Creating God

Charismatic leaders can inspire devotion and give people a powerful sense of meaning. They can also make us vulnerable. This week, we explore how figures across history have gained followers by offering clarity in moments of uncertainty — and why that clarity can come at a cost. ...  Show more

What does it do to a person to feel overlooked? This week, psychologist Gordon Flett examines how the absence of “mattering” can fuel loneliness, depression, and even violence. He outlines how feeling valued serves as a psychological buffer, and how simple gestures can rebuild a ...  Show more

This talk introduces the theme of the retreat, Who Do You Say That I Am. It breaks open St. Ignatius’s strategy of “Spiritual Exercises” and what was hoped for by someone taking on these Exercises. The foundation of the entire retreat is getting to see a little more clearly who G ...  Show more

In the opening pages of the Bible, God gives the first humans a choice. But why? In this podcast, we explore the first few pages of the book of Genesis and what it means for God to give humanity choice. Interested in more? Watch a video and explore more questions for yourself or ...  Show more

Drawing from sources including the ethology of art and the cognitive science of religion, An Ethology of Religion and Art: Belief as Behavior (Routledge, 2020) proposes an improved understanding of both art and religion as behaviors developed in the process of human evolution. Lo ...  Show more

Over the past few decades the U.S. has become an increasingly less religious country, and many people who grew up with religion have chosen to leave the faith they were raised in. Daryl Van Tongeren, PhD, author of “Done: How to Flourish after Leaving Religion,” talks about the c ...  Show more