Episode 6 - Being Creaturely and the Myth of Human Exceptionalism with Dr. Christine Webb
Episode 6: Being Creaturely and the Myth of Human Exceptionalism with Dr. Christine Webb
What if we stopped treating humans as separate from the rest of life?
This is a really fun episode, connecting the vulnerability of children and animals with the wonder and natural compassion children have for other creatures and the world we are all a part of. Dr. Christine Webb reminds us that wonder, relationship, and moral compassion begin early — and that children and animals may already know more than we think. It's a fascinating conversation about the intersection of faith and science, and about keeping curiosity alive in both.
Our guest today is Dr. Christine Webb, primatologist and author of The Arrogant Ape: The Myth of Human Exceptionalism and Why It Matters. Dr. Webb is an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Studies at New York University, where she is part of the Animal Studies Program. Her research is driven by a growing awareness that the ecological crisis demands a profound shift in how we understand other animals and our place among them.
You can find Dr. Webb on Instagram at @cwebb218
And at her website: www.cewebb.com
0:00 — Welcome + Meeting Dr. Christine Webb
3:40 — The Unlearning Curve in Science and in Church
8:21 — Communicating Beyond Words
17:07 — Giving Children Permission to Keep What They Know
24:15 — The Blind Spot the Church and Science Share
28:44 — Birth, Death, and Being Animal Bodies
38:24 — Ancestral Knowledge
54:07 — Human Exemptionalism
1:02:51 — Is There Room for Spirituality in Any of This?
Transcript:
Read the full transcript here.
Podcast production by Kyle Lock, logo by Adam Lock, and theme music by J Lind.
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