Augustine, Calvin, Neopaganism, and Post Christendom — Part 1 | Michael Heiser

Part 2: https://youtu.be/RCGhpOu4jJw The presentation "The Post-Christian Future: Thinking Theologically About the Utopian Impulse as a Perversion of the Judeo-Christian Worldview" explores the recurring cultural and political drive to create a perfect society—which the speaker calls the "utopian impulse"—as a theological and historical thought experiment. It highlights how throughout history, the desire for utopia, an ideal but imaginary society of harmony, social justice, egalitarianism, and peace, often masks a totalitarian agenda involving control, enforcement, and elimination of dissent. The presentation outlines typical utopian elements such as ecological sustainability, political order, equality, progress through science and technology, and religious syncretism or anti-religiosity. Historical examples include Plato's Republic, Augustine's City of God, Calvin's Geneva, Thomas More’s Utopia, American transcendentalism, Marxism, 20th-century progressivism, and dystopian critiques like Huxley’s Brave New World and Orwell’s 1984, as well as communal religious experiments like the Shakers. The speaker critiques the marketing of utopian ideals, especially the state control of resources such as food, and warns of demographic and population control dynamics linked to eugenics and government interventions. The talk emphasises that even Christians are not immune to utopian thinking, which conflicts theologically with biblical worldview, and sets the stage for a deeper theological evaluation in a subsequent session about how the believing community should respond to these cultural trends. The narrative traces utopianism's persistent appeal despite its inherent dangers and failures, urging a critical theological reflection on the desire to forcibly create a perfect society. #UtopianImpulse #BiblicalWorldview #ChristianTheology #PostChristianFuture #CulturalCritique #UtopiaVsBiblicalTruth #Totalitarianism #ChristianResponse #CulturalAnalysis #ChristianFuture #UtopianThinking #FaithAndCulture #Eschatology #BiblicalPerspective #ChristianStrength