Send us a textThe Lost Word: Magic, Reality-Creation, and the Pursuit of God’s LanguageThis is the fifth presentation from our international symposium on Spiritual Yearning in a Disenchanted Age, held at McGill University in November 2024.Dr. Tara Isabella Burton is the author of the novels Social Creature, The World Cannot Give, and Here in Avalon, as well as the nonfiction books Strange Rites: New Religions for a Godless World and Self-Made: Curating Our Image from Da Vinci to the Kardashians. She is currently working on a history of magic and modernity, to be published by Convergent in 2026. ​Her fiction and nonfiction have appeared in The New York Times, National Geographic, ​Granta, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and more. She also co-writes the Substack newsletter "Line of Beauty" with her husband, Dhananjay Jagannathan.Tara received a doctorate in theology from Oxford in 2017. She is a Visiting Fellow at George Mason University's Mercatus Center and a Visiting Research Fellow at Catholic University of America's Institutional Flourishing Lab.In her talk, Tara explores:Magic’s influence on modernity, from Hermeticism to transhumanismThe pursuit of a divine language offering truth and creative powerArt as relational creation, distinct from manipulative magical thinkingThe Divine Liturgy as model for creative practices rooted in connection and participationTo learn more about Tara, you can find her at: Website: http://www.taraisabellaburton.com/ Email: taraisabellaburton@gmail.com X: https://x.com/NotoriousTIB  BooksSocial Creature: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/564730/social-creature-by-tara-isabella-burton/ The World Cannot Give: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-World-Cannot-Give/Tara-Isabella-Burton/9781982170073 Here in Avalon: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Here-in-Avalon/Tara-Isabella-Burton/9781982170097 Strange Rites: New Religions for a Godless World: https://a.co/d/gOwySUy Self-Made: Curating Our Image from Da Vinci to the Kardashians: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/tara-isabella-burton/self-made/9781541789012/ This episode is sponsored by:John Templeton Foundation (https://www.templeton.org/)Templeton Religion Trust (https://templetonreligiontrust.org/)Support the show

Send us a textIs science a path to cosmic connection? In this fourth episode of our series from the November 2024 symposium on Spiritual Yearning in a Disenchanted Age held at McGill University, I share results of an ongoing study on Meaning and Mystery in Science, which explores the spiritual experiences of non-religious scientists, and how the practice of science might evoke awe, wonder, and a sense of the transcendent.We open the episode with a poetry reading from Marie Trotter, and following my presentation is a discussion with Dr. Rob Gilbert, Dr. Rajeev Bhargava, and Dr. Galen Watts.Here’s a summary of the episode:Marie Trotter opens the episode with original poetry, exploring themes of fragility, hope, and beauty, drawing inspiration from Klimt's paintingsFindings from the Meaning and Mystery in Science study reveal how non-religious scientists experience enchantment and spiritual yearning through their workBhargava notes that spiritual yearning is often disrupted by ideological, social, and political forces, which we need to contend with more seriouslyWatts explores the idea of science as play, contrasting the childlike enchantment of discovery with the institutionalized pressures of professional scienceGilbert highlights the danger of self-satisfaction in science, arguing that humility and vulnerability are essential for true insight This episode is sponsored by:John Templeton Foundation (https://www.templeton.org/)Templeton Religion Trust (https://templetonreligiontrust.org/)Support the show

Send us a textIn this presentation, Prof. Robert Gilbert, Professor of Biophysics in the Nuffield Department of Medicine at the University of Oxford, explain how science, for the scientist, is a source of enchantment.Prof. Gilbert and his team work on molecular mechanisms underlying pathology in humans, specifically cancer and membrane pore formation and cell adhesion. Their work is funded by Cancer Research UK, the British Heart Foundation, the Medical Research Council, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, and the Wellcome Trust.In this presentation, he talks about: Scientific discoveries that have drastically changed the worldUnpacking the mechanistic lens of scienceHow delight and play are crucial for scientistsThe beauty of the form and fit of scienceOn aesthetic delight in scienceHow enchantment is essential to the scientific processTo learn more about Robert, you can find him at: Website: https://www.strubi.ox.ac.uk/research/professor-robert-gilbert Email: gilbert@strubi.ox.ac.ukThis episode is sponsored by:John Templeton Foundation (https://www.templeton.org/)Templeton Religion Trust (https://templetonreligiontrust.org/)Support the show

Send us a textNaomi Fisher is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Loyola University Chicago. She earned her Ph.D in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame in 2016, and prior to that earned her M.S. in physics from UC Davis.Her research focuses on Kant and German Idealism and Romanticism, specifically the relationship between nature, freedom, and rationality in Kant and Schelling. Currently, she is working on projects related to the impact of Plato and Neoplatonism on Schelling’s philosophy. She also has interests in the broader history of philosophy, philosophy of science, and philosophy of religion.In her talk, she discusses: The disconnect between epiphanies and everyday thoughtOn the function of imagination in philosophyThe philosophy of art according to SchellingManifesting the divine through the power of imaginationComparing Schelling’s work to the RomanticsOn accessing transcendent realitiesTo learn more about Naomi, you can find her at: Website: https://naomifisher.weebly.com/ Email: naomi.luce@gmail.com This episode is sponsored by:John Templeton Foundation (https://www.templeton.org/)Templeton Religion Trust (https://templetonreligiontrust.org/)Support the show

Send us a textThis episode is the first of a series of presentations from an International Symposium on “Spiritual Yearning in a Disenchanted Age” held at McGill University in Montreal in November 2024.In this first episode, Dr. Charles Taylor, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at McGill University, shares the motivations and long history behind his new book Cosmic Connections: Poetry in the Age of Disenchantment.Prof. Taylor is internationally recognized for his pioneering work in political philosophy, social theory, and intellectual history. Over the years, he has received numerous prestigious honors, such as the Kyoto Prize, the Templeton Prize, the Berggruen Prize for Philosophy, and the John W. Kluge Prize. In 2007, together with Gérard Bouchard, he co-led the Bouchard–Taylor Commission, which examined how to accommodate cultural differences in Quebec. Taylor has authored or edited more than thirty books, including Sources of the Self and A Secular Age. In this episode, Prof. Taylor talks about:The origins of humanity’s deeper spiritual searchWhy poetry re-enchanting a disenchanted worldHow the study of comparative religion shaped his own spiritual lifeCosmic longing explored across diverse culturesBeauty unites communities in transformative experiencesHow a secular age can spark religious rediscoveriesTo learn more about Dr. Charles Taylor’s work, you can visithttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Taylor_(philosopher)Cosmic Connections: https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674296084Follow us on social media for more updates:X: https://x.com/brvnathanInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/brvnathan/This episode is sponsored by:John Templeton Foundation (https://www.templeton.org/)Templeton Religion Trust (https://templetonreligiontrust.org/)Support us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/BeautyatWorkPodcast#beauty #beautyatwork #podcast #symposium #science #connection #spiritual #CharlesTaylorSupport the show

Send us a textThis episode is the second part of my conversation with Dr. Francis Collins, a pioneer physician-scientist who led the Human Genome Project and has been director of the National Institutes of Health during the tenures of three U.S. presidents. Dr. Collins shares insights from his impressive career: from the discovery of genes linked to many diseases to addressing public health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and his efforts to bring harmony between science and faith. We will also discuss the intersection of beauty and science, public health leadership, and the critical task of bridging societal divides in our polarized times. Dr. Collins’s latest book, The Road to Wisdom, deals with the relationship between truth, science, faith, and trust.In this second part of our conversation, we talk about:The transformative power of faith in scienceThe power of beauty to evoke spiritual longingBuilding bridges through healthy conflictThe need for faith communities in creation careThe pursuit of truth amidst uncertainty and misinformationTo learn more about Dr. Francis Collins's work, you can find him at: Website: https://biologos.org/?campaign=539861Twitter: https://x.com/BioLogosOrgLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/biologosorg/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/biologosorgThis episode is sponsored by:John Templeton Foundation (https://www.templeton.org/)Templeton Religion Trust (https://templetonreligiontrust.org/)Support the show

Send us a textCan science, beauty, and faith converge in our quest for truth? Joining us to discuss this topic is Dr. Francis Collins: a pioneer physician-scientist who led the Human Genome Project and has been director of the National Institutes of Health during the tenures of three U.S. presidents. Dr. Collins shares insights from his impressive career: from the discovery of genes linked to many diseases to addressing public health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and his efforts to bring harmony between science and faith. We will also discuss the intersection of beauty and science, public health leadership, and the critical task of bridging societal divides in our polarized times. Dr. Collins’s latest book, The Road to Wisdom, deals with the relationship between truth, science, faith, and trust.In this first part of our conversation, we talk about:The transformative power of scienceWhy Francis wrote The Road to WisdomHow politics has led to misinformationThe importance of trust in institutions despite failuresThe search for truth in science amidst uncertaintyTo learn more about Dr. Francis Collins's work, you can find him at: Website: https://biologos.org/?campaign=539861Twitter: https://x.com/BioLogosOrgLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/biologosorg/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/biologosorgThis episode is sponsored by:John Templeton Foundation (https://www.templeton.org/)Templeton Religion Trust (https://templetonreligiontrust.org/)Support the show

Send us a textHuman beings are meaning-seeking creatures. This search is at the heart of religions all around the world. Over the past century or so, however, religion, especially in the West, has been in decline, and many commentators have marked the rise of the “nones” and “dones”--those who have no religious affiliation and those who have abandoned religion with no intention to return. What factors are behind these shifts? What does the search for meaning in the absence of religion look like? What is spirituality and what is its relevance in our contemporary context? In this episode, I interview a psychologist and philosopher who are trying to make sense of these trends.Daryl Van Tongeren, PhD, is a professor of psychology at Hope College and the director of the Frost Center for Social Science Research. A social psychologist, he has published more than 200 scholarly articles and chapters, and four books, on topics such as religion, meaning in life, and virtues. Most recently, his work has focused on the psychological and social processes of leaving religion and undergoing religious change, culminating in his newest book, Done: How to Flourish After Leaving Religion. His research has been covered by numerous media outlets, including the New York Times, BBC, Hidden Brain, Washington Post, The Atlantic, NPR-affiliated radio stations, Scientific American, and Men’s Health. His work has been supported by numerous grants from the John Templeton Foundation, and he has won national and international awards for his research. He is also an associate editor for The Journal of Positive Psychology. He enjoys running, biking, and hiking near where he lives with his wife, Sara, in Holland, MI. David McPherson is Professor of Philosophy in the Hamilton Center for Classical and Civic Education at the University of Florida as well as Affiliate Professor in the Department of Philosophy. McPherson works in the areas of ethics (especially virtue ethics), political philosophy, meaning in life, and philosophy of religion. He is the author of The Virtues of Limits (Oxford University Press, 2022) and Virtue and Meaning: A Neo-Aristotelian Perspective (Cambridge University Press, 2020), as well as the editor of Spirituality and the Good Life: Philosophical Approaches (Cambridge University Press, 2017). McPherson is currently the project leader for a three-year Templeton-funded grant project on “Spiritual Yearning and the Problem of Spiritual Alienation,” which will result in his third book monograph titled Spiritual Alienation and the Quest for God as well as an edited volume titled Spiritual Yearning in an Age of Secularization: Philosophical, Psychological, and Sociological Perspectives.In this second part of our conversation, we talk about:The Search for Meaning and Spiritual YearningSpiritual Alienation and the Struggle for AuthenticityThe Role of Yearning in Psychological GrowthThe Existential Challenge of Living FullySpiritual Practices and the Path to ReceptivityThe Future of Spirituality in a Secular AgeTo learn more about Daryl and his work, you can find him at:Website: http://darylvantongeren.com/Instagram: https://instagram.com/darylvantongeren/X: https://x.com/drvantongerenDone: How to Flourish After Leaving Religion: https://www.apa.org/pubs/books/done To learn more about David and his work, you can find him at:Website: Support the show

Send us a textHuman beings are meaning-seeking creatures. This search is at the heart of religions all around the world. Over the past century or so, however, religion, especially in the West, has been in decline, and many commentators have marked the rise of the “nones” and “dones”--those who have no religious affiliation and those who have abandoned religion with no intention to return. What factors are behind these shifts? What does the search for meaning in the absence of religion look like? What is spirituality and what is its relevance in our contemporary context? In this episode, I interview a psychologist and philosopher who are trying to make sense of these trends.Daryl Van Tongeren, PhD, is a professor of psychology at Hope College and the director of the Frost Center for Social Science Research. A social psychologist, he has published more than 200 scholarly articles and chapters, and four books, on topics such as religion, meaning in life, and virtues. Most recently, his work has focused on the psychological and social processes of leaving religion and undergoing religious change, culminating in his newest book, Done: How to Flourish After Leaving Religion. His research has been covered by numerous media outlets, including the New York Times, BBC, Hidden Brain, Washington Post, The Atlantic, NPR-affiliated radio stations, Scientific American, and Men’s Health. His work has been supported by numerous grants from the John Templeton Foundation, and he has won national and international awards for his research. He is also an associate editor for The Journal of Positive Psychology. He enjoys running, biking, and hiking near where he lives with his wife, Sara, in Holland, MI. David McPherson is Professor of Philosophy in the Hamilton Center for Classical and Civic Education at the University of Florida as well as Affiliate Professor in the Department of Philosophy. McPherson works in the areas of ethics (especially virtue ethics), political philosophy, meaning in life, and philosophy of religion. He is the author of The Virtues of Limits (Oxford University Press, 2022) and Virtue and Meaning: A Neo-Aristotelian Perspective (Cambridge University Press, 2020), as well as the editor of Spirituality and the Good Life: Philosophical Approaches (Cambridge University Press, 2017). McPherson is currently the project leader for a three-year Templeton-funded grant project on “Spiritual Yearning and the Problem of Spiritual Alienation,” which will result in his third book monograph titled Spiritual Alienation and the Quest for God as well as an edited volume titled Spiritual Yearning in an Age of Secularization: Philosophical, Psychological, and Sociological Perspectives.In this first part of our conversation, we talk about:The four main reasons people leave religionNavigating cognitive dissonance and existential anxietyVirtue ethics and the good lifeWhat is spirituality and do we need it?Spiritual alienationTo learn more about Daryl and his work, you can find him at:Website: http://darylvantongeren.com/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/darylvantongeren/ X: https://x.com/drvantongeren Done: How to Flourish After Leaving Religion: https://www.apa.org/pubs/books/done To learn more about David and his work, you can find him at: Website: https://davidmcpherson.weebly.com/ X: Support the show

Send us a textThis episode is the second part of the conversation between Brandon Vaidyanathan and Robert Lawrence Kuhn.Dr. Robert Lawrence Kuhn is the creator, writer, host and executive producer of Closer To Truth, the long-running PBS/public television series and leading global resource on Cosmos (cosmology/physics, philosophy of science), Life (philosophy of biology), Mind (consciousness, brain/mind, philosophy of mind), and Meaning (theism/atheism/agnosticism, global philosophy of religion, critical thinking). Kuhn has written or edited over 30 books, including The Mystery of Existence: Why is there Anything At All? (with John Leslie); Closer To Truth: Challenging Current Belief; Closer To Truth: Science, Meaning and the Future; The Library of Investment Banking; How China’s Leaders Think (featuring President Xi Jinping); The Man Who Changed China: The Life and Legacy of Jiang Zemin (China’s best-selling book in 2005 and in December 2022); and "The Origin and Significance of Zero: An Interdisciplinary Perspective” (with Peter Gobets).An international corporate strategist and investment banker, Dr. Kuhn is a recipient of the China Reform Friendship Medal and is a frequent commentator in the international media and Chinese media. Kuhn’s comprehensive review article on consciousness – “A Landscape of Consciousness: Toward a Taxonomy of Explanations and Implications” – is published in Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology (August 2024), and is considered the most comprehensive article written on the landscape of consciousness theories. Dr. Kuhn is chairman of The Kuhn Foundation. He has a BA in Human Biology (Johns Hopkins), PhD in Anatomy/Brain Research (UCLA), and SM (MBA) in Management (MIT).In this second part of our conversation, we talk about:The Landscape of Consciousness article, which develops a comprehensive taxonomy of theories of consciousnessThe value of loving the questions more than seeking certaintyThe humility of acknowledging the limits of one's own beliefsThe impact of Closer to TruthTo learn more about Robert, you can find him at:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-lawrence-kuhn-4b893221Closer to Truth: https://closertotruth.com/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CloserToTruthTV/videosApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/closer-to-truth/id411527781A Landscape of Consciousness: Toward a taxonomy of explanations and implications: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38281544/The Mystery of Existence: Why Is There Anything At All?: https://a.co/d/izIoY8IWhy anything? Why this? by Derek Parfit: https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v20/n02/derek-parfit/why-anything-why-thisThis episode is sponsored by:John Templeton Foundation (https://www.templeton.org/)Templeton Religion Trust (https://templetonreligiontrust.org/)Support the show