Explaining David Bentley Hart's 'All Things are Full of Gods' (Part 1)

In this series, we'll attempt to distill the essential ideas and arguments from each chapter of David Bentley Hart's new book "All Things are Full of Gods."

Tell me in the comments what you thought about this chapter!
Ask questions! Share counterpoints! Let's get our own dialogue going.

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[JustErics]

Can’t wait to buy this book! I’m not a Christian but DBH has given me a deeper respect and appreciation for Christianity, and religions in general.

[ericparnell]

Thank you so much for doing this. I always find DBH's books hard to get through but worth it. Your explanations clarified the ideas considerably.

[withoutlimits]

Been meaning to pick this up, used this vid as a preview. The Experience of God is my favorite book, so to hear him say this is a kind of sequel has me excited.

[mattwillis]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for doing this! Really helping me to better understand and enjoy the material. (Most of it is so over my head.)

[J.Tom.S]

Started this, but stopped when you pleaded to please read first. Ordering it now. I’ll be back.

It is an interesting cultural moment between Heiser, Hart, Pageau, Vervaeke, Lewis’ Space Trilogy having its moment…all discussing, in different ways, the divine realm. But then I just finished Kaufmann’s The Religion of Israel which basically blew my mind. He couldn’t have taken a more opposite position than the previous writers. I don’t agree with him, but it was a compelling argument.

[jj]

Welcome back. Have you done a review on That All Shall Be Saved? Would love to hear your thoughts on Christian universalism. DBH is so good.

[RichardCosci]

Thanks for doing this book review! Hart is one of my favorite theologians. I have read several of his books, “You are all Gods” being my favorite so far. I will order this one and the previous one you mentioned, and follow along with you.

[J.Tom.S]

I love the platonic dialogue structure. It feels like the arguments are set free. Without being bogged down by all the minutiae that often accompanies more academic presentations, the arguments can be considered “on their face”. The de-centering, as you mentioned, helps with this a great deal too.

Hephaestus isn’t straw-manned (although perhaps others would disagree). I like that he is respected within the dialogue by the other participants. I did keep hearing in my head while listening, “the God of the gaps” argument I have heard often with other materialists with whom I have discussed these things.

The subjective-objective delineation and discussion helped me see things in ways I don’t think I ever have before.

[makaminsk]

Bizarre after all the Hermes discussion around Vervaeke that this now comes out. I would love to see Hart & him have a conversation about it. Thanks for the video, I need help when I read Hart:)

[MyLorica]

I paused at 9 mins as you noted the need to read chapter 1. I found the material exciting and tying into maby questions im pondering, and your discussion thoughful and nunaced.
Book ordered.

[tombelt]

Good stuff Paul. In min 13, summarizing DBH, you say “rational activity is the by-product of our finite participation in the infinite horizon…[13:54]” I think DBH would say rationality ‘is’ participation, which is a bit different from saying it’s a ‘by-product’ of participation. Maybe that’s all you meant as well.

[DouglasSponsler]

I want so badly to read this book. And I'll echo what you said about The Experience of God --- it was certainly a watershed experience in my theological journey.

Have you ever read George MacDonald's sermon "The Voice of Job" from Unspoken Sermons II? One of the things MacDonald does in that sermon is attack the materialism of his day, and he does so with characteristic power and grace.

[Jordan-hzwr]

This is extremely helpful! I’ve read hart for years and wish I had a video like this before getting into all of his work.

[author.gggodchild]

I have saved this to watch later for one of my next stories. Very interesting!

[AnalysisWithAlex]

This book sounds sick! Excited for this series. I should probably buy the book or something...

[torubleful]

Came here to watch this video, which is great, but now I want to watch some of your other videos. Some really interesting topics.

[transfigured]

Keep this up Paul! This was great. (haven't read the book yet, but I hopefully will!)

[encounteringthetrinity]

In your own way, as brilliant as DBH himself. Happy to have found a new Hermes for the theandric vision of the cosmic liturgy!

[billwilkie]

Talk of Lewis here and what appears like soothing the pre-fears of paganphobic evangelicals is a waste of time.
Otherwise I'm loving it.

[onceamusician]

but all things are NOT full of Gods.

this is a plain and simple fact

or would you have me think that Auschwitz was full of Gods.

After all it is a thing it exists so it comes under the rubric of ALL

all things are NOT full of Gods

end of story