Philosophy, Faith & Education with Joseph Atman | Created In The Image of God 215

Most people feel that something is broken in education, but struggle to name exactly what it is. Joseph Atman believes the problem goes deeper than test scores or funding—it reaches into how we form concepts, define our terms, and understand reality itself. As the founder of Middle Tree, a nonprofit committed to making education accessible to everyone, he has spent years building a system where students can learn at their own pace, in their own way, without being turned away for lack of resources. As a philosopher of religion, he has also been writing A Philosophical War, a trilogy that starts in the Garden of Eden and asks hard questions about good, evil, and consciousness.In this episode, Joseph explains why true philosophy begins by questioning everything—even our most familiar religious and moral categories. He describes how unexamined definitions of “good,” “evil,” or even “truth” can lock people into narrow frameworks that no longer match reality, and how revisiting those concepts can open new space for both faith and understanding. Drawing on imagery from Genesis, the tree in the middle of the garden, and Paul’s call to “exercise the senses to discern good and evil,” he connects the work of spiritual maturity with the work of education: learning to tune our senses and language to what is actually real.The conversation then turns concrete, as Joseph shares how Middle Tree’s model—“educate everyone”—puts these ideas into practice: unlimited time, individualized support, and new vocational programs, all designed to treat education as a right rather than a luxury. For anyone longing for a deeper, more coherent way to think about faith, knowledge, and how we teach the next generation, this episode offers a thoughtful, challenging, and hopeful path forward. Get full access to SOOPMedia on Substack at soopllc.substack.com/subscribe Get full access to Created in the Image of God at wadefransson.substack.com/subscribe