The Mockingcast

We’re living in an age of “subjective sovereignty,” where life is “all the feels” and emotional offense is king. It is a time less describable by policy discord and differences of opinion, but instead by vindictive joy and holy rage. Arguments are couched in first-person noise—disagreements have the sting of personal attacks—which means the arguments are, on the whole, harder to argue or critique. As we’ve become “touchier” about the things we care about, the logic behind those sensitivities has also faded. This trend goes hand in hand with another trend that’s been provoked, namely, that America is only becoming more spiritually bankrupt/unmoored. David Brooks recently wrote along these lines, that Religious frameworks no longer organize public debate. Secular philosophies that grew out of the Enlightenment have fallen apart. We have words and emotional instincts about what feels right and wrong, but no settled criteria to help us think, argue and decide. You’d think this would lead to the age of great moral relativism, where all the objective strictures are let go and the only mantra remaining is “You Do You.” But this hasn’t happened. Instead, Brooks writes, “society has become a free-form demolition derby of moral confrontation.” It seems we feel so much, but we can’t seem to agree on why we feel it and who’s to blame. So the answer, of course, is to get some Truth, right? Get to church! Fall on the Rock! God provides the mooring—the why behind your hurt—and the cross gives you your scapegoat. The Good News gives you your needed justification. But what do you do with all that rage? Therapy? I don’t know about you, but the term “therapeutic” has always bristled—it sounds like the hippy-dippy opposite of “grounded” or “objective.” It sounds a lot more like “You Do You”—do what feels good to you. But this is largely a misunderstanding, mostly because of counseling that truly hasn't helped. Just as God gives us the Good News, God also administers his healing in the gracious counsel of another. With the help of some of our favorites, let's look into the relationship between the objective News of the Gospel, and very subjective (though no-less-real) needs we carry around with us every day, and how those needs are addressed within the realm of pastoral care and counseling.

Closing Saturday morning talk at our 2017 Conference in New York City, given by David Zahl. Delivered April 29th, 2017 at St George's Episcopal Church.

Saturday morning talk at our 2017 Conference in New York City, given by Nicole Cliffe (The Toast). Delivered April 29th, 2017 at St George's Episcopal Church.

Saturday morning talk at our 2017 Conference in New York City, given by Duo Dickinson. Delivered April 29th, 2017 at St George's Episcopal Church.

Friday evening talk at our 2017 Conference in NYC, given by The Rev. Fleming Rutledge. Delivered April 28th, 2017 at St George's Episcopal Church.

Friday afternoon talk at our 2017 Conference in NYC, given by Oliver Burkeman (The Guardian). Delivered April 28th, 2017 at St George's Episcopal Church.

Second Friday morning talk at our 2017 Conference in NYC from Dr. Simeon Zahl. Delivered April 28th, 2017 at St George's Episcopal Church. Subtitle: "The Lost Doctrine of Sin.

Friday morning talk at our 2017 Conference in NYC from The Rev. Sarah Condon. Delivered April 28th, 2017 at St George's Episcopal Church. Subtitle: "The Losing Battle of Being in Charge".

Opening talk at our 2017 Conference in NYC from The Rev. Aaron Zimmerman. Delivered April 27th, 2017 at St George's Episcopal Church. Subtitle: "The Secret of Mockingbird's Success".

<p>Our guest this week is Jeffrey Hanson, author of "Kierkegaard and the Life of Faith: The Aesthetic, the Ethical, and the Religious in 'Fear and Trembling'". Then the roundtable talks Yik Yak, the breeding grounds of resentment and more Melissa Febos.</p><p>Special Guest: Jeffrey Hanson.</p>

<p>Our guest this week is Tony Jones. Tony is a theologian, author and the trade editor at Fortress Press. He's also a consultant on Hulu's popular serial drama "The Path". Then the roundtable talks happiness, headwinds and the Zacchaeus option. </p><p>Special Guest: Tony Jones.</p>

<p>Our guest this week is Emily Esfani Smith. She's the author of The Power Of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters. Then the roundtable talks tribalism, storytelling and failure.</p><p>Special Guest: Emily Esfahani Smith.</p>

<p>Our guest this week is Adam Morton. Having successfully avoided the pitfalls of money and social standing, sometime Mockingbird contributor Adam Morton serves as pastor of Christ Lutheran Church and associate pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, both in Lancaster, PA. His wife Tasha does more or less the same thing, but competently. Together they parent a very wide toddler. Adam is inordinately proud of his standing as a native Minnesotan, and supports the state’s athletic teams in true Lutheran fashion, seeing all things through suffering and the cross. For fun he shouts expletives at uncomprehending electronic devices, paints models for games he only sometimes gets around to, and tries to sleep through whatever the cats are doing.</p> After the conversation with Adam, David Zahl and Scott Jones are joined by Mandy Smith to talk about outrage, the church escaping the world and the denial of death. Special Guest: Adam Morton.

<p>This week's guest is Melissa Febos. She's the author of the critically acclaimed memoir, Whip Smart (St. Martin’s Press 2010) and the forthcoming essay collection, Abandon Me (Bloomsbury 2017). Then the roundtable comes to you live from Texas at the mbirdtyler.com conference. </p><p>Special Guest: Melissa Febos.</p>

<p>Our guest this week is Jason Micheli. Jason is a United Methodist pastor. He's the author of Cancer Is Funny: Keeping Faith in Stage-Serious Chemo. He's the co-host of the Crackers and Grape Juice podcast. Then roundtable talks loved, religion and death. </p><p>Special Guest: Jason Micheli.</p>