In Medias Res with Glanz & Jerončić

In another guest episode, Olive 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 podcast, we engage in free-ranging conversations on...