New Persuasive Words
"The revival in religion will be a rhetorical problem - new persuasive words for defaced or degraded ones." - Thornton Wilder
About the show
New Persuasive Words is a sharp and insightful podcast that dissects the intersections of culture, politics, and theology with intellectual rigor and a conversational ease. Hosted by Scott Jones and Bill Borror, the show offers a thoughtful examination of contemporary issues, blending humor, historical perspective, and philosophical depth. With a keen eye for nuance and a willingness to challenge conventional wisdom, New Persuasive Words invites listeners into a space where ideas are tested, assumptions are questioned, and meaningful dialogue thrives.
New Persuasive Words on social media
Episodes
-
Episode 141: Narcissism and the Love of Self
June 19th, 2017 | 28 mins 46 secs
We go back to our teacher Tomas Halik to consider narcissism and the possibility of really loving and being loved.
-
Episode 140: Why Can't We All Just Get Along?
June 17th, 2017 | 38 mins 10 secs
In light of the recent shooting of Congressman Steve Scalise and the combative political and cultural rhetoric of the day, we consider what it means to be in the American project together.
-
Episode 139: Highway to...Hell?
June 15th, 2017 | 35 mins 17 secs
Our guest for this midweek Bullgeschichte episode is Jason Micheli. He's an author, pastor and podcaster and he's not sure he believes in hell, which is the topic for our conversation.
-
Episode 138: Can God Be God Without Us?
June 12th, 2017 | 32 mins 6 secs
In this episode we talk about Pope Francis' recent statement, "God Cannot Be God Without Man."
-
Episode 137: Friday Night Lights: More on the Spirit
June 9th, 2017 | 29 mins 16 secs
In this Friday Night lights episode, recorded on Bill's birthday, we continue reflecting on the Holy Spirit and spirituality.
-
Episode 136: The Holy Spirit
June 5th, 2017 | 34 mins 54 secs
In this episode, the day after Pentecost, we talk about the Holy Spirit.
-
Episode 135: Friday Night Lights: Gods Old & New
June 2nd, 2017 | 32 mins 39 secs
We talk about an article in the Aeon journal on the Frankfurt School entitled "Theory from the ruins", among other things.
-
Episode 134: Monuments and Memory
May 30th, 2017 | 37 mins
In this episode we talk about the recent removal of Confederate Civil War monuments in New Orleans and the nature of historical memory.
-
Episode 133: Ascension Matters
May 25th, 2017 | 28 mins 13 secs
Today is Ascension day 2017, the most overlooked day on the Christian religious calendar. We think that's a shame. It's an important doctrine that offers real hope to real people living a complex, messy world.
-
Episode 132: The Alienated Mind
May 23rd, 2017 | 38 mins 19 secs
This is a bullgeschichte episode where we're joined by our friend Jace Broadhurst to talk about a recent David Brooks column in the NY Times entitled "The Alienated Mind".
-
Episode 131: Where Do Words Come From?
May 20th, 2017 | 32 mins 26 secs
In this episode, inspired by a short essay written by the renowned novelist Cormac McCarthy. It deals with the origins of human language, and whether evolutionary explanations do it justice.
-
Episode 130: From Russia With Love
May 16th, 2017 | 24 mins 59 secs
In this episode we discuss President Trump's recent sharing of code-word clearance intelligence information with the Russian Foreign Minister and the Russian Ambassador to the United States.
-
Episode 129: The Road Not Taken
May 15th, 2017 | 25 mins 2 secs
In this episode we consider the meaning of a poem often quoted during commencement season, Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken".
-
Episode 128: Faith, Fragility and Friendship
May 12th, 2017 | 37 mins 17 secs
In this episode, which is a combo of our Friday Night Lights and Bullgeschichte episodes, we talk with Matt Milliner.
-
Episode 127: What Is Sophistry?
May 8th, 2017 | 30 mins 17 secs
In this episode we talk about Sophistry and its role in contemporary public life.
-
Episode 126: Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
May 5th, 2017 | 37 mins 34 secs
In this episode we talk about break ups. It happens to friends, families, lovers, churches, even countries. Break ups and loss are a part of life, but can you come out of them ever feeling alive again?