GOD: An Autobiography, As Told to a Philosopher - The Podcast

Jerry L. Martin
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GOD: An Autobiography, As Told to a Philosopher - The Podcast is a true story of a philosopher’s conversations with God. Dr. Jerry L. Martin was a lifelong agnostic. But one day he had occasion to pray. To his vast surprise, God answered - in words. Being a philosopher, he had a lot of questions. And God had a lot to tell him. Dr. Martin served as head of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the University of Colorado philosophy department. Find out more at www.GodAnAutobiography.com

  1. 5D AGO

    283. Why Suffering Is the Law of Growth: What to Accept, What to Change- From God to Jerry to You

    Questions? Comments? Text Us! In Episode 283 of God: An Autobiography, The Podcast, Jerry L. Martin reflects on a striking idea given in prayer: “Suffering is the law of growth in the universe.” Through personal experience and philosophical insight, he explores what this means in everyday life in this From God to Jerry to You. Drawing on Stoic Philosophy and the Serenity Prayer, this episode asks a central question: how do we know what to accept, and what we are called to change? From aging and illness to habits and difficult decisions, discernment becomes essential. Not all suffering can be avoided—but it can be understood, and sometimes transformed. The episode also turns to love. When life changes, when abilities fade, what does it mean to love someone for who they are, not what they do? This is a reflection on suffering, growth, and the wisdom to live through both. Other Series: The podcast began with the Dramatic Adaptation of the book and now has several series: The Life Wisdom Project – Spiritual insights on living a wiser, more meaningful life. From God to Jerry to You – Divine messages and breakthroughs for seekers. Two Philosophers Wrestle With God – A dialogue on God, truth, and reason. Jerry & Abigail: An Intimate Dialogue – Love, faith, and divine presence in partnership. What’s Your Spiritual Story – Real stories of people changed by encounters with God. What’s On Our Mind – Reflections from Jerry and Scott on recent episodes. What’s On Your Mind – Listener questions, divine answers, and open dialogue.  Stay Connected Share: questions@godanautobiography.comUltimate Questions SubstackGet the books: God: An Autobiography, Radically PersonalShare Your Story | Site | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

    26 min

  2. MAY 7

    282. How Do You Know the Right Thing? Moral Ambiguity and Finding Your Way- What’s On Our Mind?

    Questions? Comments? Text Us! In Episode 282, Jerry L. Martin and Scott Langdon explore moral ambiguity and how we make decisions when the right answer isn’t clear.  What replaces fixed rules in a complex world? The conversation also turns to at-homeness, whether it’s something we seek or something we already are, connecting action, faith, and calling.  Listen to the full episode and explore the question with a community of philosophers and seekers. Join the Ultimate Questions conversation on calling and divine guidance: https://substack.com/@ultimatequestions Related Episodes: 281. What's Your Spiritual Story?: Hans on Spiritual but Not Religious & Religious Seeking 280. What Has Your Name on It? Calling, Truth, and Discernment- Radically Personal 279. Can You Ever Do the Right Thing? Moral Ambiguity | Jerry & Abigail: An Intimate Dialogue 278. The Cost of Doing What’s Right: Moral Ambiguity in Real Life- From God to Jerry to You Other Series: The podcast began with the Dramatic Adaptation of the book and now has several series: The Life Wisdom Project – Spiritual insights on living a wiser, more meaningful life. From God to Jerry to You – Divine messages and breakthroughs for seekers. Two Philosophers Wrestle With God – A dialogue on God, truth, and reason. Jerry & Abigail: An Intimate Dialogue – Love, faith, and divine presence in partnership. What’s Your Spiritual Story – Real stories of people changed by encounters with God. What’s On Our Mind – Reflections from Jerry and Scott on recent episodes. What’s On Your Mind – Listener questions, divine answers, and open dialogue.  Stay Connected Share: questions@godanautobiography.comGet the books: God: An Autobiography, Radically PersonalShare Your Story | Site | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

    42 min

  3. APR 30

    281. What's Your Spiritual Story?: Hans on Spiritual but Not Religious & Religious Seeking

    Questions? Comments? Text Us! What does it mean to be spiritual but not religious, and can that way of life be taken seriously, both intellectually and spiritually? In this episode, Hans le Grand shares his journey from physicist to theologian, and the question that shaped his work: what do religious seekers actually have in common?  Drawing on his book Life Seeking Understanding, Hans explores the idea of a “theology of religious seeking”—a way of thinking about spirituality that moves beyond traditional religious boundaries while still engaging the deepest questions of meaning, truth, and growth. This conversation touches on liberal theology, Unitarian Universalism, and the challenge of constructing a spiritual framework in a world where millions identify as spiritual but not religious. If you’ve ever felt caught between belief and exploration, this episode offers a thoughtful and compelling path forward. Join the conversation on Ultimate Questions: What does it mean to seek without a fixed framework? Get the books: Life Seeking Understanding: How Spiritual but Not Religious and Other Seekers Can Construct Their Own Theology Radically Personal: God and Ourselves in the New Axial Age God: An Autobiography, As Told to a Philosopher Other Series: The podcast began with the Dramatic Adaptation of the book and now has several series: Radically Personal: Reflections on lived experience, divine encounter, and personal vocation, drawing on a seeker-centered approach to spirituality in a new Axial Age.From God to Jerry to You: Divine messages and breakthroughs for seekers.Jerry & Abigail: An Intimate Dialogue: Love, faith, and divine presence in partnership.What’s Your Spiritual Story: Real stories of people changed by encounters with God.What’s On Our Mind: Reflections from Jerry and Scott on recent episodes.Two Philosophers Wrestle With God: A dialogue on God, truth, and reason.The Life Wisdom Project: Spiritual insights on living a wiser, more meaningful life.What’s On Your Mind: Listener questions, divine answers, and open dialogue. Share Your Story | Site | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

    1h 10m

  4. APR 23

    280. What Has Your Name on It? Calling, Truth, and Discernment- Radically Personal

    Questions? Comments? Text Us! What if the most important decisions in your life don’t feel like choices at all? In this episode of Radically Personal, Jerry L. Martin explores calling not as something we choose, but something we recognize—something that can feel required—even when it is unclear or difficult. Beginning with an epistemology of trust, he challenges the idea that knowledge starts with doubt. We rely on our experience from the start—but when it comes to calling, that raises a harder question: how do we know which inner promptings to trust? Not every voice carries authority. And yet, the responsibility to discern cannot be handed off to anyone else. Drawing on the idea of dharma in the Bhagavad Gita, the episode turns to a more specific question: what is being asked of you—here, now, in the life you are actually living? At the center is a question that resists abstraction: what task has your name on it? One way to approach this question is through three others: what are you being called to do, who or what is doing the calling, and who is the one being called? Each answer carries its own kind of authority—and its own risk of misreading. The challenge is not only to listen, but to discern. Get the books: Radically Personal: God and Ourselves in the New Axial Age | God: An Autobiography, As Told to a Philosopher Other Series: The podcast began with the Dramatic Adaptation of the book and now has several series: Radically Personal: Reflections on lived experience, divine encounter, and personal vocation, drawing on a seeker-centered approach to spirituality in a new Axial Age.From God to Jerry to You: Divine messages and breakthroughs for seekers.Jerry & Abigail: An Intimate Dialogue: Love, faith, and divine presence in partnership.What’s Your Spiritual Story: Real stories of people changed by encounters with God.What’s On Our Mind: Reflections from Jerry and Scott on recent episodes.Two Philosophers Wrestle With God: A dialogue on God, truth, and reason.The Life Wisdom Project: Spiritual insights on living a wiser, more meaningful life.What’s On Your Mind: Listener questions, divine answers, and open dialogue. Stay Connected Share: questions@godanautobiography.comUltimate Questions SubstackGet the books: God: An Autobiography, Radically PersonalShare Your Story | Site | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

    27 min

  5. APR 16

    279. Can You Ever Do the Right Thing? Moral Ambiguity | Jerry & Abigail: An Intimate Dialogue

    Questions? Comments? Text Us! What if doing the “right thing” isn’t always right? In this episode of Jerry & Abigail: An Intimate Dialogue, a deceptively simple question opens into one of the most difficult problems in moral philosophy: moral ambiguity.  Can we ever act with complete moral certainty, or is every meaningful choice marked by tension, compromise, and consequence? Drawing from God: An Autobiography and real-world experience, Jerry lays out three common ways people try to escape this burden: rigid moral rules, the pursuit of moral purity, and the attempt to rise “beyond good and evil.”  Together, Jerry and Abigail examine why each approach ultimately fails, and what it means to live honestly within the complexity of real life. Through powerful examples, from the story of Krishna and the Mahabharata to whistleblowers, personal relationships, and philosophical debates from Kant to Aristotle, this conversation moves beyond abstract ethics into lived decision-making.  When truth causes harm, when lies may protect, and when action always carries a cost, how do we choose? This episode challenges the idea that morality is about staying pure or being right. Instead, it asks whether the real task is something harder: learning to navigate ambiguity with discernment, responsibility, and courage. If you’ve ever struggled with a decision that had no clear answer, listen to this conversation; it will stay with you! Other Series: The podcast began with the Dramatic Adaptation of the book and now has several series: The Life Wisdom Project – Spiritual insights on living a wiser, more meaningful life. From God to Jerry to You – Divine messages and breakthroughs for seekers. Two Philosophers Wrestle With God – A dialogue on God, truth, and reason. Jerry & Abigail: An Intimate Dialogue – Love, faith, and divine presence in partnership. What’s Your Spiritual Story – Real stories of people changed by encounters with God. What’s On Our Mind – Reflections from Jerry and Scott on recent episodes. What’s On Your Mind – Listener questions, divine answers, and open dialogue.  Stay Connected Share: questions@godanautobiography.comGet the books: God: An Autobiography, Radically Personal, Confessions of a Young Philosopher, A Good Look at EvilShare Your Story | Site | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

    1 hr

  6. APR 9

    278. The Cost of Doing What’s Right: Moral Ambiguity in Real Life- From God to Jerry to You

    Questions? Comments? Text Us! What do you do when doing the right thing still carries a cost? In this From God to Jerry to You episode, Jerry explores moral ambiguity through real situations where decisions cannot be separated from their consequences. Opening with the reality of war and targeted killing, Jerry reflects on the removal of a dangerous leader and the question it raises: can an action be necessary and still carry moral weight? Even when harm is prevented, lives are lost—including those not directly involved. Jerry turns to a central insight from his encounter with God: What is morally imperfect may still be morally required. Drawing on the Bhagavad Gita, where duty, loyalty, and justice collide in a moment that demands action, Jerry considers whether the conflict can be avoided. The decision still has to be made. He brings the discussion into everyday life—workplace decisions, institutional roles, and situations where telling the truth, protecting others, and doing what’s required do not align. In ethics, this is often called the “dirty hands” problem: actions that may be justified yet carry a lasting moral cost. One point remains clear: decisions carry forward. Responsibility does not end once the choice is made. This timely episode explores moral ambiguity, ethical decision-making, and the reality of living with the consequences of your actions. Listen and share your thoughts. Other Series: The podcast began with the Dramatic Adaptation of the book and now has several series: The Life Wisdom Project – Spiritual insights on living a wiser, more meaningful life. From God to Jerry to You – Divine messages and breakthroughs for seekers. Two Philosophers Wrestle With God – A dialogue on God, truth, and reason. Jerry & Abigail: An Intimate Dialogue – Love, faith, and divine presence in partnership. What’s Your Spiritual Story – Real stories of people changed by encounters with God. What’s On Our Mind – Reflections from Jerry and Scott on recent episodes. What’s On Your Mind – Listener questions, divine answers, and open dialogue.  Stay Connected Share: questions@godanautobiography.comUltimate Questions SubstackGet the books: God: An Autobiography, Radically PersonalShare Your Story | Site | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

    27 min

  7. APR 2

    277. Trusting Your Spiritual Senses & Discernment- What’s on Our Mind?

    Questions? Comments? Text Us! Scott Langdon and Dr. Jerry L. Martin explore what it means to trust your spiritual senses and practice discernment in everyday life. How do we recognize genuine spiritual guidance—and how do we test it? Drawing on God: An Autobiography and Radically Personal, this conversation examines intuition, experience, and reflection in navigating calling, purpose, and trust. Jerry introduces an “epistemics of trust,” where experience becomes the starting point of knowledge—but must be carefully discerned. Guidance may come through inner awareness, other people, or lived experience. Learning to quiet the mind, listen deeply, and evaluate what we receive is central to spiritual growth. Join the Ultimate Questions conversation on calling and divine guidance: https://substack.com/@ultimatequestions Related Episodes: 275. Spiritual Discernment and Religious Experience- Radically Personal 274. God as a Player in Your Life Story: Trusting Your Inner Call with Discernment | Jerry & Abigail: An Intimate Dialogue 273. Trusting Your Spiritual Senses and Finding Your Calling- From God to Jerry to You Other Series: The podcast began with the Dramatic Adaptation of the book and now has several series: The Life Wisdom Project – Spiritual insights on living a wiser, more meaningful life. From God to Jerry to You – Divine messages and breakthroughs for seekers. Two Philosophers Wrestle With God – A dialogue on God, truth, and reason. Jerry & Abigail: An Intimate Dialogue – Love, faith, and divine presence in partnership. What’s Your Spiritual Story – Real stories of people changed by encounters with God. What’s On Our Mind – Reflections from Jerry and Scott on recent episodes. What’s On Your Mind – Listener questions, divine answers, and open dialogue.  Stay Connected Share: questions@godanautobiography.comGet the books: God: An Autobiography, Radically PersonalShare Your Story | Site | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

    36 min

  8. MAR 26

    276. What’s Your Spiritual Story: Jonathan on Zen Buddhism, World Religions, and Finding Judaism

    Questions? Comments? Text Us! In this episode of God: An Autobiography, The Podcast, Jerry L. Martin speaks with philosopher and world religions scholar Jonathan Weidenbaum in the series “What’s Your Spiritual Story.” Jonathan shares how his early fascination with Zen Buddhism, Hinduism, and Eastern philosophy led to a lifelong exploration of world religions. Through study, travel, and teaching, he immersed himself in diverse spiritual traditions across Asia while engaging deeply with thinkers like Martin Buber and Søren Kierkegaard. Yet his path was not one of leaving Judaism behind—but of returning. Jonathan reflects on rediscovering Jewish practice through attending shul, putting on tefillin, and reconnecting with the rhythms and disciplines of religious life. His story highlights the tension between exploration and rootedness, and the way a tradition can call someone back over time. The conversation explores spirituality, philosophy, prayer, and the challenge of understanding the divine—whether as a personal God or an ultimate reality. It also reflects on how religious identity can be reshaped in response to both personal searching and the pressures of the modern world. Jonathan, Jerry, and others continue this conversation at Ultimate Questions, a public Substack from Theology Without Walls exploring life’s deepest questions across traditions. Join the discussion at substack.com/@ultimatequestions. Other Series: The podcast began with the Dramatic Adaptation of the book and now has several series: The Life Wisdom Project – Spiritual insights on living a wiser, more meaningful life. From God to Jerry to You – Divine messages and breakthroughs for seekers. Two Philosophers Wrestle With God – A dialogue on God, truth, and reason. Jerry & Abigail: An Intimate Dialogue – Love, faith, and divine presence in partnership. What’s Your Spiritual Story – Real stories of people changed by encounters with God. What’s On Our Mind – Reflections from Jerry and Scott on recent episodes. What’s On Your Mind – Listener questions, divine answers, and open dialogue.  Stay Connected Share your thoughts or questions at questions@godanautobiography.comGet the books: Radically Personal: God and Ourselves in the New Axial Age | God: An Autobiography, As Told to a PhilosopherShare Your Story | Site | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

    1h 4m
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GOD: An Autobiography, As Told to a Philosopher - The Podcast is a true story of a philosopher’s conversations with God. Dr. Jerry L. Martin was a lifelong agnostic. But one day he had occasion to pray. To his vast surprise, God answered - in words. Being a philosopher, he had a lot of questions. And God had a lot to tell him. Dr. Martin served as head of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the University of Colorado philosophy department. Find out more at www.GodAnAutobiography.com

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