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This the official podcast of the Science and Spirituality Institute. The focus is on relationships between the sciences and different spiritualities and faith traditions. We rely primarily upon the dialogue methodology for exploring these relationships.
19 Episodes
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Send us a text In this episode, Richard Randolph interviews Olivier Bonnassies, who along with Michel-Yves Bolloré, is co-author of the book, God, The Science, The Evidence, The Dawn of a Revolution. This book was originally published in France in 2021. Since its publication, the book has sold more than 400,000 copies. An English translation has just been published by Palomar Press. Contents Richard Randolph begins by providing an overview of the book and i...
Send us a text In this episode, Richard explores how Artificial Intelligence technology might be appropriately used within faith communities, as well as how individual persons might use the technology to enhance their spiritual practices. Contents Defining Artificial Intelligence and understanding different levels of AI, from the current state of the technology to projections about what it may accomplish in the future. Potential uses of AI in the life and minist...
Send us a text This episode examines the cultural warfare against science and scientists, with special attention to the severe reductions in federal funding for research proposed by the Trump Administration. The podcast includes a financial overview of this extraordinary reduction in research funding, as well as an analysis of the risks and consequences the downsizing entails for American society. This podcast also touches on the impacts this policy shift has had for scientists an...
Send us a text This episode features a conversation with Thomas Oord, a leading Christian theologian in “Open and Relational Theology.” He is the Director of the Center for Open and Relational Theology and also on the doctoral faculty at Northwind Seminary. In his theology, Oord proposes that God is not aloof or impassible, but deeply relational—able to influence and be influenced by Creation. Further, he argues for an open future that is not predetermined. God...
Send us a text Some have argued that the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) represents a “fourth industrial revolution.” We still have much to learn about AI and the ultimate scope of its influence. Yet, this much is already certain, AI will have a profound impact on humanity; perhaps even re-shaping our understanding of what it means to be human. Since faith and spirituality form an important dimension of human existence, it is imperative that we begin exploring the ...
Send us a text Although we have not yet detected Extraterrestrial Intelligence (ETI), there’s a very strong probability that ETI does exist in the universe and that it may some day contact us. What would that mean for Earth-based faiths and spiritualities? Would the existence of ETI destroy their viability, leading to their demise? Or, would the discovery of ETI serve to deepen and enhance these Earth-based faiths and spiritualities? In this episode, we examine this question as a mental exerc...
Send us a text In the late 1800s, two books were published in the United States, arguing that science and religion were locked in an inevitable zero-sum conflict that would only be resolved when one winner emerged and completely vanquished its opponent. This viewpoint came to be called the “warfare thesis.” At the time of their publication, both books were severely criticized by book reviewers for shoddy scholarship and rampant unfairness. The reviewers’ critical assessments...
Send us a text In this episode, we will explore an important question in scientific cosmology and spirituality: Our universe contains a number of physical constants woven into diverse equations that govern physical laws and determine the conditions for life. Over the years, physicists have marveled at how the values of these physical constants are just right for the emergence of carbon-based life, such as humans. In fact, these values appear to be perfectly fine tuned for li...
Send us a text Since Ian Barbour’s pioneering work in the mid-1960s, there has been a lively dialogue between spirituality and many scientific disciplines, including physics, biology, neuroscience, and genetics. By comparison, there has been relatively little dialogue between spirituality and mathematics. In this episode, Richard explores this emerging intersection with Dr. Sarah Voss, a mathematician and ordained pastor in the Unitarian Universalist Church. They also ...
Send us a text Richard discusses the different ways ethics can inform the science and spirituality relationship. To lay the groundwork for his exploration of ethics in science and spirituality, Richard begins by drawing two very important distinctions: First, he discusses the distinction between ethics and morality. Second, he explains the distinction between secular or philosophical ethics versus religious or spiritual ethics. From there, Richard proposes...
Send us a text In this solo episode, Richard Randolph begins by acknowledging the disastrous misunderstanding prevalent in society that science and spirituality are somehow locked in a bitter winner-take-all conflict for supremacy. Against this false myth, Richard asserts that, on the contrary, most religions and spiritualities have historically supported and nurtured science as an important human endeavor. He provides evidence supporting this claim from Judaism, Islam, Budd...
Send us a text In this solo episode, Richard Randolph does a deep dive into our understanding of spirituality. He acknowledges that people have different spiritualities. Yet at the same time, he believes that these diverse spiritualities all share a common core of seven attributes, which are essential for authentic spirituality. These seven attributes are: Openness Being part of something larger than oneself Loving kindness Forgiveness Humility&nb...
Send us a text Robert J. Russell is a very unique individual and highly qualified in the area of science and spirituality. Now retired, he has a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of California, Santa Cruz and he is an ordained pastor in the United Church of Christ. In this interview, Richard Randolph and Robert Russell discuss Christian theodicy--or, The Problem of Evil--and the theological challenge it poses for Christians. Here's the challenge: "How do we reconcile the presence of Evil i...
Send us a text In this episode, Richard explores the ethical challenges and spiritual questions raised by the new CRISPR technology with Dr. Marnie Gelbart, who is Director of Programs at the Harvard Medical School’s Personal Genetics Education & Dialogue Program (PGED). Richard began with an overview of CRISPR technology, emphasizing its precision and potential cost-effectiveness. He emphasized that, in germline applications, CRISPR could potentially allow humans to con...
Send us a text Richard’s guest for this episode is Dr. Hermina Nedelescu, a neuroscientist at the Scripps Institute. Hermina is a third-generation scientist from Romania. Her current research focuses on neural circuits and their role in emotional responses to drug use and sexual abuse. Hermina is also an Orthodox Christian, currently pursuing her Masters degree at the Center for Theology and Natural Sciences in Berkeley. In our conversation, Hermina noted ...
Send us a text In this episode, Richard talks with Ted Peters about UFOs as a cultural phenomenon. A Lutheran theologian, Ted Peters has been a central figure in the long-standing dialogue among scientists, philosophers, and theologians. He has a long-standing interest in UFOs—now called UAPs (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena)—dating back to his childhood. Although many of us tend to dismiss UAP believers as kooks, Ted stresses that they tend to take science and technolo...
Send us a text In this episode, Richard interviewed Dr. Katy Hinman who is Director of the Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion (DoSER) program at AAAS. Katy’s background uniquely qualifies her to lead the DoSER program. She has a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution from Stony Brook University, and she is an ordained pastor in the United Methodist Church. Katy served churches in Georgia for nine years before joining DoSER. In the interview, we discussed t...
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Send us a text This episode provides more information on the Science and Spirituality Institute, focusing primarily on the five core values that guide the Institute's work. There is also an introduction to the intersection of science and spirituality, using Ian Barbour's four-fold typology.
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