Interview with Parker Settecase
- Tell us about a bit about your life story and faith journey.
- Several years ago, you started Parker’s Pensées—and it quickly became a leading voice in the philosophy or philosophy of religion podcast space. Tell us about this part of your story: what did you learn in launching it? Why do you think that you enjoyed some quick and early success with the podcast? What are some of your favorite interviews and why?
- You don’t just do the Parker’s Pensées podcast anymore. Tell us how you went from a podcast with one YouTube channel to an enterprise—or empire—with multiple channels, multiple topics, videos, teachings, book clubs, regular Substack called Parker’s Ponderings, science-fiction short stories, and more. What is going on? Give us the details: what are you up to and where is all of this heading?
- You talk a lot about the importance of public philosophy. What is public philosophy and why do you think it is important (and important for the church)?
- Who are some of the thinkers that have shaped you? (think in literature, theology, and philosophy)
- You are very interested in philosophy of mind, consciousness, and technology. Why? What is it about these topics that you find so interesting? What should Christians think about these areas?
- You also love science fiction. You are currently writing a science fiction book called Block World and you also regularly write short science-fiction stories. Do you think that science fiction is a nice avenue for conveying philosophical truths? How so?
- Tell us a bit about your writing process.
- This season was all about technology and how it is quickly—and radically—changing our conception of what it means to be human. How are you thinking about AI, the technological age, the information explosion and the press for superintelligent artificial agents? How do all these changes in technology affect apologetics, spiritual formation, and our ways of relating with others (even in church)?
- You now have a book contract. Tell us about the book. How did this come about? What will the book be about? What advice do you have for those who want to be a kind of public intellectual like you? Where should they start? What is most important to know?
- Speed Round.
- What is the best way for folks to follow and support your work?
