Pete Pajakowski: Lester Burnham's Rejection of Nihilism Part 1

Pete Pajakowski returns to the Urban Achiever's Podcast to pick up from when we last met.  We discuss nihilism; its etymology, symptoms, and the consequences therein when the crater created by one's own battle with existentialism is filled with.... nothing.  Furthermore, Western creation theories are teased apart and analyzed, in an attempt to wonder about what gives that "voice" in our head a platform for religious foundation.  Furthermore, the question of how one overcomes "evangelical atheism" to foster a deeper gratitude for life, ergo the understanding that life doesn't require our perpetuity to be grateful.  Pete is a graduate of Indiana University Bloomington and the University of Notre Dame where he majored in theology and religious studies. American Beauty Official Trailer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ly7rq5EsTC8  American Beauty: What It All Meant (Spoiler Warning):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giiPpjNcr1g  Eugene Gendlin, Focusing - psychotherapist who correlated the concept of befindlichkeit from phenomenology to the underlying conscious state in which we experience dysphoria and estrangement  Paul Tillich, The Dynamics of Faith -the idea of faith as "ultimate concern". Profound in its use of existential philosophy as a hermeneutical lens for Christian apologetics  Gareth Moore, Believing in God - Wittgenstein scholar showing in a very accessible way the rather profound metaphysical implications of taking a hard look at what we mean when use6the word "God" in our language  Robert Sokolowski, The God of Faith and Reason- The concept of the Christian Distinction is from this book. Not the most easily accessible book for non-theologians Martin Heidegger "What is Metaphysics?" from Basic Writings: The question of "why Being at all, why not nothing?" is formulated in this essay  Eugene Gendlin, "Befindlichkeit: Heidegger and the Philosophy of Psychology", Review of Existential Psychology & Psychiatry: Heidgger and Psychology Vol. XVI, Nos. I, 2 & 3, 1978-79: This is where the concept of befindlichkeit is discussed in an accessible way , Review of Existential Psychology & Psychiatry: Heidgger and Psychology Vol. XVI, Nos. I, 2 & 3, 1978-79: This is where the concept of befindlichkeit is discussed in an accessible way Music featured in this session: Lonely Few by Beth Bombara --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/abiders-urban-achiever/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/abiders-urban-achiever/support