Today, we're joined by Lauren Ponder, a professional Death Doula, to pull back the curtain on the "Death Positive" movement, Swedish Death Cleaning, and how to reclaim your dignity at the end of life.

In this episode of It's a Theological World After All, we explore why our culture is so "death-avoidant" and how we can transform the end-of-life process from a moment of fear into a spiritual and transcendent experience. Whether you're curious about "Death Cafes" or want to know how to start your own "Death Cleaning" legacy project, this conversation is for anyone who wants to live—and die—with intention.

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction: The role of a Death Doula

05:30 - The Big Secret: Is death a revelation?

12:15 - Reclaiming the “Art of Dying Well”

18:40 - The Death Positive Movement explained

25:10 - Why we equate "spending money" with "loving the dead"

32:00 - Swedish Death Cleaning (Döstädning) & Legacy Projects

40:15 - What is a Death Cafe? (And why you should join one)

48:50 - Personal reflections: Dying with Dignity

Connect with Lauren Ponder: https://withlove.events

Books Mentioned:

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson

Bodies in Motion and at Rest by Thomas Lynch

What does "dying with dignity" mean to you? We'd love to hear your thoughts.

#DeathPositive #DeathDoula #SwedishDeath Cleaning #EndofLife #LegacyPlanning #TheologyPodcast

Is God just an abstract idea, or is He the literal "Now" that holds your reality together?

In this deep-dive finale, philosopher Dr. Stephen Priest explains how "fundamental ontology," the study of pure being, leads logically from atheism to the Trinitarian God. We move beyond abstract theory into the "Eternal Now," exploring why the present moment is the closest we get to the Divine.

Plus, Dr. Priest shares a powerful, practical Christian breathing meditation to replace anxiety with divine presence ("God in, Devil out"). If you are interested in the intersection of consciousness, existentialism, and deep theology, this episode is the masterclass you’ve been waiting for.

IN THIS EPISODE:

Why "Being" and "Presence" point directly to the Trinity.

How Heidegger’s Being and Time misunderstands the "Now."

Why God is not an optional "add-on" to the universe, but its foundation.

Practical Application: A breathing technique for Christian mindfulness.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Intro: Does the argument for God entail the Trinity?

01:17 – Heidegger, Time, and the "Eternal Now"

02:40 – Why the Trinity is the "Fundamental Ontology"

04:20 – Stephen’s Journey: From Atheism to Pure Being

06:40 – The Philosophical Debate: Is "Existence" a real property?

09:05 – Does a physical object (like a desk) have "Presence"?

11:30 – How to live in the "Now" (Practical Theology)

13:00 – Eastern Meditation vs. Christian Contemplation

17:00 – The "God In, Devil Out" Breathing Technique

21:10 – Why Atheism is a "Lack of Understanding" of Being

23:55 – The Immanence of God: Closer than you think

25:00 – Conclusion: Why Metaphysics is plausible again

RESOURCES & LINKS

Listen to Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfXgo8h5QaE

Dr. Stephen Priest’s Work: https://stephenpriest99.wixsite.com/website

Please consider supporting Soul Science Ministries: https://donorbox.org/soul-science-ministries

#Philosophy #Theology #Consciousness #Christianity #StephenPriest #Existentialism #Trinity #Apologetics #Meditation #Metaphysics

In modern culture, we treat loss like a problem to be solved, something we're told to hurry through so we can "move on." But what if this mindset, which I trace back to the Enlightenment's focus on individual happiness, is actually making our society impoverished?

I sat down with the brilliant philosopher Mikolaj Slawkowski-Rode (University of Oxford) to challenge the prevailing Freudian and secular views on grief. Mikolaj argues that mourning is a virtue we need to recover, and a portal not just into memory, but into transcendence.

This is a must-watch conversation for anyone seeking deeper meaning, struggling with loss, or questioning the self-help culture's quick-fix approach to suffering.

What We Covered:

0:01:14 Is Mourning a Problem to Solve or a Virtue?

0:05:34 The Relevance of Philosophy (And Why I'm Interested in It!)

0:21:39 Why Freud Got Grief Fundamentally Wrong

0:38:10 The Enlightenment Shift: Why Individual Happiness Is an Insufficient Goal

0:42:25 The Danger of "Toxic Relationship" Talk: How Utilitarianism Ruins Love

0:55:48 Mourning as a Moral Practice: Rituals that Keep the Dead Present

01:01:15 Kierkegaard's Test of Love: Expressing True Love After Loss

01:23:25 The Two Extremes of Death: The Macabre vs. The Overly Joyful

01:26:45 Why God Wants Our Outrage: The Appropriate Response to Loss

01:34:20 Grief, Transcendence, and Spiritual Perception

Mikolaj's Insight That Hit Me Hardest:

"Your mourning is not about you, it's about the person you've lost."

Connect with Us:

Mikolaj Slawkowski-Rode: https://www.bfriars.ox.ac.uk/people/dr-mikolaj-slawkowski-rode/

Check out his excellent edited book: The Meaning of Mourning: https://www.amazon.com/Meaning-Mourning-Perspectives-Death-Grief/dp/1666908924

Subscribe & Follow:

Don't forget to subscribe to It's a Theological World, After All! We're here to dive deep into culture, God, and the soul, and I appreciate you joining the conversation.

#grief #mourning #philosophy #death #loss #theology #meaningoflife #griefsupport #Blackfriars #MacauleySchakowsky

I sat down with theologian Dr. R.T. Mullins (The Reluctant Theologian, author of Eternal in Love: A Little Book About a Big God) for a radical discussion that challenged centuries of tradition. We broke down why the idea of a timeless, unmoving God is not only logically incoherent but also deeply damaging to our spiritual health and personal relationships.

If you suspect your theology is causing anxiety, I think it's time for an upgrade. Dr. Mullins argues for a temporal, fully emotional, and personal God who is actively responsive to your life and genuinely cares about your flourishing, a God we can actually have a friendship with.

What We Discussed:

Why the traditional view of a Timeless God is logically and scripturally flawed.

How God's perfection requires Him to be changing and responsive.

The connection between Divine Impassibility and the emotional profile of a psychopath—a bold claim we had to explore.

How your current Theology of Time might be fueling your anxiety and exhaustion.

The true meaning of God's Patience in an age of speed.

Why the trend toward AI Girlfriends and Religious Bots reveals a deep, unmet human need for a personal God.

Timestamps:

| Time | Topic |

| 00:00 | Intro: The Problem of Acceleration and Time

| 03:20 | Dr. Mullen's New Book: Eternal in Love

|08:17| Temporal God vs. Timeless God Defined

|11:07| The Link Between Divine Temporality and Patience

|17:50| The Myth of Immutability: Does Perfection Require God to be Unchanging?

|23:30| The Incoherence of the "Analogous Time" Argument

|26:43| The Problem with Divine Accommodation (Why Impassibility is Deceptive)

|36:57| Divine Emotion: Why Sarcasm Can "Wake Up" Exhausted Minds

|40:42| Defining Emotion: Why Love, Anger, and Compassion are Moral Virtues in God

|45:18| The "Psychopath God" Critique of Classical Theism

|55:00| The Problem of Evil: Does God Care About You?

|01:02:28| AI, Depersonalization, and the Need for a Personal Creator

|01:11:14| Knowing About God vs. Being Known By God

|01:18:27| I Think Te Teed to Empathize with God Too!

|01:21:08 | Practical Takeaways: How a Temporal God Changes Your Prayer Life

|01:22:42| It's Okay to Go Slow: Finding Rest in an Eternal God

Follow Dr. R.T. Mullen's / The Reluctant Theologian:

Book: Eternal in Love: A Little Book About a Big God (https://www.amazon.com/Eternal-Love-Little-Studies-Doctrine/dp/1666730971)

Podcast: "The Reluctant Theologian" (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-reluctant-theologian-podcast/id1455521623)

Website/Social: (https://www.rtmullins.com/)

Join the Conversation!

What is your immediate reaction to the idea of an emotional, temporal God? Drop a comment below and let me know!

Subscribe for more challenging theology: https://www.youtube.com/@soulsciencemin

Share this with a friend who, like me, needs to slow down!

#Theology #GodandTime #DivineEmotion #Christianity #PhilosophyofReligion #AgeofAcceleration #Anxiety #SpiritualLife #TheReluctantTheologian #EternalinLove

What if the deepest questions about consciousness aren’t scientific puzzles… but theological ones?

In this conversation, we journey through the great frontier where philosophy, consciousness studies, and theology meet. From the mystery of the “I”, to the nature of time and the eternal present, to the limits of materialism and modern philosophy’s struggle to explain subjective experience. This episode explores whether the very structure of consciousness points beyond the physical world to Being itself.

Drawing on thinkers like Husserl, Sartre, Heidegger, and Parmenides, and contrasting them with Christian existential voices, we examine why the modern attempt to avoid metaphysics and theology ultimately collapses. We press into the surprising claim that:

Philosophical questions have theological answers.

You’ll hear insights on:

• Consciousness as presence, not a product of the brain

• Why solipsism appears in mystical experience (and why it’s false)

• The “unchanging now” and the timelessness of God

• Why modern philosophy can describe consciousness but not explain it

• The failure of pure phenomenology without metaphysics

• How quantum discussions intersect with metaphysics and the soul

This isn’t merely theory, it’s a framework for understanding why your experience of awareness, agency, and personhood defies reduction to neurons and physics.

And it’s an invitation to consider that the mind’s deepest intuitions… may be echoes of its Source.

Public Theology in a Noisy Age: Fighting Ideas with Truth & Grace

What it means to be a Christian in today’s chaotic culture and how we can be better representatives of Christ?

Don’t let shallow content, demonic influence, social media noise, and declining Christian scholarship numb you into spiritual apathy.

Key Topics We Cover:

How demonic influence shows up in culture, politics, and religion

Why we desperately need public theologians who can speak truth with clarity

The rise of influencers, gurus, and culture warriors—how Christians should respond

The danger of low-content “brain rot” media and its impact on the next generation

The crisis in Christian education and the decline of evangelical institutions

The role of podcasts in shaping thoughtful believers today

How churches can raise thinkers, not just attendees

What the next generation of Christian scholars, apologists, and pastors must do

The one piece of advice for future leaders: Do not revise the Bible

This episode is packed with insight on theology, culture, education, and spiritual warfare—not with sensationalism, but with conviction and grace.

If you care about:

Engaging culture without compromise

Training the next generation of Christian thinkers

Countering shallow media with substance

Reclaiming influence in the public square

…this conversation is essential.

Drop a comment with your biggest takeaway or question from this episode!

Subscribe for more thoughtful conversations on theology, philosophy, apologetics, and culture.

What if the biggest questions of life, who am I? Why am I here? What is consciousness? Why is it always now? Can’t be solved by science or philosophy alone? What if they require theological answers?

In this conversation with Stephen Priest (Oxford and Cambridge philosopher), we explore why every deep philosophical question—from personal identity to the mystery of time, from being itself to the foundations of consciousness—ultimately points beyond materialism toward God, the soul, and freedom of the will.

Across this episode, you’ll discover:

Why science depends on philosophy, and philosophy on theology

How the soul makes sense of personal identity and consciousness

Why time is always “now”, and what that reveals about God’s presence

How being itself points to pure being: God

The limits of materialism and why consciousness can’t be explained away

How the Trinity (Father, Son, Spirit) illuminates being, presence, and consciousness

Why modern philosophy after Kant has often failed to face the deepest questions

How AI and modern technology may force us back to life’s ultimate realities

Philosophy raises the most profound questions, but only theology offers answers deep enough to meet them.

Can imagination lead us closer to God? Can beauty, art, and even pain reveal something deeper than naturalism allows?

In this conversation with Charles Taliaferro, we explore the role of forgiveness, theological imagination, beauty, suffering, and art in pointing us toward transcendence. From the challenges of teaching about evil and forgiveness, to the limits of naturalism, to the ways literature, film, and music stir the soul, this episode shows why theology is not a dusty textbook but a living encounter with truth.

💡 Topics we cover:

Why forgiveness is both beautiful and painful

How imagination shapes faith and Scripture reading

The tension between naturalism and theism in philosophy

Iris Murdoch, consciousness, and the transcendent

The power of beauty and art (Rembrandt, Casablanca, The Beatles, Four Quartets)

Why the Gospel should always surprise us

If you’re interested in how philosophy, theology, and imagination come together to answer life’s hardest questions, this episode is for you.

Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share if this conversation sparks new thoughts for you.

Let us know in the comments: Which role do you think imagination plays in faith?