Reading Our Times

In this enlightening discussion, historian and podcaster Tom Holland engages with Nick Spencer about the intricate relationship between science and religion. They challenge the stereotype of an ongoing war between the two, exploring historical developments from the Enlightenment to modern times. Holland delves into Galileo's complex ties with the Church, the philosophical implications of AI, and theological questions surrounding extraterrestrial life. The conversation ultimately reveals how belief systems evolve, impacting contemporary social movements.

Dear Reading Our Times listeners, We are growing and we need your help! Whether you're a long-time listener or a new follower, we would love to hear your thoughts and feedback on the podcast. Take the survey here👇 https://biblesociety.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cLLw26aCQWzn9gG A massive thank you for listening and engaging from Nick and the Reading Our Times team!

New York Times journalist David Brooks and Nick Spencer discuss personhood, societal crisis, moral formation, historical ideas, interconnectedness of body and brain, understanding others through personality traits, and deeply seeing and understanding others in a thought-provoking conversation.

The question 'what is a life worth?' feels wrong; heretical even. Humans are infinitely valuable, we say. You can't put a price on a life. And yet we do, every day: for healthcare, for philanthropy, for insurance, for criminal compensation... Indeed, arguably, if we actually care for life, we must. So, how do we do it? What are we willing to pay for life? How do we calcualate it? Who decides, and on what basis? And what does all this tell us about our (in)humanity? In this week's episode, Nick Spencer speaks to Jenny Kleeman about her book The Price of Life. Buy a copy of the book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Price-Life-Search-Worth-Decides/dp/1035004968/ref=asc_df_1035004968/ ***** Like what you see? Be sure to sign up to the Theos monthly newsletter to stay up-to-date with all our content, research and events: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/E9E17CAB71AC7464 CONNECT WITH THEOS Twitter: https://twitter.com/Theosthinktank Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theosthinktank LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theos---the-think-tank/ Website: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/ CHECK OUT OUR PODCASTS The Sacred: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sacred/id1326888108 Reading Our Times: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reading-our-times/id1530952185

Pretty much every index for the mental health of young people in Britain and the US in particular is pointing in the wrong direction. More anxiety, more depression, more therapy, more medication, more suicide. Why? What is going on here? And why is it that the vast increase in spending on mental health - on counselling, therapy and drugs over recent decades seems to have made no difference whatsoever? In this week's episode, Nick Spencer speaks to Abigail Shrier about her book Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren't Growing Up Buy a copy of the book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bad-Therapy-Kids-Arent-Growing/dp/1800754132/ref=asc_df_1800754132/ ***** Like what you see? Be sure to sign up to the Theos monthly newsletter to stay up-to-date with all our content, research and events: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/E9E17CAB71AC7464 CONNECT WITH THEOS Twitter: https://twitter.com/Theosthinktank Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theosthinktank LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theos---the-think-tank/ Website: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/ CHECK OUT OUR PODCASTS The Sacred: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sacred/id1326888108 Reading Our Times: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reading-our-times/id1530952185

The idea that non-human animals should be recognised as legal persons has gained traction over recent years, and is the subject of numerous court cases. But underlying the legal and indeed empirical questions here, are some pretty deep philosophical ones. What actually is a person? What role does rationality or consciousness or language play? And depending on our answers to those questions, could a non-human animal ever qualify as a person? In this week's episode, Nick Spencer speaks to Mark Rowlands about his book Can Animals be Persons? Buy a copy of the book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Can-Animals-Persons-Mark-Rowlands/dp/0190846038 ***** Like what you see? Be sure to sign up to the Theos monthly newsletter to stay up-to-date with all our content, research and events: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/E9E17CAB71AC7464 CONNECT WITH THEOS Twitter: https://twitter.com/Theosthinktank Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theosthinktank LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theos---the-think-tank/ Website: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/ CHECK OUT OUR PODCASTS The Sacred: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sacred/id1326888108 Reading Our Times: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reading-our-times/id1530952185

Once upon a time, it was religions that promised eternal life. Now its science, with the possibility of immortality - whether bionic, cellular, genetic, or virtual - being the subject of big Silicon Valley dollars. Is this something we want? Who actually want to live forever? And, perhaps more importantly, should we? In this week's episode, Nick Spencer speaks to Stephen Cave about his book Should You Choose to Live Forever? Buy a copy of Stephen's book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CMF7YW3M?ref=KC_GS_GB_GB ***** Like what you see? Be sure to sign up to the Theos monthly newsletter to stay up-to-date with all our content, research and events: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/E9E17CAB71AC7464 CONNECT WITH THEOS Twitter: https://twitter.com/Theosthinktank Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theosthinktank LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theos---the-think-tank/ Website: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/ CHECK OUT OUR PODCASTS The Sacred: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sacred/id1326888108 Reading Our Times: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reading-our-times/id1530952185

AI is taking over the planet - or at least the news agenda! For hardly a day goes by without some AI story in the headlines. Should we believe what we read? Or is it all hype? In particular, should we believe what we are promised - or threatened - about AI become super-intelligent, sentient, conscious, human? In this week's episode, Nick Spencer speaks to Eve Poole about her book Robot Souls: Programming in Humanity Buy a copy of Robot Souls here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Robot-Souls-Programming-Eve-Poole/dp/1032426624 ***** Like what you see? Be sure to sign up to the Theos monthly newsletter to stay up-to-date with all our content, research and events: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/E9E17CAB71AC7464 CONNECT WITH THEOS Twitter: https://twitter.com/Theosthinktank Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theosthinktank LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theos---the-think-tank/ Website: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/ CHECK OUT OUR PODCASTS The Sacred: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sacred/id1326888108 Reading Our Times: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reading-our-times/id1530952185

Little green men were once a complete fantasy - but the numbers appear to be on their side. The sheer size of the universe, the number of stars and, it seems, the number of potentially inhabitable planets means that alien life is highly probable. What would it mean for us if that were so? If we did ever 'make contact'? What would it mean for our sense of pride, our dignity and in particular for those belief systems that have a particular emphasis on the human species? In this week's episode, Nick Spencer speaks to Andrew Davison about his book Astrobiology and Christian Doctrine. Buy a copy of Astrobiology and Christian Doctrine here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Astrobiology-Christian-Doctrine-Exploring-Implications/dp/1009303155 ***** Like what you see? Be sure to sign up to the Theos monthly newsletter to stay up-to-date with all our content, research and events: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/E9E17CAB71AC7464 CONNECT WITH THEOS Twitter: https://twitter.com/Theosthinktank Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theosthinktank LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theos---the-think-tank/ Website: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/ CHECK OUT OUR PODCASTS The Sacred: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sacred/id1326888108 Reading Our Times: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reading-our-times/id1530952185

Every century is different - but the 21st may be seriously different, with our ability to understand, modify and re-create humanity having come on light years in recent decades. Should we? So often, the warning we hear when it comes to the scientific manipulation of the human is that we shouldn't "play God". But what grounding does that actually have? What if we actually are a "playing God" species? Kicking off a new series of Reading our Times, this one dedicated to the overall theme of Playing God, Chine McDonald talks to Nick Spencer about his new book, co-authored with Hannah Waite, Playing God: science, religion and the future of humanity