Is the World Actually Getting Better? - Jaran Miller & Marlin Sommers
About this episode
Jaran Miller and Marlin Sommers discuss the idea of whether the world is actually getting better, engaging with concepts of optimism and historical context.
It is common to hear people lament about how the world is getting worse and worse, and as we look at the news and what is happening around the world. Yet there are secular optimists who make a strong, data-driven case that in many ways the world is better than in the past. Marlin and Jaran engage with this idea and the concept of Christian optimism. They also look at how this interacts with historical events. A previous episode on thinking well about global politics A Rival Nations article on Christian optimism “Christian Fundamentals (Mennonite Church, 1921)” “God of Grace and God of Glory“ “Rise Up, O Men of God” “Father Eternal, Ruler of Creation” Factfullness The Better Angels of Our Nature Data on declining poverty rates A source for data about a bettering world This is the 319th episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel that examines various aspects of conservative Anabaptist life and thought. Sign-up for our monthly email newsletter which contains new and featured content! Join us on Patreon or become a website partner to enjoy bonus content! Visit our YouTube channel or connect on Facebook . Read essays from our blog or listen to them on our…
People in this episode
Guests: Jaran Miller, Marlin Sommers
Topics covered
- Christian optimism
- secular optimism
- global politics
- historical events
- poverty rates
- world improvement
Keywords
- world improvement
- Christian optimism
- secular optimism
- global politics
- poverty rates
- historical events
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Anabaptist Perspectives, Wellspring Mennonite Church
Books & works: Factfullness, The Better Angels of Our Nature, Christian Fundamentals (Mennonite Church, 1921), God of Grace and God of Glory, Rise Up, O Men of God, Father Eternal, Ruler of Creation
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- What’s Actually Worth a Church Split? We Need Theological Triage - Paul Lamicela
- We Need Catechesis! Quit Baptizing People Before They Are Ready! - Stephen Russell
- I Was the Result of Abuse. God Gave Me Purpose and Helped Me Forgive My Biological Dad - Grant Bontrager
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