Posts Tagged ‘Dietrich Bonhoeffer’


Michael Rota on Pascal’s Wager

Is it rational to believe in God? Is it rational to believe in Christianity? These were the some of the questions raised by Blaise Pascal in the 17th century that Prof. Michael Rota of St. Thomas University takes up in a re-examination of Pascal’s famous wager. He discusses Pascal’s life, the nature of the wager itself, and then updates it with his own insights, finishing off with a discussion of the probability that God exists.

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Ron Mock on Pacifism, War, and Terrorism

In light of the eleventh anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks and recent assaults on US diplomatic missions overseas, we explore the topic of Christian pacifism in the face of terrorism with Prof. Ron Mock of George Fox University. To exploare the roots and extent of his pacifist beliefs, we ask Prof. Mock whether or not he would have fought during the American War of Independence, which in turn leads to a discussion of his own pacifist background. We then discuss a number of philosophical issues related to pacificism in the abstract and the apply them to the topic of terrorism, discussion why Prof. Mock believes that the recent actions of the US (including drone strikes) have been counter-productive and what strategy would be more appropriate. This podcast was recorded on September 14, 2012.

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James Felak on Pope Pius XII, the Wartime Pontiff

In March of 1939, Eugenio María Giuseppe Pacelli became Pope Pius XII just days before the Nazis invaded Czechoslovakia and months before Germany continued their march into Poland. Prof. James Felak (University of Washington) examines the life and times of Pope Pius XII and explores the controversy surrounding his papacy. Interestingly, we learn that criticism of Pope Pius XII’s actions only emerged two decades after World War II. Prof. Felak discusses the difficult diplomatic and moral situation that Pius XII found himself in during the war, lays out the logic of his actions, and then assesses the overall impact (including his post-war proclamations) of Pius XII’s papacy on the contemporary Church Church.

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