Tokens: On Human Flourishing: Recent Episodes
Tokens Media
The ancient philosopher Aristotle often points to the idea that everything one does must move toward what he calls a “telos,” what we might call an “end goal.” To live well, he says, we must always be paying attention to the telos of what we are doing, and according to him, there is no higher telos than human flourishing. But how does one learn to flourish in a culture that often seems to care more about being right than being good, more about being loud than being loving, and more about being successful than being happy?
We've featured a variety of Most Outstanding people, from poets to psychologists, who have sought to answer that question: David Brooks, Miroslav Volf, Edith Hall, Curt Thompson, Naomi Shihab Nye, and many others.
Might we all be happier if we stopped taking ourselves too seriously? Singer-songwriters Andy Gullahorn and Antsy McClain describe how humor can make us comfortable enough to be vulnerable with each other.
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Are the “seven deadly sins” merely a medieval-era reflection upon divine finger-wagging? Rebecca DeYoung explains why the “seven deadly sins” is better understood as a diagnostic tool which may instead facilitate a joyful and flourishing life.
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Edith Hall offers timely commentary on the virtue ethics of Aristotle: and how contemporary society may be missing fundamental keys to living life well.
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Father Greg Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries, the world's largest gang-member rehabilitation program, in one of our most beautiful interviews to date. “You don't go to the margins to make a difference. You go to the margins so that the folks at the margins make you different."
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Ever wonder about “everybody getting a trophy” and the cult of self-esteem? Kristin Neff discusses the potential dangers of self-esteem—like bullying and narcissism—and the preferred practice of self-compassion.
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Psychiatrist Curt Thompson joins Lee to discuss his book The Soul of Shame. They discuss the mechanism of shame, how it impedes joy, connection, creativity and human flourishing; and how vulnerability subverts shame. Don’t just listen to this one. Take notes, and try it… But it’s not for the faint of heart.
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An interview with Angela Williams Gorrell, Professor of Practical Theology at Baylor University, and author of a new book entitled The Gravity of Joy: A Story of Being Lost and Found. Angela recounts her own experiences with the sudden, tragic, and nearly simultaneous losses of three family members; how America’s current crisis of despair can be traced and understood through suicide and addiction rates; and the surprising ways in which gateways to joy can be found in the midst of deep grief; plus, additional commentary from Angela’s former boss at Yale, Miroslav Volf, on the connection between joy and sorrow.
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Naomi Shihab Nye is the author and/or editor of more than 30 volumes, the Young People’s Poet Laureate, and as we used to say in Alabama, the winner of more awards than you can shake a stick at. In this sort of wisdom-of-the-ages interview, Naomi discusses kindness, the joy which accompanies sorrow, paying attention, and living life large. She also shares two of her well-known poems: “Kindness,” and “Gate A4.”
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No theology of grumpiness here: Miroslav Volf (Professor of Theology, and Director of the Center for Faith and Culture at Yale University) sketches some initial direction for a Theology of Joy. Volf himself having suffered under a communist regime, and his father have imprisoned in a forced labor camp, he provides compelling possibilities for joy in some of the most difficult of circumstances. AND: Brother Preacher makes an (intrusive) appearance.
LINKS:
- Master Course with Miroslav Volf (get 50% off with code VOLF50): https://www.tokensshow.com/courses
- Book: Exclusion and Embrace, Revised and Updated: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation - https://amzn.to/2ZPPbqF
- Book: For the Life of the World: Theology That Makes a Difference (Theology for the Life of the World) - https://amzn.to/2ZM9t46
- Book: Flourishing: Why We Need Religion in a Globalized World - https://amzn.to/32CD9CD
- Book: Allah: A Christian Response - https://amzn.to/2OGBzrb
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Ian Cron, host of the Typology podcast and author of The Road Back to You, discusses finding himself and helping others find themselves, through the gifts of both recovery and the Enneagram. Facing resentments, as well as one’s shadow side, turn out to be key practices in becoming more truly human.
LINKS:
- Ian’s Podcast, Typology
- Tokens Online Courses
- Tokens 2020 Subscriptions
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New York Times columnist David Brooks reflects upon the major themes from his book The Road to Character, including the possibility of grace awakening the desire to live a better life, making commitments, mothers, and Saint Augustine. Lauren White joins Lee Camp for a first co-hosting stint.
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