Do Not Be Troubled, Do Not Be Afraid: A Culture of Fear Will Produce a Politics of Fear

Andrew Breitbart famously, and correctly, said that politics is downstream of culture. Today, Shayna and Chris evaluate fear’s role in our culture, and how a culture of fear produces a politics of fear.

What In God’s Name approaches current events and culture not from a partisan political angle, not from a money/economics angle, not from a techno-scientific angle, but from a theological and philosophical angle.

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Here are timecodes to help you navigate through today’s show:

00:44    “An Era Defined By Fear.” Shayna reads from David Brooks’ April 29 article in the New York Times.

02:55    Consider how fear causes us to contract into ourselves. We would do well to pause for a moment, and reflect on how fear appears in our lives.

05:33    Are we ultimately alone in the universe, or ultimately connected to Love, or Being, or God?

07:00    Shayna reflects on training to become a firefighter. What is the difference between your having fear (one possibility), or fear having you (a second possibility)?

10:33    We turn to fear of change, and relatedly, the fear of vulnerability that might lead us to change. Why is change so scary? Shayna courageously shares a piece of her journey in life, as an illustration.

14:52    Is there anything else in life that stops us, the way fear stops us?

16:20    Chris brings up Brene Brown, in the context of her teachings about vulnerability. Are vulnerability and courage identical? How are they related? Can a practice of vulnerability be a good seed that bears fruit in the repair of social bonds? Shayna points to Pete Buttigieg as a public figure who is modeling vulnerability.

20:22    Shayna leaves us with the exhortation: Do not let your hearts be troubled, nor let them be afraid. Refusing to be sucked into the culture of fear is a political act.