Episode 21: Religious Naturalism, with Dr. Carol Wayne White

Beyond Atheism

Atheism, narrowly defined, is only concerned with the absence of gods. To build a foundation that grounds ethics and morality we need a positive worldview free from dogma and the supernatural. In this episode, we examine one worldview that goes “beyond atheism”: namely, religious naturalism. To discuss this idea, we are joined by Carol Wayne White, the Presidential Professor of Philosophy of Religion at Bucknell University, and author of the book, Black Lives and Sacred Humanity: Toward an African American Religious Naturalism. We learn about what religious naturalism is, whether it is compatible with atheism, and whether there is a place for “spirituality” in the worldview. We also ask whether a true atheist – or rather, a true religious naturalist – can believe in an afterlife or get married in a church.

In the bonus section, available on Patreon exclusively for subscribers, we talk about the “harm principle,” Black Lives Matter, and whether anyone has ever asked to pray for her.

Check out Carol’s book, Black Lives and Sacred Humanity: Toward an African American Religious Naturalism: https://www.fordhampress.com/9780823269822/black-lives-and-sacred-humanity/

For more on Carol, including a list of recent publications: https://www.bucknell.edu/fac-staff/carol-white

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