OpenTube

Richard Dawkins & Rowan Williams: God, Science and The Poetry of Reality | Uncommon Ground

Justin Brierley | Think Faith

90,265 views

The world's most famous atheist, Richard Dawkins, sits down to talk with the former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams in the very first episode of Uncommon Ground, hosted by Justin Brierley.

In a wide-ranging conversation on atheism, faith, poetry, music, meaning, love, complexity, suffering, evolution and survival they discuss whether God or science makes best sense of 'the poetry of reality'.

🔔 Subscribe now to watch conversations that move beyond the echo chambers and into the deeper questions we all share — Uncommon Ground: conversations that matter.

⭐️ Get early access to new episodes, and more, when you become a Silver or Gold level supporter: https://justinbrierley.com/support-me/

📚 Keep up to date, and receive free chapters from my books, by subscribing to the newsletter: https://justinbrierley.com/get-justin...

ℹ️ Find out more & listen as podcast: https://justinbrierley.com/uncommon-g...

📣 What did you think? Leave a comment, or let me know by emailing: feedback@think.faith

Music license:
ZPZBWGOPGAZTIAKZ

A production of Think Faith.

00:00 – Trailer
01:22 – Intros
04:00 – What’s changed since New Atheism?
07:41 – Why religion “spoils” the poetry of reality
12:19 – How do you reconcile evolution & Genesis?
20:21 – Is God just an “extra explanation”?
27:13 – What’s behind poetry & “the mystical”?
35:45 – Why should consciousness survive death?
39:01 – Dawkins reads ChatGPT poems!
47:58 – Empirical evidence for God from creativity?
59:27 – What about the cruelty of evolution?
1:06:19 – Is humanity too small for God to care?
1:09:09 – Does God undermine science?
1:10:53 – Is God “simple” or “complex”?
1:24:38 – Is God an interfering engineer?
1:32:19 – What would change your mind about God?
1:36:32 – Final reflections

20 Comments

@justinbrierley Creator 8 months ago (edited) Pinned

📚 Keep up to date, and receive FREE CHAPTERS from my books, by subscribing to my newsletter! 👉 https://justinbrierley.com/get-justins-newsletter/

@JardineKarate1 7 months ago

Rowan Williams has perhaps one of the most wonderful voices on the planet.

@MaxPuliero 7 months ago

I want this England, this peak of discussions back in everyday life. please.

@stu1002 7 months ago

One thing I find quite touching is that while Dawkins and Williams find each other difficult to understand, they have a very deep and genuine warmth and respect for each other. That doesn't surprise me so much for Williams, but for Dawkins, I think it's quite notable, because so often he seems somewhat contemptuous of Christians, but you can tell he likes Rowan at a human level.

@2balastair 7 months ago (edited)

Fascinating that while Williams was able to describe a steel man of Dawkins position (prefectly according to Dawkins) Dawkins seems unable to reciprocate but cannot resist launching immediately into an attack of what he is unable or (unwilling to show that) he understands.

@mattford10 7 months ago

27:07 Rowan Williams’ “clumsy” explanations is what I hope for at my best 😂

@Greenlight_711 7 months ago

The guy who I agree with was very patient in this discussion.

@JazzJaguar 7 months ago

Their eyebrows came to fight.

@PaulWilkinsonMusician 7 months ago

Listening to Richard Dawkins, I keep thinking of Owen Barfield’s dashboard image. Science reads the dials with extraordinary precision — but the dials are not the journey, nor the driver, nor even the road. They are abstractions that help us navigate.

@bibliobison 7 months ago

What i personal-experientially appreciate about Williams is the sense of participating in happening where Dawkins seems to believe he determines & defines experience

@SavinelliMike 7 months ago

I was an atheist many moons ago and, like many, I gravitated towards Dawkins. It was actually a conversation back then between these two men that launched my exploration and ultimately coming to Christ. Rowan Williams is an incredibly articulate speaker. I highly recommend his books; dense, but lots of meat on the bone.

@carrolinda 7 months ago

Such great respect and dignity from all during this conversation.
Thank you.
🙏🙏

@anthonya6044 7 months ago

Those couches look really comfortable

@leenicholas3279 7 months ago

Not enough comments here praising Justin for is work in collaborating and leading this discussion. This doesn’t happen for just anyone and without his expertise and commitment to fostering such great dialogue we wouldn’t have it. Thank you Justin!!

@carrolinda 7 months ago

Thank you.
Wonderful conversation.
🙏🙏🙏

@nickstone3113 7 months ago

Excellent 🎉

@johnwashburn3793 7 months ago

You are definitely teasing me. Patience is a virtue and virtue is it's own reward.

@HarrySingh-bm3eg 7 months ago

Love this dignified discussion. A lesson indeed when engaged in a discussion of any topic. 👍🏽

@Matt-Pursley 7 months ago

I’ve been such a fan of Williams. It’s great to see him
platformed more regularly.

@yougen08 2 months ago

Even as an atheist, I absolutely adore how Rowan conducted himself in this discussion. Not only he was incredibly articulate, but he very readily able to say "I don't know", acknowledge valid counterpoints from Dawkins or even weaknesses in his own arguments (!), admit his own struggles with certain ideas, and was willing to push back against some of the common theologian arguments. I'd say that his conduct was a significant reason why a very conducive conversation took place against the normally ornery Dawkins. To the extent that Dawkin himself corrected Justin's representation of Rowan's point of view, which to me perhaps to an extent softened his (Dawkin's) crappy inability (I contend, refusal) to take on the other person's perspective. Very wonderful conversation, and definitely would be listening more in the future. Thank you for sharing.