A fascinating new podcast called The Purposeful Lab is dedicated to exploring the world of science through Catholic eyes.
A popular notion holds that religion and science contradict each other, but Catholics know nothing could be further from the truth. Faith and reason are meant to complement each other, as science reveals the wonder of God’s created world.
St. John Paul II wrote about this intersection in his landmark encyclical Fides et Ratio (“Faith and Reason”), and the Catechism states:
… there can never be any real discrepancy between faith and reason. Since the same God who reveals mysteries and infuses faith has bestowed the light of reason on the human mind, God cannot deny himself, nor can truth ever contradict truth.
Consequently, methodical research in all branches of knowledge, provided it is carried out in a truly scientific manner and does not override moral laws, can never conflict with the faith, because the things of the world and the things of faith derive from the same God.
In this spirit of openness, a scientist and journalist created The Purposeful Lab podcast to explore hot topics in the sciences that are important to Catholics.
Purposeful Lab
Dr. Daniel Kuebler, Franciscan University professor of Biology, and Catherine Hadro, Catholic journalist, co-host the innovative podcast.
Weekly episodes cover topics like the emergence and evolution of the cosmos, life, and consciousness; current events in space exploration, genetics, AI; and other big topics.
“Too often science is seen as in conflict with theology,” Kuebler and Hadro said in an interview. “Nothing could be further from the truth as the whole scientific enterprise is dependent upon a deep source of order, order that science can discover.”
The natural synergy between faith and science is at the heart of their podcast as they unpack how scientific discovery points toward meaning and purpose in the universe.
“It does not matter where you are in your faith journey or what the extent of your scientific knowledge is,” they said. “You are welcome to be a part of this conversation and discovery.”
The intersection of faith and science
“Our world tends to hold up science as the ultimate arbiter of truth, the gold standard of knowledge, but science on its own cannot address many of the big questions,” they said. “Science left on its own can be destructive, but when integrated with philosophy and faith it can help us flourish. This podcast is about helping people see that connection and helping them flourish.”
Listeners can submit questions to the Purposeful Lab "Office Hours" segment by emailing info@magiscenter.com. AI and ChatGPT are especially popular topics right now.
How should we engage with AI? What does rapidly developing technology reveal about what it means to be human today? These are the types of questions we like to dig into as we look closely at purpose and meaning.
Moving toward the source of creation
“Science is our way of understanding God’s creation,” said Hadro and Kuebler. “If we want to understand God’s handiwork, science can give us that knowledge, knowledge that can lead us toward its source.”
The PURPOSEFUL LAB audio podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Amazon Podcasts. Video versions can be viewed at https://www.magiscenter.com/purposeful-universe and youtube.com/purposefuluniverse.
