#9 - Avi Kahan: the role and nature of religion

Avi Kahan is a writer and thinker exploring the relationship between science, metaphysics, and religious thought. His work touches on Judaism, psychology, and the philosophical foundations of belief.

We talk about the metaphysics of God, the psychological architecture of religion, how science can take on religious roles, and why faith persists in the modern world. Topics are outlined in the timestamps below.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Timestamps

00:00 – Intro

02:48 – God as a mental model and personal conviction

05:36 – Upbringing, exposure, and identity shaping

08:25 – Jewish history, struggle, and cultural continuity

11:13 – Jesus and the Inquisition story

14:01 – Leadership, law, and religious structure

16:50 – Religion and the suppression of doubt

19:38 – Greek gods and metaphysical abstractions

22:26 – Prayer, science, and embodied rituals

25:15 – Freud, Jung, and metaphysical psychology

28:03 – Can science itself become a religion?

30:52 – Scientific awe and religious feeling

33:40 – Why religion won’t die

36:28 – Religious cohesion across major traditions

39:17 – Community, healing, and harm through religion

42:05 – Optimism and human progress

44:53 – Connection, communication, and modern unity

47:42 – Moral convergence and global values

50:30 – Aristotle, Antiochus, and metaphysical struggle

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