Episodes

December 11, 2024

Christianity as Ethnicity Part 2 and First Amendment Free Exercise: the Case of Jessica Tapia and Prop 3

Christianity as Ethnicity Part 2, with special application to the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment to the US Constitution, and commentary on the definition of marriage according to California in the issue of Prop 3 as it was debated in the California Legislature in 2023.

Warmly,

Lucas J. Mather, Ph.D.

The Republican Professor Podcast
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December 7, 2024

Christianity as Ethnicity with Application to Constitutional Law

Lucas J. Mather 0

We pick up with the Pardon Power in the Constitution and consider the term “Christian Nationalism” from a Christianity as Ethnicity perspective. NB: Ethnicity is not race or color/appearance in this usage of the term. Ethnos, the Greek word used in Matthew 28’s “Great Commission,” contemplates ethnicity as its used here, as “nation” or people bound together by kinship, heritage, tradition, no matter what they look like, for adoption is very old in the Judeo-Christian tradition (think of for example Ruth, or the language of adoption in the New Testament).

Application to American Politics and Public Law are sprinkled throughout.

This is a Christmas season series on The Republican Professor podcast.

December 4, 2024

Is Hunter Biden Above the Law ? A Brief Comment on the Pardon Power and the Nature of Law and Politics

Lucas J. Mather 0

We take a look at two provisions of “the Supreme Law of the Land,” as well as Federalist 74 written by Hamilton, and I reflect briefly on Lincoln’s Lyceum Address.

November 22, 2024

Pride and the Bible with Psychologist Dr. Vernon Grounds, Ph.D., former president of Denver Seminary

Lucas J. Mather 0

Today’s return guest is a Mark O. Hatfield (R, Oregon) type of Republican, Dr. Vernon Grounds, Ph.D., former Chancellor, President, and long-time professor of Philosophy and Psychology, and founder of the Counseling Department at Denver Seminary, where TRP’s host Dr. Lucas J. Mather, Ph.D. knew Dr. Grounds during Dr. Mather’s graduate student days. Dr. Grounds taught in the philosophy department as well courses on Existentialism and Christian worldview.

Our topic today on The Republican Professor Podcast is emotional problems and American Politics. Last Fall, we did a series on Anxiety and American Politics. Last Spring we did a series on Hatred and Anger in the Normative Christian Tradition. We return today with a focus on the concepts and phenomena of Pride in Biblical and Political Phenomonenology in the American context. You’ve probably noticed the relevance to American Politics if you’re paying attention.

I can think of no better guest than Dr. Grounds, who is a rare bird in that he was one of the first to get the in depth Psychology training–a Ph.D. in Psychology–and applied that to Christian ministry and Apologetics. Dr. Grounds got his bachelors from Rutgers during the Great Depression, and struggled mightily with his Christian faith. He got seminary training, and later a Ph.D. in Psychology from Drew University, where he wrote a dissertation on the concept of love in the thought of Sigmund Freud.

He wrote several books, but the one we discuss and read from today is his “Emotional Problems and the Gospel” (Zondervan, 1976).

Since Dr. Ground died before we were able to record this with him, he joins this episode through his chapter in the above book, which he titled “The Bible and Pride, Part 1.”

The Republican Professor is a pro-mental-health-in-politics, pro-ultimate-issues podcast.

Therefore, welcome Dr. Vernon Grounds, Ph.D.

To financially support this podcast with a donation, visit https://buymeacoffee.com/lucasj.mather
or on Venmo at TheRepublicanProfessor

Every cent goes a long way, so thank you.

Warmly,

Lucas J. Mather, Ph.D.

November 21, 2024

Mr. James A. Mather, Mr. Steak Inc Founder and Chairman of the Board, World War 2 Navy Fighter Pilot

Lucas J. Mather 0

Grandpa Mather flew F6F Hellcats during World War 2, and later married Dottie Rehnland of Michigan, and had 3 kids, one of whom was my father. He became a Christian at the big Methodist Church in Colorado Springs in 1956 at Dawson Trotman’s funeral when Billy Graham gave the eulogy.

In 1962, Grandpa founded Mr. Steak, Inc., which eventually had 286 restaurants in the United States and in Canada.

Grandpa Mather calls his grandson, TRP Producer and Host Lucas J. Mather, on 7 May 2020 during the lockdowns to encourage the boy.

Grandpa Mather is today 101 years old and resides in Ventura County, California. He attends Godspeak Calvary Chapel in Newberry Park with his wife of 29 years, Linda Lopez Mather, daughter of longtime restaurant owner Sal Lopez, owner of Sal’s Mexican Inn at 1450 Oxnard Blvd for many decades in Oxnard, California.

The Republican Professor is produced and hosted by Dr. Lucas J. Mather, Ph.D., also a US Navy veteran.

November 20, 2024

John Yoo on the Matt Gaetz Nomination and Trump’s Constitutional Power and Duty of DOJ Reform

Lucas J. Mather 0

We discuss an article by UC Berkeley School of Law Professor John Yoo which discusses the nomination to Attorney General and the president’s goal to take care the laws be faithfully executed.

The article can be found here, and we thank John Yoo and National Review for producing the article and making it available for discussion.

https://www.nationalreview.com/2024/11/why-an-attorney-general-matt-gaetz-would-backfire-on-trump/

Support the podcast by donating a gift to the producer :
https://buymeacoffee.com/lucasj.mather

Also can donate a gift on venmo at TheRepublicanProfessor

Every cent counts.

November 19, 2024

Post Election Chat About “the Credentialed Class,” Social Media, and Education with Prof. AT Stowell

Lucas J. Mather 0

Adam Stowell has taught Philosophy (Logic, Ethics, Religion) for 18 years in California and has a graduate degree in Political Science, as well. He’s a cultural critic and observer of what he calls the failure of “the credentialed class.”

We don’t want to misread what the election means and what the prospects are for progress.

Support the podcast :
https://buymeacoffee.com/lucasj.mather

November 15, 2024

Law and Ideology

Lucas J. Mather 0

We’re discussing “Law and Ideology” based on the insights from a master observer of both types of totalitarian socialisms on the Left, national socialism — sometimes called fascism — and the kind of socialism that the Communists in East Germany and Russia had during the 1900s, during the life of Dr. Thielicke. (USSR meant Union of Soviet Socialist Republics).

Our return guest today on The Republican Professor Podcast is the former professor of Theology at the University of Hamburg in West Germany, Dr. Helmut Thielicke, Ph.D., D.Theol. (Philosophy and Theology).

Professor Thielicke once again joins us through his teaching in his Theological Ethics, Vol. 2: Politics. My copy was purchased at Old Capitol Books (new location) in Monterey, California, across from Nick the Greek restaurant on Alvarado Street (their old location was 559 Tyler, Monterey, CA, across from the Peet’s Coffee and was formerly Book Haven for many years), and is a hard copy published in 1969 by Fortress Press and edited by William H. Lazareth.

Thielicke died before he was able to come on to The Republican Professor Podcast.

We thank Fortress Press for making the book available. Check out their catalogue for a full listing of their very interesting titles, and buy one. Get a copy of this for yourself and following along in our transformative, performative reading of it as we make fair use on his insights, with fresh scholarly commentary from me, and allow it to shape our understanding of American Politics.

This is part 8 in a series on The Republican Professor Podcast, an introduction to theological reflection on American government.

Here, we broach the topic of the nature and power of “ideology” in Communist eschatology. Our very special guest today is, once again, the esteemed and long-time Professor of Theology at the University of Hamburg, Helmut Thielicke.

And I’ve invited Professor Thielicke to join us today through my performative reading (with my scholarly commentary upon) and fair use of his teaching on this topic in his magisterial “Theological Ethics, Volume 2: Politics.” My copy of the book was published in 1969 by Fortress Press.

Please buy a copy of the book and follow along with our study of this material. Here’s a link to the book: https://www.amazon.com/Theological-Ethics-Politics-Helmut-Thielicke/dp/0802817920

Please, please support your brick and mortar used book dealers as well.

Professor Thielicke died before we were able to invite him in person as a guest on the podcast.

Thanks to Fortress Press, the book is still in print and would be a valuable addition, indeed, to your personal library. Please support the work of Fortress Press and buy the book, and check out the other selections that they carry, as well.

The Republican Professor Podcast is a pro-deeply-conversing-on-the-theological-aspects-of-the-nature-of-government podcast.

Therefore, welcome Professor Helmut Thielicke !

The Republican Professor is produced and hosted by Dr. Lucas J. Mather, Ph.D.

To financially support this podcast, comment on today’s episode, or to make a suggestion for a topic or guest for the podcast or Substack newsletter, send an email to therepublicanprofessor@substack.com . We’d love to hear from you.

Warmly,

Lucas J. Mather, Ph.D.

November 13, 2024

Logic and Critical Thinking Should Be Taught in School Without Censorship

Lucas J. Mather 0

The ones with sound originally aired on FB LIVE Thursday July 15th 2021 at 8:21 am and Friday July 16th 2021 at 1:29 pm under the title “Effectively Countering CRT: An Introduction.”

https://buymeacoffee.com/lucasj.mather

Warmly,

Lucas J. Mather, Ph.D.