Podcasts by A Christian Reads the Tao te Ching

Judgment and the death penalty (chapter 74) from 2022-02-06T12:00

In this episode, we look at chapter 74, which is a bit different in tone and content than other chapters around it. The central focus is the fear of death, and the central metaphor is the "...

The seven spectra of a balanced life from 2022-01-22T12:00

Here's an outline to help follow this complex episode!

Today we'll look at chapter 73, which seems a bit disconnected and confusing at first (which is why it took me two extra we...

"Fear not"- the danger of fear as a motivator from 2021-12-26T12:00

Chapter 72 doesn't really offer an obvious interpretation at the first reading. The variations between translations and the disjunctions between the sections makes it a bit complex. Fortuna...

Know that you don't know! / Ecclesiastes as Taoist confession (chapter 71) from 2021-12-12T12:00

Chapter 71 is cryptic, obscure, and one of my absolute favorites. This chapter continues the theme on knowledge from the previous chapter, but focuses especially on ignorance - the fact that we ...

Too smart to understand (chapter 70) from 2021-11-28T12:00

In this episode, we look at chapter 70, which is one of the most depressing and least didactic/informative chapters in the Tao te Ching (which is why it took me an extra week to prepare this). H...

Lao Tzu's war advice - and honoring the image of God in others (chapter 69) from 2021-11-07T12:00

In this episode, we look at chapter 69, which is incredibly tough to deal with since it is primarily focused on giving advice to military generals. As a Jesus-follower committed to nonviolence, ...

Compassion conquers all (chapter 67) from 2021-10-24T12:00

In this episode, we look at the famous chapter 67, where Lao Tzu presents the "Three Jewels" - the entire Taoist ethics summed up in three words: compassion, moderation, and humility. ...

Leading from behind (chapters 66 and 68) from 2021-10-10T12:00

In this episode, we look at chapters 66 and 68, which continue the train of thought of non-contention and wu wei that we started last week, but this time in relation to leadership. I'll sta...

I was sick! Back to normal next week from 2021-10-04T20:00

Sorry for no episode this week. I was down for the count with the flu last week. (Not COVID!) Head on over and subscribe at the Patreon page to get early access to the next episode. :)

The path of least resistance - the"great secret"to an effective life from 2021-09-19T12:00

In this episode, we look at chapter 63, which is all about tasks and problems. I'll start by talking about how learning how to break big tasks into small pieces has radically transformed my...

The good, the bad, and the sinful (chapter 62) from 2021-09-05T10:00

In this episode, we look at chapter 62, which is one of the only chapters where Lao Tzu compares good and bad people and the ONLY chapter where he uses a word often translated as "sin"...

Getting back to normal this week! from 2021-09-03T14:00

Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/crttc)

Exclusive: What is the ultimate question? The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Buddha, and the Cross from 2021-08-16T04:00

As I'm away for the summer, I'll be sharing some episodes from my Patreon exclusive feed, which are available to all subscribers at the $5/month level or higher. Here are the original ...

Exclusive: Compare and contrast - the empty bowl/childlike faith in the TTC and the Gospels from 2021-08-02T05:00

As I'm away for the summer, I'll be sharing some episodes from my Patreon exclusive feed, which are available to all subscribers at the $5/month level or higher. This was the very firs...

Exclusive: The (misguided) pursuit of happiness from 2021-07-18T06:00

As I'm away for the summer, I'll be sharing some episodes from my Patreon exclusive feed, which are available to all subscribers at the $5/month level or higher. This was the very firs...

Summer update from 2021-07-04T12:00

I'm flying home to the US for the next eight weeks! I most likely won't be able to continue putting out regular episodes, but I will share some of the past exclusive episodes I've...

"Educated"or life-long learner? (chapter 65) from 2021-06-20T12:00

In this episode, we look at chapter 65, which is yet another "political" chapter. I'll start with sharing a little of my journey from deciding to go to seminary to wrestling with ...

Getting in touch with our"masculine"side (chapter 64) from 2021-06-06T12:00

This is, of course, the followup to last week's episode on our "feminine" side. Today, we'll look at the masculine - the yang to match last week's yin. Keep in mind thes...

Getting in touch with our"feminine"side (chapter 61) from 2021-05-23T12:00

Episode 5 was called "Getting in touch with God's feminine side" and it has been a really popular episode. Today, we'll do the first of two episodes on our "feminine&quo...

Christian Anarchism (chapter 61) from 2021-05-09T12:00

As Monty Python would say, "And now for something completely different!" This week I'll give some insight and explanation into what is, next to Taoism, probably the most important...

A Taoist Fish Fry - and the nature of good, evil, and the “ghosts” of our past that haunt us (chapter 60) from 2021-04-25T14:00

In this episode, we look at chapter 60, which has several very different ideas all smashed into one. I'll start with a meditation on the nature of our relationship to the "ghosts"...

The myth of scarcity and the liturgy of abundance (chapters 58-59) from 2021-04-11T12:00

In this episode, we look at chapters 58-59, which (in my estimation) offer two very different narratives for approaching life and leadership, with two very different results. I'll bring in ...

Skipping a week (we'll be back to normal next Sunday) from 2021-04-05T21:00

Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/crttc)

How Taoist was Jesus? (chapter 56) from 2021-03-21T09:00

In this episode, we look at chapter 56, one of the most directive and imperative chapters in the Tao te Ching. The first half of the episode sets the stage for the chapter, then I break down fou...

A conversation with Protect Your Noggin podcast from 2021-03-07T12:00

Back in December, I had a conversation with two Christian-Taoist "kindred spirits", Jeff and Stacie from the Protect Your Noggin podcast. Since I haven't been able to finish prep ...

"Prolonging life"- four ways we try to maintain false balance (chapter 55) from 2021-02-21T12:00

In this episode, we finish chapter 55, talking about the danger of resisting decay and trying to "prolong the life" of things that are in decline.

I start the episode by sharing ...

Platonic or Taoist? The nature of the eternal and unchanging (chapter 55) from 2021-02-07T12:00

In this episode, we start looking at chapter 55. We'll cover it from another angle this week, but today I want to dig into the word "constancy", also translated as the eternal and...

Virtue in community: The Bonhoeffer Principle (chapter 54) from 2021-01-24T08:00

In this episode, we look at the second part of chapter 54, which encourages us to be rooted in Te (virtue).

I start the episode by introducing what I call the "Bonhoeffer principle&qu...

Four ways to evaluate virtue in your life (chapter 54) from 2021-01-10T12:00

In this episode, we look at the first part of chapter 54, which encourages us to be rooted in Te (virtue).

I start the episode sharing about how last Sunday I completely failed to live roo...

That's Christmas, but it's not Christ (chapter 53) from 2020-12-27T12:00

This is my attempt at a Christmas special, although I admit I may come across as a Grinch or a Scrooge. Please bear with me until the end of the episode to see that (hopefully) that's not t...

The Eternal Now - repentance and forgiveness (chapter 52, part 2) from 2020-12-13T09:00

Episode 38 looks at the second half of chapter 52, which is intensely complex and profound.  Using Paul Tillich's Christian definition of the "eternal now", we're going to a ...

"Shut your mouth"- and discover unity (chapter 52, pt 1) from 2020-11-29T09:00

Episode 37 looks at chapter 52, which is intensely complex and profound.

I start by musing on the importance of guarding our words and senses in Lao Tzu's style in the midst of a worl...

Tao before Te - natural revelation and virtue (chapter 51) from 2020-11-15T12:00

Episode 36 looks at chapter 51, in which the abstract Tao, the origin and sustainer of all things, points to the more concrete virtue of Te, the selfless and ever-giving behavior of those in tou...

Tell me what you want (what you really, really want) (chapter 50) from 2020-11-01T10:00

Episode 35 looks at chapter 50, which talks about four kinds of people who relate to desire and their own mortality in very different ways. We'll discuss consumerism and desire with everyth...

Empathy and enemy-love (chapter 49) from 2020-10-17T21:00

Episode 34 looks at chapter 49, which is all about loving your enemies and staying faithful to the unfaithful. It has such strong resonances with the teachings of Jesus that it is impossible not...

The wisdom of unlearning (chapters 47-48) from 2020-10-03T09:00

Episode 33 looks at chapters 47 and 48, which give two us two different but intimately connected themes: (1) internal wisdom and (2) deconstruction/unlearning.

I open by talking about so m...

Big announcements! (plus some personal and unfiltered thoughts on contentment) from 2020-09-27T23:00

Hey everyone! I've got some good news and some bad news today. Which would you like first?

1. The bad news - Due to some big changes in my life, the regular CRTTC show will now be ...

Empire: Some things never change (chapter 46) from 2020-09-19T08:00

Episode 32 looks at chapter 46, which continues the theme of discontent from the last two weeks, this time placing it in the context of militarism and the nations of the world.

I start the...

Losing my zen from a stupid cell phone from 2020-09-12T08:00

Hi everyone! I'm taking a week off from the regular show since I've had an absolutely crazy few weeks and I'm trying to get ready to head back to Beirut next week. In the meantime...

Contentment: finding what really matters (chapters 44-45) from 2020-09-05T08:00

Episode 31 looks at chapters 44 and 45, which are all about contentment. Lao Tzu asks some cutting rhetorical questions to make us evaluate our priorities, then he lays out a new vision for true...

Upside-down leadership (chapters 42-43) from 2020-08-29T10:00

Episode 30 looks at chapters 42 and 43, which give us some very practical insight into Lao Tzu's very unconventional theory of leadership. The truly noble leader adopts an attitude of extre...

The"third thing"- seeking harmony over balance (chapter 42) from 2020-08-22T08:00

And we're back! Episode 29 looks at the first few lines of chapter 42, which is a confusing paragraph about the creation of the universe and the yin-yang harmony. However, if we read carefu...

Interview with R. Joseph Owles (Everyone's Tao te Ching) from 2020-08-15T09:00

This week I'm interviewing Christian Tao te Ching translator R. Joseph Owles. I love his translation and you probably do too since I use it very frequently on the show. In this interview, w...

Interview (of me!) with The Reckless Pursuit from 2020-08-08T10:00

As promised, things will be a bit different for a few weeks as I am currently home on leave from my work in Lebanon and I don't have the ability to put in the work needed to produce the qua...

Interview with translator Marshall Davis (The Tao of Christ) from 2020-08-01T08:00

This week I interviewed Christian TTC translator Marshall Davis, author of the The Tao of Christ. I can't recommend Davis's translation strongly enough, and I was so excited to have hi...

Coming up next: Changing things up for a few weeks (and a request) from 2020-07-25T13:00

I'm on leave in the US for six weeks, so for the next month or so, I'll be changing things up. Since I'm not able to put in the work to produce the quality of content we all want,...

The journey that ends in return - a Taoist poetry slam (chapter 40) from 2020-07-18T07:00

Episode 28 changes things up a bit from my normal approach. Today, we'll look at chapter 40, an extremely short chapter that leaves a lot open to the imagination. We'll start with a di...

Environmentalism - it's not just for"liberals"(chapter 39) from 2020-07-11T12:00

Episode 27 looks at chapter 39, where we are faced with a totally new topic: harmony with the environment and the devastating effects of disturbing that harmony. This episode focuses on the Chri...

Tales of Te: Stories of virtue and the lack thereof (chapter 38) from 2020-07-04T00:00

Episode 26 continues chapter 38 from last week, the first chapter of the book of Te. We will go through the three types of "low virtue" that Lao Tzu offers, and then I will tell some s...

The Book of Te: The highest virtue (chapters 37-38) from 2020-06-27T14:00

Episode 25 looks at chapter 37 and the first part of chapter 38, which begins the second half of the Tao te Ching, called the Book of Te. We will revisit the theme of wu wei that we dis...

Nonduality in motion - how living the yin yang changes everything (chapter 36) from 2020-06-20T14:00

I think this is one of my favorite episodes so far! Episode 24 looks at the first eight lines of chapter 36, which provide a fascinating insight into what it looks like to not just see the world...

A very bland episode (chapters 34, 35, and 41) from 2020-06-13T14:00

Episode 23 looks at chapters 34-35 and 41, which rehearse some of our old paradoxical themes about the Tao but also bring in two key truths that, in classic non-dual fashion, seem to contradict ...

Know thyself, grow thyself (chapter 33) from 2020-06-06T14:00

Episode 22 looks at chapter 33, which focuses on some fundamental principles of healthy spirituality: knowing yourself, finding contentment, and living life to the fullest. 

In this episod...

War. What is it good for? (chapters 30-31) from 2020-05-30T14:00

Episode 21 looks at chapters 30-31, which center around the themes of violence and war. 

In this episode, I start with a very brief meditation on human justifications for violence befor...

Coming full circle (part 2) - The yin yang from 2020-05-23T13:00

This episode finishes the journey started last week, in which I look at chapters 27-29 and 32. By tying together some overlapping themes, I will show the ways in which we lose our connection wit...

Coming full circle (part 1) - The uncarved block and the problem of naming from 2020-05-16T12:00

In this episode and the next, I look at chapters 27-29 and 32. By tying together some overlapping themes, I will show the ways in which we lose our connection with the Tao and then, next week, f...

From chaos to hope (chapters 25-26) from 2020-05-09T14:00

Episode eighteen looks at chapters 25 and 26, which cover a huge range of profound topics, from cosmology to personal union with the Tao.

In this episode, I start by sharing a bit about ho...

Standing on tiptoes: Pride, prejudice, and pushing too hard (chapter 24) from 2020-05-02T13:00

Episode seventeen looks at chapter 24, in which Lao Tzu goes off on those who overextend themselves and try too hard to shine. Arrogance, pride, and bragging seem like obvious vices, but it&apos...

Healthy Spirituality 101 (chapter 23) from 2020-04-25T12:00

Episode sixteen looks at chapter 23, which takes us back to some foundational principles of healthy spirituality.

In this episode, I start with a meditation on the nature of accepting diff...

Dying to self to find life - cruciformity in the Tao te Ching (chapter 22) from 2020-04-18T13:00

Episode fifteen looks at chapter 22, which is all about choosing to embrace your brokenness and emptiness in order to find real life. The parallels to the teachings of Jesus and the fundamental ...

Pronouncing the Tao/Dao - which one is correct? from 2020-04-14T22:00

The endless debate: Tao te Ching or Dao de Jing? Here's why both are wrong ... and both are right.

Is God in the universe or out of it? (chapter 21) from 2020-04-11T14:00

Episode fourteen looks at chapter 21, which is an incredibly mysterious one that talks about the cosmic nature of the Tao. In fact, this whole episode is one of the most philosophical and abstra...

The one where Lao Tzu gets all emo (chapter 20) from 2020-04-04T13:00

Episode thirteen looks at chapter 20, where Lao Tzu gets intensely personal for the first time. He talks about the great challenge of choosing to break from his culture in so many ways in order ...

Let's get ethical (chapters 18-19) from 2020-03-28T12:00

Episode twelve looks at chapters 18 and 19, which criticize the nature of top-down government and top-down morality. By pointing out the deficiency of ethical systems and moral codes, which fail...

Who's in charge here? Non-existent leaders and a Libertarian manifesto (chapters 17 and 57) from 2020-03-21T14:00

Episode eleven looks at chapters 17 and 57, which totally turn our ideas of good "leadership" upside down.

In this episode, I tell a story of a time I had to struggle with no...