In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and special guest Gregory Salmieri discuss recently published articles, secular and religious, that address the question of whether we can find meaning in the facts of suffering and death — facts the coronavirus pandemic are forcing many to face first-hand.

The articles mentioned in the discussion are “The Pandemic and the Will of God” by Ross Douthat, “Extraordinary Moment of Prayer” by Pope Francis, “To Philosophize Is to Learn How to Die” by Simon Critchley and “Sickness and Stoicism” by Roy Wayne Meredith II.

Bayer and Salmieri dissect the main arguments of some these pieces, uncover premises that tie secular and religious views together, and offer a unique alternative to these fundamentally flawed approaches.

Join the live Zoom broadcast of our podcast on Mondays and Wednesdays at 11 a.m. Pacific to take part in the Q&A. Go to https://zoom.us/join and use Meeting ID: 812-506-718. Or catch the livestream or recordings on YouTube and Facebook.

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