Philosophy and Faith

In this episode, the Daniel and Nathan delve into Plato's creation myth and the concept of dualism, discussing how it has influenced both ancient and modern philosophical and theological thought. They explore the role of the Demiurge in shaping the physical world, contrasting it with Christian theology's understanding of creation. The conversation also touches on the effects of dualism in Neoplato...

We may be surprised to learn that our concepts of spirituality and the spirit realm (and even Heaven) are formed as much by Plato as by the Bible. In this episode, Nathan and Daniel dive into one of Plato's most significant philosophical ideas, and the idea that has deeply influenced Christian thought: dualism. The discussion centers around understanding what dualism is, how it contrasts with moni...

Plato's Influence on Western Thought and Christian Theology In this episode, Nathan and Daniel dive into the life and legacy of Plato, one of history’s most influential philosophers. They discuss why Plato's ideas have had a profound impact on Western thought and Christian theology, outline the structure of upcoming episodes, and explain concepts like Platonism, Middle Platonism, and Neoplatonism....

Socrates, Plato, and the Legacy of Greek Philosophy In this episode, the Daniel and Nathan return after a brief hiatus to explore the life and philosophy of Socrates and his profound impact on his pupil Plato. They discuss the Socratic method of questioning, its influence on Western thought, and how it shaped Plato's works and ideas, particularly in his early dialogues. The dialogue also delves in...

Understanding Sophism: Background, Impact, and Critiques In this episode, the discussion focuses on the Sophists, their role in ancient philosophy, and their impact on subsequent thought. We delve into their characteristics, methodologies, and goals, exploring how they served as both a culmination and a reaction to earlier philosophical ideas. Daniel summarizes their teaching under the three headi...

Exploring the Fine-Tuning Argument with Physicists and Rabbis Elie Feder and Aaron Zimmer In this episode of Philosophy and Faith, the hosts welcome Rabbis Elie Feder and Aaron Zimmer, hosts of the podcast Physics to God, to discuss arguments for the existence of God, specifically focusing on the teleological and fine-tuning arguments. Elie, an orthodox rabbi and mathematician, and Aaron, a modern...

Exploring the Roots of Materialism: The Atomists In this episode, Daniel and Nathan delve into the philosophy of materialism by exploring the early atomists, Leucippus and Democritus. They discuss the historical context of these philosophers, their main ideas about atoms and the void, and how these concepts form the basis of materialism. The conversation also touches on the implications of materia...

In this episode, Daniel and Nathan dive into the lives and philosophies of Empedocles and Anaxagoras, who serve as stepping stones to understanding Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. They explore Empedocles' idea that all things are composed of four elements and two forces, love and strife. Meanwhile, Anaxagoras introduces the concept of 'mind' as a guiding force over matter, sparking deeper philosop...

Exploring Parmenides and the Origins of Idealism In this episode we delve into the philosophical contributions of Parmenides. We examine his impact on idealism, distinguishing between ordinary and philosophical uses of the term. The discussion covers Parmenides' ideas about the nature of reality, including his belief that change and plurality are illusions and that true reality is unchanging and i...

In this episode, Nathan and Daniel delve into the life and philosophy of Heraclitus, one of the most influential philosophers of the pre-Socratic era. Known as 'Heraclitus the Obscure' or 'The Riddler', Heraclitus is famous for his notion of the continuous change in the universe, encapsulated in phrases like 'everything is in flux' and 'you cannot step into the same river twice'. His use of the co...

The Philosophy of Pythagoras: From Music to Soul In this episode we discuss the teachings of Pythagoras, a major figure in ancient philosophy. The conversation covers his influence, particularly in mathematics, music, and his lasting impact on Western thought and Christian theology. Pythagoras's notion of the soul, especially the concept of the soul's transmigration and its contrast with Hebraic u...

In this episode, we delve into the life and philosophy of Xenophanes, an early Greek thinker who significantly advanced philosophical thought. Beginning with a review of previous episodes' discussions on early Greek philosophy and the pre-Socratic thinkers like Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximenes, the conversation shifts to focus on Xenophanes' unique contributions. Notably, Xenophanes was the fir...

In this episode, we delve into the early history of Greek philosophy, focusing on the Milesian school. The discussion covers Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximenes, examining their metaphysical inquiries about the fundamental nature of reality. We also discuss the broader implications of their thinking, such as assumptions about the eternity of matter, the rational comprehensibility of the universe,...

Exploring the Foundations: The Role of Thales in the Birth of Greek Philosophy In this episode, we delve into the history and philosophy, focusing on Thales of Miletus, who is often considered the first philosopher. We review the importance of understanding historical and intellectual contexts and explore Thales' groundbreaking idea that water is the fundamental substance of everything. The discus...

"We study history not to remember the past but to understand the present". That is the reason for this series. In this episode we discuss the intellectual seed-bed of the ancient world, especially that of Greece. We begin in Crete, whose Minoan civilization predated and heavily influenced the Grecian culture on the mainland. More specifically we talk about: Who "counts" as philosophers The philoso...

What does our notions of right and wrong tell us about the existence of God? In this episode Dr. Justin Gash of Franklin College joins us to tackle this fascinating question. We discuss the moral argument for God's existence, describe how it is usually countered, and then analyze those counter-arguments. In the end we each give our take on how effective this argument is in achieving various goals.

Today we have our first guest: Dr. Justin Gash of Franklin College. Justin is a professor in the math department, and also assistant Dean of the college. He occasionally teaches a class on Reasonable Faith, as well as guiding independent studies of that material. Our conversation is about his own intellectual/spiritual journey, what he has learned from teaching these classes, and what he thinks ab...

Can we prove God's existence by the fact or features of the universe? To tackle this issue we will discuss: The difference between proofs and signs The meaning of the cosmological argument, and its various forms The meaning of the argument from design (also known as the teleological argument) The resurrection of the argument from design in the last 50 years The curious case of Anthony Flew

If love is the meaning of creation, then how exactly does that play out in our individual lives? What is MY purpose? What will my future life be like? That is what we tackle in this episode.

The great philosopher Martin Heidegger said the most fundamental question in philosophy is this: Why is there something rather than nothing? Christianity, unlike naturalism, gives an answer to the question, and it is both satisfying and stimulating.

A discussion about the nature of time and of God's eternity, especially about whether God's eternity means simply everlasting duration or atemporality. We also discuss theoretical physics, prayer, and Bruce Almighty.

This episode focuses on the relationship between God and the universe. More specifically we will address: The problem of evil Why naturalism makes the problem of evil worse Why the church has sometimes come across as anti-sex Theism vs. naturalism and eastern thought on this question Is the ultimate nature of reality personal or material, and what difference does this make? Will we have physical b...

How can we know the God who transcends human categories and ways of knowing? Some thinkers have said that we can only have "negative" knowledge about God: that the only thing we can say of Him is that He is not like the things of this world. But is it possible to go beyond that, and, if so, how? This episode also includes a discussion of the following: How negative theology paved the way for mysti...

How can we know God? He's not a part of this universe of time, space, with its forms of causation, movement, or even being. So how is it possible to know Him? That is what this episode deals with. Note: we did have some technical problems with the audio on this one, so parts of it are a bit muffled (but not too bad).

In this episode we dive into aesthetics, the study of beauty and art. WE have a few digressions here, including one about Van Gogh and another about micro-bears on the moon. Yeah. But we also talk about: Defining beauty Why Plato didn't appreciate art, and why Aristotle did The radiance of the form How beauty relates to God How beauty relates to truth and goodness How a naturalist would develop a...