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According to the doctrines of nihilism, nothing at all is sacred. In fact, nothing really matters except that which gives momentary pleasure or excitement. Christianity, on the other hand, starts with a completely different premise. This world is God’s world, and everything we do matters.
So what are the implications of these two views? Do ideas like these just float around in a person’s head, or do these beliefs shape us in ways we can’t even comprehend? The hosts will discuss these issues and more as they continue their series, “Finding Yourself in God’s Story,” on this episode of the White Horse Inn.
“According to the doctrines of nihilism and secularism, nothing is sacred; and, in fact, ultimately nothing really matters at all except for that which excites you for the moment. Nothing’s transcendent and we become like beasts with only base instincts. Christianity, however, presents a completely opposite picture. You are significant. You are bought with a price. This matters for you today. For as we become immersed in this story and understand the doctrines that connect us to it, we find ourselves experiencing the joy, hope, and confidence – that doxology – which makes us disciples of Christ throughout our lives.” – Michael Horton
Term to Learn: Narrative Collapse
Narrative collapse is the loss of linear stories and their replacement with both crass reality programming and highly intelligent post-narrative shows like The Simpsons. With no goals to justify journeys, we get the impatient impulsiveness of the Tea Party, as well as the unbearably patient presentism of the Occupy movement. The new path to sense-making is more like an open game than a story.
Narrative Collapse is what happens when we no longer have time in which to tell a story. It is the experience of living in this fast-moving, chaotic information environment which destroys our capacity to conceive of our lives as stories, with a beginning, middle, and end. (Adapted from Douglas Rushkoff, rushkoff.com/present-shock)
(This podcast is by White Horse Inn. Discovered by e2 media network and our community — copyright is owned by the publisher, not e2 media network, and audio is streamed directly from their servers.)