The basic aim of ‘critical theory’ is to make visible the hidden structures of a culture, so as to critique society and then, in the best forms of critical theory, bring about improvements. Our guest today reckons the Bible has its own way of exposing the flaws of our culture–and, of course, pointing to the Good. The Bible, in other words, has a critical theory of its own.
Meet our guests
Christopher Watkin is an Australian Research Council Future Fellow in the Arts Faculty at Monash University where he leads a research project into the contemporary social contract. He is the author of Zondervan Academic’s new book Biblical Critical Theory: How the Bible’s Unfolding Story Makes Sense of Modern Life and Culture.
Links
Download a transcript of this episode here
This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic’s new book Biblical Critical Theory: How the Bible’s Unfolding Story Makes Sense of Modern Life and Culture by Christopher Watkin.
Read:
- Read the New York Times in-depth report on what’s really being taught in history classes across the US.
- Read ‘The Man Behind Critical Race Theory’ (Derek Bell) from The New Yorker magazine, September 2021.
- Learn more about CS Lewis’s essay ‘Is Theology Poetry’ for Professor Alister McGrath (a guest of our podcast), in this great podcast by Premier Christian Radio in the UK.
- Read Augustine’s City of God. If you’re really interested in reading it, here’s a helpful reading guide/plan from The Gospel Coalition.
- Read Lynn White Jr’s 1967 article, ‘The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis’ from the journal Science.
- Listen to Undeceptions Episode 26 ‘Good Earth’ with Katharine Hayhoe.
- Read more from CS Lewis on democracy and equality from The Marginalian.
- Read George Lakoff’s Whose Freedom?
- Read more about the Alexamenos Graffito from the Palatine Museum.
- Read Miroslav Volf’s Exclusion and Embrace.
- Read Albert Camus’ play The Just Assassins.
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