Purposeful Lab

How can we unite faith and science in the search for truth?
In this conversation with Dr. Stephen Hildebrand, provost and theology professor at Franciscan University, Dr. Dan Kuebler explains why he wrote his book Darwin and Doctrine: The Compatibility of Evolution and Catholicism. They also discuss how we can approach scientific theories like evolution in light of the Catholic faith.
You can watch the video version of this episode on Faith and Reason here.

How can we know through reason that God exists?
Dr. Dan Kuebler and Dr. Logan Gage, philosophy professor at Franciscan University, explore the arguments for God’s existence, intelligent design, and the connection between scientific and philosophical reason. They also talk about the works of St. John Henry Newman, the newest Doctor of the Church.
You can watch the video version of this episode on Faith and Reason here.

Modern society often presents science as a field that can stand completely alone, but is that true?
Dr. Michael Hanby, professor of religion and philosophy of science at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute at the Catholic University of America and author of No God, No Science, explains to Dr. Dan Kuebler the relationship between science, theology, and philosophy—and why the Christian doctrine of creation is essential to understanding our world.
You can watch the video version of this episode on Faith and Reason here.

Can the faith coincide with—and even enrich—evolutionary theory?
Dr. Dan Kuebler talks with Dr. Matthew Ramage, theology professor at Benedictine College, to unpack Pope Benedict XVI’s writings on creation, why evolutionary theory doesn’t mean God’s creative power is any less, and how God’s creation works as a “symphony.”
You can watch the video version of this episode on Faith and Reason here.

Dr. Jordan Haddad, professor of dogmatic theology at Notre Dame Seminary, sets the stage for the evolutionary discussions of the 19th and 20th centuries.
He shares with Dr. Dan Kuebler the perspectives of different Church leaders on man’s bodily origin, while still maintaining that the human soul is uniquely created by God.
You can watch the video version of this episode here on Faith and Reason.

In this season of Purposeful Lab, Dr. Dan Kuebler explores the origins of humanity from a Catholic perspective.
He sits down with Dr. Shane Owens, theology professor at Franciscan University, to talk about the papal encyclical Humani generis, how the Church upholds truth while allowing exploration of new ideas, and the creation narrative in Genesis.
 
Listen to more Purposeful Lab episodes and discover other Catholic podcasts, videos, and resources at Faith and Reason.

Father Michael Baggot, LC, professor of bioethics at Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in Rome, shares with Dr. Dan Kuebler about his vocation story and what led him to study transhumanism.
They discuss the philosophies behind transhumanism, why it’s more prevalent than you think, the ethics of emerging technology and enhancements, and what Catholics can bring to the conversation.
 
Listen to more Purposeful Lab episodes and discover other Catholic podcasts, videos, and resources at Faith and Reason.

Transhumanists want to use technology to alter our human condition, but what does it mean to be human?
Dr. Paul Symington, chair of Franciscan University’s Philosophy Department, joins Dr. Dan Kuebler to talk about why we are both body and soul, what we understand (and don’t understand) about consciousness, Elon Musk’s Neuralink, and if there’s any overlap between transhumanist and Christian views.
Listen to more Purposeful Lab episodes and discover other Catholic podcasts, videos, and resources at Faith and Reason.

What is AI, really? 
Dr. Dan Kuebler and Dr. Fernanda Psihas, computer science and physics professor at Franciscan University, explore all things artificial intelligence, including how AI works, why using ChatGPT is different from having a human conversation, how bias appears in algorithms, and where the future of AI is headed.
 
Listen to more Purposeful Lab episodes and discover other Catholic podcasts, videos, and resources at Faith and Reason.

Genetic engineering has been brought from science fiction into reality, but it raises many ethical questions. 
Dr. Daniel Kuebler and Dr. Derek Doroski, a Franciscan University engineering and biology professor, discuss the moral dilemma of genetic engineering, addressing everything from how it can help produce medical products such as insulin to the dangers of genetically modifying humans.
 
Listen to more Purposeful Lab episodes and discover other Catholic podcasts, videos, and resources at Faith and Reason.