The Willing Fool
In The Willing Fool podcast, we ask questions and seek answers about the biggest questions of life--what is the meaning of life, what we should pursue and how. We question, think, explore, and discuss things that you care about but might not feel safe to say out loud. We consider this search for wisdom a sacred journey that we can take together.
Episodes
43 episodes
Ep 42 The Limits of Science and a Hidden Insight from the Bible
For some time, modern Westerners have prided themselves on building and basing their beliefs purely on scientific evidence. But this was never true, and this reality is becoming more obvious. Where science cannot speak, the bible has an importa...
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Season 6
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Episode 3
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19:36
Ep 41 The Transgender Quandary
I discuss the difficult topic of transgenderism and what it points to in terms of language, power, fundamental mental categories, and the direction of humanity.
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Season 6
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Episode 2
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35:41
Ep 40 The Olympics Opening Ceremony Controversy
Some people took offense at performances during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Were Christians imagining references to Jesus' Last Supper re-enacted by drag queens, or was it Greek mythology? Does it matter? Is there anythi...
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Season 6
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Episode 1
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41:17
Ep 38 - 5 Criticisms of Belief (and How to Process Them)
Sometimes it isn't the content of the critique but the tone and spirit of the critic that hits us hardest. In this episode, we talk through 5 critiques of belief and some ways to process them.
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Season 5
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Episode 6
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23:02
Ep 39 - What You Say vs What You Do
Sometimes we say we believe one thing, but our actions reflect that some part of us believes another. Whether we're open to that evidence may in turn shape our lives. This interview with Jordan Peterson and Susan Blackmore is a great dialogue t...
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Season 5
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Episode 7
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25:50
Ep 37 - The Trend Towards Believing
The landscape about belief has changed in the last several decades, but these developments take time to work their way through to the popular culture. In this episode we track a few of the macro-developments.Gary Habermas' website: ...
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Season 5
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Episode 5
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32:57
Ep 36 - 3 Arguments Used to Dismiss Belief
You may hear versions of these three arguments for why believing in God is ridiculous or unreasonable. Hearing and considering them can help you decide what you do believe and why.
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Season 5
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Episode 4
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15:02
Ep 35 - Of Faustian Bargains
The ancient trope of making a bargain with the devil, then paying the price is one worth understanding and considering. Power, success, and advantage are nice in the moment, but what might we be giving away in their pursuit?
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Season 5
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Episode 3
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40:47
Ep 34 - 2016, The Year Everything Changed
If you've noticed a change in the environment in the last several years, you're not alone. Culture is always changing, but it seems the movement has accelerated in dramatic and unexpected ways during this specific time frame. What are the marke...
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Season 5
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Episode 2
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26:36
Ep 33 - Don't Call It Conspiracy?
From the mental health crisis and the meaning crisis, to growing interest in nonhuman beings, to the twin trans movements, is there something more than just the random unfolding of events at work when it comes to the flourishing and fulfillment...
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Season 5
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Episode 1
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36:02
Ep 32 - Where's It All Going?
The pressing issues and conflicts of our day should drive us to gain a clear understanding of what a human is and should be. Some of these same issues also may reveal how we are being challenged and undermined--and to what end. It's worth the e...
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Season 4
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Episode 8
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26:39
Ep 31 - The Indestructible Truth
What is a human? What are we for and what is our purpose? How you answer that question will determine how you view life and reality. The truth is something that is scary, but also more fantastical and better than any answer we could invent.&nbs...
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Season 4
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Episode 7
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32:50
Ep 30 - The Third Way
Is there a third way between avoiding the harsh realities and conflicts of the world, on one hand, and joining an entrenched position and posture of conflict, on the other? Jesus tapped into a rich vein, a kernel of truth, that we often miss, t...
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Season 4
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Episode 6
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36:03
Ep 29 - The Thing With Men
What is the solution to the so-called "male crisis"? And what is the cause in the first place? Opinions abound. There may be more going on than we can see at first glance.
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Season 4
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Episode 5
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23:09
Ep 28 - Any Boundary That Shouldn't Be Crossed?
In this episode, we look at how language around transgender issues has changed in the last few years, reflecting an evolving rhetoric. Since our meta-narrative, values, and norms are related, this is one more manifestation of the new civic reli...
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Season 4
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Episode 4
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36:15
Ep 27 - The Reasons for Inequality
Is all inequality the result of oppression? Are there alternative explanations? In this episode we take a stroll through some of the public dialogue around gender and gender inequalities, questioning if the mainstream narrative of patriar...
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Season 4
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Episode 3
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46:57
Ep 26 - Wars and Rumors of Wars
Many were shocked by the brutality of the attack by Hamas on Israeli civilians in October of 2023, only to be further amazed by the cheering of these events by many in the U.S. and other western countries. How did we get here? Is it possible to...
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Season 4
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Episode 2
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39:49
Ep 25 - Should I Shut My Eyes to the World Around Me?
It's easy to be overwhelmed by what goes on in the world around us. It's easy to either A) try to ignore it and stay as safe and neutral as possible in our own life because it's all too much or B) enter the fray and take a well-established side...
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Season 4
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Episode 1
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18:00
Ep 24 - A Simple Challenge
In Jesus' day, a certain popular way of thinking and believing made religious people dumber, more arrogant, and resistant to change and correction. Their posture and claims as God's "honor guards" were betrayed by their resistance and dishonori...
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Season 3
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Episode 8
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22:53
Ep 23 - A Sacrifice for Sin about neither Sin nor Forgiveness?
The odd (to us) rituals listed in the Old Testament had a broader purpose than we are used to thinking. If we come to the Bible with one lens, all we will see is sin and sin solutions. If we replace that lens, we can see so much more (and more ...
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Season 3
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Episode 7
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24:50
Ep 22 - Don't Fight the Goodness
The scriptures are peppered with visions of an exalted humanity. This is one of the better kept secrets within the church. Are we maybe a little afraid of what people will do with this encouragement? Or maybe it doesn't fit well with a message ...
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Season 3
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Episode 6
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28:26
Ep 21 - The Cosmic Battle
Once the veil has been pulled back on some of the strange but compelling elements of the biblical story, you start to see them everywhere. That's because they are everywhere. Identifying and tracking some of these major characters and their mot...
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Season 3
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Episode 5
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40:10
Ep 20 - Don't Play With the Snake
Why would Jesus call some of the most ardent God followers of his day snakes? Or say that they were children of their father--the devil? Was this something that only Jesus could see and say, or something that could only be said or applied in Hi...
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Season 3
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Episode 4
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26:15
Ep 19 - The One With the Snake
For most people growing up in church, the only real meaning the first chapters of Genesis have is to show us how bad or disobedient we are, or how we got saddled with this sin problem. But there's much more to the story, and discovering it brin...
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Season 3
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Episode 3
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38:07
Ep 18 - What Do I Do About These Monsters??
Have you ever heard of the ancient sea monsters in the Bible? If not, you're missing out, so listen to this episode, where we discuss how we can handle things that seem so weird or foreign to us that we read about. How we choose to do so can ma...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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20:36