God Is Not Praiseworthy | Stephen Kershnar and Nathan Bray

God Is Not Praiseworthy | Stephen Kershnar and Nathan Bray

From Brain in a Vat by Brain in a Vat

February 9, 2026 · 1h 5m

About this episode

The episode explores whether God can be morally responsible and the implications of divine perfection on worship.

Brain in a Vat is back from hiatus with a deep dive into the philosophy of religion. Stephen Kershnar and Nathan Bray join us to ask whether God can be morally responsible and whether worship makes sense if God could not have done otherwise. The discussion begins with a thought experiment about gratitude and worship. If worship expresses praise for morally responsible action, can a perfectly good God deserve it at all? Kershnar and Bray argue that divine perfection may undermine responsibility rather than secure it. From there, Kershnar and Bray explore compulsion, omnibenevolence, and free will. Along the way, we discuss moral saints, chess computers, Frankfurt-style cases, Patty Hearst, and the costs these arguments impose on traditional theism. We would love to hear your thoughts. Is worship grounded in gratitude, awe, or something else entirely? And does God need moral responsibility to be worthy of it? [00:00] Welcome Back to Brain in a Vat [00:45] Thought Experiment: Worship and Gratitude [02:59] The Compulsion Argument [05:04] The Role of Awe in Worship [13:21] Maximizing Goodness and Divine Discretion [20:26] The Problem of Evil and Divine Psychology [33:33] Exploring…

People in this episode

Host: Brain in a Vat

Guests: Stephen Kershnar, Nathan Bray

Topics covered

  • philosophy of religion
  • moral responsibility
  • worship
  • divine perfection
  • free will
  • theism

Keywords

  • God
  • moral responsibility
  • worship
  • gratitude
  • divine perfection
  • free will
  • theism

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