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Ep. 119: Walking the Edge

Published: 2018-06-04 15:16:00
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Bozeman, MT- Steven Rinella talks with historian and religious scholar Bracy V. Hill, along with Michelle Jorgensen and Janis Putelis of the MeatEater crew. Subjects Discussed: The intersection of religion and the history of hunting in America; the evolution of America's hunting culture; a two-part history of Paul/Saul; the connection between the creation story and blue laws; radical religious groups; masculinity and the symbol of life and death; the saga of Jacob and Esau; hunters walking the edge; feast and famine; what's up with Nimrod?; God is a hunter; a religious critique of hunting; rock concerts and religious experiences; and more.

 

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Referenced Books

undaunted courage
by Stephen Ambrose
Referenced as an example of a secondary source when discussing the difference between primary and secondary historical sources, contrasted with the Lewis and Clark journals which are primary sources
Referenced at 00:00:08
Arctic Dreams
by Barry Lopez
Speaker mentions reading this book years ago, specifically the epilogue where Lopez is hunting walrus with Alaska natives and alludes to the reconciliation of Jacob and Esau, which sparked the speaker's interest in the intersection of hunting and religion
Referenced at 00:00:08
Confessions
by Augustine
Mentioned as an autobiography written by Augustine in the late 300s AD, discussed in the context of historical Christian theological works that influenced interpretations of Nimrod
Referenced at 00:00:08
City of God
by Augustine
Referred to as 'basically Two Cities,' described as Augustine's attempt to understand what was happening with Rome after it was sacked by the Visigoths in 410 AD
Referenced at 00:00:08
Hunting in the American Imagination
by Daniel Justin Herman
Strongly recommended book that came out around 2000-2001, now out of print. Described as developing the distinction between sport hunters and pot hunters in American history. The speaker credits it as laying important groundwork despite some disagreements
Referenced at 00:00:08
A Sand County Almanac
by Aldo Leopold
Referenced in discussion of Christian ethicists turning to Leopold's work, particularly the story of the wolf with 'green eyes' and the concept of thinking long-term like 'the Mountain sees it' in game management
Referenced at 00:00:08
Scandal of the Evangelical Mind
by Mark Noll
Quoted for the line 'the problem with the evangelical mind is there is no evangelical mind,' used to parallel the speaker's argument about Christian hunters not thinking critically about their identity as both Christian and hunter
Referenced at 00:00:08
Knowing Creation: Perspectives on Theology, Philosophy and Science
by Andrew Torrance and Thomas McCall
Recently published book from which the speaker quotes extensively about how Christian scientists (and by extension hunters) should approach their work through a Christian worldview. The speaker mentions teaching Andrew Torrance in ninth grade
Referenced at 00:00:08
God Nimrod and the World: Exploring Christian perspectives on sport hunting
by Bracy V. Hill
This is the main book being discussed throughout the interview, published by Mercer University Press in their Sports and Religion series. It's a composite work with multiple contributors examining hunting from Christian theological and historical perspectives
Referenced at 00:00:08