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Many believe that philosophy is a niche activity of adult intellectuals. This view perpetuates a misconception, that children are incapable of deep and profound thinking about the world. The reality is that children naturally “do” philosophy all the time. They ask questions, wrestle with moral decisions, wonder about the nature of the universe, challenge authority, and even seek to understand suffering and death. If our society could foster this innate curiosity and a child’s willingness to wrestle with life’s biggest and most important questions we could transform our world in profound ways because philosophical inquiry opens our minds, nurtures humble curiosity, promotes empathy with other perspectives, and creates deep and profound meaning. If adults embraced the responsibility to ensure this kind of philosophy thrives in our children, we could powerfully transform our communities.
Dr. Jana Mohr Lone holds a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Massachusetts, a J.D. from George Washington University Law School, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Washington. Jana is currently an Affiliate Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Washington, and the director and co-founder of PLATO (Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization). Jana is the founding editor-in-chief of the journal, Questions: Philosophy for Young People, co-author (with Michael D. Burroughs) of the textbook, Philosophy in Education: Questioning and Dialogue in Schools (2016), co-editor (with Roberta Israeloff) of Philosophy and Education: Introducing Philosophy to Young People (2012), and author of The Philosophical Child (2012) and Seen and Not Heard (2021).
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In some expressions of religious thought there exists some significant confusion around the concepts of “truth” and “love.” This struggle persists due to the apparent conflict between the two. Sometimes the truth doesn’t feel very loving, and at other times the demand to love someone comes at the expense of the truth. And for some segments of Christianity, prioritizing truth over love is a banner identifier for someone who is a “true believer.” The problem is that this kind of posture is antithetical to the teachings of Jesus and the diverse wisdom found in the biblical tradition. The vision—the way forward—for a life lived in fidelity to the “truth” of Christianity is one that recognizes love AS the truth. This kind of perspective is a radical paradigm shift that prioritizes the relationship we have with others and how we live as a measure of what truths we actually believe. If more could embrace this way, the truth and love that we are all pursuing could be radically revolutionized.
Jared Byas holds an M.A. in Religion and Biblical Studies and a Th.M. in Old Testament both from Westminster Theological Seminary. He is an adjunct faculty member of Eastern University, the co-host of The Bible For Normal People podcast and author of Love Matters More: How Fighting To Be Right Keeps Us From Loving Like Jesus.
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For many years now, there has been a scientific and spiritual revolution underway that is transforming both landscapes. This conceptual transformation celebrates the great scientific discoveries of our time and sees within the very fabric of nature itself all the foundational elements for the sacred. Our understanding of the natural world can evoke within us a sense of profound reverence and connection, a spiritual depth that is at the heart of the human experience. And this posture and worldview believes that the beautiful, wondrous, and scientific understandings of the natural world are essential foundations for our pursuit of personal wholeness, social coherence, and planetary sustainability. It is a captivating philosophical vision that aims to inspire us all to a new mode of being and a full embrace of the entirety of reality.
Ursula Goodenough holds an M.A. in Zoology from Columbia University and a Ph.D. in Biology from Harvard University. As one of the founders of the philosophy of Religious Naturalism, Ursula has served as president of the Institute on Religion in an Age of Science and is currently the president of the Religious Naturalist Association. Ursula is a Professor Emerita of Biology at Washington University, and the author of The Sacred Depths of Nature first published in 1998 and newly released this year, 2023.
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The public conversation on gender and identity in the social and political arenas is frequently a cacophony of pejoratives, talking past one another, steamrolling, and ignorance. There persists a basic misunderstanding (some innocent, some willful) of the truth about gender, and a dismissal of people’s lived realities that ought to inform how our policies and practices affect our fellow humans’ flourishing. For those who are religious or spiritual, theological principles and teachings provide the foundational rationale for why any human expression outside the male and female binary is incongruent with God’s design for humanity. These and other teachings and perspectives take a very real toll on the very real lives of transgender people. What we need is a deeper and more compassionate humanity that listens and seeks a better and more accurate understanding
Austen Hartke (http://austenhartke.com) holds a graduate degree in Old Testament/Hebrew Bible from Luther Seminary and is the Founder and Executive Director of Transmission Ministry Collective (https://www.transmissionministry.com/), an online community dedicated to the spiritual care, faith formation, and leadership potential of transgender and gender-expansive Christians. From 2015 to 2018 Austen created one hundred videos for the Transgender and Christian YouTube series (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwWfCs7vnwdC1wbIAmH3_kIm0fE7oN9tE), which sought to share parts of the Bible that relate to gender identity and the lives of transgender individuals. Austen is the author of Transforming: The Bible and the Lives of Transgender Christians, a book on theology and personal narratives, updated, expanded, and rereleased in March 2023.
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The public debate on abortion is one of the most contentious and divisive topics of public life. The June 2022 United States Supreme Court decision, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (https://www.oyez.org/cases/2021/19-1392) ruled that, “The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion” overruling the Roe v. Wade decision of 1975 (https://www.oyez.org/cases/1971/70-18) and the Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey decision of 1992 (https://www.oyez.org/cases/1991/91-744). While these decisions have profound impact for public policy, what is missing are the stories of real people that find themselves needing to make complicated decisions regarding their reproductive health. That kind of humanity is glaringly missing in our political discourse and relegates our legal and moralistic positions and beliefs as uninformed and even harmful when we do not consider carefully and sincerely the real lives of those who seek abortions. Regardless of your convictions on abortion, we should all agree that it truly is a complicated choice, and the way forward is for us to understand better and deeper what exactly those complications are, and how they manifest in real life.
Reverend Katey Zeh (https://kateyzeh.com) is an ordained Baptist minister and the Chief Executive Officer of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (http://www.rcrc.org/). Katey is a member of the Clergy Advocacy Board of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the co-host of the Kindreds podcast (http://kindredspodcast.com/) and the author of two books, Women Rise Up: Sacred Stories of Resistance for Today’s revolution (https://kateyzeh.com/women-rise-up/) and A Complicated Choice: Making Space for Grief and Healing in the Pro-Choice Movement (https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506473499/A-Complicated-Choice) the topic of tonight’s discussion.
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Our worsening ecological crisis is wreaking havoc all over the world and is increasingly threatening the viability of life on this planet. But while this continued degradation of pollution and extraction is advanced through political policies and social practices, the root problem is truly a philosophical and spiritual deficiency. For many Christians, at the core are the beliefs that humans are separate from nature, that we are to have “dominion” over the world, that we are to subdue nature to our will and control, that the elements of this planet are a commodity to be used for all that we think that it’s worth, and that the ultimate focus of spiritual faith is the afterlife, the destination of heaven, and the salvation of our souls.
What is profoundly tragic is that this view of faith is antithetical to what is actually taught in the biblical texts. From Genesis through Revelation, the Bible asserts that the redemption of all of creation is central to its good news, and that teaching is woven through the narratives, the law codes, the prophecies, and the theologies that we find in its writings. And our commission as human beings is to responsible stewards, to advance caretaking, protection, and sustainability of the land as fundamental to our being made in the image and likeness of God, for our existence, and our thriving.
Dr. Sandra Richter is the Robert H. Gundry Chair of Biblical Studies at Westmont College and the author The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry into the Old Testament, and her most recent book Stewards of Eden: What Scripture Says About The Environment and Why It Matters where she illuminates for us all of these perspectives and more. Here is my conversation with Dr. Sandra Richter.
Resources:
Climate Stewards Carbon Calculator for churches: https://www.climatestewards.org/carbon-calculators/
Kevin’s Review of Stewards of Eden: https://vialogue.wordpress.com/2020/06/22/stewards-of-eden-reflections-notes/
Co-Sponsor Spark.Church: https://www.spark.church
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The discovery and study of genetics began in 1896 when a Swiss chemist, Johann Friedrich Miescher identified a protein that he called nuclein, which later became known as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Then in 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick identified the now famous double-helix structure of DNA giving us further insight into the structural foundation of our biology. But what this molecule actually means has been complicated by eugenic philosophies, racism, and scientific misunderstandings of causal relationships, all used as a biological justification for our social stratifications. In response, those who care deeply about equality and social justice have derided genetic studies as either irrelevant or invalid, and all this makes it difficult to ascertain the truth of the matter.
Kathryn Paige Harden is a professor of psychology at the University of Texas where she directs the Developmental Behavior Genetics Lab and co-directs the Texas Twin Project. Her work is focused on behavioral genetics, the study of how our genes influence our behavior. Her book The Genetic Lottery: Why DNA Matters for Social Equality proposes that DNA really does influence, guide, and direct the kind of person we become which includes aspects like temperament, intelligence, and physical characteristics. But this fact is not the whole truth, and suggesting that this information determines our social structures is wrong. Rather, genetic expression should come together in a synthesis of both our biology and our environment , and we get to choose how we engage with the science of genetics with our core values of justice and equality.
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The ecological crisis that we call climate change is upon us and populations around the world are suffering devastating loss, forced migration, and death. And persistent scientific analysis for almost a century has left no doubt that human activity is the cause.
Evangelical Christians, as a substantive population in American politics do not have a great reputation when it comes to the climate crisis. But the reason for this is a complicated story and requires nuance and explanation. Recently, the National Evangelical Association published a report entitled Loving The Least of These: Addressing a Changing Environment. This document encourages and equips Christians to care about the environment as core and central to the Evangelical call to love one’s neighbor. It is a comprehensive report providing theological, scientific, philosophical, and strategic perspectives needed to generate action.
Dorothy Boorse is a professor of Biology at Gordon College and the lead author of the report. Brian Webb is an Environmental Studies professor at Houghton College and co-directs the Christian Climate Observers Program, a program that trains Christian leaders to attend the United Nations annual Conference on Climate Change. In this conversation we discuss why white evangelicals are the least likely group to agree that human caused climate change is real, why this report from the National Association of Evangelicals matters, what strategies we should consider when having conversations on this topic, and the challenges of living in a polarized political climate. All of this so we can find a better way forward in this urgent and critical issue.
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The issue of gun violence continues to be a persistent problem in the United States. There are simply no words for the tragic loss of life that we witness on a regular basis made worse by the divisive and polarized politics around what governments ought to do. The various appeals to cliched platitudes like, “we don’t have a gun problem, we have a heart problem,” are profoundly unhelpful, and the convenient and often times spurious interpretations of the second amendment distract us from getting a real understanding that could promote real transformation.
Mike Martin is the founder and executive director of RAWtools, an organization that provides a safe process by which people can donate their guns to be transformed into gardening tools. In Isaiah chapter 2, the phrase, “they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks” is a description of a time when there will be no more war or violence upon the land. RAWtools is making that vision a reality through their blacksmithing work, but also through resourcing communities with nonviolence training, storytelling, and theological education. Mike is also the co-author of Beating Guns: Hope for People Who Are Weary of Violence a comprehensive telling of the history of the gun industry, the beliefs and philosophies of gun culture, an explanation of the development of second amendment interpretations, and a both/and political vision that requires legislation and spiritual transformation. It is an incredibly thorough analysis and helpful guide to explicate how we got here, and what we can do about it. In this conversation, we cover all of this and more, all in an effort to chart a way forward towards making violence extinct.
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Silicon Valley has a reputation for being the hub of technological innovation and world disruption. It may surprise some to learn that for many corporations, achieving that aim includes the cultivation of spirituality. In addition to meals, transportation, family and lifestyle services such as childcare and laundry, these highly resourced technology giants provide mindfulness meditation, spiritual guidance counseling, social recreation, and ethical development, such as compassion and empathy, things that were once considered the realm of religious institutions such as churches and temples, and civic institutions such as bowling leagues and local politics. Where identity was once a result of multiple aspects of life, for some in Silicon Valley, identity, meaning, and even purpose are all being found in one central place, work. But what happens when work replaces religion?
Dr. Carolyn Chen is the author of Work Pray Code: When Work Becomes Religion in Silicon Valley. She explores this topic in-depth and proposes that real harm is done to ourselves and society as a result of the corporate encroachment upon our lives. While her thesis is provocative and debated, her articulation of the phenomenon of what she calls “techtopia”—an engineered society where people find their highest fulfillment in work—is enlightening and deserves consideration. At the very least, this analysis provides for us a level of conscientiousness that could chart a better way forward for work, the importance of religious identity, the value of civic institutions, and a healthy and flourishing view of ourselves, and our identities.
In this conversation, we ask Carolyn about all of this and more, inviting her to interact with some critique and development in the workplace since the publication of her book.
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Justice is a core aim of many spiritual and religious traditions, the idea that to heal a broken world requires condemning behaviors that violate the humanity of another human being. And the systems of punishment that we put in place to ensure that people are kept accountable is what we call our criminal justice system. The problem is that our attitudes towards those who commit crimes violate the other spiritual commitment, compassion. And our natural impulse towards punishment and retribution creates systems and practices that are themselves unjust creating a profoundly inhumane system that perpetuates the suffering, for those in the criminal justice system, and for society as a whole.
Fritzi Horstman is the founder and Executive Director of the Compassion Prison Project a grassroots organization whose vision is to see all prisons transformed from punitive human warehouses into rehabilitative environments. Her organization is bringing trauma informed practices, such as Adverse Childhood Experiences to the criminal justice system, and not just to those incarcerated, but also to guards and officers who themselves suffer from the trauma of their work. Fritzi is advancing a philosophy of humanity that is an exemplar of the Via Media ethic, that all people share a common humanity and we ought to move away from our punitive and retributive attitudes and embrace a redemptive, healing, and wholistic way of compassion as the way forward for our social and political systems. She is one of my heroes in the work of inspiring a curious and hopeful humanity.
Compassion Prison Project: https://compassionprisonproject.org/
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Krispin Mayfield is a licensed therapist residing in Portland OR. His book Attached to God: A Practical Guide to Deeper Spiritual Experience is a wonderful introduction to attachment theory, but it is also an exploration of the spiritual and religious traditions of Christianity through the lens of attachment theory. His insights interrogate many of the theological and ethical teachings that have been prominent in some circles of Christianity, and he shows how they are received by the various attachment strategies that people use. He then uses this understanding to illuminate a pathway towards healing, healthier relationships, and the experience of true belonging.
Via Media’s pursuit of curiosity and hope is profoundly enhanced by our understanding of attachment science.
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Dr. David P. Gushee has been an insider to Evangelicalism for decades as a professor, author, and pastor. He has written and published extensively on Christian Ethics, Theology, and Political engagement. His book Kingdom Ethics: Following Jesus in Contemporary Context that he co-authored with Glen Stassen is a standard textbook used widely in seminaries and Christian colleges. In 2014, David made headlines when he published Changing Our Mind a Christian and Biblical argument for full LGBTQ inclusion in the church.
In alignment with Via Media’s core values of curiosity and hope, his recent book After Evangelicalism explores this shift in Christianity and proposes that we consider its history for perspective, its core essence for identity, and our conviction and commitment to The Way of Jesus as the way forward.
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Mitosis is an incredibly intelligent process by which our human bodies grow, and repair. When something damaging happens to our bodies, our cellular systems respond by regenerating and replacing damaged cells. Mitosis is absolutely fundamental to life. Without it, life would not exist.
I propose that we apply this same understanding to our curiosity and ask questions that regenerate and replace bad thinking, cognitive biases, and false beliefs. No more questions that are meant to trap, or ensnare another. No more “gotcha” questions, or questions that seek to undermine or make a point. Let us embrace questions that help us understand better by adapting to new environments, questions that help us seek new adaptive solutions to problems, and expand our imaginative capacities to explore creative solutions and possibilities. These are the questions that throughout human history have advanced human flourishing because they are commensurate with the fundamental processes of life. These, my friends, are the questions we value. And let’s keep asking them.
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Jeremy Lent is the author of The Patterning Instinct, a vast sweep of what he calls a “cognitive history” that reveals and illuminates how we have come to shape our world. His second book, The Web of Meaning, picks up the vision to show how science and spirituality are deeply integrated in ways that we have long forgotten.
Jeremy’s work is incredibly aligned with Via Media’s mission and values. I hope that this conversation sparks your imagination and intrigue, and spurs you to begin thinking differently about this world, and your life within it.
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We live in a chaotic system. Our physics and our spiritualities say so. Yet, we live by stories that simplify the complexities because the chaos is just too much. But what if extending our perceptions and storytelling a bit further into the chaos could actually help us understand better, and deeper, and more accurately the truth of the matter? What if we could simply expand our conscious awareness of the complexities of life a bit more, and open our minds to other possible conceptions? Maybe then we could have a more equitable story telling universe.
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I am inviting you, my friends, to join me on this revolutionary trek. We are going to dive into neuroscience, spirituality, technology, history, philosophy, and cultural anthropology. We are going to interrogate fundamentalism, apologetics, epistemology, liberalism and conservatism. We will ask deep questions about the social structures we have created such as gender, politics, and economics. We will mine the depths of sacred texts and various world religions and spiritualities to discover what they have to tell us about ourselves, our evolution, and our core impulses, wants, desires, and needs. We are going to champion the humility and inquiry of curiosity and seek first to understand. And we will promote a fierce belief in hope, the value and affirmation that all of this can be purposed to better our world, our lives, our religions, our science, and our experiences.
