The Reluctant Theologian Podcast

In contemporary theology, there are multiple models of God to consider. One could be a classical theist, an open theist, maybe even a panentheist. In today’s episode, I sit down with Thomas Williams to discuss classical theism. We chat about great thinkers like Augustine, Aquinas, and Scotus. Then we explore divine attributes like omniscience, timelessness, immutability, simplicity, and impassibility. We even consider some of the implications for human freedom and religious language. Credits: Host: R.T. Mullins (PhD, University of St Andrews) is a research fellow at the University of Edinburgh's Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities. Guest: Thomas Williams (PhD, University of Notre Dame) is professor of philosophy and Catholic Studies at the University of South Florida. Scientific Adviser and Show Manager: Ema Sani (PhD, University of Glasgow) is a postdoctoral fellow in biology at the University of Edinburgh. Music by Rockandmetal_domination – Raising-questions rtmullins.com

There are many different kinds of robots out there. There are the hard robots that vacuum your floor, and the soft robots Big Hero 6. Did you know that there are also underwater robots that look like squids? In today’s episode, I sit down with Francesco Giorgio-Serchi. We chat about robots, pig brain transplants, and the possibility of achieving immortality through robots. We even ask if immortality would be good for society. Credits: Host: R.T. Mullins (PhD, University of St Andrews) is a research fellow at the University of Edinburgh's Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities. Guest: Francesco Giorgio-Serchi (PhD, University of Leeds) is a chancellor's fellow in robotics and autonomous systems at the University of Edinburgh. Scientific Adviser and Show Manager: Ema Sani (PhD, University of Glasgow) is a postdoctoral fellow in biology at the University of Edinburgh. Music by Rockandmetal_domination – Raising-questions rtmullins.com

In case you are wondering, you are a conscious being. Have you ever asked what exactly is consciousness? And which particular things in the universe are conscious? Perhaps you think only souls can be conscious. Or maybe you think that material objects can be conscious. Whatever view you take, you need to ask where does consciousness comes from. In today’s episode, I sit down with Ben Page to discuss a family of arguments for the existence of God based on the existence of consciousness. Credits: Host: R.T. Mullins (PhD, University of St Andrews) is a research fellow at the University of Edinburgh's Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities. Guest: Ben Page (PhD, Oxford University) is a member of the philosophy department at the University of Durham. Scientific Adviser and Show Manager: Ema Sani (PhD, University of Glasgow) is a postdoctoral fellow in biology at the University of Edinburgh. Music by Rockandmetal_domination – Raising-questions rtmullins.com

From driverless car, to robots helping surgeons in hospitals, we are increasingly accepting the role of machines and artificial intelligence in controlling our lives and taking decisions for us. But should I be really worry about my Alexa device taking over the world? In today’s episode, I sit down with Vaishak Belle. We discuss the nature of artificial intelligence, and an array of ethical questions that arise from our use of AI. Credits: Host: R.T. Mullins (PhD, University of St Andrews) is a research fellow at the University of Edinburgh's Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities. Guest: Vaishak Belle (PhD, Aachen University) is a chancellor's fellow in human-like computing at the University of Edinburgh. Scientific Adviser and Show Manager: Ema Sani (PhD, University of Glasgow) is a postdoctoral fellow in biology at the University of Edinburgh. Music by Rockandmetal_domination – Raising-questions rtmullins.com

Many people believe that there is a close connection between consciousness and the brain. Yet the human brain is still somewhat of a mystery to us. For example, we still know very little about the early stages of human brain development. Recently, scientists have started growing these little things called brain organoids to help them understand how human brains grow and develop. In today’s episode, I sit down with the neurobiologist, John Mason, to discuss his work on brain organoids, and some of the potential philosophical implications. Credits: Host: R.T. Mullins (PhD, University of St Andrews) is a research and teaching fellow in analytic theology at the University of St Andrews. Guest: John Mason (PhD, University of Cambridge) is a reader in developmental neurobiology at the University of Edinburgh.  Scientific Adviser and Show Manager: Ema Sani (PhD, University of Glasgow) is a postdoctoral fellow in biology at the University of Edinburgh. Music by Rockandmetal_domination – Raising-questions rtmullins.com

We have received so many interesting messages from listeners. The questions range over a host of topics, and we hope to address as many of them as we can. In today's episode, Ema Sani and I open up some mail, and respond to questions about the show, the nature of God, and the nature of time. We consider questions about the absolute theory of time, some confusions about the A-theory and B-theory of time, evil twins, Twitter gossip, and the essential and contingent attributes of God.  Credits: Host: R.T. Mullins (PhD, University of St Andrews) is a research and teaching fellow in analytic theology at the University of St Andrews. Scientific Adviser and Show Manager: Ema Sani (PhD, University of Glasgow) is a postdoctoral fellow in biology at the University of Edinburgh. Music by Rockandmetal_domination – Raising-questions rtmullins.com

In today’s episode, I sit down with Steven Nemes to discuss something called the modal collapse argument against divine simplicity. The modal collapse argument has been defended by myself and many other philosophers over the years. It is an argument that some people love, and that other people love to hate. In today’s episode, I ask Steven to explain how he understands the argument, and why it is a serious problem for the doctrine of divine simplicity. After that we chat about his strategies for avoiding the modal collapse. Check out Steven's paper at:  https://www.academia.edu/41975414/Divine_simplicity_does_not_entail_modal_collapse?fbclid=IwAR38yV_6D5e8PvEcGhwYiajYGNGb4YFp5P5Zya27zbsJ3he3NIyTJfvQ_DE Credits: Host: R.T. Mullins (PhD, University of St Andrews) is a research and teaching fellow in analytic theology at the University of St Andrews. Guest: Steven Nemes is a PhD candidate at Fuller Theological Seminary. Scientific Adviser and Show Manager: Ema Sani (PhD, University of Glasgow) is a postdoctoral fellow in biology at the University of Edinburgh. Music by Rockandmetal_domination – Raising-questions rtmullins.com

In today’s episode, I sit down with Steven Nemes. We discuss a recent debate that I had over at the Theopolis website on the doctrine of divine simplicity. Why are we discussing this? Well, because some of you theology nerds love to discuss obscure medieval doctrines that the vast majority of Christians have never heard of. Steven and I give you the break down on everything that happened with this debate at Theopolis. We give you the gossip. We give you the drama, and we give you all of the theology related to the doctrine of divine simplicity. Credits: Host: R.T. Mullins (PhD, University of St Andrews) is a research and teaching fellow in analytic theology at the University of St Andrews. Guest: Steven Nemes is a PhD candidate at Fuller Theological Seminary. Scientific Adviser and Show Manager: Ema Sani (PhD, University of Glasgow) is a postdoctoral fellow in biology at the University of Edinburgh. Music by Rockandmetal_domination – Raising-questions rtmullins.com

Have you ever wondered why God would create anything at all? Or perhaps you have asked why God would create a universe like this one. You might think that out of all the possible universes that God could create, surely He could have created one with less evil than what we find in our universe. In today’s episode, I sit down with Max Baker-Hytch to discuss problems related to God, evil, and the multiverse. Credits: Host: R.T. Mullins (PhD, University of St Andrews) is a research and teaching fellow in analytic theology at the University of St Andrews. Guest: Max Baker-Hytch (PhD, University of Oxford) is tutor in philosophy at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. Scientific Adviser and Show Manager: Ema Sani (PhD, University of Glasgow) is a postdoctoral fellow in biology at the University of Edinburgh. Music by Rockandmetal_domination – Raising-questions rtmullins.com

Most religions affirm that God is an eternal being. But what does it mean for God to be eternal? Is God timeless or is God temporal? Why should I even care about God’s relationship to time? In today’s episode, I sit down with Dr Natalja Deng to discuss her new book God and Time. We will discuss some basic issues within the philosophy of time, and talk about the role they play in debates over God’s eternality. Credits: Host: R.T. Mullins (PhD, University of St Andrews) is a research and teaching fellow in analytic theology at the University of St Andrews. Guest: Natalja Deng (PhD, Oxford University) is associate professor of philosophy at Yonsei University. Scientific Adviser and Show Manager: Ema Sani (PhD, University of Glasgow) is a postdoctoral fellow in biology at the University of Edinburgh. Music by Rockandmetal_domination – Raising-questions rtmullins.com