Christian Research Institute

Episode Summary

Jay Richards and Dave Hanegraaff explore why reality requires commitment, embodiment, and disciplined practices that keep us grounded when our digital lives lead us into abstraction.This is a wide-ranging conversation, beginning with the reality of economics before diving deep into the accelerating presence and authority of AI and why the tech debate is ultimately about anthropology—what a human person is, and what we’re becoming.Jay makes the case for why the forgotten discipline of fasting is a forgotten fountain of fortitude—for body, mind and soul—especially in a culture of excess increasingly out of touch with reality.Follow A Commitment to Reality wherever you listen.TIMESTAMPS00:00 – Intro00:30 – I used to hate you—the value of conversation and actually listening03:00 – How to change your mind05:15 – How social media bubbles create reality distortion07:35 – Go outside—embracing embodiment in a digitized world11:15 – Intentionality and going analog in an increasingly digital world15:10 – Beneficial uses of AI18:40 – We can’t stop AI: fear, inevitability, and panic20:20 – Metaphysics/anthropology: the real battleground beneath AI debates22:14 – Is AI demonic? What’s actually happening “under the hood” with AI tech?26:45 – “AI” is a marketing term—how that language shapes fear of AI28:30 – How AI could create a massive class divide32:25 – Mamdani and socialism—the power of images vs reality36:45 – The benefit of being able to say “I used to think that”41:25 – How to be productive45:00 – Why did most Christians stop fasting?50:00 – The appeal of ascetic practices in a culture of excess55:15 – Combatting spiritual warfare with fasting58:00 – Physical benefits of fasting explained—and how to begin1:08:30 – Why flipping the old food pyramid is a great idea1:13:00 – I hate talking about fasting—but we need to talk about fasting1:16:20 – How Eastern Christianity can lead a revival in fasting for all Christians1:18:10 – The forgotten gift of fasting seasons like Advent and Lent1:19:00 – “A feast without a fast is a strange, half-finished thing”1:23:30 – Fasting is a skill—how to start1:26:00 – Best practices for grounding us in reality1:27:40 – Where are we most eager to look away from reality?1:31:55 – Understanding what A Commitment to Reality means1:32:35 – In a world that feels increasingly unreal, what feels real to you?1:34:00 – New Atheism is dead
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