Subversive Orthodoxy
Outlaws, Revolutionaries, and Other Christians in Disguise Subversive Orthodoxy is a place for people who are burned by politics. We're tired of culture wars and worn-out ideologies, but still have some hope that the Judeo-Christian story has something real to offer the modern world. We take a clear-eyed look at how an ancient faith, often written off as outdated or oppressive, might actually help renew our public life, our imagination, and the way we treat one another. This is not about nostalgia or picking political sides, rather its about undercutting polarization and re-humanizing ourselves in civic love and respect. These voices provide a grounded, generous, honest faith that does not bow to the usual powers, whether that is the empire, the enlightenment, or the myth of endless progress. It is about bringing back humility. It is about re-humanizing our neighbors in a distracted age. We try to do this through thoughtful conversation, reflection, and creativity. If this resonates, we would be glad to have you along for the journey. Hosted by: Travis Mullen and Robert "Larry" Inchausti, Professor Emeritus of English at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Episodes
We trace existentialism from Kierkegaard’s pivot to the single individual before God to the secular push for meaning without God, then test what still helps in a noisy, anxious culture. We offer a grounded practice of stillness and a challenge to choose rather than drift.
• what existentialism means and why it endures
• Kierkegaard’s shift from systems to the single individual before God
• Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sar...
We trace Dostoevsky’s polyphonic craft through the Karamazov brothers, probe Ivan’s moral revolt, and unpack the Grand Inquisitor’s claim that people prefer miracle, mystery, and authority to freedom. A silent kiss, not an argument, becomes the counter-move to control.
• polyphony as method and why it matters
• Dimitri, Ivan, and Alyosha as desire, reason, and heart
• Ivan’s scrapbook of atrocities and moral revolt...
In Part Two of our Dostoevsky series we move from diagnosing the underground to exploring the way out. Dostoevsky shows us that the true hero is not the exceptional man but the good man, and goodness is only remarkable in its ability to love while knowing the depths of the underground.
We explore how Father Zosima counsels the brokenhearted with hope that refuses to collapse into platitudes, and how his radical teaching—“I am respo...
Fyodor Dostoevsky revolutionized literature by creating battlegrounds of the mind and heart where faith and darkness constantly struggle for dominance. His concept of "the psychology of the underground" offers profound insights into human nature, revealing how our willfulness often overrides our reason in ways that defy rational explanation.
• Born in 1821, Dostoevsky's life was shaped by trauma—his father&a...
Episode #11: Life After Deconstruction, How to Be Free Without Losing Your Soul: Nikolai Berdyaev (part two)
Contact: subversiveorthodoxy@gmail.com
Instagram: @subversiveorthodoxy
Host: Travis Mullen Instagram: @manartnation
Co-Host: Robert L. Inchausti, PhD, is Professor Emeritus of English at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and is the author of numerous books, ...
Nikolai Berdyaev challenges both Marxism and bourgeois liberalism with his prophetic vision of freedom rooted in Orthodox Christianity, not in political centrism.
• Exiled Russian philosopher who viewed freedom as cosmic and primordial—the very ground of human existence
• Criticized the "bourgeois spirit" as a degrading clutching after security and small-mindedness
• Rejected institutional religion and re...
Travis Mullen and Professor Robert Inchausti explore G.K. Chesterton's insights on how Christianity transcends cultural collapse and continually renews itself throughout history. They examine Chesterton's paradoxical understanding of orthodoxy as something exciting and revolutionary rather than stale or safe.
• Chesterton identified five historical periods when Christianity supposedly "died" but was act...
Wonder as rebellion. That's the surprising path Gilbert Keith Chesterton blazed through the intellectual landscape of early 20th century England—and precisely why his voice feels so startlingly relevant to our screen-addicted, anxiety-ridden modern world.
Born into the spiritual uncertainty of late Victorian England, Chesterton emerged as perhaps the most joyful apologist Christianity has ever known. Where others defe...
This episode dives deep into the restless brilliance of Søren Kierkegaard — the 19th-century philosopher, outsider theologian, and reluctant father of both existentialism and Christian authenticity. If you've ever doubted the plastic gods, burned out on hollow church talk, or longed for a faith that costs something real, Kierkegaard was speaking to you.
We explore:
- The Self as a Task
“The self is a relation that r...
What if grace isn’t something you deserve, or even understand—but something that finds you in the middle of your restless, stumbling search for meaning?
Did Faust accidentally find grace?
That’s one of the most provocative and mysterious questions at the heart of Faust. Here's a way to unpack it:
In Faust Part II, despite making a pact with Mephistopheles and engaging in a life of ambition, desire, and sometimes destruction, Faus...
William Blake's visionary poetry represents a revolutionary approach to spirituality, offering a third way between rigid religious dogma and cold scientific materialism through the power of imagination as a divine faculty.
• Blake's poem "The Book of Thel" processes the loss of his daughter through miscarriage by imagining conversations with short-lived creatures
• Even the smallest creatures in Bla...
The latest conversation on Subversive Orthodoxy plunges deep into the heart of creativity and belief through the lens of two iconic figures: William Blake and Johann von Goethe. This episode invites you on a journey as we unravel the intricate relationship between imagination and faith, set against the backdrop of the dominating philosophies of the Enlightenment. In a world increasingly detached from its spiritual roots, Blake and ...
Boris Pasternak’s life exemplifies the struggle between art and tyranny, highlighting how literary expression can serve as an act of resistance against oppression and a journey toward spiritual rediscovery. Through his experiences, Pasternak challenges listeners to reflect on authenticity in a culture dominated by superficial fame and public expectation.
• The essence of creation and self-surrender in artistic expression ...
This episode explores Alexander Solzhenitsyn's transformative journey from a loyal communist and soldier to a profound voice against tyranny through his experiences in the Gulag. We discuss the themes of resilience, faith, and truth as vital tools for resisting oppression and the importance of living authentically in today's fragmented world.
• Overview of Solzhenitsyn's early life and education
• Arrest an...
What do these 20 outlaws, revolutionaries, and mystics have in common?
What if timeless wisdom from unlikely figures could speak prophetically into our present day? In this episode, we explore this question with a deep dive into "Subversive Orthodoxy: Outlaws, Revolutionaries, and Other Christians in Disguise" by Robert Larry Inchausti.
Alongside Professor Inchausti, we examine how the radical ins...
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