One Universe, Two Books

"Religious ecology" seeks to employ science to guide conservation policy to what nature "ought to be." This is in contrast to the assumed role of science as a means of informing policy makers about nature "as it is." In this episode of One Universe Two Books, Ian and Scott bring on Robert Lackey, Emeritus Professor of Fisheries and Conservation Biology at Oregon State University. Religious ecology is a means of sneaking values into policy discussions by clothing it in the garb of science. Science should rather be value-neutral in its advice to policy makers.

In this episode of One Univers, Two Books, Ian Oxnevad and Scott Turner host Chris Fisher, US Marines, tech entrepreneur, law enforcement officer, and now Fellow at the College of Stoic Philosophers about the relevance of stoicism in the modern world.

Ian and Scott explore with Chris the deep connections between ancient Stoicism, modern interpretations, and how these philosophies can guide us through today's challenges. Chris shares his journey from military and law enforcement to philosophical inquiry, emphasizing the relevance of Stoic principles in contemporary life.

In this episode of One Universe, Two Books, Subboor Ahmad joins Scott Turner and Ian Oxnevad to explore the complex relationship between science, religion, and philosophy, focusing on evolution, teleology, and the role of faith in scientific discovery.

Subboor Ahmad is a prominent British Muslin who has a particular interest in the relationship of Islam with science.

They discuss historical perspectives, the impact of Darwin, and the potential for faith and science to collaborate on existential questions about consciousness and purpose.

One important issue in the interface of science and faith is the issue of mind, namely is there a mind at work in the structure and function of the universe. The question is acute for the living world, which seems more intuitively to be at work in life. Is it possible to apply the epistemology of materialism and reduction to the scientific study of something that has a mind of its own?

Biologists have long excluded the notion of purposefulness from polite scientific discourse, arguing that it is a return to spooky vitalist thinking in biology. Yet, life itself is a phenomenon that is inherently purposeful. How can one study life while excluding the very thing that makes life distinctive?

Michael Flannery, Emeritus Professor from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, joins us on One Universe Two Books to discuss the knotty problem of teleology.

Michael Flannery is a prolific writer on issues of bioethics and the philosophy of evolutionary thought. His books include:

Nature's Prophet: Alfred Russel Wallace and His Evolution from Natural Selection to Natural Theology

Intelligent Evolution: How Alfred Russel Wallace's World of Life Challenged Darwinism.

Alfred Russel Wallace: A Rediscovered Life.

In Episode 2 of One Universe, Two Books, Ian and Scott have a wide ranging conversation with Professor Gerald Schroeder, with the Jewish School in Israel. Dr Schroeder is one of the most prolific physicists arguing for the inevitability of the universe being shaped by a mind. He is the author of several books arguing this point of view, including Genesis and the Big Bang.

For the inaugural episode of One Universe, Two Books, Ian and Scott speak with Nick Spencer, Senior Fellow at the Theos Think Tank in the UK, about his most recent book Magisteria: The Entangled Histories of Science and Religion.

In his book, Nick explores the history of both science and religion, and makes the case that both science and religion advance when the two are getting along, rather than when they are at loggerheads, as is the present case.