The Shadow of God: An Atheist Podcast

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

Ep #15: The 8 Kinds of Theodicy (and Why They Fail)

Looks at some general types of responses that theists have made to the problem of evil, and their various deficiencies as explanations for the existence of Evil. Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 2:59 The Logical Problem of Evil 17:27 The Evidential Problem of Evil 21:26 Is the Problem of Evil Really a Big Problem? 36:10 1. "It's Our Fault" Theodicies 45:51 2. "Big Picture" Theodicies 53:24 3. Character / Soul-Building Theodicies 1:11:10 4. "Relationship Building" Theodicies 1:16:03 5. Skeptical Theism 1:26:05 6. Evil Agent Theodicies 1:31:42 7. "Everything Will Be Okay" Theodicies 1:42:51 8. Denialist Theodicies 1:52:30 Conclusion

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

Chapters: 0:00 Introduction: The Universality of Religious Beliefs 8:31 Case Study: Buddhism and Christianity 16:06 Can "Truth" Explain the Universality of Religious Beliefs?  22:30 Can "Culture" Explain the Universality of Religious Beliefs? 31:59 The Basics of Cognitive Science 38:37 The 6 Foundations of the Cognitive Science of Religion 41:52 1. The Epidemiology of Representations 56:41 2. The Hyperactive Agency Detection Device (HADD) 1:03:08 3. Animism and Anthropomorphism 1:15:44 4. Ritual Representations 1:32:15 5. Minimally Counter-Intuitive Ideas 1:49:41 6. Modes of Religiosity 2:00:50 Conclusion