Summary – Shane Rosenthal and the Humility of Healthy Skepticism
Amid all the tribalism and polarization we see today, Christians could learn something from The Humble Skeptic Podcast. Shane Rosenthal, host of the Humble Skeptic Podcast, joined me to discuss this new project, and the value of thoughtful and reflective Christians.
We discuss a number of things, including the problem of the left-right paradigm that appears in politics, religion, and culture. How do we discuss tough issues especially with people who are defensive (or offensive) in their ideas.
Rosenthal highlights his pilot episode, wherein he describes the experience of digging into the truth of a story his dad told him about Billy Joel, before Joel was famous. Rosenthal’s skepticism was not motivated by distrust, but by curiosity and wonderment. We discuss the twists and turns of the process of thinking through a matter, as well as the reality of coming face-to-face with our own ignorance, a key feature of the Socratic Method which I use in my courses.
Rosenthal wants people, Christians in particular, to recognize the value in becoming reflective thinkers, toward the pursuit of truth, for the love of God and neighbor. Rosenthal’s gentle temperament, and childlike wonderment will inspire you to embrace the humble skeptic in you too.
Join me, Kerry Baldwin, with Shane Rosenthal, as we Dare to Think about the humility of healthy skepticism.
Main Points of Discussion
| 00:00 | Introduction |
| 01:28 | Shane Rosenthal’s background and concept for the Humble Skeptic Podcast |
| 08:13 | The fear of asking and receiving questions and what critical thinking is |
| 15:17 | Seeking to understand; digging into facts; evaluating information |
| 25:13 | Seeking to understand … our own emotions in relation to facts, truth |
| 32:18 | What to do when you have unanswered questions and no good resources? |
| 39:54 | Concluding thoughts |
Resource Links
- Shane’s Substack https://shanerose.substack.com/podcast
- The Humble Skeptic Podcast https://thehumbleskeptic.com/
- Support the Humble Skeptic Podcast https://www.givesendgo.com/humbleskeptic
