(272)S11E8/2: Modern Sacralism w/Dr. George Kalantzis

The Fourth Way

In this interview I had the privilege of talking with Dr. George Kalantzis about his book, "Caesar and the Lamb," and the topic of sacralism.

0:00 - Introduction
4:00 - Sacralism
14:40 - Origin stories
18:25 - Voting
27:30 - Consequentialism
30:00 - Discipleship
34:50 - Dr. Kalantzis introduction
36:45 - Define and explain Sacralism
42:30 - Why can't we see Sacralism?
48:35 - Veneration vs. Worship of state
52:50 - Importance of origin stories and myth
63:00 - Sacralism as unification and absolution
75:00 - Voting as a sacral act
81:15 - Consequentialism and power
84:00 - Propaganda and orthopraxy
93:10 - Where do we go from here?

A huge thanks to Seth White for the awesome music!

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My Reading List Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21940220.J_G_Elliot

Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4VSvC0SJYwku2U0awRaNAu?si=3ad0b2fbed2e4864
Interview Questions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WZpI_296MIF4UUd5yM4x9XHx8F2puZlGzH24EoRnXao/edit?usp=sharing
Caesar and the Lamb: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16237822-caesar-and-the-lamb?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_19
Anatomy of a Hybrid: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1461694.The_anatomy_of_a_hybrid?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_19
A Hidden Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJXmdY4lVR0
Martyrdom and Memory: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20178705-martyrdom-and-memory?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=hNKyGMHx3z&rank=1
Desiring the Kingdom: https://thefourthway.transistor.fm/subscribe
Hauerwas's "The Sacrifices of War and the Sacrifice of Christ:" https://www.abc.net.au/religion/the-sacrifices-of-war-and-the-sacrifice-of-christ/10098368
On Revolution: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127232.On_Revolution
Christian Nonresistance in All its Important Bearings: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1610861.Christian_Non_Resistance?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=idCkDpGUHe&rank=3
Morality of Being Episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/d6e0f66e
Dr. Kalantzis's interview w/Preston Sprinkle: https://theologyintheraw.com/podcast/the-early-church-on-military-service-and-killing-dr-george-kalantzis/
James K.A. Smith's Mall: https://jameskasmith.com/the-mall-as-consumerist-cathedral/

Arendt's Quote: The word religion must be understood in its original roman sense and [the piety of the founders] would then consist in binding themselves back to a beginning as roman pietas consisted in being bound back to the beginning of roman history the foundation of the eternal city…… And since it was in this respect that the American revolution was most conspicuously different from all other revolutions which were to follow, one was tempted to conclude that it was the authority that the act of foundation carried in itself rather than the belief in an eternal legislator, or the promises of reward and the threats of punishment in a future state, or even the doubtful self-evidence of the truths enumerated in the preamble to the declaration of independence that assured stability for the New Republic.

Ballou's Quote: As constituent supporters of human government, ( whether civil or military, or a compound of both -) in its state or national sovereignty, men are morally responsible for all constitutions, institutions, laws, processes, and usages, which they have pledged themselves to support, or which they avowedly approve, or which they depend upon as instrumentalities for securing and promoting their personal welfare, or in which they acquiesce without positive remonstrance and disfellowship. Thus if a political compact, a civil or military league, covenant, or constitution, requires, authorizes, provides for, or tolerates war, bloodshed, capital punishment, slavery, or any kind of absolute injury - offensive or defensive, the man who swears, affirms, or otherwise pledges himself to support such a compact, league, covenant, or constitution, is just as responsible for every act of injury done in strict conformity thereto, as if he himself personally committed it. He is not responsible for abuses and violations of the constitution.

But for all that is constitutionally done he is responsible. The army is his army, the navy his navy, the militia his militia, the gallows his gallows, the -^ pillory his pillory, the whipping-post his whipping-post, the branding-iron his branding-iron, the prison to prison, the dungeon his dungeon, and the slaveholding his slaveholding. When the constitutional majority declare war, it is his war. All the slaughter, rapine, ravages, robbery, destruction, and mischief committed under that declaration, in accordance with the laws of war, are his. Nor can he exculpate himself by pleading that he was one of a strenuous anti-war minority in the government. He was in the government. He had sworn, affirmed, or otherwise pledged himself, that the majority should have discretionary power to declare war. He tied up his hands with that anti-Christian obligation, to stand by the majority in all the crimes and abominations inseparable from war. It is therefore his war, its murders are his murders, its horrible injuries on humanity are his injuries. " They are all committed with his solemn sanction. There is no escape from this terrible moral responsibility but by a conscientious withdrawal from such government, and an uncompromising protest against so much of its fundamental creed and constitutional law, as is decidedly anti-Christian. He must cease to be its pledged supporter and approving dependent.

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