In this final episode, Travis tries to offer some thoughts on how Christians should respond to Nietzsche. He's kind of mean to everyone--the Church, Nietzsche, contemporary culture, and maybe even to you. He focuses primarily on how we deal with our desires, the nature of power, and questions of identity, trying to cram about 5 hours worth of summary material into around 40 minutes. So, good luck.

Joel and Travis talk a bit of an overview of Nietzsche's Genealogy of Morality, with a little bit of Joel hinting that Travis doesn't care about people, and Travis hinting that we are perhaps all sociopaths. At least if the materialist evolutionists are right about us, and Nietzsche is right about materialistic evolution. That's a lot of "ifs", but you can't spell Friedrich Nietzsche without "ifs".

Joel and Travis discuss the third and final essay of Nietzsche's Genealogy of Morality. What does it mean that we would rather will nothing than not will at all and that wisdom loves tough guys? How does a degenerating life protect itself from death, and what does this all have to do with morality? Well, listen and find out. You might also hear some stuff that sounds eerily familiar. Part of the Tactical Faith Podcast Network

Joel and Travis talk the second essay of Nietzsche's "Genealogy of Morality." What does Nietzsche think guilt/bad conscience is? What about punishment, justice, and mercy? You might not be surprised that Nietzsche does not think our most prized moral affections are particularly...well, moral. Maybe they are just the ways the weak attempt to exert power, in that same love of power that they complain about in others? And maybe Christianity is particularly adept at wielding these elements of weakness? Sound terrible? Perhaps, but come listen and see if Nietzsche might have a point...at least a point about you.

There's good and bad and then there's good and evil--or so Nietzsche says. One is strong, the other weak; one is active, the other passive; one is noble, and the other slavish; one is of Rome, and the other conquered and destroyed Rome. What in the world is Nietzsche talking about? Where does Christianity fit in here? Are good and evil bad? Or good and bad evil? Travis gives a summary of the first essay of Nietzsche's Genealogy of Morality, and then Joel and Travis discuss it.

Joel and Travis are back! Whether this is good news or bad, they nevertheless have begun a series on Nietzsche's Genealogy of Morality--a troubling and fascinating work. In this episode, Travis gives an overview of the Preface of the book, which explains what Nietzsche is doing in the book and why. Joel then tosses Travis some questions about Nietzsche and the Preface. Was Nietzsche simply a hater of ethics? Wasn't he a Nazi? Did he have any friends? Was he a misogynist? These questions are answered at least partly, as they begin the journey into a strong critique of Christian morality, and attempt to show what even Christians can learn from this fascinating philosopher.

Joel and Travis discuss the miracle of the Second Person of the Trinity become flesh. Everything from whether the Incarnation was only necessary because of sin to the nobility given humans to why it is that children are probably better at Christmas than we are. Hope you all have (had) a Merry Christmas!

Joel and Travis continue talking about Advent—specifically how the 2nd Advent (the return of Jesus and the revelation of him as Lord) affects our understanding of ourselves in history. If history is moving toward an end, and we are in that history, what is our place and purpose? Is it to get souls saved for heaven? Is it to establish political or social justice? Or is it that this dichotomy between the physical world of history and the spiritual world of heaven is itself conquered by Jesus, who is Lord of all?

What do N.T. Wright, Kierkegaard, Advent, and Natural Theology have in common? Well, Joel and Travis talk about them in this podcast. Whether there's a real, meaningful connection between these various topics may take a few weeks to be decided. But in this podcast, Joel and Travis reflect on an important problem and fascinating uniqueness with Christianity: At the center of the faith is the belief that historical events matter to the faith—God become flesh, Christ's life, death, and resurrection, as well as his return and the time we are living in now. What does this all mean? It'll take a few weeks to flesh it out, but maybe they'll get there. For N.T. Wright's talk discussed in the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=749CTPZkV-8

Joel and Travis talk everything from David Foster Wallace to Plato to the claim of 1 Timothy 6 that the love of money is the root of all evil in this last installment reflecting on Christian Miller's book "The Character Gap." How do Joel and Travis, both of which have notable gaps in their own character, think you should develop a virtuous character? Do they agree with Miller or do they think we have some better ideas? And could Travis use the word "more" a bit less, please?