Classic: Steven Pinker: 'Belief in God Is a Hindrance to Progress' vs Nick Spencer episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 19, 2025 · 41 MIN

Classic: Steven Pinker: 'Belief in God Is a Hindrance to Progress' vs Nick Spencer

from Unbelievable?

Humanism vs Christianity: Who Really Shaped the Modern World? In this gripping episode of The Big Conversation for Unbelievable? Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker and bestselling author debates Christian thinker Nick Spencer on whether the Enlightenment values of science, reason, and humanism have made religious belief redundant. Pinker defends the legacy of secular progress, arguing that human flourishing owes more to data and rationalism than divine revelation. Spencer acknowledges the progress but challenges Pinker’s foundations—arguing that modern values like equality and human dignity have deep Christian roots. From the abolition of slavery to the origins of science, this is a searching conversation about what truly underpins human progress. • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training • Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow • Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate

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Classic: Steven Pinker: 'Belief in God Is a Hindrance to Progress' vs Nick Spencer

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This episode was published on August 19, 2025.

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Humanism vs Christianity: Who Really Shaped the Modern World? In this gripping episode of The Big Conversation for Unbelievable? Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker and bestselling author debates Christian thinker Nick Spencer on whether the...

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