Socrates, Plato, and the Legacy of Greek Philosophy In this episode, the Daniel and Nathan return after a brief hiatus to explore the life and philosophy of Socrates and his profound impact on his pupil Plato. They discuss the Socratic method of questioning, its influence on Western thought, and how it shaped Plato's works and ideas, particularly i…

Understanding Sophism: Background, Impact, and Critiques In this episode, the discussion focuses on the Sophists, their role in ancient philosophy, and their impact on subsequent thought. We delve into their characteristics, methodologies, and goals, exploring how they served as both a culmination and a reaction to earlier philosophical ideas. Dani…

Exploring the Fine-Tuning Argument with Physicists and Rabbis Elie Feder and Aaron Zimmer In this episode of Philosophy and Faith, the hosts welcome Rabbis Elie Feder and Aaron Zimmer, hosts of the podcast Physics to God, to discuss arguments for the existence of God, specifically focusing on the teleological and fine-tuning arguments. Elie, an ort…

Exploring the Roots of Materialism: The Atomists In this episode, Daniel and Nathan delve into the philosophy of materialism by exploring the early atomists, Leucippus and Democritus. They discuss the historical context of these philosophers, their main ideas about atoms and the void, and how these concepts form the basis of materialism. The conver…

In this episode, Daniel and Nathan dive into the lives and philosophies of Empedocles and Anaxagoras, who serve as stepping stones to understanding Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. They explore Empedocles' idea that all things are composed of four elements and two forces, love and strife. Meanwhile, Anaxagoras introduces the concept of 'mind' as a g…

Exploring Parmenides and the Origins of Idealism In this episode we delve into the philosophical contributions of Parmenides. We examine his impact on idealism, distinguishing between ordinary and philosophical uses of the term. The discussion covers Parmenides' ideas about the nature of reality, including his belief that change and plurality are i…

In this episode, Nathan and Daniel delve into the life and philosophy of Heraclitus, one of the most influential philosophers of the pre-Socratic era. Known as 'Heraclitus the Obscure' or 'The Riddler', Heraclitus is famous for his notion of the continuous change in the universe, encapsulated in phrases like 'everything is in flux' and 'you cannot …

The Philosophy of Pythagoras: From Music to Soul In this episode we discuss the teachings of Pythagoras, a major figure in ancient philosophy. The conversation covers his influence, particularly in mathematics, music, and his lasting impact on Western thought and Christian theology. Pythagoras's notion of the soul, especially the concept of the sou…

In this episode, we delve into the life and philosophy of Xenophanes, an early Greek thinker who significantly advanced philosophical thought. Beginning with a review of previous episodes' discussions on early Greek philosophy and the pre-Socratic thinkers like Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximenes, the conversation shifts to focus on Xenophanes' uni…

In this episode, we delve into the early history of Greek philosophy, focusing on the Milesian school. The discussion covers Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximenes, examining their metaphysical inquiries about the fundamental nature of reality. We also discuss the broader implications of their thinking, such as assumptions about the eternity of matter…

Exploring the Foundations: The Role of Thales in the Birth of Greek Philosophy In this episode, we delve into the history and philosophy, focusing on Thales of Miletus, who is often considered the first philosopher. We review the importance of understanding historical and intellectual contexts and explore Thales' groundbreaking idea that water is t…

"We study history not to remember the past but to understand the present". That is the reason for this series. In this episode we discuss the intellectual seed-bed of the ancient world, especially that of Greece. We begin in Crete, whose Minoan civilization predated and heavily influenced the Grecian culture on the mainland. More specifically we ta…

What does our notions of right and wrong tell us about the existence of God? In this episode Dr. Justin Gash of Franklin College joins us to tackle this fascinating question. We discuss the moral argument for God's existence, describe how it is usually countered, and then analyze those counter-arguments. In the end we each give our take on how effe…

Today we have our first guest: Dr. Justin Gash of Franklin College. Justin is a professor in the math department, and also assistant Dean of the college. He occasionally teaches a class on Reasonable Faith, as well as guiding independent studies of that material. Our conversation is about his own intellectual/spiritual journey, what he has learned …

Can we prove God's existence by the fact or features of the universe? To tackle this issue we will discuss: The difference between proofs and signs The meaning of the cosmological argument, and its various forms The meaning of the argument from design (also known as the teleological argument) The resurrection of the argument from design in the last…

If love is the meaning of creation, then how exactly does that play out in our individual lives? What is MY purpose? What will my future life be like? That is what we tackle in this episode.Oleh Daniel Jepsen

The great philosopher Martin Heidegger said the most fundamental question in philosophy is this: Why is there something rather than nothing? Christianity, unlike naturalism, gives an answer to the question, and it is both satisfying and stimulating.Oleh Daniel Jepsen

A discussion about the nature of time and of God's eternity, especially about whether God's eternity means simply everlasting duration or atemporality. We also discuss theoretical physics, prayer, and Bruce Almighty.Oleh Daniel Jepsen

This episode focuses on the relationship between God and the universe. More specifically we will address: The problem of evil Why naturalism makes the problem of evil worse Why the church has sometimes come across as anti-sex Theism vs. naturalism and eastern thought on this question Is the ultimate nature of reality personal or material, and what …

How can we know the God who transcends human categories and ways of knowing? Some thinkers have said that we can only have "negative" knowledge about God: that the only thing we can say of Him is that He is not like the things of this world. But is it possible to go beyond that, and, if so, how? This episode also includes a discussion of the follow…

How can we know God? He's not a part of this universe of time, space, with its forms of causation, movement, or even being. So how is it possible to know Him? That is what this episode deals with. Note: we did have some technical problems with the audio on this one, so parts of it are a bit muffled (but not too bad).…

In this episode we dive into aesthetics, the study of beauty and art. WE have a few digressions here, including one about Van Gogh and another about micro-bears on the moon. Yeah. But we also talk about: Defining beauty Why Plato didn't appreciate art, and why Aristotle did The radiance of the form How beauty relates to God How beauty relates to tr…

Why are we here, and what happens to us after we die? This episode answers those questions through the lens of the four great worldviews (theism, naturalism, paganism, and eastern thought). A resource mentioned in this episode: The Universe Next Door, by James Sire.Oleh Daniel Jepsen

Are some things always right or wrong, or is ethics relative? What makes something right or wrong? Last episode we saw how theism and naturalism try to answer those questions. This week paganism and eastern thought get their say.Oleh Daniel Jepsen

Are some things always right and wrong? If so, why? Where does the standard of morality come from? Theism and naturalism give distinctly different answer to that important questions, as we will discuss.Oleh Daniel Jepsen

Is naturalism (the worldview that that there is no God, and that the physical universe is all that exists) actually a self-defeating idea? That is, is it making a truth claim which undermines the ability to make truth claims? Let's discuss.Oleh Daniel Jepsen

Why would Jesus tell us to pray that God would not lead us into temptation? I mean, why would God do that? Besides, we can usually find our way into temptation ourselves, right? And what does it mean to pray, "deliver us from evil"? This is what we explore in this last episode about the Lord's prayer.…

In part 5 of the Sermon on the Mount, we explore what Jesus meant when He tells us to forgive as we forgive others.Oleh Daniel Jepsen

Can we actually know the truth? And if so, how? This episode explores how the four great worldviews answer those questions.Oleh Daniel Jepsen

Why do we need to pray for "our daily bread"? Why doesn't God jsut give us that without our asking? And what is meant by "daily bread", anyway? Other podcasts: Philosophy and FaithOleh Daniel Jepsen

What does it mean to pray that God's kingdom comes upon this earth? Is that different from asking that "Your will be done"?Oleh Daniel Jepsen

What in the world does "hallow" mean, and why does Jesus teach us to make this our very first request in our prayers?Oleh Daniel Jepsen

How do we deal with our intellectual doubts? In this episode, Daniel gives four practical ways to deal with doubts, based upon his 30 years as a pastor, and on his own life.Oleh Daniel Jepsen

What is "before" the beginning? The Bible has a wonderful answer to that, one that might surprise you and help you.Oleh Daniel Jepsen

This episode covers the topics of faith, doubt, reason and certainty. It reminds us that "faith" is more about trust than belief, and that you can have faith and still doubt. It also reminds us that faith is not opposed to reason, and that, indeed, faith without reason is irrational, and not true religious faith. What is faith opposed to? Certainty…

Do we humans have a purpose? Is that purpose given to us, or do we seek to make one for ourselves? Are humans uniquely valuable? More valuable than gorillas and gophers? If so, why? This episode discusses how each of the four great world views would answer those questions.Oleh Daniel Jepsen

What does Genesis chapter one mean to our spiritual journey?Oleh Daniel Jepsen

This episode focuses on what it means to call God "Father" and how radical of an idea this was when Jesus said it. It also goes into the meaning of the word "heaven".Oleh Daniel Jepsen

This sermon is titled good news about gluttony. It's part of the series, the seven deadly sins, and the focus of this sermon is not just to tell you that gluttony is bad and that you should avoid it. But to explain why food is God's good gift. And how to receive that gift. In such a way that it draws us closer to the giver. I hope you find it helpf…

The history of the world is dominated by four great worldviews -- four families of ideas about the universe and reality. They are theism, atheism, pantheism, and polytheism. In this episode these four worldviews are explained with the help of two illustrations. This will form the foundation for future episodes, where we will examine how each of thi…

Our first episodes explores the questions: What is philosophy? How do Philosophy and faith fit together? Do non-religious philosophy still utilize faith? How can you decide between competing worldviews.Oleh Daniel Jepsen

We all do it, and very few of us admit to it: Envy. But why is this a sin? Why, in fact, has the church labelled it as one of the seven deadly sins? Why can something as common as envy be....deadly? Today's episode will examine that through the lens of scripture.Oleh Daniel Jepsen

Daniel Schroeder and Mathew Rodriguez discuss the star chart for Paris Hilton's album, Paris.Oleh Daniel Schroeder & Mathew Rodriguez

A sermon preached by Pastor Daniel in 2006Oleh Daniel Jepsen

Daniel Schroeder and Mathew Rodriguez discuss the star chart of the zany 2001 film Rat Race.Oleh Daniel Schroeder & Mathew Rodriguez

Daniel Schroeder and Mathew Rodriguez discuss the fantastic 2008 Anna Faris comedy, The House Bunny.Oleh Daniel Schroeder & Mathew Rodriguez

Daniel Schroeder and Mathew Rodriguez discuss the brilliant and hilarious 2013 film, First Period.Oleh Daniel Schroeder & Mathew Rodriguez

Daniel Schroeder and Mathew Rodriguez discuss the star chart for Halle Berry's 2004 superhero film, Catwoman.Oleh Daniel Schroeder & Mathew Rodriguez

Daniel Schroeder and Mathew Rodriguez look at the star chart for the 2003 FX series Nip/Tuck.Oleh Daniel Schroeder & Mathew Rodriguez

On this episode, Daniel Schroeder and Mathew Rodriguez discuss Ashlee Simpson's first album Autobiography.Oleh Daniel Schroeder & Mathew Rodriguez