From Relevance
to Resonance
to Reverence:
John Vervaeke's Magnum Opus
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If you find yourself between traditions, beyond belief, or yearning for something more—sensing that something sacred is stirring beneath the surface, even if you no longer know how to name it.
You will learn how our current cultural grammar is insufficient for talking about God and reality.
This course will offer a new language and framework for coming into meaningful interfaith dialogue between traditions.
Overview
Across three back-to-back 8-week courses, John Vervaeke will take you on a journey to detangle the existing frameworks in our culture of understanding God and religion to resituate spirituality within a scientific and Philosophical worldview. This deeply personal course will provide a grammar for reclaiming an embodied, deeper sense of meaning relationship with the Sacred to address The Meaning Crisis by falling in love with the world again.
Curriculum Outline Part 1: Seeing God
Week 1
A picture that has us in its grip: the dichotomies of modernity and default atheism.
Week 2
The Is-ought and analytic-synthetic dichotomy. Realness, intelligibility and ultimate reality.
Weeks 3-4
Predictive processing and relevance realization.
Weeks 5-6
Religion and Rationality: are they opposed?
Weeks 7-8
Extended naturalism and strong transcendence—the possibility of mystical realization.
Live Teaching and Engagement
2 Hour sessions taught live by John Vervaeke consisting of a lecture and a seminar discussion.
Reflective Assignments
Synthesize your learning with guided writing assignments. Optional but encouraged.
Peer Discussions
Meet with fellow students to discuss and accelerate your progress.
Personal Statement
John Vervaeke talks about his aspirations for the course and its relationship to his next series,
The Philosophical Silk Road.
"We need to stop comparing the best of science to the worst of religion,
if we are atheists;
and the best of religion to the worst of science,
if we are fundamentalists.
We need to be in philia."
Course Aims
This course advances the argument started in Awakening from the Meaning Crisis, contextualizes the practices from After Socrates, builds on the premises from Einstein & Spinoza’s God through to Realizing the Imaginal, all in preparation for Walking the Philosophical Silk Road.
“This is the big course that ties it all together.”
For the disillusioned,
we hope it will help you return
and recover a religious home that might have been alienated.
For the ones who are outside religious homes,
we hope it will help you journey
and find one.
For the spiritual-but-not-religious,
we hope it will help you enter into genuine philia
with those who belong to and are in established religions.
Step onto the journey of recovering religio.
Course runs from July 11th, Every Friday at 10am EST.
47 spots remaining.
See you in class!
Other Course Offerings
Check out previous Lectern Courses below, or access them all, including Seeing God Again for the First Time through the Season Pass on its own or through the Lectern Lounge.
The most economical option to gain access to all courses would be through the Delta Tier in the Lectern Lounge.
FAQS
• Is this course for me if I’m not familiar with philosophy or science?
Yes! This course is designed to be accessible to both beginners and those with experience. John will hold a seminar after each lecture to answer any questions you might have.
• Does it make sense to attend this course even if I haven’t attended any of the previous courses (Einstein & Spinoza’s God through to Realizing the Imaginal)?
Both those courses set up premises and arguments for this course. John will recap them during Seeing God Again for the First Time, but if you want to understand them more deeply, there are self-study versions of these previous courses available.
• Do I need to have specific religious or scientific beliefs to benefit from the course?
No. The course is open to everyone, regardless of religious or scientific background. It’s about exploring diverse perspectives and finding a way to integrate them into your life.
• What if I can’t attend live sessions or keep up with the pace?
All materials, including live session recordings, will be available to you anytime. You can go through the content at your own pace, fitting it around your schedule.
• How much time will I need to commit each week?
Expect to spend 3-4 hours per week on videos, readings, and optional discussions.
• Is there a refund policy if I find the course isn’t right for me?
Yes! If you decide to cancel within 30 days of purchase (not course commencement), we can offer a full refund, no questions asked. If the course has started, and it has been more than 30 days after your purchase please email [email protected] and we'll find the best option for you!
• Will I have direct interaction with John Vervaeke?
Yes! You will have the opportunity to engage with John and fellow students throughout the course.
• How is this different from your YouTube series or previous courses?
This course is highly interactive. You will be able to ask John questions, interact with other students and participate more fully than on YouTube.
• Is this course suitable for someone currently in a faith crisis or transition?
Yes it is. If you are seeking a perspective that will lend some structure and context to what you might be experiencing, this course aims to do just that.
• Will this course challenge my current beliefs?
Yes, the course is designed to provoke deep reflection. It introduces perspectives that will encourage you to question and reconsider long-held beliefs, fostering growth and deeper understanding.
• How does the course handle the potential conflict between faith and reason?
The course doesn’t ask you to choose between faith and reason. Instead, it offers frameworks that show how these two areas can complement each other.
• Is the course compatible with my spiritual practice?
Absolutely. The course aims to deepen and enrich your spiritual practice by providing new tools to understand and engage with your practice through science and philosophy.
• I’m worried I won’t understand the material. Is it too advanced?
Not at all! The course breaks down complex ideas into simple, easy-to-understand concepts, ensuring that whether you’re new to philosophy or well-versed, you’ll gain valuable insights.