Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith & Culture

Have We Lost Our Minds? (with Stan Wallace)

Jan 7, 2025

Stan Wallace, the President and CEO of Global Scholars and author of "Have We Lost Our Minds?", dives deep into the connection between body and soul. He discusses whether neuroscience undermines the existence of the soul and the implications for faith. Wallace promotes a view that reconciles physical and spiritual dimensions of humanity, urging listeners to appreciate how spiritual practices can be informed by our understanding of the brain. The conversation also touches on the relevance of neurotheology and its impact on human flourishing.

33:47

Episode guests

Stan Wallace

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

The podcast emphasizes the importance of recognizing the duality of body and soul to maintain a holistic perspective on human existence.

It cautions against the reduction of spiritual practices to mere neural functions, advocating for a distinction between the physical and the immaterial.

Deep dives

The Interrelationship of Body and Soul

The podcast discusses the concept of humans as both body and soul, emphasizing that this duality has deep historical roots within both the church and Western culture. The dialogue highlights a growing trend among some Christians who lean towards viewing human existence primarily through a physical and neuroscientific lens. This shift raises concerns about the implications of defining thoughts and beliefs solely as brain processes, leading to potential neglect of the soul. The speakers advocate for recognizing the unity of body and soul, proposing a more holistic perspective that values both the physical and immaterial aspects of human existence.

Intro

2min

Reconciling Body and Soul in Christian Thought

4min

Neurotheology: Bridging Brain and Soul

17min

Integrating Body and Soul

8min

Exploring the Unity of Body and Soul in Contemporary Debate

3min

What does it mean to say that we are body and soul both? Have the neurosciences done away with the soul? Are we little more than our physical stuff that is reducible to chemistry and physics? We’ll answer these questions and much more in our conversation with Stan Wallace around his new book, Have We Lost Our Minds?: Neuroscience, Neurotheology the Soul and Human Flourishing.

Stan Wallace is President and CEO of Global Scholars. He is a MA Phil graduate of Talbot School of Theology.

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Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a podcast from Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California.

Find all episodes of Think Biblically at: https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically.
Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video.

To submit comments, ask questions, or make suggestions on issues you'd like us to cover or guests you'd like us to have on the podcast, email us at thinkbiblically@biola.edu.

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