Tales of Te: Stories of virtue and the lack thereof (chapter 38)
07/03/20 • 34 min
Episode 26 continues chapter 38 from last week, the first chapter of the book of Te. We will go through the three types of "low virtue" that Lao Tzu offers, and then I will tell some stories from my own life that illustrate each of these three (hence the title).
In this episode, I start with considering the idea that cultivating virtue may have parallels with learning a foreign language.
The rest of the content is divided into three parts:
1. Etiquette/ritual - my "perfect Christian life" as a closet atheist
2. Righteousness/justice - an embarrassing story where I tried to overthrow Bible class with a petition
3. Benevolence - the time I chose to make the right choice in ministry, even when it was really hard
See more at www.coreyfarr.com
Episode 26 continues chapter 38 from last week, the first chapter of the book of Te. We will go through the three types of "low virtue" that Lao Tzu offers, and then I will tell some stories from my own life that illustrate each of these three (hence the title).
In this episode, I start with considering the idea that cultivating virtue may have parallels with learning a foreign language.
The rest of the content is divided into three parts:
1. Etiquette/ritual - my "perfect Christian life" as a closet atheist
2. Righteousness/justice - an embarrassing story where I tried to overthrow Bible class with a petition
3. Benevolence - the time I chose to make the right choice in ministry, even when it was really hard
See more at www.coreyfarr.com
Previous Episode
The Book of Te: The highest virtue (chapters 37-38)
Episode 25 looks at chapter 37 and the first part of chapter 38, which begins the second half of the Tao te Ching, called the Book of Te. We will revisit the theme of wu wei that we discussed before and look at it through the lens of effortless virtue, spontaneous goodness, or authentic spirituality.
In this episode, I start with describing just how insanely unpredictable my life has been for the last year and how an attitude of wu wei has helped me not just survive, but thrive.
The rest of the content is divided into three parts:
- Chapter 37 - The Tao is wu wei, and all things will be transformed in their own natural rhythms if we stay centered.
- Chapter 38 - High Te and low Te. The highest virtue does not hold on to virtue and acts without action.
- Living wu wei - Can living this way actually have any relevance for us living in the crazy world we see around us? Isn't it irresponsible?
See more at www.coreyfarr.com
Next Episode
Environmentalism - it's not just for "liberals" (chapter 39)
Episode 27 looks at chapter 39, where we are faced with a totally new topic: harmony with the environment and the devastating effects of disturbing that harmony. This episode focuses on the Christian Bible much more than any I have done before, in order to demonstrate that love and care for the environment is deeply rooted in the Old Testament, no matter how surprising this may be for some people.
In this episode, I start by lamenting the fact that much of recent church history has neglected or even rejected efforts to care for the environment.
The rest of the content follows this outline:
- Environmental awareness isn't just a practical matter - it's a spiritual one
- A litany of Scriptures showing God's care for the environment
- Developing "ecological virtue"
- Idealism and utopianism - is it responsible?
- A reading from Greta Thurnberg on the ecological crisis
See more at www.coreyfarr.com
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