Voices from the Desert
In the early days of Christianity, men and women fled to the desert and became the wisest sages of their era. Voices from the Desert explores how the wisdom of Ancient Christianity applies to our modern world. Where do the streams of historic Christianity intersect with contemporary Christianity? And how do we come to know God deep in our heart? Join Joshua Hoffert and Murray Dueck for a deep dive into the mystics, union with God, patristic theology and what it all means in our modern world.
Episodes
80 episodes
Encountering God at Burning Man: and interview with Will Spencer
On the podcast today, Josh sits down with guest host Rob Mazza to interview podcaster Will Spencer. They talk about Will's journey from the New Age rave scene in San Francisco to encountering Jesus in the desert of Nevada, and then the long cir...
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2:02:53
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Easter, The Crucifixion, and the meaning of Redemption
The central event in all of history. The lamb slain before the foundation of the world. This creation defining moment all too often is reduced to a moral lesson about right and wrong. As Brennan Manning said, "The gospel is absurd and the life ...
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1:13:29
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Where do we go from here? An interview with David Takle part 2
Today, much of the church practices a theology with moral law at centre of the gospel. How are we to reclaim a theology centred on the the actual gospel? Did God come to make a more moral people, or is the gospel about something more profound t...
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1:01:00
What we have been doing is not working. An interview with David Takle - Part 1
In this episode, Josh and Murr sit down to talk with David Takle, in part about his latest book and how we can recapture a Christ centered theology. In the West, we have exchanged a moral law framework as our theological center. In essence, we ...
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1:00:18
Voices from the Desert: WE ARE BACK!
We are back! After a cross country move and many happenings on the farm we are finally back for more Voices from the Desert! Tune in as Murray and Josh revisit why they do what they do and what to expect in the upcoming episodes of your favorit...
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54:49
Discovering Life in the Wilderness: an interview with Andrew Arndt
This is the last podcast of the year folks and it is a doozy. Murray and Josh welcome a new friend, Andrew Arndt - someone like them. Andrew discovered the Desert Fathers while going through burnout and disaffection from the "Charismatic Church...
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1:27:05
Do the disciplines heal the soul?
Presently, there is a resurgence of interest in the "spiritual disciplines". What do these things do and why are we to do them? What are the scary thing the early fathers called "the passions"? What is the relation between the disciplines and t...
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1:18:06
Distinctives, leadership, and the flaws in denominational thinking
On the podcast today, Murray and Josh interview their good friend Steve Schroeder, the President of CMA (www.canadacma.org). Steve talks about above the line thinking, hub and spoke ministries and churches, shifting to an open architecture mind...
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1:21:40
The Growing Divide: Is Jesus the Problem? A dream examined...
It seems that today we are trying our best to build, cast vision, influence, spread the word, bring the kingdom, and create space for the miraculous in our churches and communities. Sometimes, it seems as if the problem is not us, but Jesus. If...
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1:21:54
What are we being healed of?
When it comes to salvation and healing of the soul (see all the previous episodes on the spiritual life), what exactly are we being healed of? Is it sin? Our hurts and brokenness? Our disillusionment? The early fathers of Christianity often spo...
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1:31:41
The Inner Way: Does it Really Matter at All?
If salvation is about making it to heaven, why should we bother with formation here on earth? What do our theories of salvation and eschatology have to do with our present day practices? Murray and Josh take a dive into some patristic wisdom as...
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1:10:00
The Inner Way: When Leaders Fall...
What is the aim of Christianity and salvation? Is it to get as many people saved as possible? To create a moral perfect society? To fulfill the vision of a particular ministry? The mark we set determines a lot about what we do. In ...
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1:17:14
Misconceptions of Prayer, the Teaching of Jesus on Prayer, and How the Fathers Read Scripture
When it comes to how Christians are taught prayer, much of the church has been found wanting. The teaching of Jesus on prayer are often overlooked in favor of some occasional concomitant. What was Jesus thinking when he said, "And when you pray...
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1:29:22
Inner Prayer: the Lord's Prayer and the Sermon on the Mount
Sometimes it seems as if we read the scriptures as a series of commands or instructions, rather than an invitation to follow the way of Jesus and to know him intimately. In this episode, Josh and Murray begin diving into the Lord's prayer and t...
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1:07:15
Practices That Point the Mind to the Present and the Empty Abyss of the Heart
All of our practices are pointed towards the end of turning the inner gaze towards the heart to discover the Father within. What happens when a culture adopts practices that turn the gaze inward but all they find is an empty abyss? Join Josh an...
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1:04:48
Bridal Paradigm: Sanctified Imagination and the Eyes of the Heart
What roles does the imagination play in prayerful exercises? Are visionary experiences a thing for today? Join Josh and Murray as they dive into the writings of the Christian mystics to see what they have to say!For more about Murray Du...
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1:19:25
Totalitarianism, Transhumanism, and the Evangelical Subculture: a look at Anthony the Great
Today on the podcast, we interview CR Wiley, an author, podcaster, and pastor. CR Wiley co-hosts The Theology Pugcast. CR Wiley is a reformed pastor who discovered great a value in Athanasius's Life of Anthony. Helping us discern trust and make...
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1:10:15
Ignatian Exercises and Anthony the Great on Testing True Visions from God
In the 16th century, a man named Ignatius codified certain exercises that have become popular in the spiritual formation/direction/inner healing crowd today. Was he out to lunch? Can you track a history of said exercises? Join Josh and Murray a...
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1:10:36
Lectio Divina: reading scripture through the lens of love
Join Josh and Murray as they continue to explore the concept of bridal intimacy in scripture and history as they dive into the ancient practice called Lectio Divina. What do we want to accomplish when we read scripture? Is it to learn what a mo...
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1:00:26
Bridal Paradigm: The Nuts and Bolts of it All (aka "How We Do")
When it comes to the church, theology, and the Chrsitian life, sometimes we tend to talk in theory and principle, rather than practice. In this episode, Murray and Josh begin to explore what does it mean to understand the Bridal language of scr...
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1:21:57
The Eyes of the Heart and the Nous: Christian Maturity from an Orthodox Perspective, an interview with Fr Michael Gillis (Part 2)
In part 2 of Josh and Murray's interview with Fr Michael Gillis, Fr Mike shares about the eyes of the heart and dives into the layers of the human being. What marks the difference between how the Orthodox Church views the process of maturity an...
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1:03:55
From Charismatic to Orthodox: The Charismata in the Orthodox Church and the Familial Language of the Prophets, an Interview with Fr Michael Gillis Part 1
In the west, we have taken metaphors and made them systems. But God describes his bride through familial language. For Fr Michael, it is not mechanism we must discover, but the family we must encourage. Beginning in foster homes at a young age,...
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1:13:01
Catechism and Liturgy in a Charismatic Context: an interview with Josh Lewis (The Remnant Radio) Part 2
What would it look like to incorporate confession, liturgy and creeds into a modern Charismatic church? Josh Lewis from The Remnant Radio has undertaken the challenge. 8 years after launching a successful podcast where he and his team interview...
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44:52
Re-thinking theology, prophecy, and 5-fold ministry: an interview with Josh Lewis of the Remnant Radio Part 1
We at Voices from the Desert are excited to welcome Josh Lewis of The Remnant Radio for an in-depth conversation about theology, prophecy, and how we get 5-fold ministry completely wrong. Join Josh, Josh and Murray as they dive into Josh Lewis'...
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52:51
Which One: The Church as Moral Arbiter or Place of Healing?
As we continue to dive into the concept of bridal intimacy in the church age, what implications does this have on how and why we "do church?" Some seem to think the church should be the moral arbiter of the age, the judicial witness to God's ju...
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1:07:56