logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2018
51m 14s

Creating God

Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam
About this episode
If you've taken part in a religious service, have you ever stopped to think about how it all came to be? How did people become believers? Where did the rituals come from? And most of all, what purpose does it all serve? This week, we explore these questions with psychologist Azim Shariff, who argues that we can think of religion from a Darwinian perspective, ... Show More
Up next
Nov 17
The Power of Family Stories
<p>There’s a tradition around many Thanksgiving dinner tables that’s as consistent as pumpkin pie: the family stories that get told year after year. Sometimes these stories are funny; sometimes they make us roll our eyes. No matter how we feel about them, we rarely pause to consi ... Show More
1h 37m
Nov 10
Why Following Your Dreams Isn't Enough
<p>Entrepreneurs typically have no shortage of passion, heart, and vision. But at Stanford University, <a href="https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/faculty/hayagreeva-rao" target="_blank">Huggy Rao</a> says there are other elements that may matter more when it comes to ... Show More
1h 30m
Nov 3
How Nature Heals Us
<p>We've known intuitively for centuries that spending time in nature can give us a boost. But it’s only recently that scientists have begun to identify exactly what it is about the outdoors that has such a powerful effect on our mood and our minds. This week, psychologist <a hre ... Show More
1h 4m
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2023
Talk 1: God Sees Potential in Everything | 2023 Lenten Retreat: Who do you say that I am?
This talk introduces the theme of the retreat, Who Do You Say That I Am. It breaks open St. Ignatius’s strategy of “Spiritual Exercises” and what was hoped for by someone taking on these Exercises. The foundation of the entire retreat is getting to see a little more clearly who G ... Show More
16m 49s
Dec 2020
Why God Gave Choice
In the opening pages of the Bible, God gives the first humans a choice. But why? In this podcast, we explore the first few pages of the book of Genesis and what it means for God to give humanity choice. Interested in more? Watch a video and explore more questions for yourself or ... Show More
14m 32s
Sep 2023
Bryan Rennie, "An Ethology of Religion and Art: Belief as Behavior" (Routledge, 2020)
Drawing from sources including the ethology of art and the cognitive science of religion, An Ethology of Religion and Art: Belief as Behavior (Routledge, 2020) proposes an improved understanding of both art and religion as behaviors developed in the process of human evolution. Lo ... Show More
1h 8m
Oct 2024
Why people quit religion, with Daryl Van Tongeren, PhD
Over the past few decades the U.S. has become an increasingly less religious country, and many people who grew up with religion have chosen to leave the faith they were raised in. Daryl Van Tongeren, PhD, author of “Done: How to Flourish after Leaving Religion,” talks about the c ... Show More
32m 22s
Oct 2023
Rik Peels, "Life without God: An Outsider's Look at Atheism" (Cambridge UP, 2023)
In Life without God: An Outsider's Look at Atheism (Cambridge UP, 2023), Rik Peels explores atheism from a new perspective that aims to go beyond the highly polarized debate about arguments for and against God's existence. Since our beliefs about the most important things in life ... Show More
43m 6s
Jun 2025
Ei Forum: Creation and Creativity
<p>When we talk about creativity, we mean artists of course. But we also actually mean entrepreneurs—whose creativity is as important to what they do as anything else. So thinking about creativity, what does Christianity have to say to it? The answer is a lot. </p> <p>Your deeper ... Show More
39m 23s
Jul 2024
Is Christianity Anti-Science?
Is there a war between Christianity and science? Many think religion, in general, is opposed to scientific progress, but what does the research suggest?Don't forget to help us create more videos! We need your support: / inspiringphilosophy / @inspiringphilosophy Source: Jer ... Show More
17m 30s
Jun 2024
Good (and Bad) Reasons to Be a Christian
<p>In this podcast, J. Warner examines five responses typically offered to the question: "Why are you a Christian?" Are these responses sufficient, given the nature of the culture in which we live? How can we better respond to the challenges we face as we try to defend what we be ... Show More
47m 10s