Belonging, Modernity, Religion

How do we build community in a world where we’re all travelers? Bring your open minds and open hearts, and join your hosts Miriam and Shahid as we explore these questions with curiosity.

The Internet exposes us to all sorts of different contexts and subcultures. We’re always peeking into the lives of people who are very different from us. In this sense, we’re all travelers through this wonderful world, constantly getting our curiosities piqued at every turn of the head.

At the same time, there seems to be a crisis of community. Loneliness is rising, and people are socializing less. Even though it seems like we have the world at our fingertips, people often feel like they don’t really have anyone. 

How do we stay open to all that the world around us has to offer, while committing to a community that supports and nourishes us?

Other questions to ponder:

• Sometimes we relinquish our freedoms willingly, other times we’re forced to. How do the downstream effects of these differ?
• At what point does a lot of optionality become too much optionality? When do the downsides of the paradox of choice kick in?
• In a time of declining religiosity, when we don’t have collective norms to lean on, what acts as our source of values?
• Why is it so hard to build deep-rooted secular community?
• What can we learn from history about how to move forward?
  

Links to consider:

• The Friendship Problem
• Secularism is on the rise, but Americans are still finding community and purpose in spirituality