St Michael's talks & sermons

Front porch: Professor Dr. Cyril Hovorun on Trumpism and Putinism

St Michael's talks & sermons

Show Notes

In this discussion, Professor Dr. Cyril Hovorun analyses the religious dimensions of both Trump and Putin's self-projected mythologies. What do they have in common? And how do they differ? And how does religious myth making help us understand present global affairs? The book referenced is Political Orthodoxies: The Unorthodoxies of the Church Coerced by Cyril Hovorun. The Front Porch is a series of community-facing lectures hosted by St Michael's Kelburn that sits at the intersection of Christian faith and public life, with topics like (but not limited to) Aotearoa's bicultural identity, democracy and the pressing social questions of today.

More from St Michael's talks & sermons

Oct 6, 2026

As we get closer to the general election, the intersection of faith, politics and the church sparks questions and wonderings - which we will cover in this series. To kick off the series Matthew looks at the life of William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury (1942–1944) and asks how might we combine personal commitment to Christ with practical efforts to create a more just society? Excerpts from Temple's book 'Christianity and the Social Order' can be heard in the sermon.

Sep 30, 2026

In this sermon, Chris answers questions from parishioners sparked by our recent six part series on Galatians.

Sep 30, 2026

In the last sermon in this series, Chris points us to three questions answered in Galatians: - How does the law enslave? - What does freedom mean in practice? - What is the role of the Holy Spirit in the new community?

Sep 7, 2026

Part five in our series on the enduring challenge of Paul's letter to the Galatians guided by Emeritus Professor Chris Marshall.

Aug 23, 2026

Part four in our series on the enduring challenge of Paul's letter to the Galatians guided by Emeritus Professor Chris Marshall. Paul continues to fight against a diminishing of the work of the cross. He speaks to the evidence of the Spirit's work, the witness of scripture and caution around the dark side of the law.

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