Shame is a powerful and elusive emotion—often unnamed, yet deeply formative. In this episode, Ante and Oliver explore the nature of shame: what it is, where it comes from, and why it matters. They consider whether shame is universal or culturally accentuated, how it emerges early in life, and how it is bound up with our sense of standing and visibility before others. Drawing on insights from psychology, philosophy, and theology, they examine shame as a profoundly social emotion—one that can paralyze, distort, or even erupt into violence. They also discuss how shame differs from guilt, how it shapes identity and behavior, and whether it can be transformed into something redemptive.

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In this podcast, we engage in free-ranging conversations about life, faith, philosophy, ethics, relationships, culture, experience, and all matters existential. As the show’s title suggests, we approach these topics “in the middle of things”—grabbing hold of them unsystematically and provisionally. As for who we are: we are friends, verbal sparring partners, and colleagues at Andrews University. - Oliver Glanz and Ante Jerončič

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René Girard—a French-American literary critic, philosopher, and anthropologist—has profoundly shaped Oliver's and Ante's thinking. In this episode, they explore key Girardian themes: desire, imitation, envy, resentment, violence, the origins of religion, and scapegoating. They argue that Girard offers a lens that, if taken seriously, radically reconfigures how we understand both reality and Scripture.

* * * * * NEW TO THE PODCAST?
In this podcast, we engage in free-ranging conversations about life, faith, philosophy, ethics, relationships, culture, experience, and all matters existential. As the show’s title suggests, we approach these topics “in the middle of things”—grabbing hold of them unsystematically and provisionally. As for who we are: we are friends, verbal sparring partners, and colleagues at Andrews University. - Oliver Glanz and Ante Jerončič

Send us your comments. We appreciate those!

In this episode of IMR Bites, Ante turns to the theme of wisdom, central to Scripture, moral philosophy, and the moral life. Drawing on biblical texts, especially the wisdom literature and Paul’s letters, as well as insights from psychology, he explores how wisdom involves discernment, moral perception, and the ability to navigate complexity. In a time flooded with information but lacking clarity, the episode asks what it means to live wisely—and how wisdom is both something we cultivate and something we receive

Send us your comments. We appreciate those!