Philosophy and Faith

Podcast from Daniel and Nathan

History of Philosophy, part 2: Thales and Early Greek Thought

June 11, 2024 • Daniel Jepsen, Nathan Beasley

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 discussion touches on critical concepts such as the shapeless stream, fate, and the significance of autonomous human reasoning in the development of philosophy. The episode also examines skepticism and its recurring role in philosophical discourse, setting the stage for future explorations of early Greek philosophers.

History of Philosophy, part 1: Before Philosophy

June 5, 2024 • Daniel Jepsen, Nathan Beasley

"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 philosophy and thought of the Minoan civilization The meaning of monism Mysticism in the ancient world The mystery religions and their connection with philosophy How the earliest Greek thought influences our thinking today

The Moral Argument for God‘s Existence (with Dr. Justin Gash)

May 30, 2024 • Daniel Jepsen, Nathan Beasley, Justin Gash

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.

Guest: Justin Gash

Daniel Jepsen, Nathan Beasley, Justin Gash

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 about the arguments for God's existence. In our next episode, Dr. Gash will walk us through his favorite argument for the existence of God: the moral argument.

What The Universe Says About God's Existence

April 24, 2024 • Nathan Beasley, Daniel Jepsen

Why Did God Create The Universe? Part 2

April 16, 2024 • Daniel Jepsen, Nathan Beasley

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.

Why Did God Create The Universe?

April 10, 2024 • Daniel Jepsen, Nathan Beasley

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.

God, Time, and Eternity

April 2, 2024 • Nathan Beasley, Daniel Jepsen

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

God and the Universe

March 18, 2024 • Nathan Beasley, Daniel Jepsen

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 bodies after death and resurrection? and more

Knowing God, part 2: Knowing the Unknowable God

March 12, 2024 • Nathan Beasley, Daniel Jepsen

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 mysticism, both in the western church but especially in the Eastern (Orthodox) church. The meaning of icons How analogical knowledge of God works. How pseudo-Dionysius, Maimonides and Aquinas answered the problem of how we can know God.

Knowing God, Part 1

March 5, 2024 • Daniel Jepsen, Nathan Beasley

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).

Our Purpose and Destiny

Why are we here, and what happens to us after we die? This episode answers those questions through the lens of the four great worldviews (theism, naturalism, paganism, and Eastern thought). A resource mentioned in this episode: https://www.amazon.com/universe-next-door-worldview-catalog/dp/0830849386/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=2rg98dwsjqlaw&keywords=the+universe+next+door&qid=1707842062&sprefix=the+universe+ne%2caps%2c116&sr=8-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkz2v0tmftzt1zcf9hdgy&psc=1 by James Sire.

Ethics part 2: Paganism and Eastern Thought

Are some things always right or wrong, or is ethics relative? What makes something right or wrong? In the last episode, we saw how theism and naturalism try to answer those questions. This week, paganism and Eastern thought get their say.

Ethics part 1: Theism and Naturalism

Are some things always right and wrong? If so, why? Where does the standard of morality come from? Theism and naturalism give distinctly different answers to that important questions, as we will discuss.

Is Naturalism Self-Defeating?

Is naturalism (the worldview that that there is no God, and that the physical universe is all that exists) actually a self-defeating idea? That is, is it making a truth claim which undermines the ability to make truth claims? Let's discuss.

1
2