In Medias Res with Glanz & Jerončić

For this episode, Oliver and Ante are delighted to connect with their good friends, Oleg Kostyuk, Assistant to the President for Mission at AdventHealth University, and Torben Bergland, a psychiatrist from Norway. Building on their previous discussion of fear, they use this conversation to deepen their understanding of fear, particularly as it relates to the dynamics of memory, trauma, and authoritarian structures.

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In this podcast, we engage in free-ranging conversations about life, faith, philosophy, ethics, relationships, culture, experience, and all matters existential. As the show’s title suggests, we approach these topics “in t...

Fear is an incredibly complex emotion, differing in expressions as it does in its causes. Ante and Oliver try to tackle it from different angles, including its neurobiology, connection with human identity, personal and social manifestations, negative effects, strategies for addressing them, and place in the life of Christians.

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In this podcast, we engage in free-ranging conversations on life, faith, philosophy, ethics, relationships, culture, experience, and all matters existential. As the show title points out, we approach these things "in the middle of things" by grabbing hold of them unsystematically and provisionally...

Doubt shows up in many different guises. What accounts for the variety of such human experiences? What is its relation to faith? What are the different causes and expressions of doubt? What is it about our cultural moment that makes doubt such a widespread phenomenon? Can doubt sometimes be an expression of laziness? To what extent is doubt central to intellectual and spiritual growth?... These are some of the questions that Ante and Oliver tackle in discussing this important topic.

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In this podcast, we engage in free-ranging conversations on life, faith, philosophy...

This time, the starting point for the conversation is Oliver's upcoming article, "A Critical Look at Modern Graduate Education Through the Lens of Ancient Texts." They explore some strengths and weaknesses of contemporary education, how some of those weaknesses are engendered and reinforced through the use of modern textbooks, the kind of cognitive (fore)closure these texts encourage, what the relationship between knowledge and understanding might be, how ancient texts encourage understanding through personal struggle and intellectual openness, what role "texts" of life should have education, etc.

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Back in November 2024, Ante presented a paper at the Society of Adventist Philosophers titled The Anthropotechnics of Freedom: Training in Objectivity and the Ethics of Epistemic Authenticity. In this episode, Oliver and Ante take up that topic to explore the meaning and possibility of objectivity—so often a term of derision. They ask: Why does truth matter? Can we ever attain objective knowledge? What is the "view from nowhere"? What does it mean to see objectivity as a moral imperative? And how does this ethical reframing of an epistemological category shape human intersubjectivity? Ultimately, they consider a deeper question: Wh...

In this episode, Oliver and Ante delve into the enduring legacy of Homer's Odyssey. They explore its profound impact over the centuries, discussing why this epic poem remains so significant today. The conversation covers a breadth of existential themes presented in the Odyssey, such as destiny, homecoming, virtue, identity, and the human condition. Additionally, they examine the benefits of studying the Bible alongside classical works like the Odyssey, highlighting both the resonances and distinctions between these two cornerstone texts of Western culture. 

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This time around, Ante and Oliver have a free-ranging conversation on a number of issues. After a brief life debrief and some discussion of AI tools, they delve into a US presidential election post-mortem, questions of objectification in relation to human subjectivity, how objectification leads to alienation and conflict, how the deepening of relationships with people who are different from us requires moving beyond such tendencies, and how working and playing together might connect us some deeper way of living than focusing on issues that cause friction.

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After a longish break, Oliver and Ante are back recording new IMR episodes. In this one, they tackle different aspects of understanding, ranging from problematic self-perceptions, to evaluations and surveys, to the problem of objectification, and much more.

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In this podcast, we engage in free-ranging conversations on life, faith, philosophy, ethics, relationships, culture, experience, and all matters existential. As the show title points out, we approach these things "in the middle of things" by grabbing hold of them unsystematically and provisionally. Concerning "about us," we...

In recent years, "manifesting" has gained significant traction in pop culture and social media. It is the idea of willing the universe to bring into being our desires, in the sense of already possessing them in the act of wishing. As this rides on many interesting ideas and has a lot to say about our current cultural moment, Oliver and Ante have decided to discuss the issue to wrap their minds around it somewhat. What is this phenomenon about? Why is it so popular at this time? Should we understand it psychologically or sociologically? Does it contain some kernel...

In recent weeks, all across the country, students have received countless awards, recognitions, and trophies. That state of affairs prompted Ante and Oliver to examine the participation trophy phenomenon to probe the underlying forces that fuel it. For instance, what does it say about how we view parenting, psychological development, personal well-being, growth and resiliency, self-esteem, and motivation? To what extent is all that connected to shame and anxiety? What sociological and economic forces lurk in the background here? While, as usual, by their recognition, they bite more on what they can chew, they manage to crystallize some critical...

Continuing in the spirit of Kant's 300th anniversary, Oliver and Ante are taking another crack at this monumental thinker. This time, they focus more specifically on his moral thought, running with the contention, partially tongue in cheek, that a consistent application of his principles of morality might lead to a revival in Christian communities. Among others, they discuss Derek Parfit's reformulation of  Kant's formula: "It is wrong to treat anyone in any way to which this person could not rationally consent." Whether that is indeed the supreme principle of morality is debatable. Still, one can imagine all kinds of l...

In light of the 300th anniversary of Immanuel Kant's birth, Ante and Oliver discuss his status as one of the most influential thinkers of the modern era. It is hard to fully capture all the ways in which he has influenced our culture. In a way, we are all Kantians to some degree, whether we know it or not. To that end, they explore his background, the context in which he worked, some troublesome aspects of his legacy, his groundbreaking essay "What is Enlightenment?", his stress on freedom and the importance of thinking for oneself, his take on religion...

In this fascinating episode, Oliver and Ante discuss the importance of Eugen Drewermann, a leading  20th-century theologian, particularly his integration of exegesis and depth psychology. Using his ideas as a springboard, they explore insights that a psycho-existential reading of Exodus might bring to understanding various life experiences and key turning points. 

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In this podcast, we engage in free-ranging conversations on life, faith, philosophy, ethics, relationships, culture, experience, and all matters existential. As the show title points out, we approach these things "in the mi...

As mentioned in their previous episode, Oliver and Ante continue discussing the topic of trauma rooted in personal experience. They examine the rise of trauma literature, how it has impacted biblical studies and theology, and the new insights it has brought to the table. While such reflections are not new--people have forever struggled with suffering, loss, grief, tragedy, and meaning--trauma discourse, with its strong connection to embodied experience, undoubtedly offers an enriched perspective on these aspects of human existence.

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In this podcast, we...

In another guest episode, Oliver and Ante connect with Steve Yeagley, the Assistant Vice President for Campus & Student Life at Andrews University, to discuss various aspects of trauma. After some introductory remarks, they discuss the definition of trauma, the state of current trauma literature, the meaning of inter-generational trauma, the problem of moral injury and its relationship to trauma, the origins and ill effects of cultural war rhetoric, and the need for healing spaces in worship.

EPISODE MATERIAL
Rambo, Resurrecting Wounds: Living in the Afterlife of Trauma 
Van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score: B...

The main theme of this episode concerns the ubiquity of interpretation or hermeneutics. As Oliver and Ante stress in the beginning, there is no dimension of being in the world that does not have an interpretive dimension to it, ranging from ordinary acts of orientation and judgments on a daily basis to broader considerations about the meaning of texts, societal events, and life in general. In developing this topic, they consider some important thinkers that have shaped our understanding of these issues, including the towering figure of Hans Georg Gadamer. In the process of doing so, they consider the...

This time around, Oliver and Ante take a slightly different track by tackling the theme of health and fitness, sharing some of the lessons learned concerning fasting, the psychology of fitness, exercise protocols, diet, and wholeness in general. While their sharing should not be taken as medical advice, they hope to share some insights and encouragement to people finding themselves on different stations in their health journey.

RESOURCES MENTIONED
Peter Attia, Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity
Ratey and Hagerman, Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain

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This guest episode features the psychiatrist Dr. Torben Bergland on the topic of fanaticism. What is fanaticism? How prevalent is it? What are the best angles to explore it? Is it a matter of cognitive closure or a type of psychopathology? If neither, then what is it? Could the concept be wielded as powerplay where others, simply by virtue of being different than us, get labeled so? How is it related to the post-truth phenomenon? Are there positive aspects of fanaticism? If by definition one is not aware of one's own fanatical tendencies, how can individuals ever become aware...

The story of Cain and Able has been explored through many angles, each adding to a rich history of interpretation of the narrative. In this episode, Oliver and Ante take a fresh look at it, trying to attend to the multiple meanings the text affords and how that, in turn, might offer some important life and spiritual lessons.

Episode theme: 06:20

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In this podcast, we engage in free-ranging conversations on life, faith, philosophy, ethics, relationships, culture, experience, and all matters existential. As...

All in all, this is a debrief episode where Ante and Oliver look back at 2023, share some lessons learned, reflect on the nature of resolutions, and consider some of the promises and decisions for the coming year.

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In this podcast, we engage in free-ranging conversations on life, faith, philosophy, ethics, relationships, culture, experience, and all matters existential. As the show title points out, we approach these things "in the middle of things" by grabbing hold of them unsystematically and provisionally. Concerning "about us,"...

Taking Ante's recently published chapter as their starting point, Oliver and Ante discuss some of the ways in which marriage, eschatology, and ethics intersect. In the process, they address a number of questions. What is the difference between philosophical (i.e., common sense), Christian, and eschatologically-centered approaches to marriage? What does each bring to the table? Why do we even need the language of eschatology in respect to marriage? What are some of its dangers? Could different conceptions of eschatology play an important role? And how, in turn, might they help couples work through difficult moments in their relationship...

In this second part of a two-episode mini-series, the conversation turns to Oliver's approach to life and work, revisiting the reasons why he finds the notion of "productivity" unhelpful, only to discuss the role of passion, its relationship to (positive) suffering, the notion of play, the influence of exemplars in developing resilience and commitment to work, the idea of being gripped by passion rather than searching for it, the importance of serendipity (or providence) in it all, how collaboration and support of others is essential to growth, concluding with three concrete tools or practices that help him focus and...

In another "first" for the IMR podcast, Oliver and Ante sit down during the annual AAR/SBL meetings to debrief on the sessions they attended and the interactions that spoke to them. They delve into a range of topics, beginning with Daniël Muller's examination of the means-ends issue in Kant's philosophy. Discussions also include Sigve Tonstand's presentation on the Holocaust and the concept of evil, and they wrap up with a review of Oleg Kostyuk's paper, which focuses on the theme of endurance in Scripture."

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In this first of a two-episode mini-series, Oliver interrogates Ante's approach to organization, productivity, planning, values, and other aspects of mindful living. The discussion veers between basic convictions about life and more concrete questions of actual steps implemented on different time scales. While much more could have been covered, the discussion suggests some universally valid principles that people might be able to implement irrespective of their particular circumstances. Next time, it is Oliver's turn.

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In this inaugural live recording of the podcast, Ante and Oliver delve into the enduring cultural and spiritual significance of the Bible before a predominantly college-aged audience. Throughout the event, including the additional pre- and post-event debriefs, they highlight the intriguing aspect of the Bible's appeal to a range of secular audiences. They explore possible reasons for this phenomenon and corroborate it with autobiographical anecdotes. The conversation then transitions to viewing the Bible as a cultural artifact, pondering its metaphorical representation as a cathedral, and considering the symbolism inherent in that image. They discuss how the Bible, by depicting...

With great anticipation, Oliver and Ante connected with their friend and colleague Andrew Tompkins, Assistant Professor of Mission and Intercultural Theology at Andrews University, to discuss the fascinating topic of resonance. Taking the work of the German sociologist Hartmut Rosa as their starting point, they explore Rosa's critique of modernity and contemporary society, the focus on competition, control, and acceleration, the all-pervasiveness of instrumental reason, how these forces impact all levels of human interactions and institutions, including religious ones, what is lost in the process, the notion of alienation as the absence of meaningful relationships, the concept of resonance...

As announced, Ante and Oliver debrief their experience teaching a one-week intensive course to ministry practitioners and other interested people. After sharing some practical insights and lessons learned, they veer into discussing the relationship of belief and culture, how culture might be helpfully defined as "engagement with reality," how, accordingly, we have culture wherever we have reality, how attunement to culture so defined might help us understand why some beliefs and practices become irrelevant to people, how that is exemplified, among other, in the way people relate to the "sanctuary doctrine," the way that could be rectified, and how...

After briefly discussing some questions of exercise and wellness, via Peter Attia's bestseller Outlive, Oliver and Ante shift their discussion to the question of knowing God's will, what it is, whether it is a pagan idea, how it tracks views of what it means to be human, whether it can be a form of superstition, whether there is something like God's "will" in the Bible, how we tend to turn God into an idol, what the dangers might lurk in "God told me so" convictions, whether we not are not seeking God's will enough, and how to make sense...

Oliver and Ante pick up their conversation from the last episode, debriefing Ante's sermon, only to dialogue on Christ's experience of God-forsakenness, the existential impact that might have on people who suffer, why God refused to provide Job an answer, how the cosmic conflict framework might illuminate matters, how the cross offers an inverted theophany when compared to the divine discourse in the book of Job, the lessons learned from two family members, the radical cognitive displacement experienced by centurion at the cross, only to conclude with a great biblical passage as a beautiful coda to the episode.
<...

After a hiatus, Ante and Oliver, reconnect, in an "In Media Res" fashion, to share their summer experiences, travels, moves, the importance of community, what the theme of resonance means to them, what topics they wish to explore in future episodes, only to conclude with debriefing Ante's sermon on the suffering God and the significance that theme has for addressing of some of life's deepest questions.   

EPISODE QUOTE
"When the crucified Jesus is called the ‘image of the invisible God’, the meaning is that this is God, and God is like this. God is not greater than h...

Ante and Oliver pick up the theme of restlessness, what it might mean, what its causes are, how it is both a positive and negative reality, how it serves as a central trope in classics and epic literature, the warnings that are encountered therein, the problem of hedonic insatiability and adaptability, how boredom and acedia connect to restlessness, whether the recipe of life beyond restlessness as encountered in ancient philosophy can teach us anything, how the Bible offers a middle path between rest and restlessness, how the absence of restlessness might signal moral depravity, and how the love of...

After a quick debrief on their teaching experience this summer, Ante and Oliver share why they have picked this topic at this point in the year, how their mothers have shaped them in their childhood, how we need to give due to the two conflicting archetypes of motherhood, why some contemporary feminists are critical of the burdens of motherhood, how it is difficult to grasp the amount of self-sacrifice and resilience that mothers have, whether it is true that mothers have a harder time of letting go of control than fathers, only to conclude with a poem of praise...

We discuss Oliver's recent trip to British Columbia, the kind of questions he was asked to address, how some people view the Bible as being fundamentally at odds with current ethical sensibilities, how the type of secularity he had experienced in Amsterdam some time ago differs from what he noticed Sasquatch, how he has strong reservations about methods when it comes to mission, why he feels that focusing on the biblical text might be an effective "methods" we can use, and why there is a need for existential-expository preaching.

EPISODE MATERIAL
Smith, How (Not) to Be...

In this episode, where both of us find ourselves away from our usual recording "studios," we first chat about Oliver's "missionary trip" to Canada. Then we move to discuss the essential topic of attention, including the effect of attention economies, what attention is, how it connects to meaningful living, how, conversely, its fragmentation has numerous deleterious effects, how the Scriptures put a premium on the proper nurturing of attention, and how for Paul a life of contentment tracks our ability to direct our thoughts to subjects that matter most.

EPISODE MATERIAL
Car, The Shallows
Hari...

We start by touching base with our personal and professional lives, only to shift to our approach to learning and memory, the strategies we used to curate our insights, how that has changed with time, why long-term memory matters for creativity and the deep life, why a proper approach to memorization is a key to education and spiritual development, how memories connect to community building and faithfulness, and how the Bible invites to situate, process, and renew our memories in light of the story of Jesus.

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After briefly touching upon the meaning of "resonance" (H. Rosa), we turn to discuss Oliver's article "Serving God across the Divide: A Lesson from Jeremiah." We reference different fissures in our society, how they lead to feelings of outrage, apathy, and tiredness, how Jeremiah himself confronted various types of polarization, what the character of his prophetic critique might be, how it might be relevant to us, how it straddles the dialectic of critique and nurture, the way such critique is both radically honest and marked by relentless solidarity with those that might stand against us, and the kind of...

We continue with our conversation on the function and role of philosophy, why philosophy is pertinent even for those who have no interest in it, what some dangers associated with it might be, how to understand Paul's warning against "vain philosophy" and "worldly wisdom," how philosophy can provide us with language and sense of companionship to make sense of our thoughts and experiences, what are some of the ways in which philosophy might be helpful to faith and life and general, how philosophy as a sense-making endeavor is essential for the functioning of society and civilizational development, and how...

In this episode, we discuss our frequent references to philosophy on our podcast, why that is the case, how philosophy figures in our faith, how our early life experiences have shaped us in that regard, why we consider philosophy as being essential to the way "we do life," why it can be seen as a helpful tool for making sense of reality, and why it is that some people perceive it as irrelevant or dangerous.

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We discuss, some more, the idea of identity, the difference between identity and identification, the struggle over the recognition of identity as the key to understanding much of what is going on in the world today, the meaning of narcissism, the difference between grandiose and vulnerable narcissism, narcissism and the ego ideal (Ichideal), the strivings for singularity and uniqueness, whether quests for perfection and improvement are always tinged with narcissism, how the biblical ideal of sanctification might offer a different striving for perfection, and what Ecclesiastes might teach us on these issues.

EPISODE MATERIAL
Wolfram Eilenberger...

The relationship between change and identity, different ways of understanding change, the difference between ethical and phenomenological approaches to change, problems with positivistic thinking about change, the mystery of life, identity, and intentionality, the function of identity archetypes as aspirational life goals, etc.

EPISODE QUOTE
“Human beings are works in progress that mistakenly think they’re finished.” - Dan Gilbert

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In this podcast, we engage in free-ranging conversations on life, faith, philosophy, ethics, relationships, culture, experience, and all matters existential. And as the...