English L'abri

This lecture will explore the way that the purpose of education has changed through time and what this tells us about how societies have viewed reality and what it means to be human. The purpose of education has always been connected to the idea of human flourishing. This lecture will explore the theme of telos or purpose in education and what this tells us about the values and goals that various societies pursue.Listen to and download recent lectures at englishlabri.org/podcast. For more resources, visit the L'Abri Ideas Library at labriideaslibrary.org. The library contains over one thousand lectures and discussions that explore questions about the reality and relevance of Christianity. We ask you to respect the copyright for this audio file which belongs to L’Abri Fellowship. Please note that views expressed in the lecture and discussion times do not necessarily represent the views of L’Abri Fellowship. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bo

In a culture that encourages us to explore and keep our options open, we've forgotten the joys to be found in radical acts of commitment to particular things–whether that be people, places, vocations, or even to a particular idea of the good life. Joel helps us understand what commitments are and how they function in our lives. He unpacks why it’s so difficult for us to commit in this cultural moment and then offers some thoughts on why it’s still worth trying as we look at the joys found in committing. Lastly, for those who are interested in attempting a committed life, he’ll want to offer a few simple ideas of how we might view commitment as an apprenticeship.Click here to download a brief outline of the lecture.Listen to and download recent lectures at englishlabri.org/podcast. For more resources, visit the L'Abri Ideas Library at labriideaslibrary.org. The library contains over one thousand lectures and discussions that explore questions about the reality and relevance of Christianity. We ask you to respe

Trust is the glue of a healthy social life. This lecture will reflect on how trust grows and how questions of identity disrupt the process. Listen to and download recent lectures at englishlabri.org/podcast. For more resources, visit the L'Abri Ideas Library at labriideaslibrary.org. The library contains over one thousand lectures and discussions that explore questions about the reality and relevance of Christianity. We ask you to respect the copyright for this audio file which belongs to L’Abri Fellowship. Please note that views expressed in the lecture and discussion times do not necessarily represent the views of L’Abri Fellowship. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit englishlabri.substack.com

How does the renewal of our imaginations shape our Christian life and witness? How do we cultivate the renewal of our imaginations by the Spirit through the Word, for life in the world? This lecture explores the nature of the imagination and how it connects to the biblical theme of the heart, the importance of imaginative renewal for our discipleship, and suggests some steps we can take to help participate in God's redemption of our imaginations. Listen to and download recent lectures at englishlabri.org/podcast. For more resources, visit the L'Abri Ideas Library at labriideaslibrary.org. The library contains over one thousand lectures and discussions that explore questions about the reality and relevance of Christianity. We ask you to respect the copyright for this audio file which belongs to L’Abri Fellowship. Please note that views expressed in the lecture and discussion times do not necessarily represent the views of L’Abri Fellowship. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other

The German sociologist Max Weber used the term ‘iron cage’ to describe the modern project, founded on control and rationality. Modernity brought us a series of ideas that conceptualize reality as if we live in a closed universe (as Francis Schaeffer put it), where there is no real meaning and significance. This lecture will present some of modernity’s main concepts, challenging them from a Christian perspective. Listen to and download recent lectures at englishlabri.org/podcast. For more resources, visit the L'Abri Ideas Library at labriideaslibrary.org. The library contains over one thousand lectures and discussions that explore questions about the reality and relevance of Christianity. We ask you to respect the copyright for this audio file which belongs to L’Abri Fellowship. Please note that views expressed in the lecture and discussion times do not necessarily represent the views of L’Abri Fellowship. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus

Sally Rooney is the 31 year old Irish Marxist author of 3 best selling novels—Conversation with Friends, Normal People and Beautiful World, Where Are You. Normal People was adapted into a hugely successful 12 part BBC series and a TV adaptation of Conversation with Friends is about to air this year. This lecture explores the worlds the novels create and reflect and why they resonate so deeply amongst many within the millennial generation. Listen to and download recent lectures at englishlabri.org/podcast. For more resources, visit the L'Abri Ideas Library at labriideaslibrary.org. The library contains over one thousand lectures and discussions that explore questions about the reality and relevance of Christianity. We ask you to respect the copyright for this audio file which belongs to L’Abri Fellowship. Please note that views expressed in the lecture and discussion times do not necessarily represent the views of L’Abri Fellowship. This is a public episode. If you would like t

Everyone wants to live in harmony. But what does it mean? Harmony is a musical term, and in music it’s about relationships, unity and diversity, and dealing with (or accepting) dissonance. We explore what music has to teach us about community life. Listen carefully!Listen to and download recent lectures at englishlabri.org/podcast. For more resources, visit the L'Abri Ideas Library at labriideaslibrary.org. The library contains over one thousand lectures and discussions that explore questions about the reality and relevance of Christianity. We ask you to respect the copyright for this audio file which belongs to L’Abri Fellowship. Please note that views expressed in the lecture and discussion times do not necessarily represent the views of L’Abri Fellowship. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit englishlabri.substack.com

The fact that Jesus Christ has been represented over 150 times in cinema shows us how much this question still moves us: "Who do people say I am?” This lecture shows how the representations of Jesus in cinema speak more about cinema than about Christ himself, as well as how our own views about Jesus can speak more about us than about Christ himself.Listen to and download recent lectures at englishlabri.org/podcast. For more resources, visit the L'Abri Ideas Library at labriideaslibrary.org. The library contains over one thousand lectures and discussions that explore questions about the reality and relevance of Christianity. We ask you to respect the copyright for this audio file which belongs to L’Abri Fellowship. Please note that views expressed in the lecture and discussion times do not necessarily represent the views of L’Abri Fellowship. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit englishlabri.substac

The creation has been groaning since the events of Genesis chapter 3, yet for much of the church's history, scant regard seems to have been paid to the duty that God's people might have to alleviate non-human dysfunction. What notable exceptions can we celebrate, and what is our calling today?  In a culture declaring a "climate emergency", how now should we live? This lecture shares a personal perspective and invites insights from others.Listen to and download recent lectures at englishlabri.org/podcast. For more resources, visit the L'Abri Ideas Library at labriideaslibrary.org. The library contains over one thousand lectures and discussions that explore questions about the reality and relevance of Christianity. We ask you to respect the copyright for this audio file which belongs to L’Abri Fellowship. Please note that views expressed in the lecture and discussion times do not necessarily represent the views of L’Abri Fellowship. This is a public episode. If you would like to discu

The central aim of this lecture is to reflect on the impact of major culture shifts in the last century—namely, the emergence of gender studies, the affective revolution and the advent of computer technology—on the way dating and relationships are perceived and experienced.Listen to and download recent lectures at englishlabri.org/podcast. For more resources, visit the L'Abri Ideas Library at labriideaslibrary.org. The library contains over one thousand lectures and discussions that explore questions about the reality and relevance of Christianity. We ask you to respect the copyright for this audio file which belongs to L’Abri Fellowship. Please note that views expressed in the lecture and discussion times do not necessarily represent the views of L’Abri Fellowship. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit englishlabri.substack.com

Health and well-being have been popular topics of books, research and dinner table conversations in the recent decades. Although it is true that humans have exercised and practiced sports since ancient times, our contemporary society seems to have a very high interest in how to best treat our bodies to improve our lives. In this lecture, we will look at this topic from a Christian perspective, aiming to understand its roots and motivations, and what the biblical view of our bodies has to say about it.Listen to and download recent lectures at englishlabri.org/podcast. For more resources, visit the L'Abri Ideas Library at labriideaslibrary.org. The library contains over one thousand lectures and discussions that explore questions about the reality and relevance of Christianity. We ask you to respect the copyright for this audio file which belongs to L’Abri Fellowship. Please note that views expressed in the lecture and discussion times do not necessarily represent the views of L’Abri Fello

The return to the biblical text in England from the late sixteenth century challenged the then current expectations of masculine behaviour. The lecture discusses this, and argues that it continues to be an important (and neglected) source for a more rounded masculinity in contemporary culture.Listen to and download recent lectures at englishlabri.org/podcast. For more resources, visit the L'Abri Ideas Library at labriideaslibrary.org. The library contains over one thousand lectures and discussions that explore questions about the reality and relevance of Christianity. We ask you to respect the copyright for this audio file which belongs to L’Abri Fellowship. Please note that views expressed in the lecture and discussion times do not necessarily represent the views of L’Abri Fellowship. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit englishlabri.substack.com

Francis Schaeffer was a church man. He pastored three churches in the States before going to Europe and founded a church in Switzerland before he started L'Abri. Several of his books focused on the church, including his last, The Great Evangelical Disaster. What were his concerns for the church, both the local congregation and the wider evangelical movement, and how have those played out nearly forty years after his death?Listen to and download recent lectures at englishlabri.org/podcast. For more resources, visit the L'Abri Ideas Library at labriideaslibrary.org. The library contains over one thousand lectures and discussions that explore questions about the reality and relevance of Christianity. We ask you to respect the copyright for this audio file which belongs to L’Abri Fellowship. Please note that views expressed in the lecture and discussion times do not necessarily represent the views of L’Abri Fellowship. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other su

Debates around race and racism have become increasingly polarised, both in the church and in our wider society. How can we as Christians think well about race? How can we engage in the current conversations about racial justice in a way that is thoughtful, biblical, compassionate, and humble?Listen to and download recent lectures at englishlabri.org/podcast. For more resources, visit the L'Abri Ideas Library at labriideaslibrary.org. The library contains over one thousand lectures and discussions that explore questions about the reality and relevance of Christianity. We ask you to respect the copyright for this audio file which belongs to L’Abri Fellowship. Please note that views expressed in the lecture and discussion times do not necessarily represent the views of L’Abri Fellowship. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit englishlabri.substack.com

In almost any category—social status, education, life experience, economic resources, influence—being lowly (humble) is a disadvantage. And yet, from a biblical perspective, being humble is a very good thing. In the previous lecture, we explored how acknowledging our humble position opens us up to receiving what we need. This lecture clarifies what it means to choose to lower ourselves before another and explores why that would be good—for them or us. You can find a handout to this lecture here.Listen to and download recent lectures at englishlabri.org/podcast. For more resources, visit the L'Abri Ideas Library at labriideaslibrary.org. The library contains over one thousand lectures and discussions that explore questions about the reality and relevance of Christianity. We ask you to respect the copyright for this audio file which belongs to L’Abri Fellowship. Please note that views expressed in the lecture and discussion times do not necessarily represent the views of L

In a recent survey of scientists around the world, the majority of scientists experienced awe in the lab, at least several times a year. Ruth delves into the experience of awe, looking at the experience of Christians both in and outside of the sciences, as well as scientists with other worldviews. Awe often leads to worship, so she also looks at how science can fuel Christian worship in helpful ways.Listen to and download recent lectures at englishlabri.org/podcast. For more resources, visit the L'Abri Ideas Library at labriideaslibrary.org. The library contains over one thousand lectures and discussions that explore questions about the reality and relevance of Christianity. We ask you to respect the copyright for this audio file which belongs to L’Abri Fellowship. Please note that views expressed in the lecture and discussion times do not necessarily represent the views of L’Abri Fellowship. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access

To download this lecture on your mobile device, click “Listen in podcast app.”Shame has consistently bad press in the popular psychology world. At the same time we see shame being widely used as a tool of social control, mostly online.  With Te-Le Lau, in his book Defending Shame, Richard compares contemporary ideas of shame with Graeco-Roman, Chinese, and Judeo-Christian ideas.  We will explore the relationship of shame to guilt and the possibility of healthy and unhealthy shame.For more lectures, visit the L'Abri Ideas Library at labriideaslibrary.org. The library contains over one thousand lectures and discussions that explore questions about the reality and relevance of Christianity. We ask you to respect the copyright for this audio file which belongs to L’Abri Fellowship. Please note that views expressed in the lecture and discussion times do not necessarily represent the views of L’Abri Fellowship. Subscribe at englishlabri.substack.com

To download this lecture on your mobile device, click “Listen in podcast app.”Going to Sunday School was a familiar routine for many of us in our childhoods, but when Sunday Schools began in the late 18th century they were both radical and controversial. Their meteoric growth over the next 50 years on both sides of the Atlantic opened up opportunities for women to contribute to Christian education and had a transformative effect on many poor communities. Can the history of the Sunday School movement teach us any lessons regarding Christian social engagement today?For more lectures, visit the L'Abri Ideas Library at labriideaslibrary.org. The library contains over one thousand lectures and discussions that explore questions about the reality and relevance of Christianity. We ask you to respect the copyright for this audio file which belongs to L’Abri Fellowship. Please note that views expressed in the lecture and discussion times do not necessarily represent the views of L̵

To download this lecture on your mobile device, click “Listen in podcast app.”Apologetics typically grounds itself in the truth that Christianity is reasonable.  This talk looks at how meaning provides another important starting point – one that is vital in our engagement with sceptics.For more lectures, visit the L'Abri Ideas Library at labriideaslibrary.org. The library contains over one thousand lectures and discussions that explore questions about the reality and relevance of Christianity. We ask you to respect the copyright for this audio file which belongs to L’Abri Fellowship. Please note that views expressed in the lecture and discussion times do not necessarily represent the views of L’Abri Fellowship. Subscribe at englishlabri.substack.com

To download this lecture on your mobile device, click “Listen in podcast app.”Our physical selves, how they look and what others think of them demand a lot of thought and work from us. We are daily confronted with images, ideas and advice on how we should be dealing with our bodies. In this lecture, we think about body image and what it means when we understand that we are made in the image of God.For more lectures, visit the L'Abri Ideas Library at labriideaslibrary.org. The library contains over one thousand lectures and discussions that explore questions about the reality and relevance of Christianity. We ask you to respect the copyright for this audio file which belongs to L’Abri Fellowship. Please note that views expressed in the lecture and discussion times do not necessarily represent the views of L’Abri Fellowship. Subscribe at englishlabri.substack.com