Beatrice Institute Podcast

In April of 2019, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) of the Southern Baptist Convention published a document called "Artificial Intelligence: An Evangelical Statement of Principles." Armed with the belief that God has created humans with both the ability to invent new technologies and the wisdom to answer new dilemmas those technologies raise, the document outlined basic principles...

In the United States, deaths of despair—from alcoholism, drug abuse, and suicide—have risen sharply in the past decades. Many countries have recognized levels of social disconnection so high that they have become a public health crisis; both Japan and the U.K. have appointed Ministers of Loneliness in the hopes of answering this need for community and connection. But awareness of this growing cris...

Join Ryan and Gretchen as they interview each other and explore a variety of topics together: from digital wisdom and genealogy, memory and wonder at the mystery of creation, incorrupt bodies and corrupt code, and the Impossible Burger. 

The birth rate in the United States is the lowest it's ever been. Between rising costs of living and anxiety about humanity's impact on the environment, people are having fewer children than ever. And yet surveys indicate that we still want babies, and want them in larger numbers than they're being born. Demographer and pro-natalist Lyman Stone joins Grant to discuss why this desire doesn't transl...

From weaponized drones to dancing robots, artificial intelligence has become the locus of many hopes and anxieties about humanity's future. In the face of rapid technological development, finding the golden mean between utopian daydreams and dystopian forecasts can seem an impossible project.  Robert J. Marks—professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Baylor University, and Director of th...

Over the past year, the debate over how to address racism and systemic inequality has been at the forefront of many people's minds. Theologian Jonathan Tran argues that the concept of race emerged as a "fig leaf" to cover the naked evils of slavery and racism, rather than as something essential to our identity as human beings. Because of this, seeing race as core to identity risks perpetuating inj...

Micah Redding, a computer programmer by training, a follower of Christ, and now the executive director of the Christian Transhumanist Association, joins Gretchen to discuss the history and future of transhumanism, the impact of artificial intelligence, and the role of Christians in this technological age. Together they ask, "Can Christians embrace transhumanism on their own terms?"

Amy Adamczyk joins Grant to discuss some of the most contentious topics in American culture. Why are Catholics, mainline Protestants, and Jews so bad at transmitting their faith to their children? Why have attitudes on abortion not liberalized over time the way views on homosexuality and marijuana use have? What can we learn from comparing Chinese and American attitudes toward abortion? Amy is a p...

Anne Carpenter joins Ryan to discuss the intersection of history, tradition, art, and theology. What is the difference between ressourcement and genealogy? Are art and theology the same thing? What can video games teach us about theology? How can everyday Christians contribute to renewing the theological tradition? Anne is associate professor of theology at St. Mary's College of California and has...

Dr. Dan Hall is a surgeon and an Episcopal priest who, in addition to teaching at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the Center for Bioethics and Health Law, performs surgeries and conducts research at the VA health system. Dan joins Grant for a provocative exploration of the intersections of physical and spiritual health, the advantages and limitations of incorporating artificial...

Get to know the Beatrice Institute podcast hosts, Ryan McDermott and Grant Martsolf, as they take turns interviewing each other. In this wide-ranging conversation, Ryan and Grant explore utilitarian tendencies in higher education, what religious institutes can offer a university community, and the relationship between immortality and incorruptibility. Ryan plays "would you rather" with Grant, and...

Dr. Karina Schumann is an assistant professor and the social program chair in the Department of Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. Her research focuses on identifying factors that help people successfully manage their conflicts and respond to challenging social interactions in prosocial ways. She leads the Conflict Resolution (CORE) Lab at the University of Pittsburgh. Karina joins Grant...

Kerilyn Harkaway-Krieger is assistant professor of English and the director of The Great Conversation program at Gordon College. Corey Sparks is assistant professor of English at California State University at Chico, where he teaches courses on medieval literature, literary theory, poetry, and the digital humanities. Kerilyn and Corey join Elise to reflect upon their decade-long friendship, which...

Ben Miller is the chief strategy officer for Well Being Trust, a national foundation advancing the mental, social, and spiritual health of the nation. Ben joins Grant to discuss the importance of an holistic approach to health and the challenges facing those with mental health issues as they navigate the tangled health delivery system.

In this episode, Elise talks with Noah Toly, professor of Urban Studies and Politics & International Relations at Wheaton College. They discuss the urban and built environment's capability of shaping our desires and relationships, the role that the tragic plays in global environmental governance, and the ways we might rethink vocation in an increasingly consumerist and product-driven world.

An interview with Bruderhof member Clare Stober, who produced the Bruderhof's centenary photo book,  Another Life is Possible .

Jessica Hooten Wilson is an author and speaker dedicated to the questions: What are the great stories and how do we pass them on? She is the Louise Cowan Scholar in Residence and a professor of Humanities and Classical Education at the University of Dallas. She is the 2019 recipient of the Hiett Prize in the Humanities. Jessica joins Grant to discuss the impact of Walker Percy on questions of evil...

Michael Sacasas is an independent scholar focusing on technology and culture. Michael joins Elise to talk about the way technology shapes our society. They discuss the role media can have in disintegrating a sense of the common good and why technology tends to reflect ourselves back to us. Together they ask: Is online "real life"? What constitutes reality in digital spaces? And what's at stake whe...

Ryan McDermott announces our newest cohost, and Christian Studies Fellow Kirsten Barron plays an original song.

Samuel Hazo is a lifelong Pittsburgher, a finalist for the National Book Award, and Pennsylvania's first Poet Laureate. In this episode, Samuel describes his earliest memories of Pittsburgh, what it was like growing up in Squirrel Hill and East Liberty (where he was a Cub Scout), and attending Notre Dame in the 1940s. He also shares his memories of running the International Poetry Forum and tells...

Jason Baxter is an associate professor of fine arts and humanities at Wyoming Catholic College and a prolific writer. He has published or completed five books since 2018, including A Beginner's Guide to Dante's Divine Comedy and The Infinite Beauty of the World: Dante's Encyclopedia and the Names of God . Jason joins Ryan to discuss all things Divine Comedy . Jason talks about the best way to read...

Marilyn McEntyre is a steward of words. She has taught courses on English and medical humanities, and she has written or edited over twenty books, including Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies . Marilyn joins Elise to discuss the meaning of four words: dwelling, compassion, truth, and awe. Marilyn discusses why she loves participles and how "Christianese" can constrict the meaning of a word. She...

Cohosts Ryan McDermott and Elise Lonich Ryan have a conversation about the art that has accompanied them through 2020. They discuss the mysterious ending of Pulitzer-nominated Heroes of the Fourth Turning , a play that explores the political beliefs of four conservative Catholics and has had multiple runs on Zoom. Ryan and Elise share a love of Marilynne Robinson and critiques of Terrence Malick's...

Andrew DeCort is founder of the neighbor-love movement and author of the book Bonhoeffer's New Beginning: Ethics after Devastation . Andrew tells John about how witnessing state violence changed his view of vocation and inspired him to start the neighbor-love movement. He discusses how his vocation as an ethicist is to live with and for others, how diversity is a result of being made in God's imag...