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AI and the Future of Humanity

Episode 166 AI and the Future of Humanity

In October 2023, John Lennox gave the 3rd annual John Warwick Montgomery Lecture in Evidential Apologetics at the Lanier Theological Library in Houston. Watch the lecture by clicking on the link to our YouTube channel below.

His topic was 2084: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity.  Today, in Houston he sits down with David Capes for an episode of The Stone Chapel Podcasts.

Who is John Lennox?

John Lennox is retired as Professor of Mathematics from Green Templeton College in Oxford.  In addition to his scientific expertise he is a skilled Christian apologist. 

He travels and lectures on college and university campuses all over the world.  Just google John and you will see he has debated some of the most significant atheists of our generation. 

In retirement he continues to research, think, speak, and write.  He and his wife Sally make their home a few miles north of Oxford, not far from Yarnton.

AI and the Future of Humanity 

Recent years have witnessed rapid advances in artificial intelligence.  Many futurists, entrepreneurs, and government officials are concerned that rampant artificial intelligence could do massive harm to lives and cultures around the planet.  Already, people are losing their jobs to artificial intelligence and there are not enough retraining options.

Moreover, the rapid advances in AI have outpaced any sort of ethical, moral, or legal reasoning on the topic. 

John Lennox tackles this tough topic and explains many unknown aspects of AI for lay people.  He does sound an alarm about its harmful potential, but he also sees it as benefiting humanity in some ways.

Resources

For a link to John’s website and a list of all his books click here or go to www.johnlennox.com.

See his recent book 2084: AI and the Future of Humanity

For a link to John’s earlier podcast on The Stone Chapel Podcasts, click here. 

To watch John recent lecture on artificial intelligence at the Lanier Theological Library click here.

Click here for a transcript of this podcast.

Want more Stone Chapel Podcasts on some great topics? Just click here.

What’s more, you can get information on upcoming lectures at Lanier Theological Library by clicking here.

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Studying Apologetics in Strasbourg, France

Craig Parton

A few years ago David Fleming, the executive director of the Lanier Foundation, and Mark Lanier signed an agreement to host annually the John Warwick Montgomery Lecture in Evidential Apologetics. 

Along the way we have become acquainted with the International Academy of Apologetics, Evangelism, and Human Rights.  One of the instructors for that summer academy is Craig Parton.

To hear David Capes’s podcast with Craig Parton click here.

Who Is Craig Parton? 

Craig Parton lives in California.  He became a Christian in college and developed interest early in apologetics.  He is now a trial lawyer, but he spends a lot of time as the US Director for the International Academy of Apologetics. 

What Is the Apologetics Academy? 

Twenty-six years ago Craig Parton and John W. Montgomery (JWM) started the Apologetics Academy in Strasbourg, France. 

Every year they train around twenty men and women in apologetics, situated in one of the most historic and beautiful European cities. 

The academy lasts about two weeks.  It is intentionally small to in order to facilitate conversation, discussion, questions, and community.  To learn more about the academy: www.apologeticsacademy.eu

The cost for the experience and learning is very reasonable.  Accommodations are included.  Some scholarships are available as well. Look for the brochure on the website for details and registration.

The Annual Lecture at Lanier Library, Houston

This year John Lennox, retired Professor of Mathematics from the University of Oxford, will be giving the John Warwick Montgomery Lecture in Evidential Apologetics. 

His topic will be “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity.”  To hear David Capes’ podcast with Dr. Lennox in 2022 on the topic, click HERE. 

The lecture will be held 21 October 2023.  It will be streamed lived on the Lanier Library’s YouTube channel. And a recorded version will be posted later as well as on the Library website.

More Resources

To watch JWM’s lecture at the Library several years ago, click here.

To hear JWM’s podcast with David Capes (recorded in 2021) click HERE.

You can read a transcript of this podcast here.

For more resources check out these links.

Want more Stone Chapel Podcasts on some great topics? Just click here.

What’s more, you can get information on upcoming lectures at Lanier Theological Library by clicking here.

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Capturing Christianity with Cameron Bertuzzi

To hear the podcast click here.

Capturing Christianity is an apologetics ministry directed by Cameron Bertuzzi, assisted ably by his wife Brittany.  Cameron stopped by the Lanier Theological Library to talk with David Capes about his ministry on “The Stone Chapel Podcast.”

Who is Cameron Bertuzzi? 

For years, Cameron made his living through photography and photo-editing.  But when his brother came out as an atheist a few years ago, Cameron began a journey in apologetics that has led to this ministry. He wanted to know whether Christianity could be rationally defended.  He wanted to explore some of objections raised by skeptics about its truth.

Like many people, Cameron had never thought deeply about his faith.  He attended church and performed in the worship band, but he had never considered the rational basis of faith.

Capturing Christianity

Cameron and his wife work together in this ministry.  Along his journey, Cameron began listening to apologists and soon found an intellectual hero in Dr. William Lane Craig. Today, Cameron works consistently with Dr. Craig.  Dr. Craig lectured at the Lanier Library in 2021. For a link to his lecture click here.  

Then watch his panel discussion here.

The ministry started as a blog in 2017. Cameron worked on it in his free time for the first two years.  Now he and Brittany work full time. He hosts dialogues, does interviews, and features what he calls “CC Exchanges.”  At the heart of it all, they focus their conversations around “atheistic apologetics”.

The Capturing Christianity YouTube channel today has 178,000 subscribers.  It has taken off.  About 5000 people a month find his ministry.

CC Exchange

The next CC Exchange will be May 6, 2023 at the Lanier Theological Library.  Cameron will host the exchange with Justin Schieber (atheist) and Eric Hernandez (Christian). Their topic is “Does God Exist?” To learn more about the event or to attend click here.  The event is free and open to the public thanks to the generosity of the Lanier Foundation and the good people at Capturing Christianity. 

If you can’t attend, it will be streamed live and recorded for the Capturing Christianity YouTube Channel.

For the website to Capturing Christianity click here.

For the Capturing Christianity YouTube Channel click here.

More resources

Here’s a transcript of this podcast. Click here.

Want more more Stone Chapel Podcasts on some great topics. Just click here.

What’s more, you can get information on upcoming lectures at Lanier Theological Library. Just click here.

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The Beautiful Ache

Leigh McLeroy

Leigh McLeroy (MA in Cultural Apologetics, Houston Baptist University), writer, speaker, ghostwriter, dog-lover, stops by to talk with David Capes on “The Stone Chapel” about her amazing book, The Beautiful Ache: Finding the God Who Satisfies When Life Does Not.  Leigh is a wonderful writer who weaves together stories from life and Scripture to talk about all of our spiritual journeys.  This book is for anyone whose longings do not match the reality of this world.  This is “the ache” we all experience, but is a sure sign that there is something more.

To hear the podcast click here.

The Stone Chapel is a podcast of the friends and staff of the Lanier Theological Library in Houston, Texas.  It is hosted by Dr. David Capes, Senior Research Fellow at the library and former faculty member at Houston Baptist University and Wheaton College.  The purpose of the podcast is to bring to our audience great conversations from the world’s leading experts in theology, biblical studies, archaeology, Church history, the Dead Sea Scrolls, ethics, ministry, and a host of other topics close to the mission of the library.

The Lanier Theological Library is a magnet for scholars, church leaders and influencers.  For the last ten years, it has welcomed hundreds of academics and church leaders from across the globe for public lectures, study, panel discussions, consultations, and encouragement.

These podcasts as well as the Lanier library and the Stone Chapel are generously underwritten by Mark and Becky Lanier and the Lanier Theological Library Foundation.  If you have questions or comments, please be in touch: Email david.capes@lanierlibrary.org

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Ambiguity in the Apologetics of C. S. Lewis

Terry Cokenour, a patron of the library, stopped by to talk with David Capes about his doctoral thesis at the London School of Theology.  Here is his title: “An Invitation to Thought: Ambiguities in the Apologetics of C. S. Lewis.”  Terry has been coming to the Lanier Theological Library since 2011 with a lengthy pause when he served as a missionary and church leader in Budapest, Hungary.  He talks about how he came to focus his research and his spiritual heart on the writings of C. S. Lewis and to love the mystery he finds in his writings.

To hear the 20 minute podcast click here:

TSC_038 Terry Cokenour, Ambiguity in the Apologetics of C. S. Lewis