Category: New Publication

Just War Theory with Dr. Rudolf J. Siebert

On April 13, 2024, I had the great opportunity to talk with the Critical Theorist and WWII combat veteran, Rudolf J. Siebert, about St. Augustine’s Just War Theory, as well as its further development into international law. We also discussed the many times when the Just War Theory has been violated by those who proclaim their adherence to it, especially in the West. If you’d like more information on the work of Rudolf J. Siebert, see the website dedicated to his work: www.dialectical-religion.org

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“Christian Resistance to Fascism” with Rudolf J. Siebert

On February 24th, 2024, I had the great honor of discussing the “Christian Resistance to Fascism” with the Critical Theorist and Catholic Theologian, Dr. Rudolf J. Siebert. This discourse follows up our last two, “The Fascist Temptation” and “The Democratic Response to the Far-Right and Fascism,” both available on the Rudolf J. Siebert Audio-Visual Archive on YouTube. In this discourse, Dr. Siebert discusses his experience with Christianity in the Weimar Republic and the Third Reich and its responses to the rise of fascism. Additionally, we discussed our current situation, wherein new versions of fascism have begun to arise within the Neo-liberal and post-secular states. This discourse was sponsored by Ekpyrosis Press and the Institute for Critical Social Theory.

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“The Democratic Response to the Far-Right and Fascism” with Dr. Rudolf J. Siebert

On January 27, 2024, I had the pleasure to meet with Dr. Rudolf J. Siebert, my doktorvater, for a follow-up discussion to our previous discourse on “The Temptation of Fascism.” This time, we discussed the history and importance of the “Democratic Response to the Far-Right and Fascism,” from the Third Reich until today. It is always a great honor to be a part of these events, and I look forward to doing many more in the future. For more information on Dr. Siebert, please see his website: www.dialectical-religion.org

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Talking Erich Fromm and Religion

On January 21st, 2024, I had a wonderful opportunity to discuss the topic of Erich Fromm and religion with numerous great scholars, including Rudolf J. Siebert, Hille Haker, Reiner Funk, Joan Braune and numerous others. The event was organized by Maor Levitin on behalf of the Erich Fromm Society of North America. My presentation discussed the need for the political Left to reengage with religion, to develop an humanistic/religious ecumenicism along the lines of Erich Fromm’s psychoanalytic philosophy, lest the “catalogue” of religion become the sole possession of the far-right, who would use it as a weapon against the unwanted “others.” A video of the discourse will be made available at a later time.

“Can Religion be Rescued in the 21st Century? Erich Fromm’s Religious Humanism and Authoritarian Populism”
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“Fire on the Mountain: Media, Religion, Nationalism” – CU-Boulder

On January 12th, 2024, I had the great pleasure of presenting my work at the “Fire on the Mountain” conference at the University of Colorado-Boulder, sponsored by the Center for Media, Religion, and Culture. My presentation was on the Neo-Eurasianism of Alexander Dugin and the temptation is presents for many on the Left, who, like Alexander Dugin, are critics of the Neo-Liberal hegemony, but are unaware of the fascist roots of Dugin’s philosophy. The presentation was well received and we had a fruitful discussion afterwards. While it was bitterly cold, the fires of academic inquiry kept us warm! Much gratitude to Nabil Echchaibi for organizing the conference and CU-Boulder for hosting it.

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The Fascist Temptation

I recently had the opportunity to discuss “The Fascist Temptation” with Dr. Rudolf J. Siebert, critical theorist, sociologist, and theologian. In the video we discuss the issue of fascism from Siebert’s youth in the Third Reich to the present moment. As a life-long anti-fascist, Dr. Siebert understands fascism not only as an ideology, but also a seductive experience, one that remains a danger especially within democratic societies and must be rejected and continuously fought against. This discourse was sponsored by Ekpyrosis Press and the Institute for Critical Social Theory.

For more information on Dr. Siebert and his work, check out his website: dialectical-religion.org

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Gregory Baum: Life, Work, and Friendship

On September 9th, 2023, I had a wonderful opportunity to discuss the life, work, and long friendship between the Catholic theologian, Gregory Baum, and the critical theorist, Rudolf J. Siebert. Gregory was born in Berlin but emigrated to Canada during World War II. While coming from a Jewish family, he eventually converted to Catholicism and became a Catholic priest, after reading St. Augustine’s Confessions. Along with Johannes Baptist Metz and Hans Küng, Baum was a a “peritus,” or theological advisor during the Second Vatican Council, where he was instrumental in rewriting the church’s relationship with the Jews – no longer calling for their conversions. He was also very interested in the Critical Theory of Religion, as developed by the Frankfurt School.

Baum passed away in October of 2017 in Canada. He was a prolific writer, scholar, and speaker, and a long-time friend of my doktorvater, Rudolf J. Siebert. I hope you all enjoy the discussion.

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Rudolf J. Siebert on “Liberation Theology: Past, Present, and Future.”

On June 28th, 2023, I had the opportunity to discuss the topic of Liberation Theology with the Critical Theorist and theologian, Dr. Rudolf J. Siebert. We covered many elements of Liberation Theology, including its history, the influence of Marxism and the Frankfurt School on it, as well as the opposition it withstood by the institutional Catholic Church. The discourse was sponsored by Ekpyrosis Press and the Institute for Critical Social Theory.

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