The Veritas Forum: Recent Episodes
The Veritas Forum
At the Veritas Forum, we believe we were made to seek truth and be changed by it. We are a community of students, faculty, campus ministers, and more, who are pursuing a vision of the university that seeks and stewards truth and invites people of all backgrounds to explore the ideas that shape our lives. Since 1992, we’ve shared lectures and conversations with a firm belief that generous dialogue is essential for universities and the Christian faith alike.
In this podcast, we're pulling from our archives of recorded events. Learn more about each episode in the show notes and visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and join us as we explore the ideas that shape our lives.
In today's episode, two MIT professors reflect on this question: In an academic culture obsessed with making a name for yourself, what does it look like to care about something bigger than your own success?
You'll hear from Desirée Plata, an environmental engineering professor at MIT, and Cullen Buie, a mechanical engineering professor at MIT. In this conversation moderated by Mia Chung, they discuss where ambition crosses into ego, how they order their priorities between faith, family, and work, and what sustains them through personal loss and professional pressures.
This forum was held at MIT in March, 2026. Thank you to the student planning team for making this event possible.
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
In today’s episode, our speakers discuss this question: Is science the only reliable tool for understanding the world? Or for questions about meaning, morality, and ultimate purpose, do we need something more?
You’ll hear from David Lahti, a biologist at Queens College, and Michael Weisberg, a philosopher at Penn. In this conversation, they explore the limits of scientific knowledge, how evolution intersects with questions of faith and suffering, and how their Christian and agnostic worldviews help them make sense of the difference between knowledge and faith.
This forum was held at Penn in April 2026. Thank you to the student planning team for making this event possible.
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
The concept of a “multiverse” — formerly an obscure idea in philosophy and theoretical physics — is now mainstream. Movies like best-picture winner Everything Everywhere All at Once or Marvel’s Spider Man: Into the Spiderverse invite us into an expansive vision of the cosmos: one where there are infinite worlds, possibilities, and comparisons. Even though these multiverse films feature outlandish sci-fi story lines (like hot dog fingers), their characters wrestle with many of the same questions we do, like, are we living in the best possible world?
In this episode, we discuss just that.
You’ll hear from mathematician John Lennox (Oxford) and moderator Daniel Lowenstein (UCLA) in a Forum event at UCLA in 2015. Together, they explore the toughest questions surrounding our existence. What do we do in the face of tragedy? Why do we experience pain? And, if there is a God who created the world, why did he make it like this?
Thank you to the Forum planning team at UCLA for making this event possible. Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
In today’s episode, historian Molly Worthen (UNC-Chapel Hill) discusses the most radical pivot of her life: becoming a Christian after years of religious skepticism.
Moderated by psychology professor Thad Polk (University of Michigan), you’ll hear Molly’s story of journeying from doubt to faith. She explores how the historical claims of Jesus’ Resurrection, existential questions about meaning, and honesty about her doubts led her to the Christian faith. She also answers questions from the student audience about what her life has looked like after becoming a Christian.
This forum was held at the University of Michigan in March 2026. Thank you to the student planning team for making this event possible.
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
In today’s episode, a theologian and a philosopher explore what happens when we die. They discuss questions like, Is death the end, or is it the beginning of something new? And how do Christian claims about Jesus’ Resurrection change the way we think about death today?
You’ll hear from N. T. Wright, a New Testament scholar at Oxford, and Shelly Kagan, a philosopher at Yale. In this lively conversation moderated by Columbia medical ethicist Lydia Dugdale, they explore death, the afterlife, Jesus’ Resurrection, and how our views on these subjects influence the way we live right now.
This forum was held at Yale in 2014. Thank you to the student planning team for making this event possible.
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
Meaning can be straightforward — a red octagon means “Stop!”, a hand wave with a smile means “Hello,” or adding two and two equals four.
But meaning is often more complicated — a friend saying they’ll eat “whatever” for dinner or a significant other texting, “We need to talk.”
In this episode, our speakers invite you into the messiness of meaning — and discuss how best we can search for it.
You’ll hear a conversation between mathematician Satyan Devadoss (U San Diego) and biologist Stuart Firestein (Columbia). Satyan and Stuart bring their scientific backgrounds and religious perspectives as they explore the role of reason in the search for meaning, what can and can’t be taken at face value, and what strategies can help us find truth — from the scientific method to literary analysis to religious tradition.
This Forum was held at Columbia University in 2014. Thanks to the forums planning team at Columbia for making this event possible.
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
In today’s episode, two moral philosophers explore our everyday ethical choices. Are your gut-level reactions about right and wrong a signal from a higher reality—or just a chemical reaction in your brain? And if God isn’t the foundation for our morality, do our values actually mean anything?
In this throwback Veritas Forum, you’ll hear from Peter Singer, a philosopher and emeritus professor at Princeton, and John Hare, a philosopher at Yale. Drawing from their atheist and Christian worldviews, they explore where moral intuitions come from, whether morality can stand apart from religion, and how questions of happiness, suffering, and the life and teachings of Jesus shape their understanding of what it means to live well. You’ll hear both of their opening statements followed by an excerpt of their moderated discussion.
This forum was held at MIT in 2010. Thank you to the student planning team for making this event possible.
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
On today’s episode, our speakers discuss the topic of friendship: what it looks like on a practical level and why it’s so important in our culture today.
You’ll hear from John Hendrix, an author, illustrator, and art professor at Washington University in St. Louis. This forum focuses on John’s new graphic novel titled The Mythmakers, which tells the story of the friendship of J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. In this conversation moderated by Pepperdine professor April Marshall, they explore how Lewis and Tolkien’s friendship fueled their greatest works and the importance of community in our daily lives.
This forum was held at Pepperdine in April 2025. Thank you to the student planning team for making this event possible. As a heads up, there are a few visual aids in today’s episode that rely on John’s illustrations from his novel. To see them, watch the YouTube video here.
- Find additional resources and quotes from this forum here.
In today’s episode, two philosophers explore this question: How should we understand suffering? Is it simply the opposite of human flourishing, or is there a deeper meaning? And what does suffering mean for belief in a good God?
You’ll hear from Meghan Sullivan, a philosopher at Notre Dame, and John Stuhr, a philosopher at Emory University. Drawing on both personal experience and philosophical commitments, they reflect on how Christian and naturalistic worldviews make sense of suffering in human life.
This forum was held at Emory in April 2025. Thank you to the student planning team for making this event possible.
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
In today’s episode, our speakers explore some core questions about what it means to be human: What are we made for? What is the role of suffering in our lives? And is there something beyond ourselves that can give us purpose?
You’ll hear from Rowan Williams, a theologian and the former Archbishop of Canterbury, and Chigozie Obioma, a novelist and professor at the University of Georgia. Their conversation is moderated by Mia Chung-Yee, a former concert pianist and executive director of the Octet Collaborative at MIT. In this discussion, both speakers share how their Christian faith impacts their view of what it means to be human, and what it means to live “fully alive” in a dehumanizing world.
This forum was put on in partnership with the Duke Initiative on Theology and the Arts and was held at the Carolina Theater of Durham in September 2025.
- Find additional resources and quotes from this forum here.
Talking about religion can feel outdated, close-minded, or just irrelevant. Yet for thousands of years, humans have been a religious species looking beyond ourselves in search of meaning. So should religion still matter today? And is it simply a coping story, or could it point to something real?
In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Ross Douthat, a New York Times opinion columnist and author of Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious. He’s in dialogue with Damon Linker, a lecturer in political science at Penn and creator of the Notes from the Middleground Substack. In this conversation moderated by Penn Law professor Karen Tani, they share their own Christian and agnostic worldviews and explore their thoughts on truth, religious experience, and committing to a religion in a pluralistic society.
This forum was held at the University of Pennsylvania in November 2025. Thank you to the student planning team for making this event possible.
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
The Christmas season, at its heart, is about giving. We spend days—even weeks—searching for thoughtful, personalized gifts to bring joy to those we love.
For Christians, the ultimate gift was given on Christmas: God becoming human in Jesus. This wasn’t an abstract idea, but a deeply personal act—one that changed the world forever.
In today’s episode, you’ll hear a conversation between pastor and author Tim Keller (1950 — 2023) and Yale law professor Anthony Kronman about gifts, grace, and gratitude. Drawing from their Christian and humanist worldviews, they explore the character of God and reflect on how our understanding of the divine—personal or not—shapes the way we live today.
This forum was held at Yale in 2017. Thank you to the student planning team for making this event possible.
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
We’ve reached the end of another amazing year on the podcast — all thanks to you, our listeners! In 2025, we had over 100,000 listens and over 6 million YouTube views across 140 different countries. We’re so grateful for the thousands of you who listen to the podcast and watch our forums online every week.
In this episode, Seth (our podcast host and Senior Media Manager at The Veritas Forum) shares some stats from the podcast in 2025 and our favorite three episodes of the year. We feature excerpts from Esau McCaulley (Wheaton), Gary Saul Morson (Northwestern), Angel Adams Parham (UVA), Roosevelt Montás (Bard), and Ross Douthat (NYTimes).
- Links to the full episodes featured in this wrap-up episode can be found here.
In today’s episode, two physicians explore the problem of suffering in medicine. They address questions like: What does it mean to care for those who suffer? And what would it take to restore dignity to every patient interaction?
You’ll hear from Lydia Dugdale, a primary care physician and medical ethicist at Columbia, and Michael Menchine, an emergency care physician and professor at the University of Southern California. In this conversation, they reflect on the role of clinicians in caring for patients, how our healthcare system can better respond to personal suffering, and explore how their religious and nonreligious worldviews help them make sense of suffering.
This forum was held at USC in May 2025. Thank you to the student planning team for making this event possible.
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
In today’s episode, two Stanford leaders open up about the personal costs and course corrections in their professional lives. Is it possible to lead with integrity and still compete at the highest level? And what do you hold onto when you fail?
You’ll hear from John Hennessy, the former president of Stanford, and Pat Gelsinger, the former CEO of Intel. In their conversation moderated by Stanford student Elli Schulz, they share their stories of finding purpose in the middle of failures, explore the intersection of their Christian faith and work, and offer their thoughts about pursuing meaning in your career.
This forum was held by the Veritas at Stanford Club in April 2025. Thank you to the Veritas at Stanford Club for permission to co-release this recording.
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
In today’s episode, an atheist and a Christian explore the plausibility of miracles. Do miracles actually happen? What kind of evidence supports them? And if they do occur, how should that shape the way we live today?
You’ll hear from Sean McDowell, a professor of apologetics at Biola, and Paul Rinzler, professor emeritus at Cal Poly. In this conversation moderated by Cal Poly professor Todd Long, they explore why miracles are so hard to believe and what’s ultimately at stake if miracles, like the Resurrection, are real.
This forum was held at Cal Poly in May 2025. Thank you to the student planning team for making this event possible.
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
In today’s episode, two professors reflect on what a college education is really for. Is it just about mastering content—or can it shape who we’re becoming and how we live? And what is the role of religious texts in this formative process?
You’ll hear from Roosevelt Montás, a professor of American Studies at Columbia, and Angel Adams Parham, a sociologist at UVA. In this episode, moderated by Columbia professor Dhananjay Jagannathan, they explore what a liberal arts education is, what we get wrong about college today, and why the university is an essential place to ask some of life’s biggest questions about meaning, purpose, and what we believe.
This forum was held at Columbia University in April 2025. Thank you to the student planning team for making this event possible.
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
In today’s episode, a scientist and a philosopher explore what it means to be human. Is our distinctiveness rooted in biology, consciousness, or something more? And why have humans always been curious about this question?
You’ll hear from Praveen Sethupathy, a genomics professor at Cornell, and Scott Aikin, a philosophy professor at Vanderbilt. In this conversation, they explore the question of human uniqueness and whether our desire for meaning is tragic or part of a larger story.
This forum was held at Vanderbilt in February 2025. Thank you to the student planning team for making this event possible.
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
In today’s episode, a philosopher explores this question: Is belief in God irrational?
You’ll hear from Meghan Sullivan, a philosophy professor at the University of Notre Dame. In this talk, she explores what led her to become a Christian in college, how she responds to common objections about her faith, and why she thinks it’s rational to believe in Christianity.
This forum was held at Middlebury College in 2016. Thank you to the student planning team for making this event possible.
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
In today’s episode, we’ll explore some of the most basic questions about science: Why do we do science? Does science rely on any foundational truths? And is it possible to be a scientist and believe in God?
You’ll hear from John Lennox, emeritus professor of mathematics at Oxford. He explores the history of modern science, the philosophical assumptions that shape science today, and why he thinks that believing in God broadens his scientific worldview rather than shrinking it.
This forum was held at Georgia Tech in 2014. Thank you to the student planning team at Georgia Tech for making this event possible.
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
In today’s episode, our speakers explore the possibilities and limits of politics. How can politics be used as a force for good in society? And when our political systems fail us, where should we look for hope?
You’ll hear from Michael Wear, the founder and CEO of the Center for Christianity and Public Life, and Hahrie Han, a professor of political science at Johns Hopkins. In this conversation, they explore why agency and community matter in politics, why misplaced political hope can be dangerous, and where they find hope beyond politics as a Christian and a seeker.
This forum was held at Johns Hopkins University in March 2025. Thank you to the student planning team for making this event possible.
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
In today’s episode, our speakers explore this question: In a world with so much pain, is it naïve to have hope? And where can we find hope when circumstances are out of our control?
You’ll hear from Esau McCaulley, a New Testament scholar at Wheaton College, and Gary Saul Morson, a Russian literature scholar at Northwestern. In this discussion moderated by The Gospel Coalition editor-in-chief and Northwestern alumnus Collin Hansen, the speakers explore theological and Russian literary perspectives on hope, where they find hope based on their worldviews, and what it means for us to live hopeful lives today.
This forum was held at Northwestern in May 2025. Thank you to the student planning team for making this event possible.
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
College is a time for searching. For jobs, friends, meaning, and purpose. But when these searches fail us, or when we suffer from things outside our control, where does that leave us? Is there something more — something spiritual or transcendent— that can give us hope?
In today’s episode, you’ll hear from two journalists who have thought about these questions. The first is Ross Douthat, a New York Times Opinion columnist and author of the new book, Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious. He’s in dialogue with Frank Bruni, an opinion contributor at the New York Times and a professor of journalism and public policy at Duke. In this discussion, moderated by UNC historian Molly Worthen, Ross and Frank share their experiences with suffering, their perspectives on spirituality and religion, and their search for meaning throughout their lives.
This forum was held at UNC Chapel Hill in April 2025. Thank you to the student planning team for making this event possible.
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
In today’s episode, an MIT professor explores the topic of success. How do we deal with the constant pressure to succeed in our careers? And what happens if we fail?
You’ll hear from Cullen Buie, a mechanical engineer and entrepreneur. In this talk, Cullen shares his unlikely story of becoming a college professor, his struggle to find fulfillment amid academic pressures, and how his Christian faith helps him find an identity that isn’t founded on success or failure.
This forum was held at CalTech in 2015. Thank you to the University Partnerships team for making this event possible.
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
In today’s episode, a theologian and a philosopher discuss some of life’s biggest questions, like: Who are we? What’s wrong with the world? And what can make it right?
You’ll hear from N. T. Wright, a senior research fellow at Wycliffe Hall in Oxford, and Heidi Maibom, a philosophy professor at the University of Cincinnati. In this conversation, they explore what philosophical traditions and the Christian story say about human identity, the problem of evil, and our ability to fix the world’s problems.
This forum was held in 2017 at the University of Cincinnati. Thank you to the forums team for making this event possible.
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
In today’s episode, a law professor explores the topic of law and justice. What are the opportunities and limits of the law? And where does our desire for justice come from?
You’ll hear from David Skeel, a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania. He explores the historical challenge of creating a just society and how his Christian worldview offers a foundation for justice that doesn’t depend on our human efforts.
This forum was held at UPenn in 2014. Thank you to the forums team for making this event possible.
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
In today’s episode, a concert pianist and Beethoven scholar takes us on a musical journey through the life of one of history’s greatest composers.
You’ll hear from Mia Chung-Yee, an accomplished musician and faculty member at the Curtis Institute of Music. In this lecture and performance, she tells the story of Beethoven’s struggle with deafness and explores the connection in his music between suffering and faith.
This forum was held at the University of Michigan in 2016. Thank you to the forums team for making this event possible.
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
In today’s episode, two scientists with different spiritual worldviews explore this question: How can science and spirituality co-exist?
You’ll hear from Praveen Sethupathy, a genomics professor at Cornell, and Michael Hecht, a chemistry professor at Princeton. In this conversation, they explore what science and spirituality can learn from one another and how they experience wonder in their research.
This virtual forum was held at Princeton in May 2021. Thank you to the forums team for making this event possible.
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
In today’s episode, two professors with different approaches to faith discuss the question: Can I be spiritual but not religious?
You’ll hear from Tim Muehlhoff, a professor of communications at Biola University, and Elizabeth Barrett, a lecturer in psychology at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly). They discuss their spiritual and religious worldviews, how they define spirituality, and whether picking and choosing what we believe is liberating or harmful. Their conversation is moderated by Stephen Lloyd-Moffet, a professor of religious studies at Cal Poly.
This forum was held at Cal Poly in May 2024. Thank you to the forums team for making this event possible.
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
In today’s episode, two professors discuss how we should live when facing limited time. What does it mean to live each day like it’s your last? Is that a bad idea?
You’ll hear from Lydia Dugdale, a medical ethicist at Columbia, and Timothy Bono, a psychologist at Washington University in St. Louis (WashU). They explore why considering our mortality is important for living well and what practical steps one can take to live intentionally. Their conversation is moderated by Nic Koziolek, a lecturer in philosophy at WashU.
This forum was held at WashU in April 2023. Thank you to the forums team for making this event possible.
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
In today’s episode, two professors explore questions like: Is there more to life than meets the eye? Or, what do we turn to when we face challenging circumstances?
You'll hear from Jamie Smith, a philosophy professor at Calvin University, and Ted Fischer, an anthropology professor at Vanderbilt. In this conversation moderated by a Vanderbilt student, Isabella Gomez, they discuss the desire to look beyond ourselves, the role of mystery in faith, and where they find hope in times of crisis.
This forum was held at Vanderbilt in October 2024. Thank you to the forums team for making this event possible.
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
In today’s episode, a Christian and an atheist engage in a wide-ranging discussion about what makes humans special. Are we just advanced animals or part of a larger story with a beginning, middle, and end?
You’ll hear from Joshua Swamidass, a professor of biomedical engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, and Peter Langland-Hassan, a philosopher at the University of Cincinnati. In this conversation, they discuss how their different worldviews influence their understanding of evolution, humanity, and moral choices.
This virtual forum event was held at the University of Cincinnati in October 2021. Thank you to the forums team for making this event possible.
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
We’ve made it to the end of another amazing year on the podcast — all thanks to you, our listeners! We loved exploring the ideas that shape our lives with you this year!
In this episode, Seth (our podcast host and video producer at The Veritas Forum) shares some stats from the podcast in 2024 and our top three episodes of the year. We feature excerpts from Molly Worthen (UNC), Jonathan Haidt (NYU), Andy Crouch (Praxis), Wendy Suzuki (NUY), and Arthur Brooks (Harvard).
- Listen to Changing My Mind: A Skeptical Professor Meets a Surprising God | Molly Worthen
- Listen to Hey Siri, How Do I Find Myself? A Conversation on Spirituality & Technology | Haidt & Crouch
- Listen to Happier Doctor—Healthier Patient? | Arthur Brooks & Bernard Chang
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
During the Christmas season, we love experiencing wonder and magic. Santa Claus, presents, Christmas music, and twinkling lights make us feel the “Christmas spirit.”
But Christians believe the ultimate Christmas wonder was a baby. A miracle. God became human. Something so unlikely and incredible that it altered the world forever.
In today’s episode, you’ll hear Oxford mathematician John Lennox explore the possibility of miracles. He explains what miracles are, if science can disprove them, and why miracles like the Incarnation and Resurrection change everything if they really happened.
This forum was held at Harvard Medical School in 2012. Thank you to the forums team for making this event possible.
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
In today’s episode, an English professor explores the question of meaning. What compels us to look for meaning? And, is meaning found within ourselves or outside of ourselves?
You’ll hear from Lori Branch, an English professor at the University of Iowa. In this talk, she explores why we seek meaning, how we find meaning in our relationship with others, and how her Christian faith fulfills her search for meaning.
This forum was held at Furman University in March 2024. Thank you to the forums team for making this event possible.
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
In today’s episode, two professors discuss this question: Why is it so hard to admit when we don’t know something? And why does it matter in the academic environment?
You’ll hear from Cullen Buie, professor of biological engineering at MIT, and Marcelo Gleiser, professor of physics and astronomy at Dartmouth. In this conversation, moderated by Hannah Eagleson (Emerging Scholars Network, InterVarsity), they discuss the importance of intellectual humility, how they see its impact in their lives, and why their religious worldviews encourage it.
This virtual forum was a Faculty Roundtable event hosted at MIT in August 2020. Thank you to the forums team for making this event possible.
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
It’s not hard to figure out what to do with our phones. But what is hard to figure out is what our phones are doing to us.
Today’s speakers have written a lot about this topic. The first speaker is Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist at NYU and author of, The Anxious Generation, which has topped the New York Times bestseller list for 27 weeks in a row. In dialogue with Jon is Andy Crouch, a partner for theology and culture at Praxis Labs and author of the book, The Life We’re Looking For.
In this conversation, Jon and Andy discuss the effects of technology on our personal and spiritual lives and whether flourishing is possible without our phones. Their discussion is moderated by Wendy Suzuki, the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, professor of neural science at NYU, and author of the book Good Anxiety.
- Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.
Watching a few “how-to” videos on YouTube doesn’t make you an expert. To really know “how-to” change a tire, make puff pastry, or play the piano, you have to do it. Through experience, you discover new dimensions of your knowledge — from finding holes in your reasoning, to growing in flexibility and nuance, to even reassessing who you are and maybe even what you believe in.
In this episode, you’ll hear a story of such a discovery with guest Dr. Tom Rudelius, a theoretical physicist and string theory researcher with degrees from Cornell and Harvard.
Tom's story is shared in his new memoir: Chasing Proof, Finding Faith. This episode follows the arc of Tom’s book — how he and his twin grew up, to the lie detector test that sparked his faith in Jesus, to the deepening of his faith even in the face of mental illness, anxiety, and doubt.
- Order Tom's book, Chasing Proof, Finding Faith
- Sign up for our newsletter here.
- Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives
Do you remember your last biology class? Maybe it’s been decades since your junior year of high school. Or maybe you just went to lab last Thursday. But no matter what you do or don’t remember from biology, this episode is for you. Today, our speaker invites you to consider your biology — what you’re made of and why it matters.
In this Forum excerpt from March 2023, you’ll hear from Dr. Praveen Sethupathy, a genomics researcher at Cornell University and director of Cornell’s Center for Vertebrate Genomics. Dr. Sethupathy’s opening remarks in this episode showcase both his commitment to genomic research and his formation in the Christian faith. Over the next 35 minutes, you’ll find out that we humans aren’t that unique — and why that leads us towards greater understanding of our purpose, meaning, and beauty.
- Watch the full Forum event here.
- Sign up for our newsletter here.
- Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives
There’s a sort of spark to life — moments that stir up something inside of us that we can’t explain. Maybe you've experienced this while playing with your dog, or singing along at a concert, or seeing the Northern Lights.
Perhaps these sparks are simply neurons firing, chemicals releasing, and muscles contracting. Or perhaps these sparks point to something like a soul, something transcendent. How do we know which it is? And what do we do when our evidence remains elusive?
This episode is an excerpt from a Veritas Forum at MIT in 2016. You’ll hear from biologist Dr. Ken Miller (Brown University), and philosopher Dr. Alex Byrne (MIT), as they discuss the human soul, evidence, and what gods we do — or don’t — believe in. This vibrant conversation is moderated by Dr. Ian Hutchinson, a nuclear physicist at MIT.
- Watch the full Forum event here.
- Sign up for our newsletter here.
- Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives.
If new and improved A.I. tools can write your next essay, create Picasso-style art, or produce a believable deep-fake, it’s fair to ask: Are we manufacturing human brains?
In this episode, we dive into the complexity of the human brain — and what this means for morality, meaning, and purpose. You’ll hear from Dr. Rosalind Picard (MIT Media Lab) and Dr. Shahram Khoshbin (Harvard Medical School). This excerpt is from a Forum event at Harvard Medical School in 2016, and is moderated by Dr. Patrick Smith, a principal faculty member for the Initiative on Health, Religion, and Spirituality at Harvard Medical School.
- Watch the full Forum event here.
- Sign up for our newsletter here.
- Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives.
This season we've asked: "What does it mean to be human?" And not too far downstream from this question is one you probably ask on a regular basis: "Who am I?"
Both questions can be overwhelming. What if your answer isn’t right? Do you even know if there is a right answer? Can you change your mind? And is there a point when you have to have it all figured out? In our final episode of the season, we address that anxiety — that burden. Perhaps “having to figure it all out” is too much pressure. What if you don’t have to come up with all the answers?
In this episode, we are going beyond the forum with Dr. Alan Noble. He’s an English professor and author, and we talk about the struggle that comes with making sense of what it means to be human. His most recent book is entitled, "You Are Not Your Own: Belonging to God in an Inhuman World."
Sign up for our newsletter here.
Order Alan's book, You Are Not Your Own, here.
Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives.
You — like most of us — are likely fed up with social media. The apps that promised us more social connection and genuine communication instead gave us doom-scrolling, photoshopped vacation photos, and hordes of influencers. But in our quest for authentic community, have we looked in the wrong places? Can we express our true selves on social media platforms like BeReal or Instagram? And is real authenticity — whether online or in person — even possible?
We explore these questions through a Forum from April 2022 at the University of Chicago. In it, a fashion designer and philosopher contemplate selfhood. What does it mean to “be ourselves”? The first speaker is Dr. Fiona Dieffenbacher, an Associate Professor of Fashion at Parsons School of Design. The second speaker is Dr. Benjamin Callard, a philosopher professor at the University of Chicago.
Sign up for our newsletter here.
Check out this Forum event on our Youtube.
Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives.
We live in a culture saturated with technology. From a helpful autocorrected text to a friend to the suspiciously targeted ads in your Instagram feed to the deepfakes that can create your likeness without your consent.
Given technology's prevalence today, how should we think about our relationship with it? What does this relationship mean for what it means to be human? And is it possible for our tech to become more human than we are?
Our conversation today centers around these questions. In this Forum event from April 2022, you’ll hear first from Dr. John Lennox, emeritus professor of mathematics at Oxford. He’s the author of 2084: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity, and he discusses topics from this book with Dr. Paul Davies, a theoretical physicist at Arizona State University. Dr. Lennox and Dr. Davies explore the ever-expanding impact of artificial intelligence on our lives, the plausibility of creating human-like technologies, and the importance of ethical guidelines and agreements in these morally fraught developments.
Sign up for our newsletter here.
Check out this Forum event on Youtube.
Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives.
Last week, you heard from Dr. Jennifer Frey about how you need other people to know who you are.
That sounds great when these "other people" are kind, generous in dialogue, and want the best for you. But in our quest to discover what it means to be human, we will encounter other people whose ideas challenge us, expose us to new viewpoints, and uncover significant areas of disagreement.
So what do we do? How can we engage with others across ideological divides? What would it look like to bring our unique insights to conversations — and see others’ contributions as meaningful, too?
Today’s Forum is entitled “How to Disagree” — and it dives into the limits and virtues of intellectual charity. This conversation was hosted by the Veritas Forum at Harvard Law School in April 2022. The first speaker is Diana Hess, the Dean of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The second speaker is Randall Kennedy, a professor at Harvard Law School. And the third speaker is Steven Harris, the Senior Director of Academic Programs at the Center on Faith and Justice for Georgetown University.
Sign up for our newsletter here.
Check out this Forum event on Youtube.
Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives.
We're going beyond the forum with Dr. Jennifer Frey, our guest from last week. Dr. Frey is a philosopher at the University of South Carolina, and she teaches the philosophy of Aristotle, Plato, and other perennial philosophers.
We look at happiness in our relationships with others and how friendship plays a role in what it means to be human. In our discussion, we explore Aristotle’s three types of friends, how friendship and justice relate, and what it means to be a good friend.
Check out Jennifer Frey's podcast, "Sacred & Profane Love," here.
Sign up for our newsletter here.
Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives.
If you're wondering if you'll get the "happily ever after" promised by fairy tales, you're not alone.
For the past three decades, the General Social Survey has tracked a slow decline in happiness in the United States. Responses in 2021 suggest the lowest percentage of "Very Happy" Americans (19%) since 1988.
But, what exactly is happiness — or its lack thereof? Is it something that we can measure in a survey or promise at bed time? And, how does it contribute to what it means to be human?
In today’s episode we dive into happiness — what it is, how we get it, and its purpose for us today — in a Forum entitled, "What Good Is Happiness?”
This Forum event was hosted at the University of Chicago in February 2020. The first speaker is Jennifer Frey, professor of philosophy at the University of South Carolina. Dr. Frey is in dialogue with Jonathan Masur, an economist at the University of Chicago.
Sign up for our newsletter here.
Check out this Forum event on Youtube.
Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives.
How would you answer the question, "How much are you worth?"?
Based on your body's iron, magnesium, oxygen, etc., you could sell your body for around $18. Or you could check your transcript and report your 4.0 GPA. Or with the help of social media, you could tally up your followers on Instagram and Twitter.
But $18, a 4.0, and 3,000 followers are poor approximations for you and the worth of your life. How, instead, should we approach this question?
Today, we’re exploring what it means to be human — holistically. How can we approach our humanness with an understanding of our bodies, minds, and souls? By the end of this episode, you’ll gain a better understanding of how you are worth more than the sum of your parts.
This Forum event was hosted at Dartmouth in 2022. The first speaker is Praveen Sethupathy, the director for the Center for Vertebrate Genetics at Cornell University. The second speaker is Lori Alvord. She’s a General Surgeon at Astria Health. The conversation is moderated by Ross Douthat, opinion columnist at the New York Times.
Sign up for our newsletter here.
Check out this Forum event on Youtube.
Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives.
Do you find yourself frustrated by life's inefficiencies? Wouldn't it be better if we could live entirely productive, completely predictable lives?
Surprisingly, minor inconveniences can be more beneficial to you than you might think. Perhaps they can even bring meaning to your life and remind you of your ultimate lack of control.
In this episode, we’ll investigate how time impacts what it means to be human. Can we find meaning and purpose in our short lives? And how can we begin to see time — however much of it we get — as a gift?
This Forum event was held in 2019 at MIT and features Dr. Alan Lightman, professor of the practice of the humanities at MIT, and Dr. Meghan Sullivan, professor of philosophy at Notre Dame.
Sign up for our newsletter here.
Check out this Forum event on Youtube.
Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives.
If only you had 15 more minutes, or were 5 years younger, or a year into the future — then, things would be better. Maybe even you would be better.
But maybe time is more than a sparring partner. More than something you curse or see as a thief. It might just be an integral part of what it means to be human.
In today's episode, we discuss with Dr. James K. A. Smith what it might look like to partner with time. We talk about Jamie's new book, How to Inhabit Time, and how we can learn to appreciate the fleeting, ephemeral moments of this life.
Sign up for our newsletter here.
Order Jamie's new book, How to Inhabit Time, here.
Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives.
Whether it's a scoop of ice cream each night or a quick look at notifications on my phone, our unconscious habits — and their underlying desires — form us. (Even when we think they aren't.) So, what does it mean to be human in light of these habits and desires? And, can you use your desires to enhance your humanness — rather than take away from it?
Listen to one of our favorite Forums again in this encore episode featuring Dr. James K. A. Smith, professor of philosophy at Calvin College. This program was recorded at a Veritas Forum event at the University of Michigan in 2018, and the original title was "You Are What You Love." If you enjoy this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe!
Sign up for our newsletter here
Check out this Forum event on Youtube.
Order Jamie's new book, How to Inhabit Time, here.
Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives.
There's a lot that humans can do that other animals can't — we can make beautiful works of art and develop life-saving medicines. But, there's a lot we share in common. For example, we share 99% of our DNA with chimpanzees. You may wonder, then, where does our humanness lie? What makes humans unique?
This program was recorded at a Veritas Forum event at Emory University in 2018. The original title was, "What Does it Mean to Be Human?" and featured Dr. Joshua Swamidass, professor of biomedicine at the University of Washington at St. Louis and Dr. Scott Lilienfeld, a professor of psychology at Emory. If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe!
Sign up for our newsletter here
Check out this Forum event on Youtube.
Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives.
What makes you, you? And how can you live into the fullness of your life?
We're coming through a global pandemic that may have forced you to face your own mortality. You may be struggling to create loving relationships in a virtual and media-filled world. You might be figuring out who you are and what ‘identity’ means.
This fall, it's a great time to ask, "What does it mean to be human?"
The first episode of our eleventh season drops on Thursday, September 8th. Join us as we share insights from scholars working in various disciplines from particular viewpoints. This season's episodes feature archival Forum content and new interviews with your favorite Forum speakers.
You won't want to miss an episode! Be sure to subscribe NOW to our podcast — and leave us a rating and review on Apple podcasts, too.
PART OF A SPECIAL 6-WEEK SERIES | This season is all about character and virtue — and how we can close our “character gaps” to become better people. But, what does it look like to grow more virtuous in a world with pain, trauma, and grief? Our guest for this episode, contemporary artist Makoto Fujimura, approaches this question through the lens of a centuries-old art form: kintsugi.
Mako’s most recent book, Art + Faith, is available here: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Faith-Theology-Makoto-Fujimura/dp/0300254148
Like what you heard? Rate and review Beyond the Forum on Apple Podcasts to help more people discover our episodes. And, get updates on more ideas that shape our lives by signing up for our email newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/veritas/newslettersubscribe_pd. Thanks for listening!
PART OF A SPECIAL 6-WEEK SERIES | The pandemic upended all of our lives. As a response, we started different habits — and perhaps even formed addictions — that helped us to cope. But, after two years of pandemic living, is it possible to change? In this episode, we talk with Dr. Nii Addy, a researcher at Yale specializing in addiction, depression, and anxiety. And he says we can have hope — according to his research, it is possible to rewire our brains for greater mental health.
If you’re curious to hear more from Nii, check out his podcast, Addy Hour, wherever you listen to podcasts!
Like what you heard? Rate and review Beyond the Forum on Apple Podcasts to help more people discover our episodes. And, get updates on more ideas that shape our lives by signing up for our email newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/veritas/newslettersubscribe_pd. Thanks for listening!
PART OF A SPECIAL 6-WEEK SERIES | People today reach the standard markers of adulthood — finishing education, getting married, becoming financially independent — later compared to people 50 years ago. Does that mean that kids these days are “behind” in their development? Or should these standard markers be rethought? Our guest today, Dr. Nancy Hill, is a Harvard professor and developmental psychologist. She invites us to consider how attending college might change how we develop — not just in our twenties, but for the rest of our lives.
You can order Nancy and her co-author Alexis’s book, The End of Adolescence, here: https://www.amazon.com/End-Adolescence-Lost-Delaying-Adulthood/dp/0674916506
Like what you heard? Rate and review Beyond the Forum on Apple Podcasts to help more people discover our episodes. And, get updates on more ideas that shape our lives by signing up for our email newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/veritas/newslettersubscribe_pd. Thanks for listening!
PART OF A SPECIAL 6-WEEK SERIES | Career searches often begin with the same question: “What’s my passion?” If you’re in a period of job transition — maybe you’re about to graduate, retire, or have felt like a new job is on the horizon — we want to help. And, we don’t think that “passion” is the best place to start. Join us as we talk with Dave Evans, New York Times best-selling author of Designing Your Life and Stanford professor, about what questions we should be asking when it comes to making our next steps vocationally.
You can order Dave’s book, Designing Your Life, here: https://www.amazon.com/Designing-Your-Life-Well-Lived-Joyful/dp/1101875321/
See more of Dave’s books on his website, https://designingyour.life/ Like what you heard? Rate and review Beyond the Forum on Apple Podcasts to help more people discover our episodes. And, get updates on more ideas that shape our lives by signing up for our email newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/veritas/newslettersubscribe_pd. Thanks for listening!
PART OF A SPECIAL 6-WEEK SERIES | What academic study can help you live a better life today? Medicine, Business, Anthropology, Social Science… Our guest this week, Dr. Meghan Sullivan, argues that philosophy should be on that list. Meghan is a philosophy professor at Notre Dame — she teaches the popular course, God and the Good Life, the freshman intro philosophy course — and she discusses with us four philosophical skills that can help you live a better, happier, even Good, Life.
You can order Meghan and her co-author Paul’s new book, The Good Life Method, here: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Life-Method-Reasoning-Questions/dp/1984880306
Like what you heard? Rate and review Beyond the Forum on Apple Podcasts to help more people discover our episodes. And, get updates on more ideas that shape our lives by signing up for our email newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/veritas/newslettersubscribe_pd. Thanks for listening!
PART OF A SPECIAL 6-WEEK SERIES | To kick off our third season, we’re starting with the question we’ve all asked ourselves: “Am I a good person?” Our guest, Dr. Christian Miller, has an answer — and it might not be what you think. Christian is a philosophy and ethics professor at Wake Forest University, and he’s spent over a decade studying character and virtue. Starting in 2010, Christian led the Character Project — a research group dedicated to the advancement of the scientific study of character. Recently, he’s honed in on one virtue in particular, honesty, through his direction of the Honesty Project.
You can order Christian’s trade book on character and virtue, The Character Gap, here: https://www.amazon.com/Character-Gap-Good-Philosophy-Action/dp/0190264225/
Like what you heard? Rate and review Beyond the Forum on Apple Podcasts to help more people discover our episodes. And, get updates on more ideas that shape our lives by signing up for our email newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/veritas/newslettersubscribe_pd. Thanks for listening!
This program was recorded at a Veritas Forum event on Northwestern University in 2022. The original title was "AI, Religion, & Humanity: How Might (or Should?) We Shape the Future?" and featured Rosalind Picard, Director of Affective Computing Research, Sylvester Johnson, Professor and Director of the Center for Humanities, and Robert Geraci, Professor. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe. And, if you’re interested in more content from Veritas, check out our Beyond the Forum podcast. Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives.
This program was recorded at a Veritas Forum event at NYU in 2017. The original title was "The Closing of the Modern Mind" and featured Tim Keller, Pastor, and Jonathan Haidt, NYU Professor. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe. And, if you’re interested in more content from Veritas, check out our Beyond the Forum podcast. Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives.
This program was recorded at a Veritas Forum event at Columbia in 2021. The original title was, "Living with Uncertainty in Science and Religion" and featured John Lennox, Professor of Mathematics at Oxford, and George Church, Professor of Genetics at Harvard. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe. And, if you’re interested in more content from Veritas, check out our Beyond the Forum podcast. Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives.
This program was recorded at the annual Veritas Weekend 2022 event in Boston. The original title was, "Is Christianity Good for the Scientific University?" and featured Cullen Buie, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at MIT, Karin Öberg, Professor of Astronomy at Harvard, and Tyler VanderWeele, John L. Loeb and Frances Lehman Loeb Professor of Epidemiology at Harvard. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe. And, if you’re interested in more content from Veritas, check out our Beyond the Forum podcast. Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives.
This program was recorded at a Veritas Forum event on University of Cincinnati in 2021. The original title was, "Imagination & What It Means to Be Human" and featured Josh Swamidass, Professor in the department of Immunology and Pathology at WashU, and Peter Langland-Hassan, Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Cincinnati. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe. And, if you’re interested in more content from Veritas, check out our Beyond the Forum podcast. Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives.
This program was recorded at a Veritas Forum event on NYU in 2021. The original title was "Cosmic Chemistry: Do Science and God Mix?" and featured John Lennox, Professor at Oxford, and Pascal Wallisch, Professor at NYU. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe. And, if you’re interested in more content from Veritas, check out our Beyond the Forum podcast. Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives.
This program was recorded at a Veritas Forum event on Yale in 2014. The original title was, "Living Well in the Light of Death" and featured N.T. Wright, Bible Scholar and former Bishop, and Shelly Kagan, Professor of Philosophy. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe. And, if you’re interested in more content from Veritas, check out our Beyond the Forum podcast. Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives.
This program was recorded at a Veritas Forum event on University of Washington in 2019. The original title was, "Does Science Point to Atheism?" and featured Satyan Devadoss, University of San Diego Professor, and Conor Mayo-Wilson, University of Washington Professor. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe. And, if you’re interested in more content from Veritas, check out our Beyond the Forum podcast. Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives.
This program was recorded at a Veritas Forum event on Princeton University in 2021. The original title was "Can Science & Spirituality Coexist?" and featured Dr. Michael Hecht, Professor of Chemistry, Princeton University, and Dr. Praveen Sethupathy, Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe. And, if you’re interested in more content from Veritas, check out our Beyond the Forum podcast. Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives.
This program was recorded at a Veritas Forum event on University of Minnesota in 2017. The original title was "Scientific Inquiry and Faith" and featured Ted Davis, Historian of Science and Religion, and Michael Ruse, Professor and Director of the History and Philosophy of Science Program. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe. And, if you’re interested in more content from Veritas, check out our Beyond the Forum podcast. Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives.
This program was recorded at a Veritas Forum event on Montana Tech in 2018. The original title was "Can A Scientist Believe in God?" and features Cullen Buie Professor at MIT. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe. And, if you’re interested in more content from Veritas, check out our Beyond the Forum podcast. Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives.
This program was recorded at a Veritas Forum event on Claremont in 2019. The original title was "Cosmic Chemistry: Do Science and God Mix?" and featured John Lennox Professor of Mathematics and Philosophy of Science and Mary Poplin Professor in the School of Educational Studies. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe. And, if you’re interested in more content from Veritas, check out our Beyond the Forum podcast. Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives.
This talk is Francis Su's final speech as the president of the Mathematical Association of America(MAA). If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe. And, if you’re interested in more content from Veritas, check out our Beyond the Forum podcast. Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives.
PART OF A SPECIAL 6-WEEK SERIES | This season, we’ve talked with people at the intersection of science and God — scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and a historian of science — all of whom are Christians. For them, they see no fundamental conflict between their faith in God and their faith in science. But what about you? Are you skeptical? For our final episode, we talk with Dr. Praveen Sethupathy, a genomics researcher and professor at Cornell University, about his journey to Christianity. Praveen’s interest in Christianity grew as he was developing his skills as a scientist — and he used those skills to approach the Christian faith. Listen to learn how you can reason through what you believe — and why — and what to do when you find yourself with gaps of knowledge in front of and behind you.
Like what you heard? Rate and review Beyond the Forum on Apple Podcasts to help more people discover our episodes. And, get updates on more ideas that shape our lives by signing up for our email newsletter at veritas.org. Thanks for listening!
PART OF A SPECIAL 6-WEEK SERIES | A recent survey from Pew suggests that 59% of Americans perceive science and religion as “often in conflict.” But, our second season guests have all seen their Christian faith and scientific pursuits work together. In this episode, we try to get to the bottom of this perceived conflict between science and God with our guest, Dr. Ted Davis, a historian of science and religion. Listen to hear how this perceived conflict began and how you can think about the compatibility of science and God going forward.
Like what you heard? Rate and review Beyond the Forum on Apple Podcasts to help more people discover our episodes. And, get updates on more ideas that shape our lives by signing up for our email newsletter at veritas.org. Thanks for listening!
This program was recorded at a Veritas Forum event on Brown in 2017. The original title was "What does it mean to be human?" and featured Rosalind Picard and Michael Littman. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe. And, if you’re interested in more content from Veritas, check out our Beyond the Forum podcast. Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives.
PART OF A SPECIAL 6-WEEK SERIES | Do you have to follow your passion to have a meaningful career? What if you don’t have a clear direction in mind — or a detailed five-year plan? We talk about finding and pursuing your vocation with MIT researcher and entrepreneur Dr. Cullen Buie. After a chance conversation right out of high school introduced him to engineering, Cullen has asked one key question in his professional journey: “What do I have to lose?” Hear how this question has guided Cullen along his career path and learn how you can apply it to your own life in this week’s episode.
Like what you heard? Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts to help more people discover our episodes. And, get updates on more ideas that shape our lives by signing up for our email newsletter at www.veritas.org Thanks for listening!
PART OF A SPECIAL 6-WEEK SERIES | Should we be worried about robots taking over the world? Dr. Rosalind Picard, an A.I. researcher at MIT, says no. But, there are real things to consider about our relationship with technology. We talk with Dr. Picard about the past, present, and future of machine learning and artificial intelligence and hear how her current work is literally saving lives.
Like what you heard? Rate and review Beyond the Forum on Apple Podcasts to help more people discover our episodes. And, get updates on more ideas that shape our lives by signing up for our email newsletter at veritas.org. Thanks for listening!
PART OF A SPECIAL 6-WEEK SERIES | Does everyone have faith? Dr. John Lennox, theologian and mathematician at Oxford University, thinks so. Join us as we talk with Dr. Lennox about the pursuit of evidence, the nature of God, and the importance of fostering communication across differences.
Like what you heard? Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts to help more people discover our episodes. And, get updates on more ideas that shape our lives by signing up for our email newsletter at veritas.org. Thanks for listening!
PART OF A SPECIAL 6-WEEK SERIES | Math can often lead to frustration, confusion, and irritation — but might it also lead us to virtue? Join us as we talk with Harvey Mudd professor and author of “Mathematics for Human Flourishing,” Dr. Francis Su. In our interviews with Francis and his friend (and fellow math-explorer) Christopher Jackson, learn how doing math makes us more human and allows us to grow in the virtues of discernment, persistence, and hope.
Like what you heard? Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts to help more people discover our episodes. And, get updates on more ideas that shape our lives by signing up for our email newsletter at veritas.org. Thanks for listening!
Rania Awaad is a a Clinical Associate Professor in the Stanford Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and pursues her clinical practice through the department's community psychiatry track. She is also a researcher and the Director of the Stanford Muslims and Mental Health Lab where she mentors and oversees multiple lines of research focused on Muslim mental health. Through community partnerships established by the Stanford Department of Psychiatry, she is currently the Psychiatric Director of the El Camino Women's Medical Group (Mountain View and San Jose) where she pursues her interest in women's mental health. Additionally, through another community partnership with the Stanford Department of Psychiatry, she serves as the Clinical Director of the Bay Area branch of the Khalil Center (Santa Clara), a spiritual wellness center pioneering the application of traditional Islamic spiritual healing methods to modern clinical psychology. • Warren Kinghorn is a psychiatrist whose work centers on the role of religious communities in caring for persons with mental health problems and on ways in which Christians engage practices of modern health care. Jointly appointed within Duke Divinity School and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences of Duke University Medical Center, he is co-director of the Theology, Medicine, and Culture Initiative and is a staff psychiatrist at the Durham VA Medical Center. He has written on the moral and theological dimensions of combat trauma and moral injury, on the moral and political context of psychiatric diagnosis, and on the way that St. Thomas Aquinas’ image of the human as wayfarer might inform contemporary practices of ministry and mental health care. • Co-sponsors: Duke Graduate Christian Fellowship, LuMin Austin, Nueces Mosque • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
Yale Philosopher Daniel Greco asks Notre Dame Philosopher Dr. Alvin Plantinga questions regarding science, faith, and philosophy. An archive, 2013 interview hosted by the Veritas Forum at New York University. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
Praveen Sethupathy is a Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Cornell University, where he directs a research laboratory focused on human genomics and complex diseases. • Zeray Alemseged is the Donald N. Pritzker Professor in the Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy at the University of Chicago. • This forum was hosted by the Veritas Forum at the University of Chicago, 2019. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
Dr. Eric Topol (Scripps Research), Dr. Rosalind Picard (MIT Media Lab), and Dr. Jon Tilburt (Mayo Clinic) in conversation with moderator Caroline Chen (ProPublica) about the role of AI in the future of healthcare. • Presented by the Veritas Forum at Harvard University and the Mayo Clinic. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you.
Christina Tsoules Soriano | Associate Provost for the Arts and Interdisciplinary Initiatives at Wake Forest University and an associate professor of dance. • David Hagy | Orchestra Director at Wake Forest University and Music Director of the Salisbury (NC) Symphony. • Moderated by Jonathan Lee Walton | Dean of Wake Forest University School of Divinity, Presidential Chair in Religion and Society, and Dean of Wait Chapel. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
A discussion between University of Delaware's Dr. Sophia Choukas-Bradley (Assistant Professor of Psychology) and Duke’s Dr. Warren Kinghorn (Esther Colliflower Associate Research Professor of Pastoral and Moral Theology; Associate Professor of Psychiatry) about how faith, worldview, and the COVID-19 pandemic affect the way we view and address mental health.
Resisting Bias & Reshaping Institutions: A conversation about advancing racial justice in religious institutions, government, and higher education. A discussion between David French of The Dispatch and Justin Giboney of AND Campaign. This conversation was moderated by Stephanie Summers, CEO of The Center for Public Justice, and was hosted by the Veritas Forum at Cal Poly. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you.
Dr. Michael Hecht, Professor of Chemistry, Princeton University, and Dr. Praveen Sethupathy, Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, discuss what science and spirituality might have to offer each other in our current time. Hosted by the Veritas Forum at Princeton University • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you.
A conversation about human origins, evolution, and what's at stake followed by a Q&A with Dr. Pam Ashmore (UTC Anthropology) and Dr. Josh Swamidass (Washington University School of Medicine). Moderated by Dr. Michelle Deardorff (UT Chattanooga Political Science and Public Service). • Please like, share, review, and subscribe to this podcast. Thank you.
Beauty inspires humans to great feats of imagination and discovery. Can beauty also help us find truth about the world and ourselves? Might beauty contribute to the advance of science or reveal the presence of God? An Oxford physicist and a Virginia Tech philosopher explore the relationship between aesthetics, science, and human meaning. • Panelists: Dr Ard Louis, Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Oxford, where he leads an interdisciplinary research group studying problems on the border between chemistry, physics and biology. • Dr Ben Jantzen, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Virginia Tech, where he studies inference and language in science: the contents and character of the natural world and how we come to know it. • Moderated by Vivek Mathew, Executive Director of Chesterton House. Sponsored by Bradley Study Center at Virginia Tech and Chesterton House at Cornell University. •
Dr. Cornel West (Harvard Divinity School) and Dr. Robert George (Princeton University) discuss the value of a liberal arts education at the Veritas Forum at The Washington University (co-hosted by The Danforth Center on Religion and Politics): "Liberal Arts Education: What's The Point?" Recorded on 4/16/2019. • Please like, share, subscribe to and review this podcast. Thank you!
You can check out our new podcast, Beyond the Forum, wherever you listen to podcasts. • What does math have to do with the multiverse? Is our sense of design an anthropic accident, out of the same multiverse as in Dr. Stephen Hawking’s “The Grand Design”? What does a Christian mathematician have to add about the problem of origins, God, and the multiverse? Dr. Satyan Devadoss, associate professor of math at Williams College, lectures on these questions and his personal experiences. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
You can check out our new podcast, Beyond the Forum, wherever you listen to podcasts. • Dr. Tia Powell, Dr. Tyler VanderWeele, Dr. Richard Sloan, and Dr. Lydia Dugdale all discuss the power and peril of mixing religion and medicine at The Harvard Medical School Veritas Forum: Religion and Medicine: Should they Mix? • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thanks!
You can check out our new podcast, Beyond the Forum, wherever you listen to podcasts. • Daryl Davis is a Black Blues musician who builds friendships with members of White Supremacy organization. Through this he has helped convince over 200 white supremacists to renounce their ideology and leave their organizations. He is joined by on of these men, Jeff Schoep former director of Neo-Nazi organization who is now a Human Rights Advocate. • Like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
You can check out our new podcast, Beyond the Forum, wherever you listen to podcasts. • A dialogue between Dr. Miroslav Volf of Yale University and Dr. Vijay Pendakur of Cornell University discussing truth, tolerance, and safe spaces. From the Veritas Forum at Cornell University, a discussion titled Can Truth and Tolerance Coexist?. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
Dr. Curt Thompson, a board certified Psychiatrist and Neurologist, discusses the power of the narrative we tell ourselves and how it affects us throughout our lives. A lecture and conversation covering mental health, human flourishing, and religion. • You can check out our new podcast, Beyond the Forum, wherever you listen to podcasts. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
From the archives we bring you our first ever Virtual Veritas Forum. We hear from a panel that includes Lydia Dugdale, MD and Director of Columbia Center for Clinical Medical Ethics; David Brooks, bestselling author and NYT cultural commentator; and Andy Crouch, executive editor of Christianity Today, author, and partner at Praxis Labs. Moderated by executive director of The Veritas Forum, Andrew Schuman.
You can check out our new podcast, Beyond the Forum, wherever you listen to podcasts.
Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
PART OF A SPECIAL 6-WEEK SERIES | Does “the good life” mean that everything in your life is good? For the final episode of our first season, we talk with Yale theologian Dr. Miroslav Volf about the “why” of living — when we’re faced with sorrow and suffering, what keeps us going? Mirsolav helps us explore the tensions between joy and sorrow, justice and mercy, and invites us to consider how having a “why” to life could change us.
Like what you heard? Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts to help more people discover our episodes. And, join the conversation on our Instagram, @veritasforum. You can see our full slate of speakers, learn more about our production team and co-sponsors, and read full show notes at beyondtheforum.org
PART OF A SPECIAL 6-WEEK SERIES | What happens when you try to solve for something that can’t be solved—like what should you do with your life? Can you find joy even when there’s not an answer? In today’s episode, we talk about curiosity and awe with Dr. Satyan Devadoss, a math professor at UC San Diego. Satyan loves math, but not because it’s useful, or a good problem-solving tool. In fact, he loves math because it leads to many more UNsolved problems. Most of Satyan’s time as a mathematician is spent on difficult, “wicked” problems, and he says that we can’t—and sometimes shouldn’t—solve everything.
Like what you heard? Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts to help more people discover our episodes. And, join the conversation on our Instagram, @veritasforum. You can see our full slate of speakers, learn more about our production team and co-sponsors, and read full show notes at beyondtheforum.org
PART OF A SPECIAL 6-WEEK SERIES | We know a lot about what makes us healthier. But what about what makes us happier? In this episode, we interview Dr. Tyler VanderWeele, an epidemiologist and the Director of the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University. He and his research team are working towards identifying the behaviors that make our lives better — not just physically, but emotionally, mentally, and relationally, too. Our conversation centers around one of his data’s main findings: regularly attending religious services can help you live seven years longer.
Like what you heard? Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts to help more people discover our episodes. And, join the conversation on our Instagram, @veritasforum. You can see our full slate of speakers and learn more about our production team and co-sponsors at beyondtheforum.org
PART OF A SPECIAL 6-WEEK SERIES | Daryl Davis didn’t study conflict resolution or communications in any formal way in a classroom or lecture hall. But, through his extensive travels — first, as the son of diplomats, and then, as a jazz musician — Daryl has become an expert when it comes to cross-cultural communication. Over the past 40 years, Daryl, a Black man, has used his skills to build surprising friendships with white supremacists. So far, over 200 people have left the KKK and denounced its ideology as a result of their friendship with him. In this episode, Daryl shares about his life, his music, and how he found himself doing what he does now. He says it all ties into this one question: How can you hate me when you don’t even know me?
Like what you heard? Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts to help more people discover our episodes. And, join the conversation on our Instagram, @veritasforum. You can see our full slate of speakers and learn more about our production team and co-sponsors at beyondtheforum.org
PART OF A SPECIAL 6-WEEK SERIES | Our communities can help us live “the good life.” But what about the people that tick us off? How do we form more resilient relationships that make us healthier and more connected? We discuss these things with Dr. Curt Thompson, psychiatrist and author of The Soul of Shame. He says that repairing broken relationships can actually usher us into a greater connection with others than we had previously.
Like what you heard? Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts to help more people discover our episodes. And, join the conversation on our Instagram, @veritasforum. You can see our full slate of speakers and learn more about our production team and co-sponsors at beyondtheforum.org
PART OF A SPECIAL 6-WEEK SERIES | Is death a threat to living well? No, says our guest Dr. Lydia Dugdale, who is a Columbia Medical doctor, a medical ethicist, and author of The Lost Art of Dying. She says that living well requires dying well.
Listen to our conversation with Dr. Lydia Dugdale on BEYOND THE FORUM wherever you listen to podcasts. And don’t forget to subscribe, review, and share on social media–and please tag us @veritasforum! You can see our full slate of speakers for our first season and learn more about us at beyondtheforum.org.
We have a NEW podcast: Beyond the Forum. Listen and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.
People have been talking about “the good life” for centuries, but are you any closer to knowing what it is or how to live it? Given the past year, we thought now would be a good time to try! So we teamed up with PRX (the award-winning producer of This American Life and other shows) and some of our favorite thinkers to help you answer the question. New episodes will drop every Thursday for six weeks, starting June 10, 2021.
Learn more at beyondtheforum.org or on Instagram @veritasforum
Lydia Dugdale, MD, MAR is the Silberberg Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of the Center for Clinical Medical Ethics in the Department of Medicine at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons.
Shelly Kagan is Clark Professor of Philosophy at Yale University, where he has taught since 1995.
John Lennox, Professor of Mathematics at Oxford University, is an internationally renowned speaker on the interface of science, philosophy and religion. In a forum hosted by the Veritas Forum at the University of Georgia, Yohannes Abate, Susan Dasher and Charles Dasher MD Professor of Physics, interviews Dr. Lennox. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast.
From the Veritas Forum at Arizona State comes a series titled Pursuing Science and Christian Faith for Human Flourishing. Professor Elaine Howard Ecklund from Rice University presents Why Science and Faith Need Each Other. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast.
A Conversation about Forgiveness and the Ethics of Cancel Culture hosted by the Veritas Forum at Harvard University. This Forum was generously funded by The Donahue Foundation. • Speakers: Christine Emba, Columnist at The Washington Post Willie Jennings, Associate Professor of Systematic Theology and Africana Studies at Yale University Suzanne Nossel, Chief Executive Officer at PEN America • Moderated by Sung Kwang Oh and Lizzie Bond • Made possible through sponsorship by The Donahue Foundation • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast.
Satyan Devadoss, Professor of Mathematics at the University of San Diego and Stuart Firestein, Professor of Neurobiology at Columbia University, discuss science, ignorance and the pursuit of meaning on the stage at Columbia. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast.
Dr. Curt Thompson is a psychiatrist and the author of Anatomy of the Soul and The Soul of Shame. He is also the founder of Being Known, which develops teaching programs, seminars, and resource materials to help people explore the connections between interpersonal neurobiology and Christian spirituality which lead to genuine change and transformation. • Miwa Yasui is an Associate Professor at the University of Chicago's School of Social Service Administration. Her research focuses on the influences of culture, ethnic-racial socialization, and family systems in mental health, development, and identity formation. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast.
The Veritas Forum at Columbia presents a discussion on the moral power of literature. A conversation between Columbia Philosophy Professor Dr. Dhananjay Jagannathan and Dr. Tara Isabella Burton of The American Interest, moderated by Dr. Gregory Floyd. • Like, share, review, and subscribe to this podcast. Thank you.
For many people, math is cold and lifeless, a bunch of rules to follow---a way to separate people rather than a way to bring them together. It’s no wonder that many have anxiety over their math experiences. But what if we could see how math is tied to our deepest human longings---for beauty, for justice, for love? Would we see it---and ourselves---differently? Join mathematician Francis Su in conversation with Mia Chung-Yee as they discuss the broader implications of his new book Mathematics for Human Flourishing, which he wrote in collaboration with his friend Christopher Jackson, an incarcerated man who reshaped Su's own views of what math is, who it's for, and why anyone should learn it. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast.
Perspectives on mental health and existing as a whole person from Dr. David Carreon of Stanford and Dr. John Sommers-Flanagan of the University of Montana. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
In the aftermath of a contentious election season, we may find ourselves questioning the future of a nation that seems irreparably divided. We may ask questions such as, “is political and/or social unity possible or even desirable?” and, “if unity is desirable, what is the best pathway to that unity?” • Attorney, author, and political commentator, David French, discusses this topic with assistant professor of Sociology and Urban Studies at Barnard College, Angela Simms. Presented by the Veritas Forum at Columbia University. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast.
Octet Collaborative’s founder and board chair Mia Chung-Yee, an accomplished concert pianist and professor of musical studies, spoke to students at Cal Poly about the holistic human engagement involved in making music. Mia spoke about what we have lost as our culture has adopted a consumerist, technical, and accomplishment-driven attitude to music, and about how we might recover the flourishing music can bring to our lives and our society. • Please like, share, review, and subscribe to this podcast. Thank you!
Psychiatrist Curt Thompson, M.D. addresses the role of shame in our mental and spiritual lives. Presented by the Veritas Forum at Harvard University • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast.
A Conversation with a Secular Humanist, Jurist and Law Professor, Ryan Calo, and a Christian, Scientist and Bioengineer Professor, Josh Swamidass, about the philosophical and biological implications of artificial intelligence. Presented by the Veritas Forum at University of Washington. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast.
In this discussion between Christian and Atheist scientists, Josh Swamidass and Nathan Lents, they explore the building blocks of life, behavior, our evolution, and who our ancestors were. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
In this episode we hear from three different world views including a Christian (Kirk Durston), a Muslim (Imam Hosam Helal), and an Atheist (Matt Monrose) as they discuss their unique perspectives on faith and science. From the stage at McMaster University. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
Dr. Alan Lightman, Author and MIT Professor and Physicist, and Dr. Alister McGrath, Oxford Professor of Science and Religion, explore questions of suffering, hope, and the possibility of God through the lenses of their individual worldviews.
Lydia Dugdale — Medical Doctor, Physician, and Ethicist — discusses the Lost art of Dying in this interview conducted by USC student Quincy Guenther. • Like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
A discussion about the history underlying mistrust of medical science, the development of the COVID-19 vaccines, and faith-informed responses to the pandemic. Hosted by: (&) Campaign NYC || andcampaign.org
Speakers S. Joshua Swamidass - Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Washington University, Saint Louis • Reverend Stephen Ko - Pastor of New York Chinese Alliance Church • Kayana Jean-Philippe - Healthcare Consultant and COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Trial Participant • • Moderated by Rasool Berry - Teaching Pastor at The Bridge Church in Brooklyn, New York. • Please like, share, subscribe to and review this podcast. Thank you.
Oxford Professor Emeritus John Lennox, Mathematician and Philosopher of Science presents his reasoning for the link between science and belief in God. Presented from the stage at the Claremont Center for Reason, Religion, and Public Affairs. • Like, share, review, and subscribe to this podcast. Thank you.
The project of pluralism promises inclusiveness, tolerance, and peace, but it rarely satisfies. At a Veritas Forum from Harvard, Diana Eck (Harvard) and Vinoth Ramachandra (IFES) discuss the nature of pluralism and the challenges that keep us from genuine dialogue. How can we maintain our deepest core beliefs while also engaging with the beliefs of others? • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you.
Dave Evans teaches “Designing Your Life” – Stanford University’s most popular class. He is an entrepreneur who led the design of Apple’s first mouse, and co-founded Electronic Arts before becoming a Consulting Assistant Professor at Stanford.
Pastor, author, and public intellectual Tim Keller is in conversation with Sterling Professor of Law at Yale Law School and born-again pagan, Anthony Kronman. They discuss their theological perspectives on gratitude, free will, and our current political moment. Moderated by Professor of Systematic Theology and Africana Studies at Yale Divinity School, Willie Jennings. • Please like, share, review, and subscribe to this podcast. Thank you.
MIT Professor of Mechanical Engineering Cullen Buie discusses his journey through science, God and making a name for himself at The Veritas Forum at Caltech. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you.
Mathematician and University of San Diego professor Satyan Devadoss is interviewed by Oxford graduate student Lauren Spohn. A discussion about the beauty and mystery of mathematics in the context of Satyan's latest book: Mage Merlin's Unsolved Mathematical Mysteries. • Like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you.
In this episode we hear from mathematician, philosopher, and theologian, Dr. John Lennox. In a discussion titled “Did Science Kill God?” Lennox thoughtfully probes the idea that God and science is an either or decision. Recorded in 2015 from the stage at UCLA. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
Meghan Sullivan is Professor of Philosophy and the Rev. John A O’Brien Collegiate Chair at the University of Notre Dame. In this lecture she discusses the rationality of the Christian faith from the stage at Montana Tech. ••• Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
Every generation must be challenged to assess whether its assumptions about God must be reexamined. Join N.T. Wright, Peter Thiel, and moderator Ross Douthat in a discussion on hope, technology, politics, and theology.
Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
Some say that claiming to know God or truth is too exclusive in a pluralistic society and too divisive in a free democratic one. People who hold such exclusive beliefs, they say, tend to impose them on others and oppress those who disagree. How can Christians, then, justify their faith that says Jesus is the one true way to God? Can they fit in and operate in a free society? Tim Keller dives into these questions on the stage at UC Berkeley.
Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
What power do everyday citizens have to bridge divides and overcome differences? Is it possible to love those who we see as "enemies" and if so, how?
A conversation with Harvard Business School professor Arthur Brooks and Stanford graduate student Isaiah Drummond.
University of Chicago professor Jean Bethke Elshtain and Harvard philosopher Michael Sandel discuss the role of religion in public life. Does religion deserve a place in the public square? Is it fair to exclude what many people consider the basis of their ethical framework? Should we study our religious texts together?
Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
Jonathan Haidt is an NYU professor of Moral Psychology & author of Coddling of the American Mind, and John Inazu is a Washington University Professor of Law & Religion and the author of Confident Pluralism — in this discussion they set out to confront the current climate of polarization and distrust in our country’s religion and politics.
Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
A conversation with Political Scientist, Author, and Professor, David Koyzis, interviewed by Erin Dienst of The Veritas Forum. A discussion about political ideologies and how each claims to fix our broken world. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you.
A conversation between John Inazu (Washington University in St. Louis) and Eboo Patel (Interfaith Youth Core), moderated by Chiara Cordelli (University of Chicago) about navigating and respecting our differences in society while seeking common ground. From the stage at the University of Chicago.
Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
After years of researching hundreds of psychological studies that put people’s character to the test, philosopher Christian Miller (Wake Forest) has concluded that a gap exists between how good we should be and how good we actually are.
This is an interview with Christian discussing his book, The Character Gap, and what we can do to become better people.
Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thanks!
In this episode we hear from the physician-geneticist who led the human genome project, Dr. Francis Collins. This evening, September 24th at 7pm Eastern, Dr. Collins will be awarded and honored by the Templeton Foundation in a ceremony that includes theologian N.T. Wright. The event is open to all through a virtual link you can access by visiting www.templeton.org. • Dr. Collins is the current director of the National Institutes of Health and author of several books including The Language of God. In this episode he discusses his journey in science and faith while also exploring the beauty of our genetics. ••• Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
A faculty conversation with Dr. Lydia Dugdale, a physician and ethicist at Columbia Medical School who’s been on the front lines caring for COVID-19 patients in NYC. Moderated by Kathy Tuan-MacLean. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
Daryl Davis is a Black Blues musician who builds friendships with members of White Supremacy organization. Through this he has helped convince over 200 white supremacists to renounce their ideology and leave their organizations. He is joined by on of these men, Jeff Schoep former director of Neo-Nazi organization who is now a Human Rights Advocate. • Like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
Andy Chan (VP for Innovation and Career Development) and Dr. Michael Sloan (Associate Professor of Classical Languages), both professors at Wake Forest University, engage in a conversation about practical steps to pursuing a career and finding purpose during this time. A virtual Veritas Forum hosted by Wake Forest University. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
The Veritas Forum at USC presents Lt. Gen. Larry James of NASA's JPL and Carol Geffner of USC. Learn from these two lifelong practitioners and proven leaders of different world views as they discuss topics of grit and resilience during COVID-19. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
Evolutionary Biologist David Lahti talks about the need to have Christian thinkers in the sciences. • Augustine Collective Keynote. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
New York Times columnist Ross Douthat maps out the America's religious landscape and discusses how essential it is to have influential Christian voices in the world. • From the stage at the 2020 Augustine Collective in Boston, Massachusetts. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
Dr. Satyan Devadoss FLETCHER JONES CHAIR OF APPLIED MATHEMATICS UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO & Dr. Varun Soni DEAN OF RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL LIFE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
In this Virtual Veritas Forum we discuss the impact of the novel coronavirus in the context of creativity with a panel that includes contemporary artist and activist Mako Fujimura, film critic and associate professor Alissa Wilkinson, and hip-hop recording artist Lecrae. Together they explore how unexpected events have reshaped humanity's creative spirit throughout history and how this moment is doing the same. Moderated by the Executive Director of the Veritas Forum, Andrew Schuman. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
In this Virtual Veritas Forum we discuss the impact of the novel coronavirus on the global economy and how it may or may not reshape our concepts of commerce. Presented by a panel that includes Alfa Demmellash, CEO and Co-Founder of Rising Tide Capital; Andy Chan, VP of Innovation & Career Development at Wake Forest University; Arthur Brooks, social scientist, musician, and professor at the Harvard Kennedy School; Moderated by Andrew Schuman, Executive Director of The Veritas Forum. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
Dr. Joshua Swamidass of the Washington University in St. Louis, as well as Dr. Michael Behe of Lehigh University present their reasons for whether or not creationism should be considered scientific. They present their research and also make the case for the harmony between science (particularly evolution) and faith. • From the stage at Texas A&M University. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
In this Virtual Veritas Forum we hear from a panel that includes Lydia Dugdale, MD and Director of Columbia Center for Clinical Medical Ethics; David Brooks, bestselling author and NYT cultural commentator; and Andy Crouch, executive editor of Christianity Today, author, and partner at Praxis Labs. Moderated by executive director of The Veritas Forum, Andrew Schuman. • NEXT VIRTUAL FORUM Coronavirus & Quarantine: The Economy, Career, and Jobs Edition. Thursday, April 2 at 4pm ET. Featuring: Arthur Brooks (Harvard), Alfa Demmellash (Rising Tide Capital), and Andy Chan (Wake Forest University). For more information and registration: http://www.veritas.org/veritasforumlivestream2/ • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
Dr. Lydia Dugdale of Columbia, Dr. Raymond Barfield of Duke, Alua Arthur, attorney and "Death Dula" discuss the meaning of death and living with the weight of our mortality. On stage at Ohio State University. Moderated by Ashley Fernandes. • Like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
What Good is Happiness? A Dialogue Between Economics & Philosophy. University of South Carolina Philosopher Jennifer Frey and University of Chicago Professor of Law Jonathan Masur Discuss. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
In this discussion, Philosopher Dr. Andy Norman of Carnegie Mellon, and Evolutionary Biologist Dr. David Lahti, discuss the evolution of humans and faith. They navigate the tension and harmony between science and faith. • If you like this, please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast!
George Fox University professor of Theology, Joseph Clair, ask, "Do we need God to have the meaningful lives?" From the stage at Montana Tech. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank You!
Ard A. Louis, a Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Oxford, asks whether science can answer all of life's questions. From the stage at the University of Birmingham in the UK. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
A Christian Mathematician, Satyan Devadoss, and an Agnostic Biologist, Greta Binford, discuss science, its boundaries in understanding the complexities of our world, and God. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast.
Dr. Curt Thompson, a board certified Psychiatrist and Neurologist, discusses the power of the narrative we tell ourselves and how it affects us throughout our lives. A lecture and conversation covering mental health, human flourishing, and religion. • Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
In this episode, New York Times Columnist Ross Douthat makes the case for faith and religion in academia. By sharing his own story and religious upbringing, Ross shows the link to deeper, intellectual thinking that his faith tradition and exploration afforded him. • Please like, share, subscribe to and review this podcast!
Theoretical Physicist, Ard Louis of Oxford University and Neuroscientist, Pascal Wallisch of New York University explore whether our reality is all simply an invention of the brain and within that, pondering if we can know what is objectively true. From the NYU Veritas Forum: Is There Truth Beyond Your Brain? • Please like, share, subscribe to and review this podcast!
George Church, Harvard Medical School and Bill Hurlbut, Stanford University Medical Center discuss the risks and opportunities of gene editing at a special event hosted by The Veritas Forum and moderated by Ross Andersen, a senior editor at The Atlantic.
The Veritas Forum: Gene Editing and the Future of Personhood
Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast!
Bill Burnett and Dave Evans teach the most popular class at Stanford. The course, entitled “Designing Your Life,” aims to reframe the way students think about the question, “How do I live a meaningful life?” Burnett, an atheist, and Evans, a Christian, both believe the key to a joyful and fulfilling life starts with thinking like a designer.
As we kick off this new year, enjoy this throwback episode featuring Dave Evans and Bill Burnett as they discuss their methods for living a life worth living.
Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast!
How do we reconcile a good God and a world filled with suffering? N.T. Wright takes to the stage at Duke University to discuss this tension.
Please like share, subscribe to, and review this podcast!
[Note that we will not be publishing a podcast on December 26th but will resume on January 2nd]
We live in a time when polarization and distrust are hindering us from relationship and moving forward together. How do we bridge these left/right & religious/secular divides? Jonathan Haidt, NYU Professor of Moral Psychology, Author of Coddling of the American Mind & John Inazu, Washington University Professor of Law & Religion, Author of Confident Pluralism, take to the stage at NYU. Moderated by Christine Emba - The Washington Post
Please like, share, subscribe to and review this podcast!
Shimon Edelman is a Professor of psychology at Cornell, interested in behavioral, neural, evolutionary, and computational aspects of language, vision, consciousness, and happiness. Dr. David Carreon is a psychiatrist at Stanford University and the Medical Director of Acacia Mental Health in Fremont, CA.
Please like, share, subscribe to and review this podcast!
Tahera Ahmad, Associate Chaplain and Director of Interfaith Engagement at Northwestern, and Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, discuss their Muslim and Christian faiths respectively and whether faith divides or unites us.
Please like, share, subscribe to and review this podcast ~ Thank you!
Harvey Mudd College Mathematician Francis Su and Caltech Geologist Paul Asimow discuss their personal perspectives on meaning and purpose from the stage at California Institute of Technology.
Please like, share, subscribe to and review this podcast. Thank you!
How should we view the Bible? New Testament scholar and theologian NT Wright and Harvard philosopher Sean Kelly discuss one of history’s most influential books at The Veritas Forum at Harvard University. Moderated by Dr. Jay Harris.
Please like, share, subscribe to, and review this podcast. Thank you!
[this is a throwback episode from 2013]
Dr. Alan Lightman, MIT, and Dr. Meghan Sullivan, Notre Dame, discuss how the modern world is impacting the way we view and utilize time and what that means for humanity.
Dr. Meghan Sullivan's current book is titled 'Time Biases: A Theory of Rational Planning and Personal Persistence' with a forthcoming book titled 'God and the Good Life' (with Paul Blaschko).
Dr. Alan Lightman's new book is called 'Three Flames.'
Please like, share, review and subscribe to this podcast. Thank you!
Dr. Curt Thompson, Author, and Dr. Kathryn Lofton, Yale University, discuss the shifting connectivity of modern university students.
Please like, share subscribe to and review this podcast.
Theologian Dr. Miroslav Volf, Yale University, discusses how religion ought to be a healing force in our world rather than a divisive one.
Please like, share, subscribe to and review this podcast. Thank you!
Dr. Cornel West, Harvard Divinity School and Dr. Robert George, Princeton University, discuss the value of a liberal arts education at The Washington University in St. Louis. • • Please like, share, subscribe to and review this podcast. Thank you!
Astronomer and Physicist Dr. Stephen Barr, University of Delaware, discusses the interplay between our modern understanding of the universe and the role our faith and the bible plays in how we understand.
Please like, share, subscribe to and review this podcast. Thank you!
Dr. Troy Van Voorhis, a chemist at MIT, speaks to an audience at the University of Florida about whether science is enough to give us the reason and certainty we seek in life. ~~ Please like, share, subscribe to and review this podcast.
Dr. Ian Hutchinson, a nuclear scientist at MIT, takes to the stage at the University of Virginia to discuss the sometimes tense relationship between faith and science while challenging scientism; the belief that everything can be explained through science.
Please like, share, subscribe and review this podcast. We really appreciate your support.
Dr. David Lahti, Evolutionary Biologist of Queens College at the City University of New York and Dr. Andrew Berry, Evolutionary Biologist of Harvard University discuss the biological developments that make humans unique.
Recorded from the stage at Harvard University.
If you find this and other episodes meaningful, please subscribe, share and review this podcast.
Thank you for your patience while we've been revamping this experience for you. This is the Veritas Forum Podcast. As before, we're bringing you new and familiar speakers asking the big questions at our forums on college campuses around the country.
Join us tomorrow as we launch the first episode, a conversation between Dr. David Lahti of The City University of New York and Dr. Andrew Berry of Harvard University about what makes humans special.
If you like this podcast and want to hear more, please like, share, subscribe and review. From all of us here at The Veritas Forum, we thank you!
Stanford neurobiologist William Hurlbut and MIT genetic biologist Rudolf Jaenisch discuss the ethics of gene editing at a Veritas Forum from MIT, moderated by Cullen Buie, MIT professor.
In her recent book, Boundaries for Your Soul, therapist Kimberly Miller describes the process of turning your inner critic into your biggest champion. Instead of fighting or ignoring our feelings and anxieties, Kim wants us to befriend them. On our latest podcast episode, Kim discusses the approach that transformed her life and the lives of her clients.
Theology professor Matthew Kaemingk's book Christian Hospitality and Muslim Immigration in an Age of Fear is a powerful synthesis of his life’s work. Combining his theological expertise with his lived experience in Europe, Kaemingk challenges Christians to respond differently to the political crisis surrounding Muslim immigration. Earlier this year, we sat down with Kaemingk to discuss his book and his hope for a more genuine pluralism.
Children believe in the tooth fairy until their reasoning capabilities mature and they recognize this belief is neither grounded nor relevant. Does belief in Jesus Christ require a similar suspension of logic? Can Christianity be proven to be true? UCLA law professor Daniel Lowenstein interviews Oxford mathematician John Lennox with honest questions about Christianity and the grounds for faith.
At a Veritas Forum from Middlebury College, Notre Dame philosopher Meghan Sullivan explores the questions that defined her journey to the Christian faith.
A conversation with Rachael Denhollander, the brave woman and attorney who stopped the "greatest sex scandal in sports history." Hosted at New York University and moderated by Melissa Murray, Professor of Law at NYU.
Americans spend over $11 billion on self-help every year, but philosopher Jennifer Frey says that if you want to be happy, you should read philosophy instead. For Dr. Frey, if we want to uncover a more holistic vision of the good life, we need to go back to the classics—to Aristotle, Augustine, and Aquinas. When we do that, she says, we discover that happiness is less about feeling good all the time and more about cultivating a vision of life that gets you outside of yourself.
73 years after his death in a Nazi Concentration Camp, Dietrich Bonhoeffer remains a fascinating and influential icon. A man who embodied his theology in both his life and death, he earnestly wrestled with the questions of his time and what they meant for his Christian faith. At a Veritas Forum from Hope College, Charles Marsh (UVA) reads excerpts from his biography on Bonhoeffer as he attempts to make sense of the great Christian thinker and martyr.
How we care for our sick tells us much about who we are as a society. How should we view those who come to us for care? For Dr. Bob Cutillo, a physician at the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, what we see depends on how we look.
At a Veritas Forum from the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Cutillo draws on central themes from his book, Pursuing Health in an Anxious Age, and through examining ancient perspectives on patient care, including Dante, Nietzsche, and the Bible, argues that looking back may help us see the way forward.
Whether or not we know what we believe, our worldview shapes our perception of the truth. At a Veritas Forum from UCLA, the late philosopher Dallas Willard helps us ask the right questions about how our picture of reality lines up with the truth.
The advances of neuroscience have given us unparalleled knowledge of the human brain, but as any neuroscientist will tell you, we’re just scratching the surface of the brain’s potential. At a Veritas Forum hosted by Stanford students, William Newsome (Stanford) and David Eagleman (Stanford) explore the depths of neuroscience and what it means for our understanding of human identity.
For over 25 years, Ian Hutchinson (MIT) has been a speaker at Veritas Forums across the country. Throughout those years, he’s answered countless student questions about science, theology, and his Christian faith. In his latest book, Can a Scientist Believe in Miracles?, Hutchinson compiled every question asked of him at a Veritas Forum and set out to answer them. On our latest podcast, we sit down with Hutchinson to discuss his book, his journey to Christianity, and his hopes for the next generation of scientists.
What would it look like for universities to take religion seriously? For New York Times columnist Ross Douthat, it starts with the recognition that religion will continue to influence the way we see the world. In fact, the data shows that the 21st century will be far more religious than the previous hundred years. At a Veritas Forum from the University of Michigan, Douthat explores the importance of understanding religion in the modern university.
Alissa Wilkinson (Vox) is a film critic, professor, and cultural commentator, who works at the intersection of art, postmodernism, and theology. On our latest podcast episode, we sit down with Alissa to discuss film, secularism, and why religion keeps showing up in Hollywood.
It’s the one universal on which we all agree: everyone dies. How we deal with death determines much of what we spend our lives trying to accomplish and become. At a Veritas Forum from Yale, theologian N.T. Wright (University of St. Andrews) and philosopher Shelly Kagan (Yale) discuss the reality of death and whether we should hope for something beyond it.
In January, The Veritas Forum convened 170 student writers to learn from leading Christian scholars and to write essays for their campus publications, and we devoted one writing track to the legacy of philosopher Alvin Plantinga. Widely credited with making belief in God credible in academic philosophy, Plantinga continues to influence the next generation of Christian thinkers—from philosophers to plumbers. In this podcast episode, we discuss the influence of Plantinga's life and thought with Notre Dame’s Meghan Sullivan.
Before we believe that Christianity is true, philosopher Greg Ganssle thinks that we should want it to be true. He says that our longings for beauty, goodness, and freedom, are “at home in the Christian story.” At a Veritas Forum from the University of California-Irvine, Ganssle examines how our desire to flourish can lead us to faith in Jesus.
We have computers in our pockets, and we can 3-D print a house. But as our technology advances, are we better off? At a Veritas Forum from Caltech, Alana Ackerson, finance leader and entrepreneur, and Christopher Hitchcock, professor of philosophy at Caltech, explore the relationship between human progress, our technological capacity, and the role of religion in shaping conversations about the future.
For the religious believer and atheist alike, the problem of evil is troubling. If there is a God, why does he allow evil? And if there isn’t a God, how we can say that anything is evil? At a Veritas Forum from Harvard Medical School, Oxford Mathematician John Lennox addresses one of the most challenging human questions: Why do we suffer?
The Bible is the bestselling book of all time, but is it true? During a Veritas Forum at Harvard, New Testament scholar and theologian N.T. Wright and Harvard philosophy professor Sean Kelly, discuss history's most influential book.
Last Thursday at the Veritas Forum at Harvard, we were fortunate enough to host Rachael Denhollander, the first woman to publicly accuse Larry Nasser of sexual abuse. Her story is one of immense courage, guided by an unwavering pursuit of justice and a hope in a God that will one day make all things right.
In 2016, Oxford Dictionaries named ‘post-truth’ the international word of the year, leading the Washington Post to declare that “truth is dead.” But, as author and social critic Os Guinness argues, “Without truth, there is no freedom." Guinness sees the fallout of the ‘post-truth’ era as the consequence of seeking freedom with no strings attached. At a Veritas Forum from Berkeley last week, Guinness offers a vision of truth that leads to real freedom.
From the Crusades to the conflicts in Northern Ireland, Christianity’s relationship to violence is troubling. How can we make sense of Jesus's call to "love your enemies” when so much violence has been committed in his name?
Yale theologian Miroslav Volf believes that blaming religion for violence ignores the larger problem. At a Veritas Forum from UC Santa Barbara, Volf explores the relationship between God, religion, and violence.
The data says we’re lying to each other about a third of the time. Philosopher Christian Miller thinks that number is actually higher. After years of researching hundreds of psychological studies that put people’s character to the test, Christian concluded that a gap exists between how good we should be and how good we actually are. On our latest podcast episode, we sit down with Christian to discuss his latest book, The Character Gap, and what we can do to become better people.
Some say that claiming to know God or truth is too exclusive in a pluralistic society and too divisive in a free democratic one. People who hold such exclusive beliefs, they say, tend to impose them on others and oppress those who disagree. How can Christians, then, justify their faith that says Jesus is the one true way to God? Can they fit in and operate in a free society? Some say Christianity and the pursuit of a peaceful world are incompatible. "I don't agree with that at all," says Tim Keller at a Veritas Forum from UC Berkeley.
Are we more than our biology? At a Veritas Forum from Cornell, Praveen Sethupathy (Cornell) and Roald Hoffmann (Cornell) explore how genetics influences how we think about personal identity and what, if anything, is beyond the scope of science.
As the wounds of racial injustice--old and new--continue to grip America, where can we find healing? At a Veritas Forum from Claremont, Andra Gillespie (Emory), and Sumun Pendakur (USC) discuss the intersection of race, faith, and reconciliation.
When Mary Poplin met Mother Teresa, Poplin was looking to understand Mother Teresa’s work in purely secular terms. But the life of this mystifying nun refused such categorization. When Poplin returned from India, she realized that a secular telling of Mother Teresa’s story would radically distort the reality of her life. At a Veritas Forum from the University of Michigan, Poplin recounts her formative time in Calcutta and her dreams for a more inclusive Academy.
The project of pluralism promises inclusiveness, tolerance, and peace, but it rarely satisfies. At a Veritas Forum from Harvard, Diana Eck (Harvard) and Vinoth Ramachandra (IFES) discuss the nature of pluralism and the challenges that keep us from genuine dialogue. How can we maintain our deepest core beliefs while also engaging with the beliefs of others?
As we continue to wrestle with the reality of a changing climate, Wendell Berry’s invocation—”Be joyful, though you have considered all the facts”—is a great challenge. At a Veritas Forum in 2016, Dorothy Boorse (Gordon College) and John Nolt (University of Tennessee) discussed the nature of climate change and the hope that can guide our action.
Beethoven’s presence and music still looms in our modern imagination, but we rarely think about the man behind the music. Mia Chung, a world-renowned pianist at the Curtis Institute, says that, in order to appreciate Beethoven’s genius, we must examine his relationship with suffering and faith.
In this performance-presentation from Veritas at the University of Michigan, Chung explores the richness of Beethoven’s inner life.
In the modern age, skepticism is often equated with intelligence. But is there room for belief in the contemporary mind? At a Veritas Forum from Claremont, the late philosopher Dallas Willard discusses both the dangers and benefits of doubt in our society.
The line between science fiction and reality grows increasingly thin as artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more prominent. While some fear an impending robot apocalypse, others wonder what this new technology means for everyday life. At a recent Veritas Forum at Brown University, Rosalind Picard (MIT) and Michael Littman (Brown) discussed the implications of AI for our understanding of what it means to be human.
Dr. Francis Collins, world-renowned geneticist, physician, and Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is uniquely positioned at the intersection of science and faith. Formerly an atheist, his New York Times best-selling book, The Language of God, chronicles his conversion to Christianity and its impact on his scientific practice. In this talk, given at a Veritas Forum at Caltech, Collins explores the evidence that now informs his worldview.
What do you want? Our answer to this question, argues author and philosopher James K.A. Smith (Calvin), reveals the habits that shape our lives. Yet we often remain unaware of those habits and how they motivate us. In this talk, from a recent Veritas Forum at the University of Michigan, Smith helps us to recognize the structure of desire and reorient its place within the human person.
This October, over 1,000 students and community members packed out Shannon Hall at the University of Wisconsin in Madison to hear John Lennox (Oxford) and Larry Shapiro (UW-Madison) discuss, "Is There Truth Beyond Science?” In a conversation that featured as much humor as sincerity, Lennox and Shapiro fostered a unique space for honest dialogue and reflection, even in places of disagreement.
Several years ago, The Veritas Forum at Caltech hosted Satyan Devadoss, who, at the time, was an associate professor of math at Williams College. Devadoss talks about String Theory the way most people talk about their favorite piece of art. In the numbers and symbols of mathematical equations, he experiences beauty, unity, and wonder.
In our post-Enlightenment world, we forget that the beauty in Michelangelo's sculptures draws from the same well as the beauty on display in quantum mechanics.
When we learn to reunite these often divided realms, we may regain our vision of the Wellspring. Devadoss helps us bring these together.
Earlier this year, we hosted New Testament theologian N.T. Wright in dialogue with professor of philosophy Heidi Lene Maibom at the Veritas Forum at the University of Cincinnati.
Unlike many Forums, where dialogue focuses on a singular topic or question, this Forum widened the purview. In the vein of a ‘greatest hits’ album, we asked these scholars the most fundamental human questions: Who are we? How do we know what we know? What is the meaning of life?
While each of these questions could occupy an entire Forum, the scope of this conversation allowed for a meaningful survey of two different worldviews, while cultivating a space for further discussion.
Madeleine L'Engle, award-winning author of A Wrinkle in Time, defines "fantasy" as that which "pushes us, opens us, makes us aware of who we are and who the other is.”
In this recording from a Veritas Forum at UC Santa Barbara, L’Engle draws from her experiences in school, church, and life to explore the relationship between fantasy and truth.
Last Spring, Ian Hutchinson (MIT) and Robert Lue (Harvard) sat down at Harvard’s Science Center with Anne Harrington (Harvard) to discuss miracles. Do they happen? Does scientific thinking undermine belief in them? What does the existence (or non-existence) of miracles mean for the larger discussion on science and faith?
Can Christians and Muslims get along in America? That’s the question we asked Christian intellectual and Princeton law professor Robert George and Islamic scholar and Zaytuna College president Shaykh Hamza Yusuf at the San Francisco Jazz Center this Spring.
George and Yusef, who are good friends, believe that unity across religious backgrounds is not only possible but also necessary, and their friendship serves as an embodiment of that belief.
Over the course of their conversation, moderated by Trae Stephens, principal at Founders Fund, they discuss unresolved tensions, the role of religion in civic life, and a potential path forward.
Bill Burnett and Dave Evans teach the most popular class at Stanford, "Designing Your Life." It helps students reframe the question, "How do I live a meaningful life?" Burnett, an atheist, and Evans, a Christian, believe the key to a joyful and fulfilling life starts with thinking like a designer.
At a recent Veritas Forum, Burnett and Evans, co-authors of a New York Times Best Seller, sat down with Berkeley professor Amani Nuru-Jeter to discuss how to design a worthwhile life and how they do it themselves from their respective worldviews.
This week on The Veritas Forum podcast we’re featuring a conversation with Rosalind Picard, an internationally-recognized researcher in affective computing. Rosalind is the founder and director of the affective computing group at MIT, a co-founder of Affectiva, Inc., a co-director of the MIT Autism and Communication Technology Initiative, and the author of over two hundred peer-reviewed scientific articles. In this interview with New York Times columnist Ross Douthat, Rosalind discusses her work in affective computing, her spiritual journey, and how she contextualizes her vocation in light of her Christian faith.
This week on The Veritas Forum podcast we’re featuring a conversation with Ian Hutchinson, a professor of nuclear science and engineering at MIT.
A powerful advocate for the compatibility of scientific inquiry and religious belief, Ian has been a featured speaker at Veritas Forums since we began in 1992. In this interview with New York Times columnist Ross Douthat, Ian discusses his work in the field of nuclear science, his journey to Christian faith, and his hope for a more fruitful dialogue surrounding science and religion.
This week on The Veritas Forum podcast, we’re featuring a conversation with New York Times columnist Ross Douthat and Nancy Hill, a developmental psychologist and professor of Education at Harvard.
Nancy’s work focuses on the relationship between adolescents and their parents, and specifically, how the beliefs of adolescents are shaped by their parents’ beliefs.
In this conversation, Nancy shares how the development of her religious and ethnic identity has influenced her vocational pursuits and the person she is today.
In 2015, during the fallout of Ferguson, three Black women took the stage at UC Berkley to discuss faith, race and non-violence. Andra Gillespie, associate professor of political science at Emory, Na’ilah Suad Nasir, professor in the graduate school of education at UC Berkley, and Claudia May, who, at the time of this Forum, was a Visiting Scholar in the Department of African American Studies and African Diaspora Studies at UC Berkley.
The opening line from our moderator, Claudia May— “Injustice finds no solace in denial”— served as both a framework for this conversation and an provocative invitation for others—an invitation to move past tensions and listen to three powerful perspectives on race in America.
This Veritas Forum is deeply personal, but it also explores systemic issues that are increasingly relevant today. We invite you to listen carefully, reflect thoughtfully, and even learn how to model this conversation in your own lives.
Our latest podcast episode features an interview with rising physicist Tom Rudelius. We discuss String Theory, polygraph tests, fine-tuning, and our place in the cosmos.
Notre Dame philosophy professor, Meghan Sullivan, shares the journey by which – to her own surprise – she became convinced by the truth-claims of the Christian faith, and explores the top three questions she has wrestled with in terms of the rationality of holding to a “thick” and complex belief-system.
Children believe in the tooth fairy until their reasoning capabilities mature and they recognize this belief is neither grounded nor relevant. Does belief in Jesus Christ require a similar suspension of logic? Can Christianity be proven to be true? UCLA law professor Daniel Lowenstein interviews Oxford mathematician John Lennox with honest questions about Christianity and the grounds for faith.
Obasi Shaw has recently hit the news as the first Harvard student to submit a rap album as his senior thesis. The album, entitled "Liminal Minds," represents a coming together of Obasi's interests, ranging from Chaucer, to hip-hop, to the pursuit of racial justice. But the key theme that connects all his thoughts and experiences is his passion for Jesus and for applying the gospel of the crucified God to the murky complexities of human life. In this interview, Obasi explores the album in relation to his faith.
How should we read the Bible?
Our latest podcast features New Testament Scholar and Theologian NT Wright and Harvard Philosopher Sean Kelly, who discussed one of history's most influential books at The Veritas Forum at Harvard 2013.
Download the full audio of this Forum on our website or subscribe to our podcast on iTunes.
Throughout our 25 year history, we've had the privilege of creating conversations between some of academia's giants and of modeling dialogue across difference at the heart of the university.
The 2013 Veritas Forum at Harvard was a stunning example of this: a dialogue between University of Chicago political scientist Jean Bethke Elshtain and Harvard philosopher Michael Sandel on the role of religion in public life.
In March, we launched our Veritas Cities Forums in Seattle, a series of events designed to foster a vibrant public square that invites globally-engaged leaders to confront life's biggest questions and pursue self-examined lives.
We were fortunate enough to hear from charity: water founder, Scott Harrison. He shared his personal journey along with the journey of charity: water, one of the leading charities addressing the global water crisis.
Scott understands the power of story at both a personal and an organizational level. And the following interview represents a beautifully composed story that examines the complexities of stepping into a broken world, as a broken person, in order to seek restoration.
We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
Two weeks ago, we hosted a Veritas Forum moderated by Willie Jennings at Yale with Tim Keller and Anthony Kronman, former Dean of the Yale Law School and author of Confessions of a Born-Again Pagan. Naturally, the pairing of Kronman and Keller held the potential for a timely and thought-provoking discussion. We were not disappointed. What unfolded at Yale struck us as a vitally important conversation for the university but also an invitation for more conversations like this in the public square.
Social psychologist and atheist public intellectual Jonathan Haidt and author and pastor Tim Keller are leading voices in their respective fields.
On February 22, 2017, they sat down with Tamarie Macon at NYU for a discussion on religion, morality and pluralism.