Delmarva Today 7-30-21
Why do we believe what we believe?
Today’s Delmarva Today is the first in a special three-part hour-long Delmarva Today series on “belief.” The program is produced by Delmarva Public Media and discusses what belief is, how our beliefs are developed, and why are we so invested in our beliefs that we can become so angry and upset when they are challenged? Harold Wilson’s guests for this first program are Dr. Adam Wood, Department Head and Professor of English at Valdosta State University; Dr. Grant Wilson, Professor and Graduate Program Director Dept. of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts; and Dr. Christine A. James, Professor Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies also at Valdosta State University. In the spirit of full disclosure, Grant Wilson is Harold Wilson’s son.
It would seem the very idea of beliefs as verifiable concepts is under question today. Yet our beliefs are guiding principles that provide direction and meaning in our lives. They are the models that help us understand and function in the world. As one journal of psychiatry has said, “Our beliefs become our reality.” Who in the world are we today?