Conversation, NOT Conversion | with Joel Carini (The Natural Theologian)

In this long overdue episode of Samsara Audio, my old friend Joel Carini (“The Natural Theologian”) joins me to discuss his piece “Berating the Godfearers” which raises a host of questions close to both our hearts — how does the Christian ideology of “worldview” get conversion wrong, and consequently disable real conversation along the way?This conversation was born out of years deep inside particular communities which eschew empirical observation and experimental procedures for axiomatic assertions and pious certainty. We want to move past the stance which starts with the answers, and instead find ourselves in the trenches with others who are working on finding better questions.Check out Joel’s Substack “The Natural Theologian” (subscribe for free or sign up to support his work with a premium subscription) to read more of his timely and highly readable interventions.Links:Joel’s Substack “The Natural Theologian” — https://joelcarini.substack.comSamsara Diagnostics (Matthew’s newsletter) — https://samsara.clinicWatch this podcast on YouTube at Samsara Diagnostics’ channel.Time stamps:00:00 Introduction and Overview01:37 Diving into the First Episode of Samsara Audio of 202402:38 The Journey of Online Writing and Intellectual Growth03:55 The Tragedy of Academia: A Discussion04:59 The Power of Peer Review and the Potential of Substack06:27 The Humanizing Aspect of Scholarship and Its Challenges07:28 The Divide in Academic and Religious Institutions08:53 The Dark Wizard in the Ivory Tower12:44 Berating the God Fearers: A Conversation17:05 The Journey of Conversion: A Personal Perspective23:20 The Role of Fear in Christian Discourse28:46 The Concept of Worldview in Christian Circles34:46 The Need for a Transition from Apologetics to Philosophy40:57 The Challenge of Interdisciplinary Knowledge41:13 The Limitations of Apologetics44:39 The Role of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Understanding46:54 The Problem of Consistency in Worldview Discourse56:30 The Dangers of Ideological Thinking01:17:38 The Role of Free Speech in Encountering New Perspectives01:21:27 The Value of Diversity in Christian Denominations01:25:01 Conclusion: Diagnosing Our Maladies Get full access to Moloch Theory at samsara.substack.com/subscribe