Why Are We So Restless?

Episode 6: We No Longer Know Where We Live

As our virtual engagement with the wider world has increased, our local connections have diminished. In some ways the internet has become more real than our neighborhoods, and virtual "friendships" have replaced the real thing. This leaves us longing for a sense of place in a rootless world. Why are we so restless?  Because we no longer know where we live.    At the conclusion of John’s talk, co-hosts Center for Public Christianity Executive Director Josh Chatraw and New City Fellows alumnus Micah Vandegrift are joined by Abby Vandegrift, Micah’s wife and a New City Fellows alumnae, to reflect on John’s teaching and discuss how it applies to daily life. So, keep listening!  Additional Resources From John’s Talks * A Time to Keep: Theology, Mortality, and the Shape of a Human Life by Ephraim Radner * Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places by Eugene Peterson * Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville * Pensées by Blaise Pascal * Reading the Times: A Literary and Theological Inquiry into the News by Jeffrey Bilbro * The Givenness of Things: Essays by Marilynne Robinson * The Power of Place: Choosing Stability in a Rootless Age by Daniel Grothe * You’re Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God’s Design and Why That’s Good News by Kelly M. Kapic * You Are Not Your Own: Belonging to God in an Inhuman World by Alan Noble * Why We Are Restless: On the Modern Quest for Contentment by Benjamin Storey and Jenna Silber Storey * blesseveryhome.com  From the Discussion * Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business by Neil Postman * Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life by Tish Harrison Warren * You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit by James K. A. Smith  Websites https://htcraleigh.org/ [https://htcraleigh.org/] https://centerforpublicchristianity.org/ [https://centerforpublicchristianity.org/]

Episode 5: We’re Obsessed with Information in a World That Is Desperate for Wisdom

We live in an age of information. Not only are we generating more than ever before, we have unprecedented access to information of all kinds. Our phones have become portals to a world of infinite knowledge. And this brave new world of endless information is busy reshaping our humanity. Why are we so restless? Because we are obsessed with information in a world that is desperate for wisdom. At the conclusion of John’s talk, co-hosts Center for Public Christianity Executive Director Josh Chatraw and New City Fellows alumnus Micah Vandegrift are joined by Matt Benson, also a New City Fellows alumnus, to reflect on John’s teaching and discuss how it applies to daily life. So, keep listening!  Additional Resources From John’s Talks * A Time to Keep: Theology, Mortality, and the Shape of a Human Life by Ephraim Radner * Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places by Eugene Peterson * Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville * Pensées by Blaise Pascal * Reading the Times: A Literary and Theological Inquiry into the News by Jeffrey Bilbro * The Givenness of Things: Essays by Marilynne Robinson * The Power of Place: Choosing Stability in a Rootless Age by Daniel Grothe * You’re Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God’s Design and Why That’s Good News by Kelly M. Kapic * You Are Not Your Own: Belonging to God in an Inhuman World by Alan Noble * Why We Are Restless: On the Modern Quest for Contentment by Benjamin Storey and Jenna Silber Storey From the Discussion * How to Think: A Survival Guide for a World at Odds by Alan Jacobs * To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World by James Davison Hunter * https://grayscale.whiteboard.is/ [https://grayscale.whiteboard.is/] Websites https://htcraleigh.org/ [https://htcraleigh.org/] https://centerforpublicchristianity.org/ [https://centerforpublicchristianity.org/]

Episode 4: We’ve Lost Track of Time

Everything about our lives these days is fast. We measure time in fractions of a second. We prize efficiency and good time management more than just about anything else. But this puts pressure on us that ultimately degrades our humanity. When so much of life and growth happens slowly, being in a hurry can wear you down. Why are we so restless? Because we've lost track of time.    At the conclusion of John’s talk, co-hosts Center for Public Christianity Executive Director Josh Chatraw and New City Fellows alumnus Micah Vandegrift are joined by Jimmy Doster, also a New City Fellows alumnus, to reflect on John’s teaching and discuss how it applies to daily life. So, keep listening!  Additional Resources From John’s Talks * A Time to Keep: Theology, Mortality, and the Shape of a Human Life by Ephraim Radner * Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places by Eugene Peterson * Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville * Pensées by Blaise Pascal * Reading the Times: A Literary and Theological Inquiry into the News by Jeffrey Bilbro * The Givenness of Things: Essays by Marilynne Robinson * The Power of Place: Choosing Stability in a Rootless Age by Daniel Grothe * You’re Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God’s Design and Why That’s Good News by Kelly M. Kapic * You Are Not Your Own: Belonging to God in an Inhuman World by Alan Noble * Why We Are Restless: On the Modern Quest for Contentment by Benjamin Storey and Jenna Silber Storey From the Discussion * He Held Radical Light: The Art of Faith, the Faith of Art by Christian Wiman * How to Inhabit Time: Understanding the Past, Facing the Future, Living Faithfully Now by James K. A. Smith * The Sacrament of the Present Moment by Andrew Fellows Websites https://htcraleigh.org/ [https://htcraleigh.org/] https://centerforpublicchristianity.org/ [https://centerforpublicchristianity.org/]

Episode 3: We’re Pursuing Happiness in the Wrong Direction

Our country was founded on the premise that all of us have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But what is happiness and where do we find it? The world around us encourages us to look within, to find our passions and pursue them. But this doesn't always work. Why are we so restless? Because we’re pursuing happiness in the wrong direction. At the conclusion of John’s talk, co-hosts Center for Public Christianity Executive Director Josh Chatraw and New City Fellows alumnus Micah Vandegrift are joined by Seth Berman, also a New City Fellows alumnus, to reflect on John’s teaching and discuss how it applies to daily life. So, keep listening! Additional Resources From John’s Talks * Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places by Eugene Peterson * Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville * Pensées by Blaise Pascal * Reading the Times: A Literary and Theological Inquiry into the News by Jeffrey Bilbro * The Power of Place: Choosing Stability in a Rootless Age by Daniel Grothe * You’re Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God’s Design and Why That’s Good News by Kelly M. Kapic * You Are Not Your Own: Belonging to God in an Inhuman World by Alan Noble * Why We Are Restless: On the Modern Quest for Contentment by Benjamin Storey and Jenna Silber Storey Websites https://htcraleigh.org/ [https://htcraleigh.org/] https://centerforpublicchristianity.org/ [https://centerforpublicchristianity.org/]

Episode 2: We Feel Responsible for Crafting Our Own Identities

The world says that who we are is up to us: look deep into your heart to find your greatest passions and there you will find yourself. As creatures made in the image of God, we know that there is more to who we are than this. But we still struggle to "find" ourselves and to justify our existence. Why are we so restless? Because we feel responsible for crafting our own identities.   At the conclusion of John’s talk, co-hosts Center for Public Christianity Executive Director Josh Chatraw and New City Fellows alumnus Micah Vandegrift are joined by Program Coordinator for the Center for Public Christianity and Holy Trinity Local Outreach Coordinator Daniel Lee to reflect on John’s teaching and discuss how it applies to daily life. So, keep listening! Additional Resources From John’s Talks * Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places by Eugene Peterson * Pensées by Blaise Pascal * Reading the Times: A Literary and Theological Inquiry into the News by Jeffrey Bilbro * The Power of Place: Choosing Stability in a Rootless Age by Daniel Grothe * You’re Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God’s Design and Why That’s Good News by Kelly M. Kapic * You Are Not Your Own: Belonging to God in an Inhuman World by Alan Noble * Why We Are Restless: On the Modern Quest for Contentment by Benjamin Storey and Jenna Silber Storey From the Discussion * Cultural Engagement: A Crash Course in Contemporary Issues by Josh Chatraw and Karen Swallow Prior * Telling a Better Story: How to Talk About God in a Skeptical Age by Josh Chatraw * "Body Be" by Johnny Q. Public (a Christian rock song)  Websites https://htcraleigh.org/ [https://htcraleigh.org/] https://centerforpublicchristianity.org/ [https://centerforpublicchristianity.org/]