ISSR 's "In Conversation" Podcast

Anthony K Nairn

Welcome to the International Society for Science and Religion's (ISSR) "In Conversation" podcast. This is a convenient, audio-only version of our YouTube series that you can listen to wherever and on whichever platform you choose. "In Conversation" put one ISSR Fellow in conversation with another scholar (or Fellow) on whichever topic the hosting Fellow chooses. ISSR is a multi-faith, multi-disciplinary elite academic society with Fellows around the globe. 

  1. ISSR In Conversation - Robert Geraci - AI, Religion, Science, and Robots!

    May 23

    ISSR In Conversation - Robert Geraci - AI, Religion, Science, and Robots!

    Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to the ISSR YouTube channel and ISSR’s In Conversation series.  I am Anthony K Nairn, Assistant Director of the International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR), and I am happy to not only introduce this new episode of our In Conversation series but also to introduce a new format for the channel. While in the past we have had ISSR Fellows in conversation with one another on topics of shared interest and expertise, today I am introducing a new format to accompany these conversations. While maintaining the original format, I will also add interviews I conduct with ISSR Fellows, in which I ask them about their experiences, research, and interests. My hope is that these conversations develop organically and reach questions you find interesting. This first conversion, recorded on 24 March 2026, is with Professor Robert Geraci, who, if you have been following us since the beginning, was the first to be on our YouTube channel. I am grateful to Robert for joining us once again. In this episode, we discuss a wide range of topics, from the US college system generally, to science and religion as a field, to the motivations and particulars of Geraci’s books. I am sure you will enjoy this discussion.  Prof Robert Geraci, Knight Distinguished Chair for the Study of Religion and Culture and Professor of Religious Studies  https://www.knox.edu/academics/faculty/geraci-robert  https://robertgeraci.com/  See Geraci's new book, Futureproofing Humanity, here: https://www.amazon.com/Futureproofing-Humanity-Existential-Technomyths-Intelligence/dp/B0GH868DP3/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0  Here is the link to the Instagram account mentioned at the end of the video! https://www.instagram.com/mythmonstersandtech/  The YouTube version of this episode is available by clicking this link: https://youtu.be/BNDIyKPUnaY Please enjoy this episode. If you enjoy this content and want to see or hear more, please consider hitting the like button and subscribing to our channel. Your support helps us keep content like this coming.  If there are scholars you would like to see on the channel, feel free to write them in the comment section below or email me at aknairn@issr.org.uk.  Anthony K Nairn www.anthonyknairn.ca ISSR Executive Assistant www.issr.org.uk Support the show

    1h 26m
  2. ISSR In Conversation: 2025 Book Prize Winner - Francis Collins' The Road to Wisdom

    Apr 28

    ISSR In Conversation: 2025 Book Prize Winner - Francis Collins' The Road to Wisdom

    Send us Fan Mail On YouTube, watch here: https://youtu.be/pVP6BDFlMEU?si=Qqsk65MdtnRmeIz9 The International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR) is pleased to share a discussion with the award-winning author of the 2025 ISSR Book Prize for Science and Religion, Francis Collins, for his 2024 book, The Road to Wisdom: On Truth, Science, Faith and Trust (Hachette Books). https://www.francisscollins.com/ In conversation with Francis is Ron Cole-Turner, with an introduction by the chair of the Prize Committee, Fraser Watts. https://www.issr.org.uk/fellows/user/137/ Originating with a donation from the Templeton World Charity Foundation, the ISSR Book Prize is intended to understand ‘religion’ broadly and seek excellence in content and communication. We seek to reward books that make a major contribution to the field, especially those with the potential to take it in new directions. We expect three books to be selected each year, one suitable for a general audience, one for an academic audience, and one for a professional audience. Each year there are three financial prizes of £500 for the winning authors presented to the winning authors at the American Academy of Religion’s (AAR) annual meeting.  For more information about the Book Prize and to find out how to nominate books, please visit this link: https://www.issr.org.uk/projects/issr-annual-book-prize/ Each year, we have awarded three prizes in distinct categories: Academic, General, and Professional.  ISSR is pleased to have awarded the following authors the 2025 ISSR Book Prize on Science and Religion:    In the academic category, the prize goes to Emily Qureshi-Hurst for Salvation in the Block Universe: Time, Tillich, and Transformation (Cambridge University Press, 2024). In the category of books for a general readership, the prize goes to Francis Collins for The Road to Wisdom: On Truth, Science, Faith and Trust (Little Brown & Worthy Books, 2024). In the category of books for professionals and educators, the prize goes to Beth Singler for Religion and Artificial Intelligence: An Introduction (Routledge, 2024). ISSR, a beacon of interdisciplinary learning and research in the fields of science and religion, was established with a global and multi-faith perspective.  Thank you for joining us. We look forward to seeing you next time on the ISSR YouTube channel.  Anthony K Nairn www.anthonyknairn.ca ISSR Assistant Director www.issr.org.uk Support the show

    48 min
  3. ISSR 2026 Boyle Lecture on Science and Religion - Dr Iain McGilchrist - Live Discussion Recording

    Apr 21

    ISSR 2026 Boyle Lecture on Science and Religion - Dr Iain McGilchrist - Live Discussion Recording

    Send us Fan Mail The International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR) is pleased to present the ISSR 2026 Boyle Lecture Discussion, which was recorded live following the Premiere of the 2026 Boyle Lecture on YouTube on 16 April.   Since the COVID-19 global pandemic, the ISSR Boyle Lectures (available on our channel) have been offered online for all to listen to, learn from, and enjoy this most prestigious lecture series. These Digital Lectures have been followed by a Live Discussion on Zoom with the Lecturer, Respondent, and a panel of experts. This year's discussion included: Dr Iain McGilchrist https://channelmcgilchrist.com/home/ along with Dr Mari van Emmerik  https://www.divinity.cam.ac.uk/staff/dr-mari-van-emmerik Chris Oldfield https://www.chrisoldfieldphilosophy.com/  Dr Marius Dorobantu https://vu.nl/en/research/scientists/marius-dorobantu Respondent the Revd Prof Michael J Reiss https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/48389-michael-reiss and chairing, ISSR President Professor Niels Gregersen https://researchprofiles.ku.dk/en/persons/niels-henrik-gregersen/ The original Boyle Lectures were given as a series of sermons at several churches in London and Westminster following their establishment in 1692. The ‘original Boyles’ lasted until about 1730, although sporadic later ‘Boyle Lectures’ continued to be given in the centuries since then. The lecture series was revived in 2004 at one of its original locations, the Wren church of St Mary-le-Bow on Cheapside in the City of London, where it continues to be hosted each year.  The International Society for Science and Religion was founded in 2002 under the guidance of Sir John Templeton to promote education through interdisciplinary learning and research in the field of science and religion, conducted in an international and multi-(non)faith context. To find out more about ISSR, please visit our website here: https://www.issr.org.uk/ ISSR is thankful to all who continue to make the Boyle Lectures possible each year.  Anthony K Nairn www.anthonyknairn.ca ISSR Assistant Director www.issr.org.uk Support the show

    1h 3m
  4. ISSR 2026 Boyle Lecture on Science and Religion - Dr Iain McGilchrist

    Apr 18

    ISSR 2026 Boyle Lecture on Science and Religion - Dr Iain McGilchrist

    Send us Fan Mail The International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR) is pleased to present the ISSR 2026 Boyle Lecture on Science and Religion, which was given by Dr Iain McGilchrist, on: “God, the Brain, and the nature of Truth” This year's Response was given by The Revd Professor Michael J Reiss, Professor and Chair of Science Education at the Institute of Education, University College London. The original Boyle Lectures were given as a series of sermons at several churches in London and Westminster following their establishment in 1692. The ‘original Boyles’ lasted until about 1730, although sporadic later ‘Boyle Lectures’ continued to be given in the centuries since then. The lecture series was revived in 2004 at one of its original locations, the Wren church of St Mary-le-Bow on Cheapside in the City of London, where it continues to be hosted each year. We are grateful to St Mary-le-Bow, the Rector Fr Simon Cuff, the Parish Council, the Boyle family, and the Boyle Lecture Trustees for their continued support and guidance.  Since the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Boyle Lectures (available on our channel) have been offered online for all to listen to, learn from, and enjoy this most prestigious lecture series.  Prior Boyle Lectures before 2021 can be found on St Mary-le-Bow’s YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/stmarylebow The International Society for Science and Religion was founded in 2002 under the guidance of Sir John Templeton to promote education through interdisciplinary learning and research in the field of science and religion, conducted in an international and multi-(non)faith context. To find out more about ISSR, please visit our website here: https://www.issr.org.uk/ ISSR is thankful to all who continue to make the Boyle Lectures possible each year.  Anthony K Nairn www.anthonyknairn.ca ISSR Assistant Director www.issr.org.uk Support the show

    1h 3m
  5. ISSR In Conversation - Jörg Matthias Determann and Shoaib Ahmed Malik

    Mar 10

    ISSR In Conversation - Jörg Matthias Determann and Shoaib Ahmed Malik

    Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to the ISSR YouTube channel and ISSR’s In Conversation series. ISSR In Conversation is a discussion series in which ISSR Fellows discuss topics related to their work and developments in the academic field of science and religion.  In this episode, the pedagogy of science and religion, and the classroom context, are discussed. This episode will be especially interesting to anyone who engages with teaching in this field, or anyone interested in how science and religion are taught at the university level in different geographic and cultural environments. In conversation in this episode are:  Jörg Matthias Determann is a Professor of History in the Liberal Arts & Sciences program at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar, specializing in the history of science, technology, and scholarship in the modern Middle East.  https://qatar.vcu.edu/our-faculty/dr-jorg-matthias-determann/ and Shoaib Ahmed Malik, a Lecturer in Science and Religion in the School of Divinity at New College, University of Edinburgh, is working at the intersection of Islamic theology and the contemporary sciences.  https://edwebprofiles.ed.ac.uk/profile/shoaib-ahmed-malik If you enjoy this content and want to see or hear more, please consider hitting the like button and subscribing to our channel. Your support helps us keep content like this coming. This is also available on most major podcast services, so consider subscribing if you enjoy listening on the go.  https://youtu.be/iOJPmM3szf8 Please enjoy this episode. Anthony K Nairn www.anthonyknairn.ca ISSR Executive Assistant www.issr.org.uk Support the show

    1h 5m
  6. ISSR In Conversation - Robin Dunbar and Miguel Farias

    Jan 15

    ISSR In Conversation - Robin Dunbar and Miguel Farias

    Send us Fan Mail Re-Uploaded from 2022 Welcome back to ISSR’s In Conversation series. ISSR In Conversation is a discussion series in which ISSR Fellows discuss topics related to their work and the happenings in the academic field of science and religion. If you enjoy this content and want to see or hear more, please consider hitting the like button and subscribing to our channel. Your support helps us keep content like this coming. This is also available on most major podcast services, so do consider subscribing to the podcast if you enjoy listening while on the go. You can access the YouTube video directly using this link: https://youtu.be/Ef4BeA79Chg In this episode, Prof Robin Dunbar discusses his 2022 book, How Religion Evolved: And Why It Endures, with Dr Miguel Farias. A rich mix of storytelling and insights into the book, Dunbar and Farias engage in a lively and thoroughly enjoyable conversation about life, motivations, experimental psychology, and, of course, the psychology and anthropology of religion.  In conversation are:  Emeritus Professor of Evolutionary Psychology Robin Dunbar - https://www.psy.ox.ac.uk/people/robin-dunbar Dr Miguel Farias - https://pureportal.coventry.ac.uk/en/persons/miguel-farias/  ISSR was founded to promote education through inter-disciplinary learning and research in the field of "science and religion" (broadly conceived), conducted in an international and multi-(or non-) faith context. For more information about us, please visit our website at https://www.issr.org.uk  Thank you for watching the ISSR YouTube Channel. Anthony K Nairn www.anthonyknairn.ca ISSR Executive Assistant www.issr.org.uk Support the show

    1h 17m
  7. ISSR Tribute - John Polkinghorne (1930 - 2021)

    Jan 8

    ISSR Tribute - John Polkinghorne (1930 - 2021)

    Send us Fan Mail Re-Uploaded from 2021 Welcome back to the ISSR Podcast. I am pleased to be (re)introducing you to this special episode on the late John Polkinghorne. John was the founding President of ISSR, and his involvement in the field of science and religion cannot be understated. His intellectual work has been a source of ongoing discussion over the years and remains so today, as you will see here. John was a professor of theoretical physics at Cambridge University until 1979, when he resigned from that prestigious position to pursue theology, entering the priesthood in 1982. A prolific writer, he authored over 30 books, exploring in depth the relationship between the discoveries of modern physics and the doctrines of the Christian faith. In 1989, he became President of Queens' College, Cambridge, a position he held until he retired in 1996. The next year, in 1997, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for distinguished service to science, religion, learning and medical ethics. In 2002, he received the prestigious Templeton Prize in recognition of his modern and compelling treatment of theology as a complement to natural science, which, when viewed together, offer what he called a “binocular” vision of the truth. That same year, ISSR was founded, with John as Founding President. We had a number of speakers present for the event, and all gave thoughtful reflections and respectful criticism of John’s life, work and influence. In Conversation for this episode are: Michael J Reiss, Professor of Science Education at the Institute of Education, University College London. Prof Reiss is also past president of ISSR. https://iris.ucl.ac.uk/iris/browse/pr... Mark Harris is Professor and Andreas Idreos Chair in Science and Religion, and Director of the Ian Ramsey Centre in Science and Religion at Oxford University. https://www.theology.ox.ac.uk/people/... Michael Welker is Senior Professor of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Heidelberg https://www.uni-heidelberg.de/fakulta... Nicholas Saunders is a barrister and former lecturer at Cambridge University. https://www.faraday.cam.ac.uk/about/p... Nicholas Beale is the founder and director of Sciteb Support the show

    1h 45m
  8. ISSR 2025 "Ecology Between Religions and Sciences" Plenary Talks - Panu Pihkala

    11/08/2025

    ISSR 2025 "Ecology Between Religions and Sciences" Plenary Talks - Panu Pihkala

    Send us Fan Mail The International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR) is pleased to share the Plenary talks from the ISSR 2025 Summer Conference, titled "Ecology between Religions and Sciences: Minds and Bodies in Nature." The fourth talk in this series was given by Panu Pihkala, adjunct professor of environmental theology in the Faculty of Theology at the University of Helsinki. His talk was titled "Environmental emotions, attitudes, and religion".  This was the fourth of seven Plenary talks at the conference, which publicly launched ISSR's new priority research area on ecology and the environment engaged from the field of science and religion. It was designed to encourage growth on a wide range of topics relevant to religious and scientific engagements with environmental/ecological issues from interdisciplinary angles, including: • The role of the natural, social, and human sciences in current discourse about climate change • Diverse religious approaches to environmental issues in world faith traditions, and their history and sociology; • The relationship between worldview beliefs and environmental emotions, anxieties, actions and commitments; • Eco-theologies and conceptualizations of the environment; • Pedagogies of environmental awareness, • Experiences of nature and official discourses in religious and scientific environmentalisms; • Planetary intelligence and environmental sensitivity in relation to spiritual intelligence.  View the rest of the Plenary talks in the playlist here:   https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDJNG998NhMIMYQnpl2ZDdUFDTMKHs2gl&si=4pqgAvid0y6w7eGh We hope that you enjoy and take away positive lessons from these deeply engaging and inspiring talks. These seven Plenary talks comprise a playlist featuring leading thinkers in the field of science and religion who engage with ecological and environmental issues.  ISSR, the premier academic society focused on interdisciplinary learning and research in the fields of science and religion, was established with a global and multi-faith perspective. We invite you to learn more about us and consider becoming an Associate member by visiting our website: https://www.issr.org.uk. Thank you for joining us. We look forward to seeing you next time on the ISSR YouTube channel.  Anthony K Nairn www.anthonyknairn.ca ISSR Executive Assistant www.issr.org.uk Support the show (https://www.buzzsprout.com/1920567/support) Support the show

    40 min
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About

Welcome to the International Society for Science and Religion's (ISSR) "In Conversation" podcast. This is a convenient, audio-only version of our YouTube series that you can listen to wherever and on whichever platform you choose. "In Conversation" put one ISSR Fellow in conversation with another scholar (or Fellow) on whichever topic the hosting Fellow chooses. ISSR is a multi-faith, multi-disciplinary elite academic society with Fellows around the globe. 

Information

  • Creator
    Anthony K Nairn
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    32
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 ISSR 's "In Conversation" Podcast
  • Show Website
    ISSR 's "In Conversation" Podcast

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