A Catholic neuroscientist explains your brain on religion

Jesuitical

America Media

Spirituality, Christianity, News, News Commentary, Religion & Spirituality

4.8 • 949 Ratings

🗓️ 14 March 2025

⏱️ 58 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

On “Jesuitical” this week, Zac and Ashley chat with Sofia Carozza, a developmental neuroscientist working in research and a co-host of “The Pilgrim Soul,” a Catholic podcast about the journey of faith in the modern world. Sofia is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Human Network Initiative at Harvard Medical School, where she uses computational modelling to study the role of the early-life environment in the development of the human brain. Zac, Ashley and Sofia discuss: - The brain as a “relational organ” linking body and spirit - The neuroscientific response to the question, “What does it mean to be human?” - Sofia’s experience as a person of faith in a “secular field” - Digital technology’s effects on our brains (and faith) In Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley give an update on Pope Francis’ health after doctors lifted their “guarded prognosis,” meaning they no longer believe the pope is in imminent danger; next they discuss the lowering the standard age for confirmation in the Archdiocese of Baltimore to 9. Jesuitical is coming to Philadelphia! Join the Jesuitical team in Philadelphia for a Holy & Happy Hour at the National Shrine of St. Rita of Cascia. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! Topic: How to talk to your friends about your faith Date: Tuesday, March 25, 2025 Location: 1166 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146 Time: 6:00pm adoration of the Blessed Sacrament; 7:00pm group faith sharing and happy hour Links for further reading: “The Pilgrim Soul: A Catholic Podcast” “An Appraisal of the Neuroscientific Revolution’s Promise of New Theological Horizons” by Sofia Carozza The Religious Sense by Luigi Giussani “The Faith of Fr. Luigi Giussani” Chest X-ray confirms improvements in Pope Francis’ condition Pope Francis is out of imminent danger. What’s next? Confirmation age lowered to 9 years old in Archdiocese of Baltimore You can follow us on X and on Instagram @jesuiticalshow. You can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/jesuitical. Please consider supporting Jesuitical by becoming a digital subscriber to America Media at americamagazine.org/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Ready to launch your business? Get started with the commerce platform made for entrepreneurs.
0:04.8	Shopify is specially designed to help you start, run and grow your business with easy customizable themes that let you build your brand.
0:12.5	Marketing tools that get your products out there. Integrated shipping solutions that actually save you time.
0:17.5	From startups to scaleups, online, in, and on the go. Shopify is made for
0:22.9	entrepreneurs like you. Sign up for your $1 a month trial at Shopify.com slash setup.
0:44.2	Hello and welcome to Jesuitical, a podcast from America Media for saints and sinners.
0:50.2	You can join us each week for honest conversations about the Catholic Church in our world today, sometimes over drinks.
0:53.0	I'm Ashley McKinless, and I'm joined by Zach Davis.
0:54.0	Great to be with you, Ashley.
0:54.8	Good to be here.
0:56.1	How's your lent going?
0:57.2	It's going well.
1:08.8	It is having the intended effect of making me spend less because I just feel so awkward and like kind of guilty making cashiers deal with cash and holding up people in line that I'm just like, you know what?
1:09.9	It's not worth it.
1:10.7	I don't need a snack.
1:17.5	Oh, that's funny. I did notice you didn't want to pay the bar tab the other day. But I didn't think anything out of normal. How about you? No, it's good. Listeners to the show may know I gave up
1:22.2	having multiple tabs open in my internet browser and I'm finding it very freeing. Yeah. So yeah. I was wondering though,
1:28.7	like, do you think most people give up on their lent in practice as soon as they do New Year's
1:33.5	resolutions? I feel like no. Yeah. You mean like we stick with it longer in length than we do. Yeah,
1:39.3	because I think having the limited time frame of 40 days makes it feel a little bit more possible.
1:44.3	Like what the New Year's resolution, it's like you're changing for life.
1:47.3	Yeah, and they're like way more dramatic like life changes often with New Year's, whereas, yeah, I think people are better about picking manageable things for Lent.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from America Media, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of America Media and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.