This special live episode was recorded with one of the pod’s favorite friends, Daryl Van Tongeren, back in October at Theology Beer Camp.

We talked about how people make faith decisions without definitive proof, based partially on William James' concept of "will to believe." After we establish that Christianity can't be proven beyond reasonable doubt in our pluralistic age, we get into James's framework for "genuine options"—choices that are live, forced, and momentous.

Daryl explains the cognitive biases that make certainty impossible, and how James suggests we can reasonably consider pragmatic evidence when metaphysical questions remain unanswerable. We also get into some personal stories, with Daryl sharing how one inexplicable college experience survived his decade-long deconstruction after his brother's tragic death.

This was an intellectual yet practical conversation about how we can learn and choose how to live thoughtfully with uncertainty.

Other episodes with Daryl:

The Good of Religion Without the Bad

You Are Not Your Beliefs

Come to Theology Beer Camp 2025 in St. Paul, Minneasota!

Highlights

01:49 The Challenge of Proving Christianity

09:00 William James and Genuine Options

21:11 The Evolutionary Perspective on Meaning

42:15 The Role of Evidence in Belief

50:25 Living with Uncertainty

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Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/

Edited by Josh Gilbert (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠joshgilbertmedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -- he is accepting more work!)

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