23 February 2019
comments
|
archives
subscribe
follow
Programs
Conversations@Union
Culturally Determined
MeaningofLife.tv Asks…
Mind-Body Problems
Science of Spirituality
Sophia
The Wright Show
Archived Programs
Love-Driven Politics
Sixty-Second Sermons
Series
Ancient Wisdom
Emotions and the Brain
The Meaning of Future Life
The Weirdness of Physics
Popular Tags
philosophy
consciousness
technology
Christianity
ancient philosophy
meditation
science
mindfulness
human nature
religion
Buddhism
politics
spirituality
psychology
the future
Donald Trump
ethics
evolution
cognitive science
physics
MeaningofLife.tv videos
Subscribe to MeaningofLife.tv videos via podcast or email
1
2
older ▶
Jan 11, 2019 — Robert Wright & John D. Caputo
The Wright Show
John, a theologian and philosopher, explains postmodern Christianity
Why postmodernism is not “linguistic idealism”
Religion’s tendency to literalize
What Paul Tillich and Jacques Derrida thought about “the unconditional”
John: The Scriptures present a poetic, topsy-turvy vision of life
Where do our aspirations come from (if anywhere)?
Have art, literature, and social activism replaced religion?
Is there a link between the unconditional and Buddhism’s “unconditioned”?
TAGS
Buddhism
|
Christianity
|
Paul Tillich
|
philosophy
|
religion
Nov 23, 2018 — Robert Wright & John Haught
The Wright Show
The prescience of theologian Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Teilhard’s synthesizing of the “above” and the “ahead”
John: The creation of humans is not the universe’s climax
John: God is “not yet”
Science and faith as different layers of explanation
Searching for God in a scientific age
Why John rejects perennialism
Questions from the live audience
TAGS
Christianity
|
Paul Tillich
|
philosophy
|
religion
|
science
Nov 13, 2018 — Nikita Petrov & Tanya Luhrmann
Tanya’s “local theory of mind”
Harry Potter, prayer, and other “cultural invitations”
Psychotherapy in the US and witchcraft in Ghana
American individualism and Asian interdependence
The differences between hearing God in Ghana and the US
The Internet as externalized imagination: Pepe and Kek
A “hyper-real God”: having coffee with Jesus
Thoughts, perceptions, the world, and the self
TAGS
Buddhism
|
Christianity
|
consciousness
|
human nature
|
meditation
|
psychology
|
religion
|
science
|
spirituality
Nov 3, 2018 — John Horgan & Owen Flanagan
Mind-Body Problems
Owen’s transition from Catholicism to “quiet skepticism”
The problem of evil
The hubris of modern philosophers
Can we live with the scientific image of man?
The origin of the universe, life, and consciousness
Owen: Doubt yourself
Does philosophy lead to practical wisdom?
Mind-altering chemicals and free will
TAGS
atheism
|
Buddhism
|
Christianity
|
consciousness
|
ethics
|
evolution
|
free will
|
human nature
|
mind-body problem
|
philosophy
|
psychology
|
religion
|
science
Sep 21, 2018 — Aryeh Cohen-Wade & Christopher White
Culturally Determined
The new sex abuse crisis enveloping the Catholic Church
An explosive letter claims Pope Francis helped a known abuser
The allegations against the powerful Archbishop McCarrick
What does #MeToo reveal about the Church?
Assessing Archbishop Viganò’s accusations against Francis
Can Francis implement real reforms?
TAGS
Christianity
|
human nature
|
sin
Sep 4, 2018 — Aryeh Cohen-Wade & Lauren Shields
Culturally Determined
Lauren’s new book on her experiment with dressing modestly,
The Beauty Suit
Lauren’s unusual path to the seminary
Alternative readings of Quranic verses on female modesty
Christianity, conspicuous consumption, and the Amish
Jewish women who cover their hair with wigs that look just like their hair
Makeup trends that only look good on social media
Why cultural appropriation is often rooted in misogyny
Lauren’s advice for men
TAGS
Christianity
|
gender
|
Islam
|
Judaism
|
technology
Aug 15, 2018 — Aryeh Cohen-Wade & Philip Christman
Culturally Determined
Phil’s essay, “What Is It Like to Be a Man?”
Modern male stereotypes: Homer Simpson vs. Harvey Weinstein
Proud Boys, Jordan Peterson, and the crisis of masculinity
The trans challenge to gender norms
Phil explains why his Christian faith doesn’t provide him with certainty
Contrasting certainty in Judaism and Christianity
TAGS
agnosticism
|
Christianity
|
gender
|
Judaism
|
religion
Jun 27, 2018 — Aryeh Cohen-Wade & Alissa Wilkinson
Culturally Determined
First Reformed
, Paul Schrader’s new film that takes Christianity seriously
Schrader’s European art-house influences
The film contrasts two versions of American Protestantism
Ethan Hawke’s restrained lead performance
Spoiler alert! Analyzing the film’s shocking twists
The intentionally ambiguous ending
Reaction to the film from the Christian press
TAGS
Christianity
|
religion
|
sin
Jun 20, 2018 — William Black & Jemar Tisby
Jemar’s path from educator to historian
How racial history shapes the landscape of the Deep South
The “quiet exodus” of black Christians from white evangelical churches
Not a “skin problem,” but a “sin problem”
Jemar: Kindness isn’t just being polite to avoid offense
Bill explains the historic racial divide within the Cumberland Presbyterian Church
TAGS
Christianity
|
race
|
religion
Jun 12, 2018 — Aryeh Cohen-Wade & Connie Wang
Culturally Determined
Why Connie has grown sick of the cultural appropriation debate
Nicki Minaj and the flattening of Asian cultures
How social media escalated the cultural appropriation wars
Why are these fights so often over fashion and food?
Appropriation, mockery, and Halloween
The Met Gala and Catholic-inspired fashion
Who gets to decide that a particular outfit is “okay”?
TAGS
Christianity
|
creativity
Jun 7, 2018 — William Dailey & Ross Douthat
Ross’s new book,
To Change the Church
The strengths and weaknesses of Ross’s intellectual approach to faith
Father Bill speaks from Ireland about the country’s recent abortion referendum
Ross challenges liberal Catholics to explain their logic of doctrinal change
How marriage, divorce, and communion came back into Catholic conversation
What will people who read Ross’s book in a hundred years think of it?
TAGS
Christianity
May 25, 2018 — Robert Wright & Massimo Pigliucci
Ancient Wisdom
What is the Logos?
The practicality of metaphysics
Philo of Alexandria’s vision of global harmony
Plotinus and the connection between human and divine
The Logos and Christianity
The Logos as an algorithm
Why do the laws of physics infallibly work?
Carl Jung and the Logos (and Jordan Peterson’s Jungianism)
TAGS
ancient philosophy
|
Christianity
|
physics
|
psychology
|
religion
Apr 23, 2018 — Philip Menchaca & Kelly Baker
The Ku Klux Klan’s appeal to Protestant America
How the KKK rationalized a Jewish Jesus
The Birth of a Nation
and the symbology of the burning cross
How to “love thy neighbor” as a Klansman (answer: very selectively)
Kelly: The Klan declined, but its politics went mainstream
Kelly’s search for apocalyptic rhetoric in Klan literature
TAGS
Christianity
|
history
|
politics
|
religion
Mar 8, 2018 — Aryeh Cohen-Wade & Pater Edmund Waldstein
Culturally Determined
Why the Mortara case is still provoking argument 150 years later
Pater Edmund offers a defense of Pope Pius IX
Integralism and different conceptions of liberty
What would an integralist Catholic state look like?
How Pater Edmund became a monk (with a blog)
The day-to-day life of a modern meditating monk
TAGS
Christianity
|
history
|
Judaism
|
meditation
|
philosophy
|
religion
|
spirituality
Mar 4, 2018 — Philip Menchaca & Sr. Theresa Aletheia Noble
Growing up Very Catholic
Sister Theresa’s atheist youth and subsequent return to faith
Finding a calling within the Church
Why remembering her own mortality is essential to Sister Theresa’s faith
Sister Theresa: Not all believers understand their children’s doubt
TAGS
atheism
|
Christianity
|
death
|
education
|
family
|
religion
Feb 5, 2018 — William Black & Benjamin Park
The Mormon Church’s new president, 93 year-old Russell M. Nelson
The decades-long campaign to incorporate the Church into the American mainstream
Does the Church clash with academic historical study?
Untangling the fates of remarried Mormons’ souls
The LDS Church as a contained society within the US
Why did the first Mormon women choose polygamy?
TAGS
Christianity
|
ethics
|
religion
|
tribalism
Oct 29, 2017 — Robert Wright & Craig Harline
The Wright Show
Martin Luther’s
Ninety-five Theses
, 500 years later
Luther was very hard on himself, and the consequences were huge
Why Luther’s sermons went viral in 16th-century Germany
Luther’s mark on future Protestant denominations
The Diet of Worms and its improbably dramatic aftermath
Why did Prince Frederick III of Saxony protect Luther?
TAGS
Christianity
|
religion
Oct 10, 2017 — Philip Menchaca & Joseph Baker
How Trump plays on the values of Christian nationalism
What does it mean to be secular?
What is driving the global trend toward secularism?
Joseph: The New Atheists are influential, but not representative
How human mortality keeps religion alive
TAGS
atheism
|
Christianity
|
nationalism
|
religion
|
secularism
|
social science
Aug 22, 2017 — John Horgan & Robert Wright
The Wright Show
Bob: Life was suffering before modernity, too
John: Mindfulness meditation is morally neutral
How attribution biases make war possible
Is the path to enlightenment for everyone?
Why Bob doubts that pure enlightenment has been achieved
Morality matters, even inside the Matrix
TAGS
Buddhism
|
Christianity
|
cognitive science
|
mental health
|
mind-body problem
Feb 22, 2017 — Robert Wright & Micah Redding
The Meaning of Future Life
Transhumanism and the singularity
Teilhard de Chardin’s “Omega Point”
The (theoretical) physics of immortality and resurrection
The theism of the simulation theory
Any word on transhumanist Islam or Judaism?
Christianity and globalization
TAGS
Christianity
|
death
|
human nature
|
Islam
|
Judaism
|
love
|
religion
|
technology
|
the future
|
transhumanism
Feb 20, 2017 — Robert Wright & Mark Van Steenwyk
The Wright Show
Meet Mark Van Steenwyk, Christian Anarchist
Mark’s mystical experience at a Bible camp
The time Mark was diagnosed with demonic possession
Forms of Christian activism
Trump makes anarchism more appealing
Mystical dimensions of political activism
Getting the attention of Christians via civil disobedience
TAGS
Christianity
|
Donald Trump
|
mysticism
|
religion
|
spirituality
Jan 19, 2017 — Robert Wright & Dale Wright
The Wright Show
Dale’s book
What Is Buddhist Enlightenment
?
Why is Vipassana getting more press than Zen?
What is distinctive about Zen?
Dale’s meditation practice
Using mindfulness for good—and evil
A naturalistic conception of karma
How Buddhism adapts to Western culture
TAGS
Buddhism
|
Christianity
|
compassion
|
consciousness
|
enlightenment
|
meditation
|
mindfulness
|
perception
|
philosophy
|
politics
|
religion
|
spirituality
|
war
|
Zen
Jan 13, 2017 — Robert Wright & Mark Juergensmeyer
The Wright Show
How Mark got his start studying under Reinhold Niebuhr
Using religion to justify violence
The appeal of ISIS’s apocalyptic vision
What Obama got right—and wrong—in his response to terrorism
Will Trump’s war on terrorism lead to another 9/11?
What would Reinhold Niebuhr say about religion and violence today?
Reinhold Niebuhr’s Christian realism
TAGS
Christianity
|
Donald Trump
|
foreign policy
|
fundamentalism
|
Islam
|
politics
|
psychology
|
religion
|
terrorism
|
violence
|
war
Dec 18, 2016 — Nikita Petrov & George Young
Does Russian thought have anything to contribute to the world?
Nikolay Fedorov, an eccentric thinker who influenced Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky
Fedorov’s plan: Immortality for everyone
“Kinship” as a fundamental property of all matter
A mass movement for the spiritual unity of humankind
Vladimir Solovyov’s
The Meaning of Love
: Sexuality as a path to a Christian utopia
Christ as the ultimate role model
TAGS
Christianity
|
consciousness
|
death
|
evolution
|
history
|
human nature
|
literature
|
mysticism
|
occult
|
philosophy
|
politics
|
religion
|
science
|
spirituality
|
technology
|
the future
|
transhumanism
Dec 2, 2016 — Robert Wright & Jay Michaelson
The Wright Show
Jay’s anti-Trump appeals
How the election unleashed hate
When “love your enemy” just won’t work
Is empathy a limited resource?
Jay’s spiritual toolkit for coping with a Trump presidency
Trump, the anti-Buddha
Can mindfulness help save the world?
TAGS
anger
|
Buddhism
|
Christianity
|
compassion
|
democracy
|
Donald Trump
|
empathy
|
ethics
|
happiness
|
human nature
|
identity
|
Islam
|
Judaism
|
love
|
meditation
|
mental health
|
mindfulness
|
moral imagination
|
politics
|
psychology
|
religion
|
sadness
|
spirituality
|
tribalism
|
Zen
Nov 27, 2016 — Nikita Petrov & Robert Place
Anticipating Trump
How to read cards
The Renaissance and the birth of Tarot
Basics of neoplatonism
Neoplatonic and Buddhist philosophy in the Tarot
Tarot as a philosophical card game
Card reading, therapy, and meditation
The Great Work of alchemy
How art revived the occult
TAGS
ancient philosophy
|
Buddhism
|
Christianity
|
consciousness
|
enlightenment
|
meditation
|
mysticism
|
mythology
|
occult
|
philosophy
|
politics
|
psychology
|
religion
|
self
Oct 31, 2016 — Robert Wright & Pamela Cooper-White
Conversations@Union
Bob and Pam team up to analyze the mind of Trump
Inside the mind of a narcissist
Narcissists are made not born
Psychoanalyzing Trumpism
A moment of compassion for Trump
TAGS
Christianity
|
Donald Trump
|
history
|
mental health
|
moral imagination
|
nationalism
|
politics
|
psychology
|
religion
|
tribalism
Oct 25, 2016 — Philip Menchaca & Benjamin Zeller
The link between “new religious movements” and violence
The suicidal cult Heaven’s Gate
Suicide as a religious act
Why Heaven’s Gate matters
The thin line between Heaven’s Gate and mainstream religions
Donald Trump, American messiah?
TAGS
Buddhism
|
Christianity
|
death
|
Donald Trump
|
economics
|
psychology
|
religion
|
science
|
spirituality
Oct 19, 2016 — Robert Wright & Sam Harris
The Wright Show
Sam Harris, mystic and atheist
The mystery of consciousness
Is mysticism more like science than like religion?
How religion makes progress
Sam’s case for intolerance
The root causes of extremism
Religious and secular reasons to do good
Ways religion may be closer to the truth than atheism
A secular approach to death
TAGS
agnosticism
|
atheism
|
Buddhism
|
Christianity
|
cognitive science
|
consciousness
|
death
|
empathy
|
ethics
|
evolution
|
history
|
Islam
|
meditation
|
mind-body problem
|
mindfulness
|
mysticism
|
nationalism
|
New Atheists
|
perception
|
poverty
|
psychology
|
religion
|
science
|
self
|
spirituality
|
tribalism
Oct 18, 2016 — Robert Wright & Margaret Wertheim
The Wright Show
The non-Euclidean nature of coral reefs
When physics defies human comprehension
Bad blood between the sciences and the humanities
The limits of scientific knowledge
Are scientists asking the wrong questions about consciousness?
The intenseness of having an identical twin
TAGS
Christianity
|
consciousness
|
Daniel Dennett
|
philosophy
|
physics
|
religion
|
science
|
spirituality
Oct 12, 2016 — Robert Wright & John Thatamanil
The Wright Show
Trumpism as a spiritual problem
John extends some Christian charity to Trump
What motivates Trump supporters?
How anti-elitism fuels Trump’s campaign
John: Trump’s use of fear is spiritually toxic
Trump’s mistaken belief that invulnerability = power
TAGS
anger
|
Christianity
|
fear
|
politics
|
psychology
|
religion
|
spirituality
Oct 11, 2016 — Benjamin Perry & Joseph Lam
Joseph’s book,
Patterns of Sin in the Hebrew Bible
Ancient metaphors that endure
Sin then and now
The influence of metaphors on how we think about social issues
TAGS
Christianity
|
language
|
religion
|
sin
Oct 9, 2016 — Robert Wright & Wesley Wildman
The Wright Show
Wesley explains “transreligious theology”
What’s religious about religious naturalism?
Can science help us understand ultimate reality?
Bringing religious thought and philosophy together
Be skeptical of spiritual experiences
Don’t just love your enemies, understand them
Wesley: “Purpose” isn’t a useful category
TAGS
atheism
|
Buddhism
|
Christianity
|
consciousness
|
meditation
|
Paul Tillich
|
philosophy
|
physics
|
psychology
|
religion
|
science
|
spirituality
|
tribalism
Oct 1, 2016 — Robert Wright & Stephen Batchelor
The Wright Show
What Buddhim really is (and isn’t) about
What various Buddhist traditions have to offer
The Buddha as a practical philosopher
How the Buddha revolutionized meditation
The idea of not-self, and its connection to an ethical life
Why death is not the end even if there’s no rebirth
The ethical dimension of enlightenment
TAGS
Buddhism
|
Christianity
|
death
|
enlightenment
|
Hinduism
|
meditation
|
secularism
|
spirituality
Sep 17, 2016 — Nikita Petrov & George Young
What is Russian cosmism?
The religious side of cosmism
Cosmism as a response to the challenges of the 20th century
Nature as a temporary enemy and eternal friend
Pavel Florensky, the Russian da Vinci
Plant life as a spiritual ideal
The father of the Soviet space program, and his weird spirituality
Cosmism and transhumanism: Compare and contrast
Cosmism as a Russian propaganda project
TAGS
Christianity
|
consciousness
|
death
|
evolution
|
history
|
human nature
|
mysticism
|
occult
|
philosophy
|
politics
|
religion
|
science
|
spirituality
|
technology
|
the future
|
transhumanism
Sep 12, 2016 — Robert Wright & Robert George
The Wright Show
Why Robby refuses to support Trump
Is history shaped more by social forces or human agency?
Robby gives an insider’s view on why Appalachia is Trump country
The declining influence of religion
How a lack of humility poisons politics
Contempt in current political rhetoric
Robby: Politicians need to get out of the identity politics game
TAGS
Christianity
|
ethics
|
free will
|
history
|
moral imagination
|
philosophy
|
politics
|
psychology
|
religion
|
tribalism
Aug 6, 2016 — Philip Menchaca & Benigno Sánchez-Eppler
Why Benigno is a Quaker
How do you find unity when God says different things to different people?
The many kinds of Quakers
What does a Quaker meeting look like?
What does a Quaker meeting feel like?
How the World Wars helped Quakers overcome their divisions
TAGS
Christianity
|
religion
|
ritual
|
spirituality
|
war
Aug 3, 2016 — Benjamin Perry & Emily Brewer
Presbyterians who say “no” to war
What’s the connection between religion and violence?
How Emily’s time in Guatemala led her to peacework
Emily: Conflict zones aren’t quite as scary as you might think
Ben: Am I praying wrong?
How can religious institutions get better at promoting peace?
TAGS
Christianity
|
economics
|
meditation
|
moral imagination
|
power
|
prayer
|
religion
|
violence
|
war
Jul 5, 2016 — Robert Wright & Steven Nadler
The Wright Show
What made Spinoza a heretic?
Why Spinoza matters today
Perspectives on the purpose, if any, of nature
Religion: a source of morality, meaning, and fear
Spinoza’s mysticism—or lack thereof
Parallels between Spinozan and Buddhist thought
TAGS
ancient philosophy
|
atheism
|
Buddhism
|
Christianity
|
Donald Trump
|
enlightenment
|
ethics
|
evolution
|
Judaism
|
meditation
|
mysticism
|
philosophy
|
politics
|
religion
Jun 24, 2016 — Robert Wright & Daniel Kaufman
The Wright Show
Understanding Saddam Hussein ≠ sympathy for Saddam Hussein
The ethics of punishing bad people
Dan vs. evolutionary psychology
Is religion really behind Sunni-Shia conflict?
The good side of tribalism
What does “mindfulness” actually mean?
TAGS
Christianity
|
ethics
|
Islam
|
meditation
|
mindfulness
|
moral imagination
|
philosophy
|
psychology
|
religion
Sorry, no posts matched your selection.
1
2
older ▶
Archives
all videos
February 2019
(4)
January 2019
(9)
December 2018
(11)
November 2018
(12)
October 2018
(9)
September 2018
(6)
August 2018
(9)
July 2018
(7)
June 2018
(12)
May 2018
(10)
April 2018
(6)
March 2018
(9)
February 2018
(9)
January 2018
(11)
December 2017
(9)
November 2017
(4)
October 2017
(7)
September 2017
(7)
August 2017
(8)
July 2017
(5)
June 2017
(8)
May 2017
(3)
April 2017
(6)
March 2017
(5)
February 2017
(8)
January 2017
(27)
December 2016
(33)
November 2016
(12)
October 2016
(18)
September 2016
(13)
August 2016
(13)
July 2016
(8)
June 2016
(14)
May 2016
(15)
April 2016
(8)
March 2016
(10)
February 2016
(16)
January 2016
(8)
December 2015
(11)
November 2015
(11)
October 2015
(14)
September 2015
(11)
August 2015
(11)
July 2015
(10)
November 2014
(1)
August 2014
(2)
July 2014
(1)
May 2014
(1)
January 2014
(3)
October 2013
(2)
September 2013
(1)
July 2013
(1)
May 2013
(1)
January 2013
(1)
December 2012
(1)
November 2012
(2)
June 2010
(1)
August 2003
(12)
July 2003
(8)