Pastor Paul VanderKlay & Peter Boghossian Play Spectrum Street Epistemology
This is one of Peter’s favorite conversations. Pastor Paul VanderKlay is incredibly thoughtful, sincere, and open. He brings meaningful conversation beyond the walls of his church in California. Paul became a well-known YouTuber for his faith-based commentary on the philosophy of Jordan Peterson. Paul’s interest in sharing ideas among people who come from diverse backgrounds and beliefs inspired him to develop a conversation strategy called Estuary with his colleague, Pastor John Van Donk. Estuary groups now exist online and at locations around the world.
Paul joined Peter Boghossian for a Spectrum Street Epistemology conversation in London. They explore topics related to the curiosities each has about the limits of the other’s beliefs. Peter, an atheist, aims to understand Paul’s perception of heaven, the value of non-Christian religions, and the importance of spiritual health. Paul is curious about the fissure in the atheist community, how an atheist would respond to a question from God, and if atheism would be necessary in a world without pain. Various claims provide moments of reflection for both gentlemen in this profoundly honest conversation.
Pastor Paul VanderKlay serves the Living Stones CRC (Christian Reformed Church) in Sacramento, California. His videos are available on YouTube and in audio format on various podcast platforms.
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Thank you for sharing this conversation! I think this video is another great example of the integrity of Peter and Reid. Pastor VanderKlay did a fantastic job of generating questions on the fly.
This experience felt better than any atheism and Christianity conversation I've ever listened to, and I was wondering why. One of the aspects of SSE that I really like is when you ask people what would cause them to move one mat in either direction. It is thought provoking for the participants and can produce really interesting responses. I thought it would have been really interesting in this video but including that feature may have increased the defensiveness feeling and lost the "feeling better than" previous atheist and Christianity conversations effect. It seems like a great variation to utilize when wading into topics in which the difference in the participant's initial viewpoints is relatively large as it keeps the mood light and builds rapport. Thanks again for the great content!
The Eternity question. Heaven exists OUTSIDE the physical universe we live in. Therefore the laws that govern the universe don't apply there. Time as we perceive it doesn't exist. Every time is Now.
As Always I Could Be Wrong. This works for me.