Ep #14: An Introduction to the Cognitive Science of Religion

Ep #20: "The God Delusion": A Review (Part 2: Chapters 5-10)

A thorough chapter-by-chapter critique of Richard Dawkins' "The God Delusion" in celebration of the 20th anniversary of its first publication. Chapters: 0:00 "Introduction" 0:22 Chapter 5: The Roots of Religion 37:30 Chapter 6: The Roots of Morality: Why Are We Good? 1:06:42 Chapter 7: The 'Good Book' and the Changing Moral Zeitgeist 1:34:35 Chapter 8: What's Wrong With Religion? Why Be So Hostile? 2:03:05 Chapter 9: Childhood, Abuse and the Escape from Religion 2:26:21 Chapter 10: A Much Needed Gap? 2:33:12 Conclusion: The Legacy of 'The God Delusion'

Ep #19: "The God Delusion": A Review (Part 1: Chapters 1-4)

A thorough chapter-by-chapter critique of Richard Dawkins' "The God Delusion" in celebration of the 20th anniversary of its first publication. Chapters: 0:00 Introduction: My Recollections of "The God Delusion" 7:30 Richard Dawkins: The Man 12:42 Chapter 1: A Deeply Religious Non-Believer 23:49 Chapter 2: The God Hypothesis 1:08:03 Chapter 3: Arguments for God's Existence 1:37:42 Chapter 4: Why There Almost Certainly is No God

Ep #18: Religion and the Management of Human Emotions

A discussion of the importance of emotions in a religious context, and the various ways in which religious institutions seek to manage the emotions of believers. Chapters: 0:00 Introduction: The Importance of Emotion in Religion 6:36 Recap of the Key Features of Emotions 10:11 Stephen Asma's Theory of the Religious Management of Emotions 25:19 Why Do Religions Manage Our Emotions? 29:22 Religious Concepts and the Management of Emotions 37:39 The Motivational Force of Emotions in Religion 49:48 The Strategic Value of Negative Emotions in Religion 1:07:03 The Strategic Value of Positive Emotions in Mormonism 1:26:10 The Strategic Value of Positive Emotions in Daoism 1:51:29 The Social Costs of Emotional Management in Religion 2:12:15 The Individual Costs of Emotional Management in Religion 2:20:37 Conclusion

Ep #17: How to Think About Emotions

A philosophical and psychological exploration of the nature of human emotions. Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 2:51 The Difference Between Emotions and Moods 11:47 Emotions Are Not (Just) Feelings 22:34 Misleading Conceptual Metaphors About Emotions 34:40 Emotions Are Not (Necessarily) Irrational 46:23 Emotions Are Not Distinct From Ideas 1:01:31 Emotions Are Not Private, Subjective States 1:27:24 Conclusion: The 3 Key Features of Emotions

Ep #16: Why God Doesn't Matter (Part 3: Truth)

Explores and critiques various philosophical and theological ideas which insist that God is in some way integral to "truth". Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 3:53 God as the Foundation of Truth 21:14 God as the Source of Truth 36:08 Ipseity, Subjectivity and Truth 56:40 Omnisubjectivity 1:03:48 Alvin Plantinga's Evolutionary Debunking Argument 1:21:01 The Problem of Disagreement 1:30:32 The Problem of Religious Disagreement 1:40:22 John Hick's "The Real" 1:54:31 The Blind Leading the Blind? 2:04:17 Conclusion