What does it mean to believe something—and can we genuinely believe while also experiencing doubt? In this episode of the Center for Hebraic Thought and the Biblical Mind Podcast, Mike Tolliver talks with philosopher Dr. Joshua Mugg about his book From Human Reasoning to Belief and his alternative to the influential “dual process” theory of human reasoning.
Mugg explains why he rejects the idea that the mind is simply divided between fast, intuitive thinking and slow, rational thinking. Instead, he proposes that human reasoning operates across multiple dimensions, allowing us to adjust how we think, gather evidence, recruit other beliefs, and repeatedly reconsider our conclusions.
The conversation then explores how this account of human cognition helps illuminate one of the Bible’s most intriguing statements: “I believe; help my unbelief” in the Gospel of Mark. Mugg’s theory of fragmented belief suggests that people can hold different beliefs within distinct cognitive contexts, helping explain how faith and doubt can coexist.
Mike and Josh also discuss anxiety, emotion and reasoning, conspiracy theories, religious belief, deconstruction, Michael Polanyi, Esther Meek, the relationship between faith and certainty, and whether faith will remain in the eschaton. This wide-ranging conversation offers a fresh perspective on belief, doubt, faith, and what it means to know.
Buy Dr. Mugg's book here: https://www.routledge.com/From-Human-Reasoning-to-Belief-An-Empirical-Account/Mugg/p/book/9781032736952
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Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Dr. Mugg and the focus on belief
01:02 Dr. Mugg's background and academic journey
02:37 From theology to philosophy: questions of knowledge
04:24 Overview of dual process theory in reasoning
05:55 Critique of dual process theory and its messiness
07:41 An alternative to dual process theory: a soundboard model
11:16 Rerunning reasoning in everyday life and decision making
15:50 The biblical story of the father and Jesus' response
19:59 Fragmentation of belief and domain-specific reasoning
24:02 Belief in the context of ancient Israel and religious practices
27:14 Conspiracy theories and reasoning patterns
31:01 The role of emotion in reasoning and belief
33:23 Faith, hope, and love in the eschaton
36:10 Personal journey and influence of Polanyi and Meek
39:33 Christian philosophy and naturalistic methodology
42:58 The relationship between faith and belief in biblical and philosophical context
44:46 Conclusion and future discussions
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