Our highest listened to episode (published 12th October 2023, titled Only Human). It's been almost 3 years since the film dropped and these two things stand out for us: 

Creator/creature theme: In 2026, AI personhood and consciousness is a live legal and theological debate, giving this creator-creature discussion fresh relevance.

Euthanasia theme: Voluntary assisted dying is actively expanding across Australia in 2026, making this Ecclesiastes-death exchange a current pastoral conversation.

 

Enjoy the conversation! 

 

In light of the Barbie movie phenomenon, our hosts take stock of Greta Gerwig's divisive blockbuster, ponder its themes on humanity, and whether it will become an essential existential text.

Old Testament expert Dr George Athas then joins the show to discuss the film, its relationship to the book of Ecclesiastes, and how death plays a role in our understanding of being human.

 

Key Takeaways:
Existential Themes in "Barbie": The movie tackles deep questions of identity and mortality, using the narrative of a doll to explore what it truly means to be human.
Ecclesiastes' Pessimism: Dr. George Athas highlights the pessimistic yet honest portrayal of life's transient nature and inequities in Ecclesiastes, drawing parallels with modern existential storytelling.
Death as a Central Theme: Both "Barbie" and Ecclesiastes focus significantly on death, pondering its implications on how we perceive and live our lives.
Complexity of Human Existence: The discussion reveals the intricate layers of living with awareness of mortality, suggesting a profound connection between biblical and contemporary explorations of existence.
Constructive Theological Engagement: Dr. Athas emphasizes the importance of listening to existential despair as expressed in texts like Ecclesiastes, allowing it to inform a compassionate, gospel-centered response.

Notable Quotes:
"Ecclesiastes sees death as the unavoidable destiny of every person. It's the great leveler." – Dr. George Athas
"In a world in which sin is entered, you don't want access to the Tree of Life. It's not a good thing." – Megan Powell du Toit
"The person who wrote Ecclesiastes, I call him Qohelet, he is very upset with the way that the world works and he doesn't hold out much hope for it." – Dr. George Athas
"We have the science to extend life indefinitely, but not the wisdom to know when actually that's pointless." – Michael Jensen
"Death brings everything to an end. It's dehumanizing in Ecclesiastes' view." – Dr. George Athas

 

Our highest listened to episode (published 12th October 2023, titled Only Human). It's been almost 3 years since the film dropped and these two things stand out for us:&nbsp;
Creator/creature theme: In 2026, AI personhood and consciousness is a live legal and theological debate, giving this creator-creature discussion fresh relevance.
Euthanasia theme: Voluntary assisted dying is actively expanding across Australia in 2026, making this Ecclesiastes-death exchange a current pastoral conversation.
&nbsp;
Enjoy the conversation!&nbsp;
&nbsp;
In light of the&nbsp;Barbie movie phenomenon, our hosts take stock of Greta Gerwig's divisive blockbuster, ponder its themes on humanity, and whether it will become an essential existential text.
Old Testament expert Dr George Athas then joins the show to discuss the film, its relationship to the book of Ecclesiastes, and how death plays a role in our understanding of being human.
&nbsp;
Key Takeaways:
<ul>
<li>Existential Themes in "Barbie": The movie tackles deep questions of identity and mortality, using the narrative of a doll to explore what it truly means to be human.</li>
<li>Ecclesiastes' Pessimism: Dr. George Athas highlights the pessimistic yet honest portrayal of life's transient nature and inequities in Ecclesiastes, drawing parallels with modern existential storytelling.</li>
<li>Death as a Central Theme: Both "Barbie" and Ecclesiastes focus significantly on death, pondering its implications on how we perceive and live our lives.</li>
<li>Complexity of Human Existence: The discussion reveals the intricate layers of living with awareness of mortality, suggesting a profound connection between biblical and contemporary explorations of existence.</li>
<li>Constructive Theological Engagement: Dr. Athas emphasizes the importance of listening to existential despair as expressed in texts like Ecclesiastes, allowing it to inform a compassionate, gospel-centered response.</li>
</ul>
Notable Quotes:
<ul>
<li>"Ecclesiastes sees death as the unavoidable destiny of every person. It's the great leveler." &ndash; Dr. George Athas</li>
<li>"In a world in which sin is entered, you don't want access to the Tree of Life. It's not a good thing." &ndash; Megan Powell du Toit</li>
<li>"The person who wrote Ecclesiastes, I call him Qohelet, he is very upset with the way that the world works and he doesn't hold out much hope for it." &ndash; Dr. George Athas</li>
<li>"We have the science to extend life indefinitely, but not the wisdom to know when actually that's pointless." &ndash; Michael Jensen</li>
<li>"Death brings everything to an end. It's dehumanizing in Ecclesiastes' view." &ndash; Dr. George Athas</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;

Less aggro, more conversation. 

Is it even possible to have a deep discussion without it descending into chaos? Michael Jensen and Megan Powell du Toit think yes, and want to show the rest of us how to do it. 

There’s plenty of things they disagree on: free will, feminism, where you should send your kids to school and what type of church you should go to. But there are also plenty of other things that they have in common. They want to talk about all these things with conviction. But they also want the conversation to be constructive. Tune in to find out if that’s possible.