Episodes

Episode 1: The Modeling Religion Project

The team kicks off the three-year Modeling Religion Project in Virginia. They explain their vision to a group of consultants, some of whom doubt whether the team’s goal can be achieved.

Episode 2: Modeling Religion in Virginia

The team meets to refine their methods and build a series of models.

Episode 3: Modeling Religion in Norway

Realizing that computer simulations of religion can be useful on political levels, the team expands its efforts at a university in Norway. They start to introduce their methods to the public.

Episode 4: Modeling Religious Violence

Broaching the topic of religious violence, the team recruits a political scientist to explain how simulations push forward the understanding of social conflict and can ultimately inform policy decisions. The team presents their work publicly in Texas.

Episode 5: 3D Archaeology

A team of archaeologists based at Çatalhöyük, a UNESCO dig site in Turkey, build a digital replica of the site in order to preserve and share it.

Episode 6: Non-Modelers Modeling

A historian, a psychologist, a philosopher, and a Biblical scholar work with the team to build computer simulations of their academic research and findings.

Episode 7: Modeling the Refugee Crisis

The team travels to Lesvos, Greece, an epicenter of the global refugee crisis, in order to build computer simulations of the immigration, arrivals, and integration process.

Episode 8: Making Modeling Accessible

The team tests the simulation platform built for non-modelers to use. They reflect on their three years of work and contemplate the future of modeling religion.