Ross Douthat on Tech's Religious Awakening, AI, and Transhumanism

In this episode of Moment of Zen, New York Times columnist Ross Douthat joins Erik Torenberg to discuss his new book "Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious," making the case that institutional religion is not just socially beneficial but intellectually defensible. They discuss the decline of New Atheism, the tension between traditional Christianity and Silicon Valley's techno-optimism within the "New Right" coalition, and whether AI consciousness points to something beyond materialism.

--

📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess 

🙏 Help shape our show by taking our quick listener survey at https://bit.ly/TurpentinePulse

 

--

RECOMMENDED PODCAST:  Tools and Weapons with Brad Smith

Join Microsoft Vice Chair Brad Smith as he explores tech's impact on society with Bill Gates and Satya Nadella sharing untold stories and insights on Microsoft's AI-fueled future.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4bYASdhkHwovdSmU4YAjYg

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tools-and-weapons-with-brad-smith/id1632459165

--

SPONSORS: NETSUITE | SHOPIFY | ADQUICK | BREX | INCOGNI

Over 41,000 businesses trust NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud ERP, to future-proof their operations. Whether you're earning millions or hundreds of millions, NetSuite empowers you to tackle challenges and seize opportunities. Download the free CFO's guide to AI and machine learning at https://netsuite.com/zen.

Shopify is the world's leading e-commerce platform, offering a market-leading checkout system Shoppay and exclusive AI apps. Nobody does selling better than Shopify. Get a $1 per month trial at https://shopify.com/momentofzen.

The easiest way to book out-of-home ads (like billboards, vehicle wraps, and airport displays) the same way you would order an Uber. Ready to get your brand the attention it deserves? Visit https://adquick.com/ today to start reaching your customers in the real world.

Ready to take your startup to the next level? Visit https://www.brex.com/grow to join the 30,000+ companies already streamlining their finances with Brex. Get high-yield banking, smart expense management, and scalable financial tools designed specifically for founders who want to focus on building, not bookkeeping.

Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code MOMENT at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/moment

--

LINKS:

Ross Douthat: https://www.nytimes.com/column/ross-douthat

Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious: https://www.zondervan.com/p/believe/

X / TWITTER:

@DouthatNYT

@eriktorenberg

@turpentinemedia

--

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DISCUSSION:

• Ross explains we're at a cultural inflection point where secularization has plateaued and there's evidence of religious revival.
• New atheism has declined as the world hasn't become more reasonable despite becoming less religious.
• Ross argues religion is intellectually defensible based on fine-tuning of the universe and the hard problem of consciousness.
• He contends that merely appreciating religion's social benefits isn't enough—genuine belief is necessary.
• The AI discussion explores whether consciousness might exist beyond materialist explanations.
• They examine tensions in the "New Right" between tech-optimists and religious traditionalists.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.