If you want to grow spiritually, should you go to a monastery and withdraw from the world, or look for greater meaning, connection, and purpose in the loud messiness of life? In other words, do you heal the world by working in it or praying for it? Philosophers and spiritual thinkers have debated it for centuries, but perhaps finding the right balance is the answer. On this episode of How God Works, we’ll talk with journalist Sigal Samuel, about the centuries old debate over the spiritual life and how best to pursue it - through contemplation or activity. We’ll also talk with Father Greg Boyle, a Jesuit priest and founder of the world's largest gang intervention, rehabilitation and prison reentry programs about how he finds a balance between an inner- and outer-focused life. Sigal Samuel is a Senior Reporter at Vox and Co-Host of Vox’s Future Perfect podcast, she also writes the advice column Your Mileage May Vary, which offers a framework for thinking through your ethical dilemmas and philosophical questions. Feel free to send Sigal your questions! And to learn more about her other work, check out her website.Father Greg Boyle is a Jesuit priest and the founder of Homeboy Industries. Learn about their work here.
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The Friendship Cure
We say friends are what make life worth living. But if that’s true, why are so many of us struggling to find and keep them these days? And what can we do to cultivate better friendships?Join us as we talk to psychiatrist Robert Waldinger about the importance of friendship to our health and happiness, and to philosopher Samuel Kimbriel about the keys to forming meaningful friendships and the helpful advice spiritual traditions offer. Along the way, we’ll also ask what it means to be a good friend… and what that means for society as a whole. Robert Waldinger is Director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development and co-author, with Marc Schulz, of The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness. Learn more about his work at his website, and about his practice as a Zen priest with the Henry David Thoreau Sangha here. Samuel Kimbriel is Founding Director of the Aspen Institute’s Philosophy & Society Initiative and author of the book Friendship as Sacred Knowing: Overcoming Isolation. He is also Editor-at-Large at Wisdom of Crowds.
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Season 9 Trailer
Join us for Season 9 of How God Works, starting next week!
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Healing Rituals: There's Power in Belief (From the Archive)
We will be back with a whole new season of How God Works on October 5th. In the meantime, we wanted to share some of our favorite episodes from the archives. A majority of people in the US believe that faith can heal. And while there isn’t any strong scientific data backing the idea of faith healing by divine intervention, there is a growing recognition that faith in the power of a person, religious ritual, or even medicine to heal can play a role in recovery via the placebo effect. Join Dave and his guests science writer Erik Vance and health psychologist Alia Crum to explore the surprising ways belief in placebos can heal, and how, if you’ve ever taken a medication, it’s already worked to your benefit.
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Midlife: Leaning Into the Change (From the Archive)
We'll be back with a whole new season of How God Works on October 5th. But in the meantime, we wanted to share some of our favorite episodes from the archives.Data shows that for many people, happiness takes a big dip around 50. But aging doesn’t have to be a crisis if we can figure out how to embrace who we’re becoming rather than hanging on to who we used to be. If done right, midlife can actually be a time of deepening joy and satisfaction. Join Dave as he talks to The Atlantic columnist Arthur C. Brooks and Swami Tyagananda, head of Boston’s Vedanta Society, about how to move into the second half of our life with grace.To find out more about Swami Tyagananda, visit the Vedanta Society’s website. Click here to buy Arthur Brooks’s book From Strength to Strength and learn about his podcast and other writings.
About How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality
While religion and science often seem at odds, there’s one thing they can agree on: people who take part in spiritual practices tend to live longer, healthier, and happier lives. The big question is: Why? In How God Works, professor Dave DeSteno takes us on a journey to find out how spirituality impacts our minds and bodies, as well as the world in which we live.He speaks to leading scientists and philosophers, religious thinkers, and thought leaders to explore what we can learn from the world’s faith traditions to help us meet some of life’s biggest challenges. Along the way, he’ll look at how we can adapt and use spiritual practices in our own lives, whatever our beliefs, including none at all.It’s by working across the boundaries that usually divide us – science versus religion, one faith versus another – that we’ll find new ways to make life better for everyone.
Listen to How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality, Don't Listen To Us with Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn Grody and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app
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