Thinking Out Loud

In a stellar essay for The New Atlantis, Garth Brown trains a critical lens on chicken consumption and explores our habit of prioritizing efficiency over all other considerations. Nathan also makes the bold claim that he knows more about chickens than Cameron knows about horror films. It’s true. Tune in to hear his excellent thoughts. 

One of the standard objections to Christianity is that God isn’t more obvious. Amazingly, we’ve never talked about it on TOL and we decided to fix that in this episode.

A recent article in The New Atlantis proposes a special council for the management of AI technology, rather than mere government regulation. This proposal takes its cues from a similar council that was assembled under the Bush administration to tackle challenges posed by emerging biotechnology. Join us as we consider the vexing topic of AI once again.

Thought the authenticity craze was all played out? Think again! In the wake of AI, the social media landscape, and widespread institutional distrust, we’re desperate for it. Join us as we explore some of the ironies and possibilities surrounding authenticity.

It’s Giving Tuesday, so we thought we’d take the opportunity to explore the Christian understanding of generosity. Why do we give and what does it mean to live in the light of the fact that we have nothing that we have not received? Join us as we dive into this important topic.

Famed tattoo artist Kat Von D is yet another unlikely recent convert to Christianity. Though portions of her story have been exaggerated by the press, it’s a dramatic story. Join us as we consider this growing trend of high profile figures joining the church.

With a number of high profile conversions to Christianity recently, many people continue to challenge the motives involved. In this episode, we press into some of those reservations and try to move in a more hopeful direction. 

Former atheist Ayaan Hirsi Ali sent shockwaves through the intellectual world when she announced her conversion to Christianity. Nevertheless, some are calling her motives into question, arguing that her embrace of Christianity has more to do with its benefits to western civilization than the veracity of its claims. In this episode, we explore this striking trend of public intellectuals courting the church.

A recent essay argues that the primary focus for Christians nowadays ought to be on repairing a broken culture that has “lost its script.” In this episode, we discuss what such an endeavor will involve and why we’re excited, rather than worried, about Gen Z.

Philosophy of mind has become a hot topic in recent decades for one major reason: The mystery of consciousness seems to present insuperable challenges to a materialistic conception of reality. In this episode, we delve into this subject and consider its bearing on the question of what it means to be human.