Metaphysics and Retrospective
Peter van Inwagen on God’s omniscience, the ontological argument, abstract objects, why is there anything at all, and personal reflections on interacting with other philosophers.
Christian Philosophy
Peter van Inwagen on Christian philosophy, including God’s existence and nature, philosophical theology (Trinity), the problem of evil, and the resurrection.
Persons, Free Will, Evolution, Eternity
Peter van Inwagen on the person, free will, naturalism and evolution, and eternal life.
Personal History & Metaphysics
Peter van Inwagen on his personal history, philosophical themes and views, metaphysical/ontological methods and issues, and Material Beings.
Mind, Art, Transcendence: Explorations of Awe
Six experiments, one mystery: Why does art move us beyond ourselves? In this compilation from the Art Seeking Understanding Project (Templeton Religion Trust), Closer To Truth follows six scientistic studies that put transcendence to the test using empirical methods to explore how art can evoke awe, meaning, and self-transcendence.
Can Art Affect the Self? with Zorana Ivcevic Pringle and Pablo Tinio
The “self” is a notoriously slippery concept. Is the self more than the collection of sensations, thoughts, and emotions? We follow the work of experimental psychologists Zorana Ivcevic Pringle and Pablo Tinio as they use the arts to tease apart traits of the self, and to enhance emotion and creativity skills. Is the self more…
Can Art Probe Mind? with Jonathan Schooler
Religious spaces—churches, mosques, synagogues, temples—elicit religious emotions. How does this happen? How does this work? We follow the work of Julio Bermudez, an architect who engages cognitive science to compare sacred and secular spaces to discern which traits make spaces sacred.
What Makes Spaces Sacred? with Julio Bermudez
Religious spaces—churches, mosques, synagogues, temples—elicit religious emotions. How does this happen? How does this work? We follow an architect who engages cognitive science to compare sacred and secular spaces to discern which traits make spaces sacred.
What Makes Music Transcendent? with Jonathan Berger
We know that music can elicit feelings of awe, the sublime, transcendence. But how does this happen? How does this work? We follow a distinguished composer Jonathan Berger, who is also an expert on the science of sound to explore the music-transcendence connection.
What Makes Art Transcendent? with Kutter Callaway
Art can overwhelm us with awe, reverence, or the sublime—but why? We follow the work of experimental psychologist and theologian Kutter Callaway, as he investigates how artistic encounters can carry viewers beyond ordinary experience, testing where perception, belief, and meaning converge.
What Could a Cognitive Science of Aesthetics Mean? with Anjan Chatterjee
What is happening in the mind when art “moves” us? In this short documentary we follow neuroscientist and neuroaesthetics pioneer Anjan Chatterjee as he tests a bold idea: that aesthetic experience—beauty, wonder, even transcendence—can be investigated with the tools of cognitive science, linking subjective feeling to measurable brain processes.
AI & Transhumanism: Morality & Society
How will artificial intelligence and transhumanist technologies transform our moral values, social structures, and sense of self? What are the moral dilemmas posed by advanced AI and automation? Explore the profound ethical and societal questions raised by AI and human enhancement.