The Veritas Forum

Meaning can be straightforward — a red octagon means “Stop!”, a hand wave with a smile means “Hello,” or adding two and two equals four. But meaning is often more complicated — a friend saying they’ll eat  “whatever” for dinner or a significant other texting, “We need to talk.” In this episode, our speakers invite you into the messiness of meaning — and discuss how best we can search for it. You’ll hear a conversation between mathematician Satyan Devadoss (U San Diego) and biologist Stuart Firestein (Columbia). Satyan and Stuart bring their scientific backgrounds and religious perspectives as they explore the role of reason in the search for meaning, what can and can’t be taken at face value, and what strategies can help us find truth — from the scientific method to literary analysis to religious tradition. This Forum was held at Columbia University in 2014. Thanks to the forums planning team at Columbia for making this event possible.  Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.

In today’s episode, two moral philosophers explore our everyday ethical choices. Are your gut-level reactions about right and wrong a signal from a higher reality—or just a chemical reaction in your brain? And if God isn’t the foundation for our morality, do our values actually mean anything? In this throwback Veritas Forum, you’ll hear from Peter Singer, a philosopher and emeritus professor at Princeton, and John Hare, a philosopher at Yale. Drawing from their atheist and Christian worldviews, they explore where moral intuitions come from, whether morality can stand apart from religion, and how questions of happiness, suffering, and the life and teachings of Jesus shape their understanding of what it means to live well. You’ll hear both of their opening statements followed by an excerpt of their moderated discussion. This forum was held at MIT in 2010. Thank you to the student planning team for making this event possible. Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.

On today’s episode, our speakers discuss the topic of friendship: what it looks like on a practical level and why it’s so important in our culture today.   You’ll hear from John Hendrix, an author, illustrator, and art professor at Washington University in St. Louis. This forum focuses on John’s new graphic novel titled The Mythmakers, which tells the story of the friendship of J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. In this conversation moderated by Pepperdine professor April Marshall, they explore how Lewis and Tolkien’s friendship fueled their greatest works and the importance of community in our daily lives.   This forum was held at Pepperdine in April 2025. Thank you to the student planning team for making this event possible. As a heads up, there are a few visual aids in today’s episode that rely on John’s illustrations from his novel. To see them, watch the YouTube video here. Find additional resources and quotes from this forum here.

In today’s episode, two philosophers explore this question: How should we understand suffering? Is it simply the opposite of human flourishing, or is there a deeper meaning? And what does suffering mean for belief in a good God? You’ll hear from Meghan Sullivan, a philosopher at Notre Dame, and John Stuhr, a philosopher at Emory University. Drawing on both personal experience and philosophical commitments, they reflect on how Christian and naturalistic worldviews make sense of suffering in human life. This forum was held at Emory in April 2025. Thank you to the student planning team for making this event possible. Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.

In today’s episode, our speakers explore some core questions about what it means to be human: What are we made for? What is the role of suffering in our lives? And is there something beyond ourselves that can give us purpose?   You’ll hear from Rowan Williams, a theologian and the former Archbishop of Canterbury, and Chigozie Obioma, a novelist and professor at the University of Georgia. Their conversation is moderated by Mia Chung-Yee, a former concert pianist and executive director of the Octet Collaborative at MIT. In this discussion, both speakers share how their Christian faith impacts their view of what it means to be human, and what it means to live “fully alive” in a dehumanizing world.   This forum was put on in partnership with the Duke Initiative on Theology and the Arts and was held at the Carolina Theater of Durham in September 2025. Find additional resources and quotes from this forum here.

Talking about religion can feel outdated, close-minded, or just irrelevant. Yet for thousands of years, humans have been a religious species looking beyond ourselves in search of meaning. So should religion still matter today? And is it simply a coping story, or could it point to something real?   In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Ross Douthat, a New York Times opinion columnist and author of Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious. He’s in dialogue with Damon Linker, a lecturer in political science at Penn and creator of the Notes from the Middleground Substack. In this conversation moderated by Penn Law professor Karen Tani, they share their own Christian and agnostic worldviews and explore their thoughts on truth, religious experience, and committing to a religion in a pluralistic society.   This forum was held at the University of Pennsylvania in November 2025. Thank you to the student planning team for making this event possible.  Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.

The Christmas season, at its heart, is about giving. We spend days—even weeks—searching for thoughtful, personalized gifts to bring joy to those we love.   For Christians, the ultimate gift was given on Christmas: God becoming human in Jesus. This wasn’t an abstract idea, but a deeply personal act—one that changed the world forever.   In today’s episode, you’ll hear a conversation between pastor and author Tim Keller (1950 — 2023) and Yale law professor Anthony Kronman about gifts, grace, and gratitude. Drawing from their Christian and humanist worldviews, they explore the character of God and reflect on how our understanding of the divine—personal or not—shapes the way we live today.   This forum was held at Yale in 2017. Thank you to the student planning team for making this event possible. Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.

We’ve reached the end of another amazing year on the podcast — all thanks to you, our listeners! In 2025, we had over 100,000 listens and over 6 million YouTube views across 140 different countries. We’re so grateful for the thousands of you who listen to the podcast and watch our forums online every week.   In this episode, Seth (our podcast host and Senior Media Manager at The Veritas Forum) shares some stats from the podcast in 2025 and our favorite three episodes of the year. We feature excerpts from Esau McCaulley (Wheaton), Gary Saul Morson (Northwestern), Angel Adams Parham (UVA), Roosevelt Montás (Bard), and Ross Douthat (NYTimes). Links to the full episodes featured in this wrap-up episode can be found here.

In today’s episode, two physicians explore the problem of suffering in medicine. They address questions like: What does it mean to care for those who suffer? And what would it take to restore dignity to every patient interaction?   You’ll hear from Lydia Dugdale, a primary care physician and medical ethicist at Columbia, and Michael Menchine, an emergency care physician and professor at the University of Southern California. In this conversation, they reflect on the role of clinicians in caring for patients, how our healthcare system can better respond to personal suffering, and explore how their religious and nonreligious worldviews help them make sense of suffering.   This forum was held at USC in May 2025. Thank you to the student planning team for making this event possible. Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.

In today’s episode, two Stanford leaders open up about the personal costs and course corrections in their professional lives. Is it possible to lead with integrity and still compete at the highest level? And what do you hold onto when you fail?   You’ll hear from John Hennessy, the former president of Stanford, and Pat Gelsinger, the former CEO of Intel. In their conversation moderated by Stanford student Elli Schulz, they share their stories of finding purpose in the middle of failures, explore the intersection of their Christian faith and work, and offer their thoughts about pursuing meaning in your career.   This forum was held by the Veritas at Stanford Club in April 2025. Thank you to the Veritas at Stanford Club for permission to co-release this recording. Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.

In today’s episode, an atheist and a Christian explore the plausibility of miracles. Do miracles actually happen? What kind of evidence supports them? And if they do occur, how should that shape the way we live today?   You’ll hear from Sean McDowell, a professor of apologetics at Biola, and Paul Rinzler, professor emeritus at Cal Poly. In this conversation moderated by Cal Poly professor Todd Long, they explore why miracles are so hard to believe and what’s ultimately at stake if miracles, like the Resurrection, are real.   This forum was held at Cal Poly in May 2025. Thank you to the student planning team for making this event possible. Find additional resources and quotes on the podcast episode page here.