Converging Dialogues

Latest Episodes:

#211 - Armageddon: A Dialogue with Bart Ehrman Mar 19, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Bart Ehrman about armageddon and the apocalypse as detailed in the Bible. They discuss why many people have a fascination with the end times and many of the things detailed in the book of Revelation. They talk about the role of interpretation, various views of the tribulation, and where the idea of the rapture originated. They discuss the importance of genre in the Bible, the historical view of Revelation, negative messaging of Revelation, and many more topics.

Bart Ehrman is James A. Gray Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has both his M. Div and PhD from Princeton University. He has served as President of the Southeast Region of the Society of Biblical literature and chair of the New Testament textual criticism section of the Society. He has served as associate editor for the Journal of Early Christian Studies, book review editor of the Journal of Biblical Literature, and editor of the monograph series The New Testament in the Greek Fathers (Scholars Press). He currently serves as co-editor of the series New Testament Tools, Studies, and Documents (E. J. Brill), co-editor-in-chief for the international journal of early Christian studies, Vigiliae Christianae, and area editor (early Christianity) for the Encyclopedia of Ancient History. An expert on the New Testament and the history of Early Christianity, has written or edited thirty books, numerous scholarly articles, and dozens of book reviews. He is the author of numerous books including his new book, Armageddon.

Website: https://www.bartehrman.com/

Blog: https://ehrmanblog.org/

Twitter: @bartehrman

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#210 - Trauma and Justice: A Dialogue with Judith Herman Mar 13, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a discussion with Judith Herman about trauma and justice. They discuss how her new book on trauma is connected to her previous book on trauma. They define trauma and its potential overuse, role of dominance and submission before violence in intimate partner violence (IPV), and the role of patriarchy in our society. They talk about modern feminism working for trauma work, acknowledgement, apology, and forgiveness in trauma work, and restorative justice. They also talk about resilience, exposure therapy, and many other topics.

Judith Herman is the clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Director of Training at the Victims of Violence Program at Cambridge Hospital. She obtained her MD from Harvard Medical School. She has received numerous honors such as a Guggenheim Foundation fellowship, a Bunting Institute fellowship at Radcliffe, a Manfred S. Guttmacher Award from the American Psychiatric Association and American Academy of Psychiatry and Law, and a Women in Science Award from the American Medical Women’s Association. She is the author of three books including the classic, Trauma and Recovery and her latest book, Truth and Repair. You can find her work here.

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#209 - Autism: Difference and Disability: A Dialogue with Simon Baron-Cohen Mar 06, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Simon Baron-Cohen about various components of autism. They define autism, discuss the systematizing mechanism and the if-and-then logic, and talk about the empathy circuit. They discuss how the systematizing quotient (SQ) and the empathy quotient (EQ) correspond with research on Big-5 personality and intelligence research. They mention some of the sex differences between between the SQ and EQ, evolutionary elements of invention, autism in present times, and many other topics.

Simon Baron-Cohen is a Professor in the Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry University of Cambridge and Fellow at Trinity College, Cambridge. He is Director of the Autism Research Centre in Cambridge, which he set up in 1997. He is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society, the British Academy, the Academy of Medical Sciences, and the American Psychological Association. He is Vice-President of the National Autistic Society, and was President of the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR, 2017-19). He was Chair of the NICE Guideline Development Group for Autism (Adults) and was Chair of the Psychology Section of the British Academy. He is coeditor in chief of the journal Molecular Autism which has the highest impact factor of all autism research journals. He received a knighthood in the New Year’s Honors List 2021. He has published over 700 peer reviewed scientific articles, which have made contributions to many aspects of autism research. He is also the author of five books including the most recent, The Pattern Seekers. You can find his work at his website. Twitter: @sbaroncohen

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#208 - Introduction to Psychology: A Dialogue with Paul Bloom Feb 27, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Paul Bloom about major themes in psychology. They discuss how he wrote his latest book, Psych, and some of the origins of the book. They talk about dualism and understanding the brain, consciousness, and why we should still study Freud. They also discuss Piaget’s contributions to psychology, how serious is the replication crisis, core personality, the future of psychology and many more topics.

Paul Bloom is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto and the Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Yale University. Paul's interests are on morality, pleasure, and development. He is the past president of the Society for Philosophy and Psychology and co-editor of Behavioral and Brain Sciences. He has written for The New York Times, The Guardian, The New Yorker, and The Atlantic. He is the author of numerous books such as Against Empathy, The Sweet Spot, and his latest book, Psych, which you can purchase here. You can find much of his research and writing at his website. Twitter: @paulbloomatyale.

Bonus: Make sure you read Nicole’s fantastic review below and subscribe to her excellent Bookmarked Reads📚.

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#207 - Science Communication and Free Speech in Academia: A Dialogue with Nicholas Dirks Feb 23, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Nicholas Dirks about science communication and various issues in academia. They discuss his background as chancellor and dean of various academic institutions, problems and solutions for higher education, and why liberal arts are still needed. They also cover free speech and culture wars issues, COVID-19, science communication, and many other topics.

Nicholas Dirks is President and CEO of the New York Academy of Sciences. He was the 10th Chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley and was also Dean of faculty at Columbia University. He has a background in history and anthropology and has written numerous books. You can find his work here. Twitter: @nickdirks

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#206 - Mourning the Presidents: A Dialogue with Lindsay Chervinsky Feb 20, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Lindsay Chervinsky about death and mourning of U.S. Presidents. They discuss how the book came about and how certain essays were chosen for the volume. They talk about the themes of race, political party, and family. They discuss the ideas of legacy, and how U.S. presidential funerals compare with other global heads of state. They talk about Washington and his private funeral, Jefferson and his descendants, Taylor and his mixed legacy, and the global impact of Lincoln. They also discuss Theodore Roosevelt through a current lens, generational impact of FDR and JFK, the long goodbye of Reagan, the bipartisan mourning of H.W. Bush, and many other topics.

Lindsay M. Chervinsky is a historian, author, and speaker. She obtained her PhD in history from the University of California, Davis and is a fellow at the Kluge Center at the Library of Congress and a Senior Fellow at the Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University. She has also been a professor at the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University. She is the author of The Cabinet: George Washington and The Creation of An American Institution and co-editor (with Matthew R. Costello) of Mourning The Presidents: Loss and Legacy in American Culture. You can find her work at her website and on her substack, Imperfect Union. Twitter: @lmchervinsky

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#205 - A Philosophy of Protest: A Dialogue with Clayton Bohnet Feb 16, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Clayton Bohnet about protest through a philosophical lens. They discuss what a montage is and why he used it for his book, defining protest, and the functionality of protest. They talk about protest as spectacle, differences between protests and mobs/riots, Kant’s contribution to understanding critique, and many more topics.

Clayton Bohnet is a philosopher, writer, and professor. He has Master’s in Psychology from the University of West Virginia and a PhD in Philosophy from Duquesne University. He has taught at Fordham University, Gonzaga University, and Central Washington university. Currently, he is pursing a law degree from Cleveland Marshall College of Law. He is the author of the book, Toward a Philosophy of Protest.

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#204 - The Problem of Democracy: A Dialogue with Shadi Hamid Feb 12, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Shadi Hamid about democracy, liberalism, and foreign policy. They discuss democracy and how it is usually defined, what constitutes a “real” democracy, and the differences between liberalism and democracy. They discuss Islam and its various strands, challenges with democracy during the Arab spring, and why the United States chooses to get involved in some countries and not others. They also talk about positive examples of democracy abroad, the future of democracy in the Middle East, and many more topics.

Shadi Hamid is a Senior Fellow in the Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings. He is also the Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies at Fuller Seminary. He is the Contributing Writer at The Atlantic. He has his Bachelors and Masters from Georgetown University and his DPhil in Politics from Oxford University. He is the author of numerous books including the most recent, The Problem of Democracy: America, the Middle East, and the Rise and Fall of an Idea. You can find his work here and here. Twitter: @shadihamid

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#203 - A History of Transplant Surgery: A Dialogue with Paul Craddock Feb 09, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Paul Craddock about the history of transplant surgery. They discuss the overarching movement of transplant surgery, skin grafting, and blood transfusions. They also talk about the long history of teeth and their various surgeries through time. They talk about vascular surgery, first organ transplants, advances in medical technology and future transplants, and many more topics.

Paul Craddock is a cultural historian and award-winning author. He is a Science Museum Group Senior Research Associate, Honorary Senior Research Associate of UCL’s Division of Surgery, and Visiting Lecturer at Imperial College London. He is the author of Spare Parts: A Surprising History of Transplants. You can find him at his website. Twitter: @pwcraddock1984

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#202 - The Culture of Incels: A Dialogue with William Costello Feb 06, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a discussion with William Costello about incels. They define sexuality more broadly and define incels and some of the features of incels. They discuss the importance of sexual selection and how incels are part of online culture and also outside of online culture. They talk about the “manosphere,” modern masculinity, and the different messages that men receive from society. They discuss the cultural perceptions of incels, violence, clinical treatment for incels, and many more topics.

William Costello is a current PhD student in evolutionary psychology in David Buss’ lab at the University of Texas, Austin. He has his MSc in psychology: evolution and culture from Brunel University, London. His research focuses on incels, individual differences and evolutionary psychology. You can find his work here. Twitter: @costellowilliam

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