In this edition of THINGS HIDDEN, David Gornoski joins Shannon Braswell and Shane for a fireside conversation that cuts across ancient myth, theology, and the fractures of modern society.

They begin with how death was understood in ancient cultures—particularly among the Canaanites—where sacrifice and violence were often seen as necessary to maintain order. Against that backdrop, the discussion contrasts the radical claim of Jesus Christ: not the management of death, but its defeat.

Drawing on the work of René Girard, the conversation explores the scapegoat mechanism—how societies channel chaos into collective blame—and how the Gospel narrative exposes and overturns that pattern.

From there, the lens shifts to the present.

What are we witnessing in the fragmentation of Western civilization? Is the growing tension between Left and Right merely political—or something deeper, rooted in identity, imitation, and loss of shared meaning?

Referencing Carl Jung, the group examines the interplay of anima and animus, asking whether society is undergoing a shift from traditionally “masculine” structures toward the “feminine”—and what that actually means beyond surface-level talking points.

The conversation doesn’t settle for easy answers. Instead, it points toward a harder question:

If our divisions are fueled by imitation and rivalry, how do we break the cycle?

And more importantly—what does it look like to build something unified on the other side of it?