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Unbelievable?

Philip Ball & Nick Spencer • Can Science and Religion Tell us What it Means to be Human?

Unbelievable?

Premier Unbelievable?

Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.62.3K Ratings

🗓️ 7 July 2023

⏱️ 78 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The Big Conversation - Episode 3 | Season 5 It’s a widely held view that science and religion are in conflict, including and perhaps especially over how they approach one of life's most fundamental questions: what does it mean to be human? But is that really the case, and do we need to rethink how we’ve been seeking the answer, at a time when we seemingly need more clarity over humanity's identity than ever before? Atheist science writer and broadcaster Philip Ball, author of The Book of Minds: Understanding Ourselves and Other Beings, From Animals to Aliens, engages with Christian academic Nick Spencer, Senior Fellow at Theos and author of Magisteria: The Entangled Histories of Science & Religion. • For bonus content, updates and more shows sign up at: http://www.thebigconversation.show • Take our survey! https://survey-star.co.uk/ballandspencer The Big Conversation is a video series from Premier Unbelievable? featuring world-class thinkers across the religious and non-religious community. Exploring science, faith, philosophy and what it means to be human. The Big Conversation is produced by Premier Unbelievable? in partnership with John Templeton Foundation. • For Philip Ball: https://www.philipball.co.uk • For Philip Ball's "second brain" project: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/technology/40960/why-im-growing-a-second-brain • For Nick Spencer: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/comment/2023/03/02/magisteria-the-entangled-histories-of-science-and-religion • 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-and-events • Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow • Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate

Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:25.0

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0:27.5

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0:48.8

You would call yourself an atheist?

0:50.0

I would, yes.

0:50.8

I would call myself a Christian Humanist.

0:52.8

One of the big themes over the history of what we now think of as science has been questioning

1:01.1

the exceptionalism of humankind.

1:04.3

I think the critical thing is what gives something value?

1:06.7

Would you say that mind construct meaning or detect meaning?

1:10.6

I have had made from a little piece of my arm something that could reasonably be called a second brain.

1:19.4

I think one of the real challenges evolution by natural selection puts to Christian belief.

1:25.4

Is the idea that...

1:29.0

Hello and welcome to Unbelievable, the show that gets Christian, skeptics and everyone in between talking.

1:34.7

I'm Peter Byram and today we're very excited to be able to bring you the next episode of season 5 of the Big Conversation.

1:41.9

And after all of the travails and restrictions that we had during COVID and lockdown,

1:46.5

and the fact that we had to record season 3 and 4 of the Big Conversation mostly online,

1:51.3

it is great to be back face to face in the studio this time.

...

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