our present moment than even in the late 1940's when he wrote the book. So I'd love to know your thoughts on Weaver, if you're familiar with him. Along similar lines, in my dissertation looking at the rise of liberal theology and politics among evangelical elites, I relied somewhat on Charles Taylor's The Secular Age. I argued that many of the major trends in contemporary evangelicalism can be explained by an accommodation to secularization. However, I also relied heavily on Ulrich Beck's A God of One's Own, which I think offers a fascinating empirical look into these issues, although not from a critical standpoint. Accordingly, have you come across Beck's work and do you have any thoughts on it?

John Stuart Mill was the smartest idiot who ever lived. He seriously attempted to argue that utilitarianism wouldn't end with people rolling about like pigs in muck as the contemporary of Lord Byron! If there was ever a man of brilliance, skill, and refined tastes who liked to roll around in muck...... it's Lord Byron. Yet JSM argued with a straight face that the educated man would never reduce himself to a piggish life. That has to be deliberate obtuseness.

Hi Dr Cooper, Are you including Dostoevsky amongst the existentialists that you disagree with? From what I've read, he seems to echo your thoughts on truth, goodness and beauty. Thanks,

Hi Dr. Cooper, Great video. Can you expand on what you mean by Radical Lutherans talking amongst themselves about sin in contrast to encouraging one another to follow a virtuous path?

Curious if Trueman engages Girard on mimesis and mimetic desire specifically.

I listen every now and then to see what a Lutheran of your bent who is acceptable to step foot on a campus like Cornell professes. You did not disappoint in less than ten minutes. Your moral equivalence between self expression and the right and left was either dishonest or ignorant. The real comparison is between freedom of conscience on the right and self expression on the left which could be practically anything. You're comparing two different categories.

Dr Cooper, the substance of this episode seems no different from Slouching Towards Gomorrah (1996) by Robert Bork. I think both Judge Bork and Professor Trueman have totally missed the essence of the problem. The only thing less accurate than stereotypes of other nations is one's stereotype of his own nation. Both books suffer from the broad acceptance of incorrect caricatures of how American society works (such as the duality of Individualism versus Collectivism, which is itself Atheistic in origin). One of the more accurate expositions which I have seen concerning the transformation of American society is the final section of Tragedy and Hope (1966) by Carroll Quigley, which I wholeheartedly wish to recommend to you. Have a nice day.

Why is it wrong to admit sin in the case of an older man to younger students?

Topic begins at 4:12

Have you reached out to Trueman at all? I think it could be a really interesting discussion/interview if you got him on the podcast

Schaeffer namecheck? :)

regarding your stance on authenticity, I respectfully disagree. To present yourself as not perfect before those who look up to you is in fact very helpful to people. It give them a more real outlook on life and helps them to see that even great men have the same struggles they do. In no way should the viewing of porn be endorsed but to say it is bad without admitting you have a problem yourself would make yourself a hypocrit. I would also state that the Bible says we are supposed to confess our sins to one another and in so doing we humble ourselves and we can then pray for each other with more powerful prayers. David Pawson has a video where he stated that before praying for someone he didnt like he confessed the person he didnt like him very much and the person confessed the same but then their prayers for healing were answered and the man never had issues again.

We will never have a decent educational system until the power is moved from the state to the average family as to how children are educated.

It's true we can't go back but you have to admit that while the racial dimensions were a major improvement (although we're not at the end of history...) the Civil Rights movement was an altogether net negative.. ... It did nothing good for the relationship of men and women (obliterating the Biblical teaching on the subject), and it set the stage for all politics moving forward to be framed through the lens of social progression and an oppression / liberation dynamic.

RU-vid deep sixed my comment about Robert Owen and the role of the current sexual agenda in the destruction of the family. I hope you can see it.

How much do you pay yourself?

All laws are moral laws. Every single one. Period. Laws are also all inherently religious.

I wish we could go back to the 50s

I thought you were a called pastor.