John Morgan

get into a relationship with this figure that recaptures how Jesus is strange, not in a pejorative sense, but the way I have found Socrates, another one of my heroes, to be profoundly strange in a way that has been deeply transformative for me. And so, I'm hoping that in this, that I can take a role I'm not a believer. I'm not a Christian. I'm not an atheist. I'm a non-theist.

get into a relationship with this figure that recaptures how Jesus is strange, not in a pejorative sense, but the way I have found Socrates, another one of my heroes, to be profoundly strange in a way that has been deeply transformative for me. And so, I'm hoping that in this, that I can take a role I'm not a believer. I'm not a Christian. I'm not an atheist. I'm a non-theist.

I guess the closest name you could put to me is I'm sort of a Zen Neoplatonist. But nevertheless, I want to listen very deeply. I want to probe very deeply, and I'm very grateful to be here. Mr. Prager.

I guess the closest name you could put to me is I'm sort of a Zen Neoplatonist. But nevertheless, I want to listen very deeply. I want to probe very deeply, and I'm very grateful to be here. Mr. Prager.

John. Yeah, I want to pick up on the fact that there's actually, I call them the four L's about God. There's love, agape. There's logos. There's light and life. And these are all the identity claims that are somehow circling. And I'd like to propose we slow down a little bit because the familiarity of those terms to us, I think, is masking something more profound going on here.

John. Yeah, I want to pick up on the fact that there's actually, I call them the four L's about God. There's love, agape. There's logos. There's light and life. And these are all the identity claims that are somehow circling. And I'd like to propose we slow down a little bit because the familiarity of those terms to us, I think, is masking something more profound going on here.

And if we think about all of these, they're pointing, well to me, they're pointing to something very radical here. They're asking us to get out of a normal way in which we think about reality in terms of stable, substantial, independently existing objects. All of these are inherently relational realities.

And if we think about all of these, they're pointing, well to me, they're pointing to something very radical here. They're asking us to get out of a normal way in which we think about reality in terms of stable, substantial, independently existing objects. All of these are inherently relational realities.

And think about how profound that is to say that ultimate reality is inherently ultimately relational. And that, therefore, our relationship to it has to be primordially a relational thing. And this is very, very hard for our way of thinking because we have got into the mode, and for all kinds of historical reasons we don't need, of thinking, you know, of that

And think about how profound that is to say that ultimate reality is inherently ultimately relational. And that, therefore, our relationship to it has to be primordially a relational thing. And this is very, very hard for our way of thinking because we have got into the mode, and for all kinds of historical reasons we don't need, of thinking, you know, of that

What there really is are individual things. There's no relationality. This is, of course, normalism. All of that's in our head. And then that gives us a dualism because the mind has the patterns, the world. And there's something going on here in this language. And I want to slow down a little bit and get at, right, these terms are very familiar. And I think that's, I understand.

What there really is are individual things. There's no relationality. This is, of course, normalism. All of that's in our head. And then that gives us a dualism because the mind has the patterns, the world. And there's something going on here in this language. And I want to slow down a little bit and get at, right, these terms are very familiar. And I think that's, I understand.

what they're there, but their familiarity is actually in some sense problematic because I think they're, it's easy, like these are all nouns and it's easy to think we're talking about four things. These are attempts to, disclose, and all four of them, I feel they're playing off against each other. The relation between them is as important as any one of them.

what they're there, but their familiarity is actually in some sense problematic because I think they're, it's easy, like these are all nouns and it's easy to think we're talking about four things. These are attempts to, disclose, and all four of them, I feel they're playing off against each other. The relation between them is as important as any one of them.

And all of them are playing off against each other and trying to call us into a new way of trying to relate to ultimate reality. And so, like when I try, because Jesus makes these claims, too. He talks about, I'm the light of the world, abundant life, like all of it. And this, to me,

And all of them are playing off against each other and trying to call us into a new way of trying to relate to ultimate reality. And so, like when I try, because Jesus makes these claims, too. He talks about, I'm the light of the world, abundant life, like all of it. And this, to me,

If I could hear these words again, I could get to a place where I think the idea could have more real relevance to me. And so we live in metaphor. Metaphors aren't . Like we've just begun, but I hope this, you know, this discourse isn't too hard, but I hope we understand it. I hope you see my point. I hope you get what I'm saying. Like try and say anything. Metaphor is not an ornament.

If I could hear these words again, I could get to a place where I think the idea could have more real relevance to me. And so we live in metaphor. Metaphors aren't . Like we've just begun, but I hope this, you know, this discourse isn't too hard, but I hope we understand it. I hope you see my point. I hope you get what I'm saying. Like try and say anything. Metaphor is not an ornament.

It is part of the fundamental grammar of our cognition. And these are more than metaphors. These are metaphors that are trying to transcend themselves and they're trying to point. And I'd like to also, I mean, I'd like to try and make sure we're not only paying attention to the text, we're paying attention to what is the mental framing that we're bringing to this text.

It is part of the fundamental grammar of our cognition. And these are more than metaphors. These are metaphors that are trying to transcend themselves and they're trying to point. And I'd like to also, I mean, I'd like to try and make sure we're not only paying attention to the text, we're paying attention to what is the mental framing that we're bringing to this text.