Molly Worthen: The conversion of an agnostic professor of religion to Christianity
Molly Worthen is a journalist and associate professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. For the past decade she has pursued a career researching the religious and intellectual history of North America. As well as writing books such as 'Apostles of Reason: The Crisis of Authority in American Evangelicalism', she is regular contributor to publications such as the New York Times, The Atlantic and The New Yorker.
But Molly’s story took an interesting turn recently. Having been an agnostic most of her life, last year she converted to Christianity. Having researched the good, the bad and the ugly of Christian history we’ll be finding out what led her to embrace faith in the end. And with the continuing polarisation of politics and church culture among US evangelicals why on earth has Molly chosen to be an insider rather than an outsider in the US church?
For Re-Enchanting: www.seenandunseen.com/podcast
There’s more to life than the world we can see. Re-Enchanting is a podcast from Seen & Unseen recorded at Lambeth Palace Library, the home of the Centre for Cultural Witness. Justin Brierley and Belle Tindall engage faith and spirituality with leading figures in science, history, politics, art and education. Can our culture be re-enchanted by the vision of Christianity?
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This is an excellent interview. Great job, Belle and Justin!
Brilliant conversation. I particularly liked Molly’s reference to CS Lewis’s science fiction trilogy where he exposes ludicrousness of secular intellectualism, and Molly gives examples in her journey. I’m so glad she is not too proud to delight in a personal relationship with God and not to proud to be going to a “mega church”. Please keep these interviews goingBelle and Justin. I’ll encourage others to subscribe.
Thanks for this, really enjoying the series. I don’t know what I would classify myself as but I feel like I’m on a similar journey. I need to go back and write down the books she read. I was surprised to find that the books mentioned throughout were not marked in the video description. This would be really helpful. Keep up the great work ❤
My beautiful Molly remembering ye once born! At least I can do is to washed thy FEET to let ye know i so love thee! Given New Feet. Mileage from thy feet is recognize!
It is a little low in sound volume - not the worst. But a few more dB wouldn’t hurt.
This is a beautiful well told journey. I loved it and it has blessed me. Thank you for sharing as it has also been enlightening. God bless you. I look forward to the next one.
Waiting for her randos convo with Paul Vanderklay! who cites her work so often
The New Day. 12-29-1976 Signature. Yes, there will be no repeat from HERE!
I am finding the sound production is a bit low. Anyone else?
How can we support ( i. e., $) Seen & Unseen?
kinda reminds me of Mary Katherine Ham
Please invite Mary Karr!!
Said Red Molly to James!!
Interesting .She goes from nonbeliever to Christianity while Bart Ehrman goes from believer to agnostic. I have seen Justin Brierley interviewing Bart Ehrman. Bart is really popular online and has started many people to reading the Bible and ancient history.
@user-lr2sq5qx2r
Ай бұрын
Bart ehrman got me started on the bible. I have also downloaded all of his online courses
Agnosticism does not mean being open to unevidenced claims. "Agnosticism is of the essence of science, whether ancient or modern. It simply means that a man shall not say he knows or believes that which he has no scientific grounds for professing to know or believe." ~ T H Huxley It is, basically, scientific demarcation. No verifiable/falsifiable evidence, then no reason to believe the claim is true.
I kept waiting for her to talk about sin and repentance and being made alive to righteousness - but she never did. It seems like she's describing an intellectual journey into a particular theology and sect of Christianity. And while one can definitely have an intellectual journey towards God - I did - God is waiting at the end. And while the intellectual aspects of my conversion are important and exciting, the most exciting part is when I looked up and God was there, and he was bigger than all of that. And he freed me from my sin and gave me his righteousness. Now I don't have to sin anymore. Now I am part of his kingdom... His order... And have taken my place in it. An early English version of the Bible warns in Col 2:18 "Let no man make you shote at a wronge mark" by having you walk according to the religion of preachers. This religion will have all the appearance of wisdom, in its worship and ordinances, but will be unable to deliver you from the lusts of the flesh.
@michaelhart1072
6 ай бұрын
She’s convinced of sin early on. Really not hard to look at the world and oneself and see one’s sins. Even as atheist it’s kinda easy to see. Seeing who God is, much harder and that’s what she’s expressing. The steps by which she’s grown to trust him and see the world not through secular humanist goggles but through Jesus goggles
MOLLY; If someone were to talk one on one with “GOD”, there would be absolutely "NO QUESTION OF THE CONTEXT, OR MEANING IN WHICH “GOD” SPOKE”! ! ! NOW, put one (1) person between GOD and you, you now have to ask what did he mean by this or that and what was the context? ? ? THIS IS THE “PROBLEM” WITH UNDESTANDING THE BIBLE, HE DIDN’T WRITE IT, other people wrote it! ! ! NOW put dozens of people “Inbetween”, the meaning and context become even more blurred! My question is legitimate; WHY DIDN’T “GOD” WRITE THE BIBLE HIMSELF? ? ? HE supposedly made the Universe, How difficult could it be? Books (???) of the “Bible” have been discarded; Who says “GOD” wants the books that ARE being used? IF “HE” had written the Bible IT would be in the ORDER that he WANTED it in! ! ! NO QUESTIONS ASKED! ! ! This is one of the reasons for so many denominations! There should not be ONE (1) thing in the bible thats questioned, BUT there’s 100’s!
I wish she could have found a Christian church instead. Summit? Really? Ever read their SOF? Here's an example God God is the one and only all-knowing, all-loving, and all-powerful Being, who is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. The Godhead exists eternally in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God has always existed, with no beginning or end, and is wholly self-sustaining. What MAJOR WORD is missing in this SOF for God the Father and Jesus Christ? HOLY. HOLY . HOLY. Summit only uses this term for the THIRD PERSON OF THE TRINITY...THE HOLY SPIRIT, NOT FOR GOD THE FATHER OR FOR JESUS CHRIST. Calvinists have done a great job at removing the HOLINESS of God to substitute it for a deity who has allegedly decreed every sin & evil in the world. This is the ENTIRE section on Salvation in the Summit SOF. Don't blink or you'll miss it... Salvation Salvation comes by the grace of God through faith in his Son, Jesus Christ, and is both an eternity-altering instant, and a life-long process. God’s salvation is personal and extends to all the created order. That's it. Nothing about repentance or atonement or who can be saved....NOTHING. Find a CHRISTIAN church.
@eCommencal
8 ай бұрын
I tend to agree but perhaps our role is to invite others into God’s House, open the panoply of rooms and let them chose in which room to reside.
@jmorra
4 ай бұрын
You sound like you could use a non- doctrinal spanking for your post. You should be rejoicing instead of tooting your nasty, spiteful, legalistic horn. Shame on you.