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In this episode, Gregg takes the discussion of the previous few episodes (on Coaching versus Christianity) as a point of departure to begin a new, solo podcasting series that focuses on “love and truth in Christianity.”
Gregg explains the importance of this focus using the tagline of the Untangling Christianity podcast: “Defusing destructive ideologies, unsnarling confused ideas, considering love and truth in Christianity.” Specifically, John and Gregg have spent considerable time over the past 140+ episodes clearing away a variety of destructive perspectives and straightening a variety of confused ideas.
Comparing the perspectives associated with evangelical Christianity to a table that is full to over-flowing, Gregg notes that the process of engaging with these destructive ideologies and confused ideas has been to “clear space” at this table in order for something that is new and different to be place upon it, ready for consideration.
So Gregg introduces the Integration Project, which aims at furthering human flourishing by empowering participants to recognize, pursue, acquire and re-distribute two core human needs: love and truth / truth and love. The Integration Project (or IP) positions these two needs as co-central components within a complimentary opposition (or a productive tension).
Gregg explains the origin of IP and how it is both a project and concerned with integration. Gregg also explains the need to offer definitions for each of the principal terms used, or at least to offer “working definitions” (that are not final but allow for some fixed understandings). Finally, Gregg notes that members of the Untangling Christianity Facebook group will have the opportunity to participate in an Integration Project “seminar series,” starting this autumn.