The Mind Renewed : Thinking Christianly in a New World Order

"Our lives are woven together in a fabric, but the connections that make society strong also make it vulnerable."—Threads (1984) For the 18th TMR Movie Roundtable we welcome back our good friends Antony Rotunno, Frank Johnson and Mark Campbell for another of our four-way discussions, this time on the disturbing (because uncomfortably realistic) nuclear-apocalyptic BBC/Nine Network (Australia) film Threads from 1984. Written by Barry Hines ("A Kestral for a Knave", 1968 / "Kes", 1969) and directed by Mick Jackson ("The Bodyguard", 1992), Threads is a merciless exploration—supported by considerable scientific and government policy research—of the devastating physical, psychological and societal effects of thermonuclear war. Set in the UK city of Sheffield during a period of spiralling tensions between the United States of America and the former Soviet Union, Threads takes the viewer on a uniquely challenging journey: from kitchen sink drama to pseudo-documentary, as we witness the lives of everyday people (just like ourselves) being destroyed, or changed forever, by the blast, heat and radiation of a thermonuclear event. (Please be warned: Threads is a disturbing film—it's supposed to be—but it's also a very important film, which I think as many people (adults) as possible should see. But, again, please do be prepared to watch something that might affect you deeply.) Join us as we discuss the production and consider its message during this period of rising international tensions in the world today. [For show notes please visit https://themindrenewed.com]

At long last, here is Part Two* of our latest conversation with UK evangelist Vince McCann—host of the Chenzo1969 YouTube channel—on his long-time ministry of speaking with Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons (and others) on the streets of UK towns and cities in the prayerful hope of reaching people for Christ. Drawing upon his extensive experience of such street ministry, Vince shares with us some practical advice that might help us in our own conversations with people caught up in New Religious Movements that claim the Bible as a foundational text. (*I decided, for reasons explained in Part One, to publish this interview in two parts.) [For show notes please visit https://themindrenewed.com]

It is with great pleasure that we welcome back to the programme the UK evangelist Vince McCann—host of the Chenzo1969 YouTube channel—for Part One* of a relaxed and unstructured conversation on his long-time ministry speaking to Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons (and others) on the streets of UK towns and cities in the prayerful hope of reaching people for Christ. Drawing upon his extensive experience of such street ministry, Vince shares with us some practical advice that might help us in our own conversations with people caught up in New Religious Movements that claim the Bible as a foundational text. (Vince joined us back in 2014 to talk about the dangers of the Ouija Board.) (*I have decided, for reasons explained in the podcast, to publish this interview in two parts. Please check back in a couple of weeks or so for part two.) [For show notes please visit https://themindrenewed.com]

"...we wouldn't want to put somebody up on a sloped roof."—Kimberly Cheatle Once again out of the blue—or out of the red, white and blue (sorry, I couldn't resist)—I'm putting out another short podcast, this time in response to the events of last Saturday in Pennsylvania, in which Donald Trump, as we all know, was very nearly assassinated by an allegedly "lone gunman" in front of the watching world. It's amazing how the "news cycle" speeds along though, isn't it? Already it's getting harder to find mention of it in "mainstream" news outlets. But this was a momentous event—and one that, as nearly everyone is saying, may well propel Trump into the White House for a second term (assuming another assassination attempt isn't successful). Anyway, essentially what I'm doing here is to "riff" in audio form on some notes that I've been making at TMR over the last several days. It's not a deep analysis; I'm not claiming that I've got everything right, and I'm certainly open to changing my mind on any of it as I'm exposed to new information. So, please take it for what it is: thoughts, musings, trying to make sense of what happened... and basically being someone, who, like you, has the audacity (nay, effrontery) to think about matters that one is told one should leave entirely to unimpeachable organs of the state (like the FBI). [For show notes please visit https://themindrenewed.com]

For the 17th TMR Movie Roundtable we welcome back our good friends Frank Johnson, Antony Rotunno and Mark Campbell for another four-way discussion, this time on the cult British supernatural horror film The Appoinrment (1981/2) starring Edward Woodward and directed by Lindsey C Vickers. "An evil and enigmatic entity throws a family into turmoil in Lindsey C. Vickers' much sought-after cult horror. Unable to attend his daughter’s violin recital, suburban father Ian—played by Edward Woodward (The Wicker Man)—is haunted by a series of prophetic nightmares that seem to foresee a looming tragedy. Are dark forces gathering to be unleashed upon him?"—BFI.org.uk After initial screenings at film festivals in the early 1980s, The Appointment wasn't released in cinemas or on television (for various unfathomable reasons) but only on home media, although it did eventually get broadcast on UK regional television in the 1990s—a showing that, ironically enough, its director missed!. Ever since, many have searched for the film—religiously scanning TV schedules and hunting in second-hand shops in the hope tracking down one of those old VHS or Betamax video tapes—but it was not until 2022 that the film became widely available once again thanks to the British Film Institute and the film's director Lindsey Vickers (who was extensively involved in the project). The Appointment is now available on Blu-ray Disc as part of the BFI Flipside series (see show notes). Join us as we discuss the production and reflect theologically/philosophically on the themes and meanings of this almost-lost cult British movie. [For show notes please visit https://themindrenewed.com]

"I think, as we are forced from the centre—but, even better, as we relinquish the centre, and let go of power among ourselves and in culture, and become more dependent on God—that our spiritual power will, in a sense, return."—Dr Mark Glanville We welcome to the programme Dr Mark Glanville, Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology at Regent College, Vancouver, for a conversation—in words and music—on his recently published book, Improvising Church : Scripture as the Source of Harmony, Rhythm, and Soul (InterVarsity Press, Academic, 2024). "The post-Christian cultural turn is creating the conditions for a crisis of confidence in the church and in pastoral ministry. While such changes can be disruptive and disconcerting, our new cultural reality makes the present moment a uniquely exciting time to reimagine churches that bear witness to Christ. How do we move beyond cookie-cutter approaches (which may have worked in the past) to building the creative, compassionate, and incarnational churches we long for? Biblical scholar and accomplished jazz pianist Mark Glanville plays with a metaphor of improvisation to chart twelve themes as the key "notes" on which Christian communities play as they bear witness to God in the world today. Building on these two dynamic traditions—jazz music and Christian community—Improvising Church unfolds a biblical, practical, and inventive vision for churches seeking to receive and extend the healing of Christ."—(IVPress.com) [For show notes please visit https://themindrenewed.com]

Another short podcast just to explain what's been going on with TMR over the last several weeks. As some of you may know (if you've been to the Schedule Page recently), the TMR website was suspended near the beginning of April for technical reasons—although initially I thought it might be for political reasons, but thankfully it wasn't. To remedy the situation, I had to delete all the audio files from the server within seven days—(or else the suspension would be repeated)—which, of course, left the website as a kind of empty shell of podcast descriptions with no audio content. Then I was left with the question: What now? Was there a practical alternative for hosting TMR's content? Or was it all over? Please join me on my short walk in the depths—well, not quite "the depths"—of the Lancashire countryside as I explain a little more about what's been preoccupying me for the last several weeks. [For show notes please visit https://themindrenewed.com]

"We are being furtively nudged, on an unprecedented scale, to obey the doctrines of the world's elite."—Dr Gary Sidley We welcome to the programme Dr Gary Sidley—a former NHS Consultant Clinical Psychologist—for an interview on the UK government's morally questionable use of "nudge" techniques during the Covid Event, the extent to which Nudge Theory is being employed more generally by government, and the serious ethical questions entailed. (Dr Sidley is a freelance writer, trainer, and blogger, who in 2013 retired as a Professional Lead/Consultant Clinical Psychologist after 33 continuous years in the NHS working in psychiatric nursing and clinical psychology. In early 2020 he became extremely concerned about the government’s response to the ‘coronavirus crisis’, and began writing on the subject at his well-known Coronababble blog. Gary is a member of the Health Advisory & Recovery Team (HART) and the Smile Free campaign to lift all mask mandates. He is currently leading on a research project into the UK’s deployment of behavioural science strategies during the Covid Event, and the ethical implications of the state using these methods on its own people.) [For show notes please visit https://themindrenewed.com]

For the 16th Movie Roundtable—or rather Dialogue this time—we are joined once again by our good friend Antony Rotunno, for a discussion on Stanley Kubrick's classic movie Dr Strangelove (1964), starring Peter Sellers, George C Scott and Sterling Hayden (among others). Imagining the USA to be inflitrated by Soviet polluters of the domestic water supply, the deranged General Jack D Ripper, commander of Burpelson Air Force Base, initiates "Wing Attack Plan R"... and you probably know the rest! This one has been near the top of my "roundtable" list for some time, but it took Antony's particular fondness for it to nudge it into first place. And I'm very glad of that; it's a truly great film, and my enthusiasm for it has only continued to grow as I've rewatched, read and thought about it again over the last few weeks. Some say Dr Strangelove is the darkest of all comedies. And maybe that's so. Could there be anything darker than a nuclear end to the world brought about by human madness, ignorance, stupidity and hubris? Or a "Mutually Assured Destruction" revealing itself to be exactly that—M.A.D.? And yet, somehow, Kubrick and his brilliant team manage to make us laugh. Almost in spite of ourselves. After all, no matter how "over the top" it all might seem, there's always been something very real about Dr Strangelove. And I think we know it. Join us as we discuss the production, consider its themes, and reflect on (just some of) what the film might have to say to us today. [For show notes please visit https://themindrenewed.com]

"Just as jellyfish, and woodpeckers, and ostriches have no rights, Homo sapiens have no rights also."—Yuval Noah Harari (2014) Once again, out of the blue, I'm putting out a short podcast. (This time it really is quite short.) It has to do with a TEDx talk by a certain Dr Yuval Noah Harari—a well-known professor of history and "public intellectual" (who is mates with Star Fleet Commander Klaus Schwab, I believe)—which he gave almost ten years ago, but which has recently "gone viral" and drawn comment from everyone and their cat (and their dog and their rabbit). Quite understandably though, because in that talk Dr Harari said some rather controversial things—things like: "Just as jellyfish, and woodpeckers, and ostriches have no rights, Homo sapiens have no rights also." Which—again, understandably—has niggled people somewhat. So, given that I was also niggled somewhat, I thought I'd niggle back. Somewhat. And share my nigglings. Anyway, that's what it's about. A niggle. [For show notes please visit https://themindrenewed.com]

"People went a little crazy, a little fascist, during the so-called Covid pandemic. And now, here we are. There are two roads ahead. We have to choose ... you, me, all of us."—CJ Hopkins Out of the blue, I'm putting out a short podcast—short by my standards, that is; it's still almost half an hour—in which I simply talk about three recent (related) events that I think are important to note. And I'm calling it "Three Crumbings" because each item, in its own way, symbolises the ongoing crumbling of the old covid narrative as it tries to slope off into the distance in the hope of being forgotten. I won't reveal what items one and two are here—you'll probably know them anyway—but item three (which maybe fewer of you know about, and which is the main reason for doing this) concerns the extraordinary case of CJ Hopkins, the American playwright, author and political satirist living in Berlin whose court case has just ended with his being found not guilty of something that it was patently obvious he wasn't guilty of in the first place! "Kafkaesque" he calls it, and rightly so. Anyway, that's what it's about. [For show notes please visit https://themindrenewed.com]

If a $6,000,000 golden toilet fell on a spider would it look like an accident? Why are Vegemite sandwiches outlawed in Van Diemen's Land under the Treason Felony Act of 1848? How many giant mammoth meatballs does US President O'Biden keep under his chin? And will Frank Johnson raise enough cash through this evening's kickstarter to fund his ological research into the question: "Was Jesus born in Somerset?" These (and other important questions) are answered as we kick off 2024 here at TMR with our annual New Year's Eve show, a zany roundtable chat with high-ranking members of The Fireside Nephilim Chaps secret society. Join us—Jenifer Thyssen (classical singer), GK (Like Flint Radio), Frank Johnson (toaster strudel), Jeff Bankens (Strongman for Christ), Charles Philip Arthur George Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (affectionately known as His Majesty King Charles III, King of the United Kingdon and Other Commonwealth Realms), and Yours Truly—as we put aside the cares of this world for about an hour and discuss everything under the sun in aid of Frank's latest skientific research. [For show notes please visit https://themindrenewed.com]

“It is a personal film, and no reviewer, or critic, or viewer has ever given an interpretation that is my interpretation.”—David Lynch For the 15th Movie Roundtable here at TMR we welcome back our good friends Frank Johnson, Antony Rotunno and Mark Campbell for another four-way discussion, this time on David Lynch's cult surrealist "horror" film Eraserhead from 1977. Or is that perhaps not quite right? Each of us in the discussion loves the film Eraserhead (for various reasons), but I don't think any of us finds it exactly horrifying. Certainly, my reaction is more one of bemusement plus amusement, and the feeling that I'm a fly on the wall inside someone else's nightmare. So perhaps it would be better (for me) to call Eraserhead a "cult surrealist dark comedy nightmare film"? Or maybe that's not quite right either. Perhaps: a "cult surrealist nightmare-that-is-somehow-also-dark-comedy-without-ceasing-to-be-a-nightmare film"? That works for me, but I'd be just as happy to say that this film—which seems as strange today as when it first came out back in 1977—simply defies description. Join us as we discuss the film's production, ponder its meaning(s)—or lack thereof (?)—and consider what this "dream of dark and troubling things” might have to "say" to us today. [For show notes please visit https://themindrenewed.com]

"There is no innocent explanation for a fraudulent autopsy."—Jacob Hornberger For the 60th anniversary of the tragic assassination of US President John F Kennedy on the 22nd of November 1963, we welcome back to the programme Jacob Hornberger, founder and president of The Future of Freedom Foundation in the US. Drawing upon his book The Kennedy Autopsy, and Douglas Horne's five-volume Inside the Assassination Records Review Board, Jacob Hornberger introduces us to many of the key controversies surrounding JFK's autopsy and explains why he believes there is no longer room for reasonable doubt that significant fraud was committed. Noting that "there is no innocent explanation for a fraudulent autopsy" and that it was carried out under military supervision, Jacob further argues that we are left with no option but to conclude that what took place was part of a regime-change operation by the US national security establishment. [For show notes please visit https://themindrenewed.com]

"These tumour cells don't know what hit them; they're struggling for their own existence."—Thomas N Seyfried We are joined by Professor Thomas N Seyfried, PhD—Professor of Biology at Boston College, Massachusetts, US—for an extended interview on his groundbreaking work into Cancer as a Metabolic Disease. In Professor Seyfried's view, cancer is best understood as a metabolic disease centred in mitochondrial dysfunction rather than primarily as a genetic disease (although, of course, genetic predispositon plays its part). This unconventional, but well-evidenced, concept promises to open the door to non-toxic cancer therapies using repurposed drugs in targeted ways (either instead of, or in addition to, chemotherapy and radiotherapy) in conjunction with ketogenic dietary strategies. (Professor Seyfried, who in 2012 published the groundbreaking work entitled Cancer as a Metabolic Disease : On the Origin, Management, and Prevention of Cancer, (Wiley : 2012), holds a PhD from the University of Illinois (1976), has a long and distinguished research record in areas such as Gene-Environmental Interactions, Lipid Biochemistry, Neurodegeneration, Ganglioside Storage Diseases, Epilepsy, Cancer, Metabolism, Brain Tumours, Autism, Ketogenic Diets, Dietary Energy Restriction, and currently serves as Professor of Biology at Boston College. In addition to having received numerous lifetime achievement awards for his work, he is also on the boards of several journals in the areas of his expertise.) Please note: Nothing in this conversation should be understood as personal medical advice. It is all for information purposes only. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, lifestyle, or medications. [For show notes please visit https://themindrenewed.com]

"The World Health Organization is attempting a global power grab."—James Roguski We are joined once again by the researcher, author and activist James Roguski for an update on the World Health Organisation's opaque and deeply concerning negotations to amend the International Health Regulations. As James explains: "The World Health Organization is attempting a GLOBAL POWER GRAB by seeking to have the 194 member nations of the World Health Assembly sign up to a completely new international agreement commonly referred to as the proposed “Pandemic Treaty”, in addition to seeking to adopt proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations. The proposed “Pandemic Treaty” would give the WHO control over “pathogens with pandemic potential” as well as control over the means of production within the Pharmaceutical, Hospital, Emergency Industrial Complex. It is an absolute abomination that must be stopped. The proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations would make the WHO’s proclamations legally binding rather than just advisory recommendations. The proposed amendments seek to institute global digital health certificates, dramatically increase the billions of dollars available to the WHO and enable nations to implement the regulations WITHOUT respect for the dignity, human rights and fundamental freedoms of people."—James Roguski [For show notes please visit https://themindrenewed.com]

For episode 300 of TMR—the 14th of our Movie Roundtables—we welcome back our good friends Mark Campbell, Frank Johnson and Antony Rotunno for a four-way discussion on the historical political thriller Thirteen Days (2000), starring Bruce Greenwood, Stephen Culp, Dylan Baker and Kevin Costner, directed by Roger Donaldson. Based upon the book The Kennedy Tapes : Inside the Cuban Missile Crisis by Ernest R May and Philip D Zelikow—(a massive work of over 700 pages containing transcripts of John F Kennedy's secret recordings of White House meetings during the Cuban Missile Crisis)—Thirteen Days retells and dramatises (with a mix of historical accuracy and artistic licence) the world-shaking events of 16th - 28th October 1962). Faced with photographic evidence of Russian nuclear missiles on Cuban soil during the height of the Cold War, Jack and Bobby Kennedy (along with various advisors) struggle to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the Crisis in the midst of fear, uncertainty and opposition from their military chiefs. Join us as we discuss the film's production, ponder its historicity, and ask if there is anything to be learnt from it for the present time. [For show notes please visit https://themindrenewed.com]

We are joined once again by Rev Phill Sacre—an ordained minister (Church of England) and host of the YouTube channel "Sacred Musings"—for another thought-provoking and wide-ranging "post-covid" conversation in the series: "Following Christ in the New Old Normal". Strange as it might seem—given that Phill's ordained, and I'm a Methodist lay preacher—this time we centre our conversation in the character of "Satan", or "The Satan" (to be more precise). Reflecting upon the clear manifestation of Evil in the world (particularly over the last three years)—and trying to make sense of the strange, seemingly ubiquitous eruption of (what one might call) "woke" sensibilities in recent times—we discuss questions such as: Who, or what, is "The Satan"? What does "he" do? What sort of influence does "he" have in the world? Where did "he" come from? Has "he" always been this way? What is that "serpent" in the Garden of Eden narrative anyway? Just a snake? Or have we been missing something deeper—that perhaps the prophets Ezekiel and Isaiah hint at—that might tell us something about "his" origins? (Phill is a Christian minister. Ordained in the Church of England, he formerly served in a parish on the Essex coast, but now leads an independent housechurch. He also runs the online ministries, "Understand the Bible" and "Sacred Musings : Building on Christian Foundations" (on YouTube).) [For show notes please visit https://themindrenewed.com]

We welcome to the programme Jacob Hornberger, founder and president of The Future of Freedom Foundation in the US, for an interview on the historical and political circumstances leading up to the assassination of John F Kennedy on the 22nd of November 1963. Centering in the thesis that Kennedy's assassination is best understood as an instance of the US national security state's exercise of its illegitimate power of assassination, we discuss subjects such as: The Bay of Pigs, The Cuban Missile Crisis, The Berlin Crisis of 1961, Laos, Vietnam, and the CIA's alleged involvement in various regime-change operations around the world. (It is hoped that this will be the first of a number of TMR podcasts during 2023 relating to JFK's assassination.) (Jacob Hornberger is founder and president of The Future of Freedom Foundation [FFF], a non-profit educational foundation in the United States whose mission is to present the principled case for the libertarian philosophy. He received his B.A. in economics from The Virginia Military Institute and his law degree from the University of Texas. After serving as a trial attorney for 12 years, he left the practice of law to enter the educational-foundation world. Jacob has written and spoken extensively on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and his assassination-related books include: An Encounter with Evil : The Abraham Zapruder Story; The Kennedy Autopsy; The Kennedy Autopsy 2; and Regime Change : The JFK Assassination. FFF has also published JFK’s War with the National-Security Establishment by Douglas Horne (who served on the staff of the Assassination Records Review Board), and CIA & JFK : The Secret Assassination Files by Jefferson Morley (a former investigative reporter for the Washington Post). FFF has also held two conferences relating to JFK, which featured presentations by Oliver Stone, Jeffrey Sachs, Stephen Kinzer, Michael J. Glennon, Ron Paul, Douglas Horne, Jefferson Morley, and others. Videos of the presentations at those conferences can be found in the Multimedia section of FFF’s website: fff.org.”)—FFF.org [For show notes please visit https://themindrenewed.com]

We welcome again Paul Marik, M.D., a former tenured Professor of Medicine and former Chief of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) in Norfolk, Virginia, US, and now Chairman and Chief Scientific Officer of the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC). Dr Marik—who joined us back in 2020 to talk about the Alliance's famous "MATH+" protocol for treating covid-19—this time introduces us to the FLCCC's "EAT WELL" guide to fasting and healthy eating. We also hear from Dr Marik how, through following principles such as these, he has been able to make significant improvements in his own metabolic health. Prior to co-founding the FLCCC, Dr Marik was best known for his revolutionary work in developing a life-saving protocol for sepsis, a condition that causes more than 250,000 deaths yearly in the U.S. alone. Dr Marik is an accomplished physician with special knowledge in a diverse set of medical fields, with specific training in Internal Medicine, Critical Care, Neurocritical Care, Pharmacology, Anesthesia, Nutrition, and Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. He is a former tenured Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) in Norfolk, Virginia. As part of his commitment to research and education, Dr Marik has written over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles, 80 book chapters and authored four critical care books. His efforts have provided him the distinction of the second most published critical care physician in the world. He has been cited over 43,000 times in peer-reviewed publications and has an H-index of 77. He has delivered over 350 lectures at international conferences and visiting professorships. As a result of his contributions, he has been the recipient of numerous teaching awards, including the National Teacher of the Year award by the American College of Physicians in 2017. In January 2022 Dr Marik retired from EVMS to focus on continuing his leadership of the FLCCC and has already co-authored over 10 papers on therapeutic aspects of treating COVID-19. In March 2022 Dr Marik received a commendation by unanimous vote by the Virginia House of Delegates for “his courageous treatment of critically ill COVID-19 patients and his philanthropic efforts to share his effective treatment protocols with physicians around the world.”—FLCCC Alliance NB: Nothing said in this podcast is personal medical advice. It is for information purposes only. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet or taking any food supplements or medications. [For show notes please visit https://themindrenewed.com]