In today's episode, I reconnect with Jim Wellman from the University of Washington to discuss his fascinating undergraduate course, "A Life Worth Living." We explore how Jim guides students through fundamental questions of meaning and purpose that are often neglected in contemporary education. Jim shares touching stories of student transformations and we reflect on our own spiritual journeys—his recent reconnection with Christianity and my parallel work as a therapist addressing similar existential questions. We discuss Lisa Miller's research on spirituality's neurological benefits, Kantian ethics, and Tom Holland's thesis that Christian values underpin even progressive movements.
Throughout our conversation runs a shared concern: in a consumer-oriented culture that "flattens" human experience, how can we cultivate deeper sources of meaning? This conversation felt like a vintage episode—intellectually rich yet deeply personal.
Previous Episode with Jim:
The Surprising Value of Megachurches (#95)
Highlights
10:05 Exploring Meaning and Identity in Students
27:04 The Intersection of Spirituality and Science
44:15 Ethical and Moral Development in Education
01:00:00 Cross-Cultural Literacy and Understanding
01:08:29 Human Flourishing and Its Importance
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Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)
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