Theological Reflection on the "Authority" of Government with Helmut Thielicke, University of Hamburg

We pay tribute to retired Army Master Sgt. John William Boswell (Bozz), Ph.D., who spent most of his career in Special Forces (Delta) prior to going to college as undergraduate (at DU) through graduate, eventuating in a Ph.D. during the lockdowns of 2020 from Claremont Colleges. He was my best friend in graduate school and an inspiration and motivator for The Republican Professor project, of which this podcast is a key part. We then proceed, as Bozz would've wanted, to get right back into, continuing where we left off with Senior Judge Anthony Ishii's take-down of Kamala Harris in Silvester v. Harris, 41 F. Supp. 3d 927 ff (2014). We finish the findings of fact , today, and proceed legal analysis in this pivotal case involving the 10 day waiting period of firearm transfers in the State of California and how the State abuses its citizens by any method it can, this being just one of them. The Republican Professor is a pro-John-Bozz-Boswell, pro-Constitution podcast. Here is the link to John's obit : https://www.eventcreate.com/e/johnwboswell Therefore, welcome back Anthony Ishii and thanks for helping us to remember my dear friend John William Boswell (Bozz), 1959 -2023. The Republican Professor is produced and hosted by Dr. Lucas J. Mather, Ph.D.

The last three episodes, we've gone through in detail much of Senior Judge Ishii's judgment and findings of fact in Silvester v. Harris (2014) at a California-based U.S. District Court (trial court). Judge Ishii, a Democrat, found in favor of the Second Amendment against the State of California's then-attorney general, Kamala Harris. The 9th Circuit on appeal then reversed that gain for the Second Amendment, without requiring evidence, without acknowledging the arguments for the Second Amendment, and without acknowledging the findings of fact ascertained by Judge Ishii in that case at trial. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote from the US Supreme Court that he was appalled, when the application came up for review in 2018. And he says why in this episode of The Republican Professor podcast. Recall, Justice Thomas was the author of the Court's opinion in NY Rifle & Pistol Assn v. Bruen (June, 2022). This is part of the background history for what he wrote there at that time. Here's a link to the text: https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=3462537144774180807&q=silvester+v+becerra&hl=en&as_sdt=2003 The Republican Professor is a pro-keeping-tabs-on-the-courts-of-appeals-screwing-up-the-Constitution, pro-keeping-em-accountable podcast. Therefore, welcome Clarence Thomas, Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. The Republican Professor is produced and hosted by Dr. Lucas J. Mather, Ph.D.

Welcome back for Part 3 of the issue of the 10 day waiting period for firearm transfers in the State of California, the relationship of that to the Constitution. Fun for the whole family. Today, we once again have a Democrat on The Republican Professor podcast, Senior District Court Judge Anthony Ishii. Judge Ishii is an expert on this particular topic, because it was before him in 2014 in federal court in central California. Judge Ishii was appointed to the federal bench by President Bill Clinton. And to his great credit he gets the right answer for the right reasons here in this case called Silvester v. Harris, 41 F. Supp. 3d 927 (2014). The defendant in that case was the State of California, represented in her capacity as Attorney General by one Kamala Harris -- perhaps you've heard of her. Judge Ishii's correct judicial reasoning was overturned by the Democrat dominated 9th Circuit before President Trump was elected. They ignored his correct analysis in order to go back to the status quo, which was that the government can do whatever the H---- it wants to its citizens in the realm of firearm regulation, no matter how arbitrary and capricious. Judge Ishii had a problem with that regime, even as a California Democrat. So Judge Ishii joins us through his judicial writing, his findings of fact and judgment in a bench trial on the matter in Silvester v. Kamala Harris (2014). The Republican Professor is a pro-correctly-articulating-the-point-of-constitutional-law, pro-correcting-powerful-people-wrong-on-the-Second-Amendment podcast. Therefore, welcome Senior Judge Anthony Ishii ! The Republican Professor is produced and hosted by Dr. Lucas J. Mather, Ph.D.

Welcome back for Part 2 of the issue of the 10 day waiting period for firearm transfers in the State of California, and the Constitution. Today, we once again have a Democrat on The Republican Professor podcast, Senior District Court Judge Anthony Ishii. Judge Ishii is an expert on this particular topic, because it was before him in 2014 in federal court in central California. Judge Ishii was appointed to the federal bench by President Bill Clinton. And to his great credit he gets the right answer for the right reasons here in this case called Silvester v. Harris, 41 F. Supp. 3d 927 (2014). The defendant in that case was the State of California, represented in her capacity as Attorney General by one Kamala Harris -- perhaps you've heard of her. Judge Ishii's correct judicial reasoning was overturned by the Democrat dominated 9th Circuit before President Trump was elected. They ignored his correct analysis in order to go back to the status quo, which was that the government can do whatever the H---- it wants to its citizens in the realm of firearm regulation, no matter how arbitrary and capricious. Judge Ishii had a problem with that regime, even as a California Democrat. So Judge Ishii joins us through his judicial writing, his findings of fact and judgment in a bench trial on the matter in Silvester v. Kamala Harris (2014). The Republican Professor is a pro-correctly-articulating-the-point-of-constitutional-law, pro-correcting-powerful-people-wrong-on-the-Second-Amendment podcast. Therefore, welcome Senior Judge Anthony Ishii ! The Republican Professor is produced and hosted by Dr. Lucas J. Mather, Ph.D.

Today, we have a Democrat on The Republican Professor podcast, Senior District Court Judge Anthony Ishii. Our topic is California's 10 day waiting period and the Second Amendment. Judge Ishii is an expert on that particular topic, because it was before him in 2014 in federal court in central California. Judge Ishii was appointed to the federal bench by President Bill Clinton. And to his great credit he gets the right answer for the right reasons here in this case called Silvester v. Harris, 41 F. Supp. 3d 927 (2014). The defendant in that case was the State of California, represented in her capacity as Attorney General by one Kamala Harris -- perhaps you've heard of her. Judge Ishii's correct judicial reasoning was overturned by the Democrat dominated 9th Circuit before President Trump was elected. They ignored his correct analysis in order to go back to the status quo, which was that the government can do whatever the H---- it wants to its citizens in the realm of firearm regulation, no matter how arbitrary and capricious. Judge Ishii had a problem with that regime, even as a California Democrat. So Judge Ishii joins us through his judicial writing, his findings of fact and judgment in a bench trial on the matter in Silvester v. Kamala Harris (2014). The Republican Professor is a pro-correctly-articulating-the-point-of-constitutional-law, pro-correcting-powerful-people-wrong-on-the-Second-Amendment podcast. Therefore, welcome Senior Judge Anthony Ishii ! The Republican Professor is produced and hosted by Dr. Lucas J. Mather, Ph.D.

We're in part 2 on anger and hatred in the Bible and normative American Politics. Today's guest is, again, a Mark O. Hatfield (R, Oregon) type of Republican, Dr. Vernon Grounds, Ph.D., former Chancellor, President, and long-time professor of Philosophy and founder of the Counseling Department at Denver Seminary, where TRP's host Dr. Lucas J. Mather, Ph.D. knew Dr. Grounds during Dr. Mather's graduate student days. Our topic today on The Republican Professor Podcast, to reiterate, falls within emotional problems and American Politics. Last Fall, we did a series on Anxiety and American Politics. We return today with a focus on the concepts and phenomena of Anger and Hatred in Biblical and Political Phenomonenology in the American context. I can think of no better guest than Dr. Grounds, who is a rare bird in that he was one of the first to get the in depth Psychology training--a Ph.D. in Psychology--and applied that to Christian ministry and Apologetics. Dr. Grounds got his bachelors from Rutgers during the Great Depression, and struggled mightily with his Christian faith. He got seminary training, and later a Ph.D. in Psychology from Drew University, where he wrote a dissertation on the concept of love in the thought of Sigmund Freud. He wrote several books, but the one we discuss and read from today is his "Emotional Problems and the Gospel" (Zondervan, 1976). The Amazon link is here: https://www.amazon.com/Emotional-Problems-Gospel-Vernon-Grounds/dp/031025311X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=173GZ03N0T8JF&keywords=vernon+grounds+emotional&qid=1698937363&s=instant-video&sprefix=vernon+grounds+emotional%2Cinstant-video%2C124&sr=1-1-catcorr Since Dr. Ground died before we were able to record this with him, he joins this episode through his first chapter in the above book, which he titled "The Bible and Anxiety, Part 1." The Republican Professor is a pro-mental-health-in-politics, pro-ultimate-issues podcast. Therefore, welcome Dr. Vernon Grounds, Ph.D. To financially support this podcast, comment on today's episode, or to make a suggestion for a topic or guest for the podcast or Substack newsletter, send an email to [email protected] . We'd love to hear from you. Warmly, Lucas J. Mather, Ph.D. The Republican Professor Podcast The Republican Professor Newsletter on Substack https://therepublicanprofessor.substack.com/ https://www.therepublicanprofessor.com/podcast/ https://www.therepublicanprofessor.com/articles/ YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheRepublicanProfessor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRepublicanProfessor Twitter: @RepublicanProf Instagram: @the_republican_professor

Today's return guest is a Mark O. Hatfield (R, Oregon) type of Republican, Dr. Vernon Grounds, Ph.D., former Chancellor, President, and long-time professor of Philosophy and founder of the Counseling Department at Denver Seminary, where TRP's host Dr. Lucas J. Mather, Ph.D. knew Dr. Grounds during Dr. Mather's graduate student days. Our topic today on The Republican Professor Podcast is emotional problems and American Politics. Last Fall, we did a series on Anxiety and American Politics. We return today with a focus on the concepts and phenomena of Anger and Hatred in Biblical and Political Phenomonenology in the American context. I can think of no better guest than Dr. Grounds, who is a rare bird in that he was one of the first to get the in depth Psychology training--a Ph.D. in Psychology--and applied that to Christian ministry and Apologetics. Dr. Grounds got his bachelors from Rutgers during the Great Depression, and struggled mightily with his Christian faith. He got seminary training, and later a Ph.D. in Psychology from Drew University, where he wrote a dissertation on the concept of love in the thought of Sigmund Freud. He wrote several books, but the one we discuss and read from today is his "Emotional Problems and the Gospel" (Zondervan, 1976). The Amazon link is here: https://www.amazon.com/Emotional-Problems-Gospel-Vernon-Grounds/dp/031025311X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=173GZ03N0T8JF&keywords=vernon+grounds+emotional&qid=1698937363&s=instant-video&sprefix=vernon+grounds+emotional%2Cinstant-video%2C124&sr=1-1-catcorr Since Dr. Ground died before we were able to record this with him, he joins this episode through his first chapter in the above book, which he titled "The Bible and Anxiety, Part 1." The Republican Professor is a pro-mental-health-in-politics, pro-ultimate-issues podcast. Therefore, welcome Dr. Vernon Grounds, Ph.D. To financially support this podcast, comment on today's episode, or to make a suggestion for a topic or guest for the podcast or Substack newsletter, send an email to [email protected] . We'd love to hear from you. Warmly, Lucas J. Mather, Ph.D. The Republican Professor Podcast The Republican Professor Newsletter on Substack https://therepublicanprofessor.substack.com/ https://www.therepublicanprofessor.com/podcast/ https://www.therepublicanprofessor.com/articles/ YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheRepublicanProfessor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRepublicanProfessor Twitter: @RepublicanProf Instagram: @the_republican_professor

Our return guest today on The Republican Professor Podcast is the former professor of Theology at the University of Hamburg in West Germany, Dr. Helmut Thielicke, Ph.D., D.Theol. (Philosophy and Theology). Professor Thielicke once again joins us through his teaching in his Theological Ethics, Vol. 2: Politics. My copy was purchased at Old Capitol Books (new location) in Monterey, California, across from Nick the Greek restaurant on Alvarado Street (their old location was 559 Tyler, across from the Peet's Coffee and was formerly Book Haven for many years), and is a hard copy published in 1969 by Fortress Press and edited by William H. Lazareth. Thielicke died before he was able to come on to The Republican Professor Podcast. We thank Fortress Press for making the book available. Check out their catalogue for a full listing of their very interesting titles, and buy one. Get a copy of this for yourself and following along in our transformative, performative reading of it as we make fair use of his insights, with fresh scholarly commentary from me, and allow it to shape our understanding of American Politics. This is part 4 in a series on The Republican Professor Podcast, an introduction to theological reflection on American government. Here, we broach the topic of the nature and power of "ideology" in Communist eschatology. Our very special guest today is, once again, the esteemed and long-time Professor of Theology at the University of Hamburg, Helmut Thielicke. And I've invited Professor Thielicke to join us today through my performative reading (with my scholarly commentary upon) and fair use of his teaching on this topic in his magisterial "Theological Ethics, Volume 2: Politics." My copy of the book was published in 1969 by Fortress Press. Please buy a copy of the book and follow along with our study of this material. Here's a link to the book: https://www.amazon.com/Theological-Ethics-Politics-Helmut-Thielicke/dp/0802817920 Please, please support your brick and mortar used book dealers as well. Professor Thielicke died before we were able to invite him in person as a guest on the podcast. Thanks to Fortress Press, the book is still in print and would be a valuable addition, indeed, to your personal library. Please support the work of Fortress Press and buy the book, and check out the other selections that they carry, as well. The Republican Professor Podcast is a pro-deeply-conversing-on-the-theological-aspects-of-the-nature-of-government podcast. Therefore, welcome Professor Helmut Thielicke ! The Republican Professor is produced and hosted by Dr. Lucas J. Mather, Ph.D. To financially support this podcast, comment on today's episode, or to make a suggestion for a topic or guest for the podcast or Substack newsletter, send an email to [email protected] . We'd love to hear from you. Warmly, Lucas J. Mather, Ph.D. The Republican Professor Podcast The Republican Professor Newsletter on Substack https://therepublicanprofessor.substack.com/ https://www.therepublicanprofessor.com/podcast/ https://www.therepublicanprofessor.com/articles/

Our special guest on this passion week episode, 2024 (Good Friday, Easter Weekend) is the former Professor of Ancient History at The Sorbonne in Paris, Numa Denis Fustel de Coulanges. He joins us to discuss what he calls "The Omnipotence of the State: The Ancients Knew Nothing of Individual Liberty", his chapter XVII of The Ancient City (La Cite Antique), published in 1864 and translated into English by Willard Smith in 1873. My copy was published by Doubleday in 1956. Fustel de Coulanges joins us through his writing as we see how Christianity and its Jewish ancestors changed all that, with a Good Friday reflection for today. Here's a Brett Kavanaugh resource on the purpose of separation of powers to protect individual liberty (p. 22) : https://www.aei.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/from-the-bench.pdf The Republican Professor is a pro-correctly-contemplating-individual-liberty-and-separation-of-powers podcast. Therefore, welcome Numa Denis Fustel de Coulanges !

Our guest today defends the most vulnerable people, often at his own substantial cost, from bureaucrats who use the police power of the state to abuse Americans. Does the Second Amendment protect the right to keep and bear non-lethal arms? If it protects the right to keep and bear lethal arms for self-defense, a fortiori, it would seem so. Butterfly knives can be used for self-defense without deploying the blade, and so can baseball bats be used for lawful purposes, including self-defense. Yet Democratic states like Hawai'i, California, Rhode Island have criminalized this innocent conduct, primarily using its prosecutorial discretion to enforce only against the most vulnerable, low income residents of those states, and Democrats have done so for decades prior to enough Republican judicial appointees to make a difference in turning this tide. Mr. Alan Beck sues Hawai'i for infringement of the rights of American Samoans, Green Card holders, and Hawai'ian residents and wins. As a result of his cases on behalf of low income, vulnerable people, anti-Second-Amendment laws in several states have come to an end. His cases have overturned California and Hawai'ian laws that are selectively enforced against low income people bearing billy clubs for self-defense, butterfly knives and stun guns, as well as ensured open carry in the 9th Circuit Democratic strongholds such as the island county of Hawai'i (Big Island). He has also won the right to carry guns on beaches in Maui. Here are links to some of his cases: Judge Benitez (US District Court, So Cal)'s reasoning for striking down California State's criminalization of the innocent conduct of simple possession of billy clubs and batons. https://assets.nationbuilder.com/firearmspolicycoalition/pages/5882/attachments/original/1710186934/2024.03.11_069_OPINION.pdf?1710186934 Teter v. Lopez (2023) 9th Circuit 3-Republican-Judge Panel striking down Hawai'i State's criminalization of innocent conduct of simple possession of butterfly knives. https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=5867277631911526691&q=teter+v+lopez&hl=en&as_sdt=2003 The original 2018 Young v. Hawai'i 9th Circuity 3-Republican-Judge Panel striking down Hawai'i State's criminalization of the innocent conduct of simple possession of butterfly knives. https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=6052697244371933777&q=young+v.+hawaii&hl=en&as_sdt=2003 The above case was lost en banc, but then US Supreme Court granted cert, vacated and remanded the en banc panel. The Republican Professor Podcast is a pro-defending-the-vulnerable-against-bureaucrats-and-politicians-who-criminalize-innocent-conduct podcast. Therefore, welcome Mr. Alan Beck ! The Republican Professor is produced and hosted by Dr. Lucas J. Mather, Ph.D. To financially support this podcast, comment on today's episode, or to make a suggestion for a topic or guest for the podcast or Substack newsletter, send an email to [email protected] . We'd love to hear from you. Warmly, Lucas J. Mather, Ph.D. The Republican Professor Podcast The Republican Professor Newsletter on Substack https://therepublicanprofessor.substack.com/ https://www.therepublicanprofessor.com/podcast/ https://www.therepublicanprofessor.com/articles/