Sea of Fire Ministries

James Meyers III considers the philosophy known in academic circles as Hedonism. While Hedonism might be fairly unknown or misunderstood, many contemporary philosophers opine that the West is a hedonistic culture. In its nascent form, it seeks optimal pleasure and the avoidance of pain as the ultimate pursuit of life. James considers this and compares the philosophy of Stoicism which unexpectedly has more in common with Hedonism th...

James Meyers, III discusses perhaps the most well known secular philosophy commonly known as either Relativism or Pluralism. Having introduced some preceding philosophies which helped shape the world into Relativism, James discusses the ramifications of stripping unity from diversity. Particularly through the postmodern era which sought to deconstruct “societal truths,” we have lost the metanarrative as a society. It is in this vac...

James Meyers, III considers the prodigious epistemology given by the great 18th century thinker, Immanuel Kant. So impactful were his contributions to the world that perhaps no other contemporary philosophy should or can be rightly considered without them. The American Revolution is seen by some to be the greatest revolution in the past few hundred years. However, James believes, agreeing with many erudite and able historians, that...

James Meyers, III discusses the secular philosophy called Positivism, probably the least familiar philosophy discussed in this series. However, Positivism enjoyed much prominence and was later developed into Logical Positivism before it was rejected, but eroded into other philosophies, such as Pluralism/Relativism. James considers the father of Positivism, Auguste Comte and proceeds to trace its influence to our own day. In a world...

James Meyers, III considers the philosophy called Pragmatism, which is an inherently American philosophy. As was mentioned in the first session, the “ism” indicates a philosophical perspective. Being pragmatic and a follower of Pragmatism are two quite different things. The Pragmatist believes that whatever works is therefore good, thus establishing a relativistic ethic and a disparate logical system. James believes rather than try...

James Meyers, III discusses the philosophy of Humanism, which has a long and somewhat twisted history. James believes this philosophy can be traced to the fall of Man by a serpent rather than a human being. As optimistic as secular humanism became, James shows its utter naïveté and how it is rationally circular, and therefore fallacious and untenable. He concludes with a Christian admonition that while the Humanist proclaims, “Homo...

James Meyers, III discusses Christian existentialism as found in the nineteenth century Dane, Søren Kiergegaard. While James finds Kierkegaard to be the greatest existential thinker, he communicates some areas in which he disagrees. However, these disagreements notwithstanding, James finds Kierkegaard to be one of the last sincere Christians, not only in what he said, but, more importantly, and perhaps more effectively, in how he l...

James Meyers, III considers the philosophy of Existentialism. While perhaps a familiar term, few are able to define it. However, James finds it to be perhaps the most influential secular philosophy and it also enjoyed a fairly swift popularity as compared to other philosophies. James discusses two very influential men who, in their lives, propagated existentialism, albeit in diametrically opposing ways: the nihilistic existentialis...

James Meyers, III begins a series considering a variety of worldviews which have infiltrated and been subsumed in the present Western culture. In the first section of the series, James will discuss these worldviews under the general category of Secularism. The Church tends to see Secularism as worldliness, which James dismisses. However, some of the irreligious underpinnings have seeped into our society. It is James’s opinion that ...

James Meyers, III concludes this series which has been an overview of the Trinity by considering the eternal love between the Persons of the Trinity and how the people of God are brought into the unity of love that is everlasting. In this session, James discusses how Christ and the Holy Spirit have been sent to send us, just as Abraham was blessed to be a blessing. As we are joined into the eternal fellowship within the Godhead, we...

James Meyers, III reflects upon a variety of heresies which arose during the Early Church, and shows their incongruity with Scripture while, also, admitting much of Christian Orthodoxy may not have been developed without them. Often in Church History, it has been in the eras of the greatest errors when the Church has needed to correct and refute both confusion and impetuosity, and thereby has better defined Her Faith. In this sessi...

In our second session considering the Doctrine of the Trinity, James Meyers, III discusses the distinction between the Ontological Trinity and the Economic Trinity which he then develops into what is referred to the hypostasis of God, or simply what is foundational to Him, and the ekstasis of God, or what proceeds from, or comes out of, God. In this, James hopes to show that the hypostasis of God the Father, God the Son, and God th...

James Meyers, III begins a new series regarding the historical development in understanding the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. In this session, he considers how we might view the Trinity in light of God’s revelation through the Son of God and how recent scholastic criticism misunderstands the distinctions between a contradiction, a paradox, and a mystery. James shows how the Trinity is quite mysterious, but how it is still, by ...