In the Lyceum
Step into a modern Lyceum inspired by the spirit of ancient forums where ideas flourished and meaningful dialogue shaped the world. Here, we rekindle the art of profound conversation and revive the raw materials of wisdom, connecting ideas across disciplines to spark new perspectives on timeless and contemporary questions ranging from existential concerns and free will to quantum mechanics and the connections between mathematics and faith. Here is a space to challenge assumptions, bridge divides and rediscover the wonders of asking ”What if?”
Listen on:
Episodes
Thursday Apr 09, 2026
Thursday Apr 09, 2026
Is this simple-sounding argument from the 11th century easy to refute? In this episode, we will address some common objections to St. Anselm's Ontological Argument.
Check out these sources for more information: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ontological-arguments/
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1045&context=lujpr
Wednesday Apr 08, 2026
Wednesday Apr 08, 2026
The Ontological Argument by St. Anselm is colloquially described as "thinking God into existence". In this two-part series, we will explain Anselm's Ontological Argument and answer some common objections.
Check out these sources for more information: https://iep.utm.edu/anselm-ontological-argument/
https://www.theparkwaychurch.com/blog/anselm-unicorns-and-the-ontological-argument
https://cabmakassar.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/The-Philosophy-Book-DK.pdf
Friday Feb 20, 2026
Friday Feb 20, 2026
The theory of evolution is often used as an engine for atheism and the supposed conflict between science and religion. But to what extent is this justified?
Check out these sources for more information: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/can-christians-believe-in-evolution
https://sciencenetwork.uk/think/accept-evolution
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwnerL8M1pE
https://peacefulscience.org/prints/mere-theistic-evolution/
Sunday Feb 15, 2026
Sunday Feb 15, 2026
Based on an article I wrote for ISCAST, I discuss why studying mathematics made me curious about God.
Check out these sources for more information: https://iscast.org/opinion/why-mathematics-made-me-curious-about-god/
https://turing.une.edu.au/~math120/PapersofInterest/wigner.pdf
Tuesday Nov 18, 2025
Tuesday Nov 18, 2025
Can science fully explain the origins of the universe and the origins of time? In this episode, we dive into Stephen Hawking's thoughts, taken from his final book Brief Answers to the Big Questions.
Check out these sources for more information:
https://ia600107.us.archive.org/25/items/brief-answers-to-the-big-questions/Brief%20Answers%20to%20the%20Big%20Questions.pdf
Tuesday Oct 14, 2025
Tuesday Oct 14, 2025
From the largest scales of galaxies and cosmic expansion, down to atoms and subatomic particles, the structure of our universe is governed by a set of fundamental constants that exist in an extremely precise, life-permitting range. Why is this the case?
Check out these sources for more information: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/fine-tuning/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iVuMRwi5Wg
https://arxiv.org/pdf/1505.05359
Wednesday Aug 27, 2025
Wednesday Aug 27, 2025
Following on from the previous episode, we examine the mathematical truths that underpin the structure of reality and how different worldviews explain this 'unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics'.
Check out these sources for more information: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/good-book-blog/2019/god-and-the-unreasonable-effectiveness-of-mathematics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CklAhwO6QuI
https://iscast.org/opinion/why-mathematics-made-me-curious-about-god/
Wednesday Aug 20, 2025
Wednesday Aug 20, 2025
Was mathematics discovered or invented? We begin with this well-known question and see where it takes us.
Check out these sources for more information: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/think/article/mathematics-discovery-or-invention/D95CA7FFC636B147C9BD17F1409BAD36
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujvS2K06dg4
https://www.sfu.ca/~rpyke/cafe/livio.pdf
Wednesday Jun 11, 2025
Wednesday Jun 11, 2025
If science is a map, then faith is the compass. We need both to navigate life's journey.
Check out these sources for more information: https://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/1986/PSCF9-86Nilson.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fo79QXbI88c
https://journal.iscast.org/cposat-volume-2/an-unnecessary-war-the-tragedy-and-wasted-effort-of-the-conflict-between-science-and-religion
https://humanists.uk/humanism/
Sunday May 11, 2025
Sunday May 11, 2025
Are we the authors of our fate, or merely characters in a cosmic drama written by the laws of physics? In this episode, we explore whether the indeterminacy in quantum mechanics may explain or lend insight into free will.
Check out these sources for more information: https://medium.com/the-infinite-universe/quantum-physics-may-imply-the-existence-of-free-will-c05ccac55191
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxqcuPZnOl4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1FmRCJCOkI
https://iep.utm.edu/freewill/
https://www.informationphilosopher.com/solutions/philosophers/kane/positions.html
https://spot.colorado.edu/~tooley/Benjamin%20Libet.pdf