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Solzhenitsyn: Most Profound Highlights of The Gulag Archipelago (3/3)

July 22, 2021 Mark Stanley Podcast Comments Off on Solzhenitsyn: Most Profound Highlights of The Gulag Archipelago (3/3)

Groupthink is when you inherit the ideas of the masses without thinking them through for yourself. Although Solzhenitsyn was a true Communist until his party betrayed and enslaved him for cheap labor, some underwent a similar fate and never changed changed their minds about Communism because they were terrified of existential exile. Solzhenitsyn discovered that humility and the ability to listen to others can keep you from Groupthink and set you on your own journey towards individuality and truth.

Solzhenitsyn: Are You Blinded by Groupthink? (2/3)

June 30, 2021 Mark Stanley Podcast Comments Off on Solzhenitsyn: Are You Blinded by Groupthink? (2/3)

Groupthink is when you inherit the ideas of the masses without thinking them through for yourself. Although Solzhenitsyn was a true Communist until his party betrayed and enslaved him for cheap labor, some underwent a similar fate and never changed changed their minds about Communism because they were terrified of existential exile. Solzhenitsyn discovered that humility and the ability to listen to others can keep you from Groupthink and set you on your own journey towards individuality and truth.

Solzhenitsyn: Introduction to The Gulag Archipelago (1/3)

May 20, 2021 Mark Stanley Podcast Comments Off on Solzhenitsyn: Introduction to The Gulag Archipelago (1/3)

Aleksander Solzhenitsyn (1918-2008) is one of the most important writers of the 20th century for his extensive writings which exposed the lies of the Soviet Union with courage, conviction and character. From the warfront for the motherland, to the slave labor camps, and then into exile, Solzhenitsyn absorbed the experience of an entire nation and documents the atrocities committed in the name of overthrowing class oppressors. Along the way, he learns that good and evil runs not between party lines, class, or race, but through the middle of each human heart.

The Fine Tuning Argument for the Existence of God (Part 2)

January 14, 2021 Mark Stanley Podcast Comments Off on The Fine Tuning Argument for the Existence of God (Part 2)

Against all odds, we find the universe life permitting. Why has the nature of physics and the history of the universe conspired to make life possible? What explains the fine tuning of the universe? If an explanation is necessary (and the human experience seems to suggest that it is), there are three options: Physical necessity, chance, or intelligent design.

The Fine Tuning Argument for the Existence of God (Part 1)

December 18, 2020 Mark Stanley Podcast Comments Off on The Fine Tuning Argument for the Existence of God (Part 1)

Widespread myth tells us that science and religion are opposed at every corner. But the reality is that physicists and cosmologists are continually uncovering evidence which points to the existence of an intelligent mind as the designer of the universe. The fine tuning of the universe for life against all odds is making the argument from chance harder and harder to rationally justify. As the physicist Freeman Dyson said, “…it’s almost like the universe knew we were coming.”

Aesthetics: A Christian Philosophy of Art (3/3)

November 12, 2020 Mark Stanley Podcast Comments Off on Aesthetics: A Christian Philosophy of Art (3/3)

What is the difference between art and propaganda? What makes some painters better than others? A Christian philosophy of art is desperately needed in our ugly and twisted culture. Francis Schaeffer, the Christian thinker of the 20th century, has valuable insights on how to judge art, as well as practical advise for art appreciation and Christian artists today. In this final installment, we bring together the final pieces of a Christian philosophy of art.

Aesthetics: C. S. Lewis on Judging & Enjoying Art (2/3)

October 8, 2020 Mark Stanley Podcast Comments Off on Aesthetics: C. S. Lewis on Judging & Enjoying Art (2/3)

In his book, An Experiment in Criticism (1961), C. S. Lewis suggests that instead of judging a book by how it was written, we should judge it on the kind of reading it inspires. If readers are deepened, continually drawn back to the work, only to find they love it more and more, then it is a good book. If not, then it is merely a book fit for entertainment, not a true piece of art. On Lewis’ view, beauty is transcendent, but art is personal. But what is Lewis’ view on the role that art fills in our lives? Is art something which helps develop us, or merely provide a kind of escape?

Aesthetics: Art, Beauty, and the Good Life (1/3)

September 10, 2020 Mark Stanley Podcast Comments Off on Aesthetics: Art, Beauty, and the Good Life (1/3)

If The Odyssey is so good that it is still in print after thousands of years, don’t you think it might be worth a read? If Bach is still treasured 250 years after his death, would you consider that there is something you’re missing? The question of art and beauty is not abstract and philosophical, it immediately concerns what it means to live a good life and enjoy the best possible experiences. The postmodern axiom, that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, turns out to threaten your happiness! The Christian impulse, which sees beauty in the universe, grounded in the nature of God, once again matches our deepest intuitions and our critical conclusions about art, beauty and the good life.

Why Christians Should Read Literature (feat. Well Read Catholic)

August 13, 2020 Mark Stanley Podcast Comments Off on Why Christians Should Read Literature (feat. Well Read Catholic)

The Well Read Christian (Mark Stanley) and The Well Read Catholic (Patrick Callahan) come together to discuss Christianity, our long heritage of reading and benefiting from classic literature, church history, our favorite Great Books, and more!

How to Waste Your Life (Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilych)

July 30, 2020 Mark Stanley Podcast Comments Off on How to Waste Your Life (Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilych)

The Death of Ivan Ilych (1886) is a famous novella (short novel) by Leo Tolstoy which penetrates our cavalier attitude about death, challenges our notion of a fulfilling life, and warns of the tragedy we may be headed towards. Fortunately, it also portrays a potential solution to the vain and superficial lifestyle which often consumes us. With his signature style and psychological realism, Tolstoy’s work challenges us to consider life from its endpoint in order to live rightly before it is too late.