A Conversation Between Rainn Wilson and David Bentley Hart

Principally about his Bahá'í faith, but also about cinema, the nostalgias of middle-aged men, Emma Peel, Master Po and Master Han, and various other matters...
Rainn Wilson is an actor who has appeared in so many films and television programs that it is unlikely he needs much introduction. His best-known role is almost certainly that of Dwight Schrute in the American version of The Office. He is also, however, a writer and podcaster. And he is a genuinely lovely guy. Here our conversation chiefly concerns not his professional, but rather his spiritual life. Many of you may know-though I suspect a majority do not-that he is a practicing member of the Bahá’í Faith, and was in fact raised in the tradition.
Of course, other topics came up as well, many of them having to do with memories of a vanished and now essentially mythical epoch, the early 1970s. Given that he and I are nearly the same age, and inasmuch as middle-aged men are almost invariably sentimentalists about their childhoods, it was impossible for us wholly to avoid spasms of pathetic nostalgia.
If I seem a tad bibulous and inarticulate here and there, I ask your pardon. I may have been a little giddy during the recording, as I had been liberally dosed with both a muscle-relaxant and a strong pain medication; I had pulled a muscle on the right side of my neck. But I like to think I soldiered through, sustained by the pleasure of good company.

[@JapeCity]

My brain isn't computing that this actually happened. Absolutely magnificent.

[@christopherflippo4624]

Bears, Beats, Bentley Hart.

[@joshuaslusher3721]

What a legendary response to, “I haven’t read them all.” “Neither have I.”

[@cloud1stclass372]

It is *so nice* to see David Bentley Hart smiling, genuinely engaged and void of sarcasm. Well, almost void of sarcasm. Underneath the immense weight of his philosophical intellect is a guy who likes talking about movies, food and Americana. I’ve never seen this side of him before and I love it.

[@colingallagher1648]

The greatest crossover of the last century!

[@WittgensteinsBeetle]

Thank you both for this conversation. I was almost entirely ignorant of the Bahá'í faith and am grateful to have been exposed to some of its spiritual teachings.

[@red21fit]

I stumbled across this video searching for David Bentley Hart lectures (DBH has become a hero of mine over the last couple of years). Rainn Wilson has been a hero of mine for a decade now. How epic to have found these 2 giants having this discussion. I'm grateful!

[@leavesinthewind7441]

Actually we're both only average height. We just look larger on KZbin.

[@red21fit]

@@leavesinthewind7441 Hahaha! I meant giant in the sense of all the amazing things Rainn Wilson and DBH contribute to the world. But very funny comment!

[@navinbalan]

Wow David, I'm very amazed by the way you explain and your understanding of things. Rainn also. I truly enjoyed listening to both of you. As a Baha'i would say, Allah'u'abha and have a great day.

[@universalistsnape8584]

I am proud to have discovered your channel so early on, David.

[@Jasonbeck2753]

This made my day, thanks for the conversation.

[@Gumbi1012]

Thanks for this discussion. Looking forward to more (potential) content on this channel. Please keep "doing your thing".

[@shanegfenwick]

A wonderful conversation. Thank you, David and Rainn. More of this, please!

[@1991jj]

"Babe! BABE! Come look! DBH has a KZbin channel!"

[@shari6063]

Ok this is so uncanny! I was born in 1962. Yesterday I went to a clothing sale at the senior’s center and came across a long suede coat with a big fur collar from 1973. As soon as I saw it I knew I had to have it! I remember my 14 year old friends were wearing them, and the platform shoes! I was totally thrown back to my wonderful youth from the seventies. Honestly, I have never been so nostalgic! And now the two of you, which I’m watching the day after……….🥰 Thank you. Needless to say the coat is hanging in my closet now. Not sure if I’ll ever wear it, but it feels like I gave it its proper resting place.

[@matiasgomez-saenz677]

"The spiritual dimention of reallity is reallity".

[@augustojoaquínrodríguez]

Eres el primer hispano que me encuentro. ¡Celebro éso! :D

[@matiasgomez-saenz677]

@@augustojoaquínrodríguez ¡saludos! ¡Soy súper fan de David!

[@williamoarlock8634]

The 'spiritual' is non-reality.

[@JoaoSilva-so7df]

Amazing conversation. Thank you both!

[@JT-2000]

Did not expect this today. Very happy, subscribed. Naturally!

[@balthysar68]

Beautiful conversation David. I hope you keep doing conversations like these. Rich indeed.

[@needhealing2228]

never thought i'd see the day that dwight schrute from the office would be talking to DBH

[@bearheart2009]

DBH has a YT channel? Hooray!

[@2kt2000]

I don't know a thing about the faith being discussed. I am however a spiritual seeker. Thus, I have a new found respect for the guy from the office.

[@loveandmercy9664]

Some of my best friends are Baha'is and they give me literature often to try to win me over which is all good. A thief in the night by William Sears is a popular book in Baha'i apologetics.

[@TransformersTalkRAW]

Very interesting. Thanks for the fantastic discussion guys!

[@jasonegeland1446]

A nice surprise to find your channel, David! I still need to read THAT ALL shall be SAVED, The New Testament : A Translation, and The Story of Christianity: An Illustrated History of 2000 years of the Christian Faith. I have them nearby and will fully dive into them soon! My copy of The New Testament : A Translation, came without a dust jacket which I was pretty disappointed over but I'll be ordering a newer and better version of it eventually!

[@leavesinthewind7441]

Wait for the 2nd edition. It comes out in March.

[@jasonegeland1446]

@@leavesinthewind7441 Noted. I'll make sure to get a copy of both, the 1st and the 2nd. Thanks for the heads up!

[@wildhias6195]

David Bentley hart interviewing Dwight WTF?

[@dannybrewer4955]

worlds collide. it's amazing.

[@7005andrew]

I hope one day to read a book on music by DBH - in a podcast he mentioned his vast cd library and we’ve had glimpses in some of his collections- he mentions Schubert in a conversation with Roland in one essay and I would love to hear him write on Bach and Handel and also the great artists in recording etc Thanks for all writing- most of which I read as through a glass darkly Andrew ( Tasmania)

[@karenscheffler5323]

Lots of beauties here, but the visual I immediately got with Rainn’s retelling of an experience with the Divine was breathtaking. I was right there in David’s evocation of Gregory of Nyssa.

[@garychartier8365]

I knew there was a seemingly ineffable reason I liked you, David, which I now recognize as shared delight in Emma Peel.

[@leavesinthewind7441]

You’re a good man.

[@areconstructionstory4770]

At first I thought it was you and Brad Jersak. This is great too though

[@aaronmorrison7189]

A most unexpected crossover...but pretty great to see.

[@karenscheffler5323]

much Love to you both- and David, the painting behind you - what I can see delights! Who is the artist? Thank you!

[@leavesinthewind7441]

Part of a silk painting, artist unknown, depicting a scene from Tao Yuanming's "The Peach-Blossom Spring."

[@karenscheffler5323]

Thank you! And the more I listen to you the better I see you as human and not a god mysterious. Well actually I still see you as a god but of the best kind - still a bit out of reach, but divinely human ; ) I’m reminding all of my (9) friends interested not to be afraid of what Rainn called your big brain. I think your heart is rather large.

[@karenscheffler5323]

The wonder of google for the ignorant- now I know why it delights! Perfect for the conversation.

[@jps0117]

I loved Rainn Wilson as Harry Mudd in Star Trek: Discovery.

[@neiljohnson46]

Hold it right there, gentlemen! "Crappy little town like Liverpool in the early sixties". What? Obviously, Mr Wilson wasn't there. I was, and Liverpool wasn't and isn't a crappy little town. More like a grand, Victorian, Georgian and even Edwardian port city. (The main street of Liverpool is the Atlantic Ocean). PS Despite this momentary aberration, I enjoyed very much listening to the rest of your conversation.

[@leavesinthewind7441]

Just remember, I didn’t say it.

[@IAMFISH92]

Bro, this is crazy!

[@daniel_so_you_know]

Loved it

[@joachim847]

Dude!

[@mercy2351]

So very good stuff here!

[@nohypocrisy]

the soul, ignorance, arrogance, dream, stray, patience, fear, life, worker, success, graduation, power, festival, religion, self-deception, i struggle with myself, use reason so you can live for yourself

[@ModernInkling]

What!?! What?! WHAT!? I’m so happy this happened! :)

[@carsonwall2400]

When will the book on philosophy of mind be out? :)

[@leavesinthewind7441]

It won't appear in print till a year hence. It's a slow process.

[@RootinrPootine]

@@leavesinthewind7441 thanks for the update. Remember: Morgan Freeman for the audiobook

[@shanegfenwick]

@@RootinrPootine Seconding Morgan Freeman for the audiobook... that would be the cherry on top. 😉

[@lesliecuff2079]

So cool!

[@ImprovforGodsglory]

I have DBH’s New Testament, I’m currently mesmerized by “Roland in Moonlight,“ my favorite TV show of all time is “Kung Fu.” (I’m 71). I am writing a book (my third), entitled, “Going To….“ using the pseudonym: Helen A. Haanbaskt: about the mistranslation in Scripture of “aionios.” I have perhaps a full page in the book about the influence Dr. Hart has had on my… vocabulary, and what I used to imagine as my intellect. Oh yeah… my cat Eleanor is writing him a letter where she knocks her brother Raskin, our Black Lab. Apparently she believes her intellect and philosophical prowess to be in the same vicinity as Roland’s… I know mine isn’t. I am a follower of Christ who went to one Baha’i meeting maybe 40 years ago. Admirer of Rainn Wilson… I’m anxious to get back to the video. I’m hoping Eleanor will send Dr. Hart a copy of my book that’s almost ready for an editor. Thank you sir for not dumbing down in any way to reach an audience... I haven’t finished RIM, but I am still optimistic about your ability to see fairies. God bless you both…

[@leavesinthewind7441]

I can only blush.

[@ethan-sq6zv]

😆🤝 my man dwight

[@loveandmercy9664]

It would have been interesting to get into a conversation on the resurrection. Baha'is unlike Muslims do believe in the crucifixon but they believe the resurrection was spiritual not literal.

[@loveandmercy9664]

I have a lot of respect for the Baha'i faith and some of my best friends are Baha'i but Baha'ism does have a hierarchical structure that flows from the house of justice in Haifa Israel to local assemblies. They may not have priests or imam's but they still have figures that decide what is authoritative teaching of the faith and are quite controlling on what gets written about it. It also a religion of laws and sees those laws becoming the basis to govern all of humanity.

[@lesliecuff2079]

Can we get a conversation on baseball next? Need to know how Orioles fans can sustain the incessant abuse from the Yankees, Red Sox, and the Jays.

[@jonn_esternon]

46:25

[@wordscapes5690]

I wish I could be as nostalgic for the seventies as you guys. If you were a member of the LGBTQ community, I can assure you, the hatred of us back then was a million times worse. And growing up under Apartheid.... hoo boy! No thank you.

[@leavesinthewind7441]

All nostalgia is a fond memory of a time that was never as good as we recall. But not all nostalgia is an idealization.

[@bman5257]

News flash, ever since Adam you can find someone being treated unjustly in the world at any time period, doesn’t mean there was good there either.

[@wordscapes5690]

@@bman5257 Firstly, Adam was not a real person, and secondly, the kernel of that story involves an allegory explaining to us that the virtue of improving ourselves and the lives of others is at the core of what means to be a good human being. In short, saying “Evils have always existed” is not a statement of morality but an expression of hopeless, nihilistic complacency and consent.