How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality

Finding Hope in Dark Times (From the Archive)


Listen Later

This episode from 2023 is one of our all-time listener favorites. We're sharing it again for anyone who may have missed it, or could do with a refresher, especially at the holiday season! 

Surveys show feelings of sadness and despair peaked in 2023. So as we look to the new year, it’s understandable why any of us might be feeling pessimistic, even hopeless. But these feelings aren’t written in stone. We always have a choice. It’s in these darkest of times, when all feels lost, that hope helps us find our way … not just to heal ourselves, but also the world around us.

On this episode, we’ll talk with the Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, about how he remains motivated and hopeful, even while covering some of the most tragic events in recent history. And he’ll offer a little advice for ways we can all rise above despair.

And we’ll talk with Roshi Joan Halifax — ecologist, civil rights activist, hospice caregiver, and founder of the Upaya Zen Center — about the Buddhist-informed notion of wise hope, the equanimity it can bring, and the fierce compassion it can unleash.

Nicholas Kristof is the author of the  book Chasing Hope: A Reporter's Life. Read his NYT columns here, and find out more about the cider he makes here.

Roshi Joan Halifax leads the Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Learn more about her work on her website.


...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

How God Works: The Science Behind SpiritualityBy PRX

  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8

4.8

146 ratings


More shows like How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality

View all
This American Life by This American Life

This American Life

90,431 Listeners

Fresh Air by NPR

Fresh Air

37,904 Listeners

To The Best Of Our Knowledge by Wisconsin Public Radio

To The Best Of Our Knowledge

904 Listeners

Good Life Project by Jonathan Fields / Acast

Good Life Project

3,275 Listeners

Hidden Brain by Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

Hidden Brain

43,406 Listeners

10% Happier with Dan Harris by 10% Happier

10% Happier with Dan Harris

12,573 Listeners

Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson by Rick Hanson, Ph.D., Forrest Hanson

Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson

2,404 Listeners

The Science of Happiness by PRX and Greater Good Science Center

The Science of Happiness

1,881 Listeners

Everything Happens with Kate Bowler by Everything Happens Studios

Everything Happens with Kate Bowler

4,949 Listeners

Throughline by NPR

Throughline

15,801 Listeners

Meditative Story by WaitWhat

Meditative Story

3,057 Listeners

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos by Pushkin Industries

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

14,591 Listeners

Poetry Unbound by On Being Studios

Poetry Unbound

3,538 Listeners

No Small Endeavor with Lee C. Camp by Tokens Media

No Small Endeavor with Lee C. Camp

444 Listeners

A Slight Change of Plans by Pushkin Industries

A Slight Change of Plans

1,882 Listeners