Tools for Dealing with Doubt with Dan Synnestvedt

In this episode, Dr. Synnestvedt, a professor of philosophy at Bryn Athyn College, outlines some categories of doubt: local or global, subjective or objective, from the intellect or from the will. With these categories in mind, he suggests ways of dealing with some of our doubts and the fear that accompanies them. He also recomends the book Alvin Steadfast on Vernacular Island How can we learn from and live with uncertainty?

Tools for Doubt with Dan Synnestvedt

Brian Smith on Doubt part 2

In this episode, Pearse and the Rev. Brian Smith continue their conversation about doubt. They discuss the place of prayer in times of doubt--even when people may doubt the very God to whom they pray. And doubt doesn't have to be all doom and gloom. How can doubt be "the servant, if not the friend of truth"?

Brian Smith on Doubt part 2

Brian Smith on Doubt part 1

We interview the Rev. Brian Smith about doubt. Is it really necessary? It seems counterintuitive that often-painful times of doubt and despair can serve to build our faith, and yet Brian describes three ways doubt can help us. This is a first for us, a two part episode. Tune in next week for Part II!

Brian Smith on Doubt

The Trinity, Doubt and Peace

In this episode, the Rev. Dr. Andy Dibb describes his religious upbringing and concept of God. Influenced both by his New Church mother and Anglican schools, he came away with conflicting ideas. Was God a trinity or unity of Persons? Andy later found resolution and peace in the idea of a single, loving, Human God. Andy discusses the impact a person's view of God has on the rest of his or her life. With that in mind, how does one discuss religion with an atheist or agnostic?

The Trinity, Doubt and Peace

Celestial Bliss

This is our third dissertation digest. Pearse Frazier (with help from his wife Taryn) give us a little taste of his study on bliss. Pearse helps us understand in simple and real terms what constitutes pleasure or happiness at the different levels of our being. Two weeks ago we featured Todd Beiswenger's disseration digest on Creating Your Own Reality. Last week Stephen Muires shared extracts of his dissertation on The Sacred. -Editor

Many people say they would be happy to just barely make it to the lowest level of heaven—what the teachings for the New Church call the “natural” heaven. The idea of ending up in the highest, “celestial” heaven may seem overly ambitious. Even the term “celestial” is hard to grasp; it sounds nice, but its meaning is ephemeral. Do you really think you’re able to experience celestial bliss, the kind of delight the highest angels feel?

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Spiritual Body Image

Taryn and Pearse explore the idea of people created in the image and likeness of God. In a certain way, everything in creation reflects the human form from the Divine but how are people distinct from the rest of creation? Malcolm continues to look at issues of body image, though his focus is on clothing.

We humans place a lot of importance in appearances, especially our own, often glancing at a mirror several times every day. But most of us are aware of a part of a person beyond that assemblage of cells. People have inklings of another reality apart from bodies made of flesh and bone. Someone can be “beautiful on the inside,” while another can be “inhumane” and even “bestial.” On this earth, these are just turns of phrase.

Meandering through a zoo, no one should have trouble telling the human visitors from the animal inhabitants. One only has to look at the forms of the people and compare them to those of tigers or elephants. People look human. But we are not human merely because of our outward appearance.

According to the Word, the Lord modelled the human race after Himself.

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