A major thank you to everyone who helped us put on our conference in Birmingham, AL, especially all the good people at Cathedral Church of the Advent. What a delightful and inspiring time it was! Lots of laughter, a few tears, some great food and tons of new connections, we could not be more grateful. The audio files for the presentations are below, listed in chronological order, and are embedded to be playable on this site. You may download them by clicking on the title. We have also provided links to where you may purchase the media that was used in conjunction with the talks. As always, we offer everything to you free of charge. If you were unable to attend the event and would like contribute to the cost of putting it on, you may do so here.
Devotion 1: Herod’s Hunger – Gil Kracke
Welcome and Introduction: Reality, Period – David Zahl
Why We Always Lose When We Keep Score – Paul Walker
Clips Used: “When Good Kids Go Bad” episode of Modern Family and “The Puffy Shirt” episode of Seinfeld.
Devotion 2: Nolan Ryan and the Thief on the Cross – Frank Limehouse
Game Over: The Foolish Wisdom of God, Part 1 – Paul Walker
Clips Used: “Man Versus Possum” episode of Parenthood and “War on War”
The Curse of Autonomy and the Hope of a New Word – David Browder
Clip Used: Orson Welles’ film adaptation of Frank Kafka’s The Trial.
You’re Not Wrong, Walter: Love in a Time of Argument – David Zahl
Clip Used: “The Lip Reader” episode of Seinfeld.
Devotion 3: Satisfaction and a Post-Scripted Life – Gil Kracke
Game Over: The Foolish Wisdom of God, Part 2 (and Q&A) – Paul Walker
Clip Used: “Who Do You Think You Are?” episode of This American Life (#368).
The main books mentioned in the talks are Kingdom, Grace, Judgment: Paradox, Outrage, and Vindication in the Parables of Jesus by Robert Farrar Capon and Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts by Elliot Aronson and Carol Tavris. Stay tuned for information about Paul Zahl’s The Merciful Impasse: The Sermon on the Mount for People Who’ve Crashed (and Burned), coming later this week!
Bonus Track: Grace in Families – Mary Zahl (from her Pre-Conference Presentation on 10/28)
24 comments
Cindy Sullivan says:
Nov 1, 2011
Thanks for an awesome weekend, you guys! I met some awesome people and left feeling like my brain and heart had been put to some good use.
Jim McNeely says:
Nov 1, 2011
LOVED it! It was great to meet everyone face to face, make some new friends, and have some delicious conversations over beers. The hospitality was overwhelming – thanks Robin! Not to mention the talks – Paul Walker was fantastic. I took the liberty of doing a little write-up about the content here.
Emily says:
Nov 2, 2011
Loved having yall in Birmingham! The talks were amazing!!
John Zahl says:
Nov 2, 2011
What a great conference! These talks are worth their weight in gold.
John Zahl says:
Nov 2, 2011
note: 1 minute of a talk is equivalent to 1lbs.
Spencer Leffel says:
Nov 2, 2011
Thanks for a joyous and inspiring conference! All of the speakers were great. I’ve got to mention David Browder, whose talk was simultaneously enlightening, mystifying, and hilarious.
Jason says:
Nov 2, 2011
Just finished listening to the conference and loved it!!! Can’t get enough Grace………. Enjoyed the “This American Life” reference too. If you like that podcast check out the MOTH (http://www.themoth.org)
jason says:
Nov 2, 2011
Theological note: Grace is always complete and sufficient in its work but we can never hear it proclaimed to much.
John Zahl says:
Nov 3, 2011
That bonus track “Grace in Families” is a must for any parents! I challenge you not to cry while listening to it.
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