16 Comments

Hey Paul, it is interesting to me, only having viewed the first few minutes of your video and read your numbered list, that you describe Huff's participation in performative language.

Video, 2:37, "tremendous tremendous performance"

and in the writeup #5

"Moderate evangelicalism is far from dead. Huff put on a display of why it remains as potent a force as it does."

In some of the other descriptions you give of his participation in the conversation, you depict his as authentic. So, in an age when authenticity is supposed to increase connection, this is just a curiosity that you describe it performatively.

Expand full comment

I love the written breakdown. A valuable perspective, as always.

Expand full comment

We called Joe the mouthpiece for the Spirit of the Times

Expand full comment

Well stated as expected.

Expand full comment

I see the 'SeaChange' 👀, in the 12 step rooms.

Expand full comment

Your third point reminds me of that feeling we would get as late-90’s teens when some Christian band we liked would suddenly get mainstream attention, like airplay on secular radio or snatches of a song used for the intro of a TV show…there was something deeply validating about it, maybe. Not downplaying any significance of the podcast—only saying the emotional reaction feels similar.

Expand full comment

And we soon learned how meaningless it all was to win a popularity contest.

Expand full comment

Yes.

Expand full comment

Great stuff. I agree. And especially liked #7 in your breakdown.

Expand full comment

Great title

Expand full comment

Gen Y, who found their apologetic education inadequate for the Leftist era, might find their evangelistic learning redeemed in this shift.

Expand full comment

I finally got a chance to listen to the whole interview yesterday. I'd been seeing clips around the internet and reading others' commentaries.

I like your thoughts here. It really pushes into Huff's approach to Protestantism/Evangelicism. I wonder how it gets formed a bit deeper because he is Canadian and his global experience overseas. I feel it is one reason he didn't dive headlong into 20th-century propositional thought like many apologists tend to.

I spend a bunch of time training BJJ and hanging out with folks who hang on every word Rogan says, and I think Huff shared an approach that tends to work a lot better than the Jordan Peterson variety. I like his thoughts on Peterson. I went to a Peterson live event last year with a few other UMC clergy and ran into some of my BJJ guys there. It was a really interesting conversation hearing the two groups thoughts.

Like from what you shared, I think the last 30 minutes of the interview were the most interesting ones.

Expand full comment

Love the transcript format PVK. TLC food.

Expand full comment

Rogan (zeitgeist skeptic) has spent years dodging every serious attempt to serve him the “green eggs and ham” of Christian/biblical thought. That means Wes Huff is Sam-I-Am. And either Rogan has been worn down over the years and finally succumbs to trying it or Wes Huff presented it in just the right way to make it worth chewing on.

I spent too much time on that analogy. Great perspective Paul!

Expand full comment

nicely balanced, great work! i listened to the podcast and am thinking, "once this guy converts, all that's left is the antichrist to make a claim." for me, the most telling part was when JR said he found biblical proofs more compelling than alien-origin theories of human conception. did you have a feel on that?

Expand full comment

“Once this guy converts, all that’s left is [for] the antichrist to make a claim.” - he makes a ton of claims, especially about how “bigly Americans are going to be winning.” You saw the head wound and his resurrection with you own eyes.

There’s still time, repent. Abandon the Republican death cult of capitalistic idolatry.

Expand full comment