Rethinking Sin (From the Archive)
We will be back with our season finale of How God Works on January 25th. But until then, we wanted to share one of our favorite episodes from the archives.
An episode of the How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality podcast, hosted by PRX, titled "Rethinking Sin (From the Archive)" was published on January 11, 2026 and runs 38 minutes.
January 11, 2026 ·38m · How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality
Summary
For many people, the word “sin” is associated with harsh judgment and shame. Or, it’s used to talk about guilty pleasures like consuming decadent desserts... But is this concept as harmful or outdated as it seems? Join Dave as he talks with Elizabeth Oldfield about Christianity’s Seven Deadly Sins, and how reconceptualizing them for modern life can offer a science-backed user’s manual of sorts to find joy and connection in this world, whatever your beliefs. Elizabeth Oldfield is host of The Sacred podcast and author of the book Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times. She also writes the Substack newsletter Fully Alive and works as a coach, consultant and facilitator. Find out more about her work on her website.
Episode Description
For many people, the word “sin” is associated with harsh judgment and shame. Or, it’s used to talk about guilty pleasures like consuming decadent desserts... But is this concept as harmful or outdated as it seems?
Join Dave as he talks with Elizabeth Oldfield about Christianity’s Seven Deadly Sins, and how reconceptualizing them for modern life can offer a science-backed user’s manual of sorts to find joy and connection in this world, whatever your beliefs.
Elizabeth Oldfield is host of The Sacred podcast and author of the book Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times. She also writes the Substack newsletter Fully Alive and works as a coach, consultant and facilitator. Find out more about her work on her website.