Why Life Feels Empty in Modern America | Isaac Serrano

Isaac Serrano joins Pastor Josh Burtram on The Faith Roundtable for a deep conversation about the modern meaning crisis, materialism, suffering, purpose, transcendence, and why so many people today feel empty, anxious, depressed, and spiritually lost.

Why does modern life feel so meaningless — even when we have more comfort, technology, entertainment, and freedom than almost any generation in history?

Drawing from his book When Life Feels Empty: Seven Ancient Practices to Cultivate Meaning, Isaac explains how modern materialism strips life of transcendence and leaves people unable to ground meaning, morality, love, beauty, suffering, or hope.

This conversation explores:

• the modern meaning crisis

• why so many young people feel empty

• philosophical materialism and its consequences

• why comfort is not producing happiness

• addiction, despair, and modern loneliness

• transcendence and the search for purpose

• why humans are “meaning-making machines”

• the role of church practices and rituals

• communion, baptism, prayer, and worship

• why people still live as if meaning is real

• suffering, telos, and human flourishing

• why Christianity offers a coherent story of reality

• zombies, toddlers, and modern culture

• why people need something greater than themselves

Isaac argues that the crisis of our age is not merely political or psychological — it is spiritual and philosophical. We are living inside a story that tells us life has no ultimate purpose, and yet we continue to act as if love, justice, beauty, goodness, and meaning truly matter.

This was one of the most thoughtful and philosophically rich conversations we’ve had on The Faith Roundtable.

Isaac Serrano is the Lead Pastor of South Valley Community Church in Gilroy, California. He serves with Regeneration Project and teaches theology and ministry as an adjunct professor at Western Seminary. He is the author of When Life Feels Empty: Seven Ancient Practices to Cultivate Meaning.

Get Isaac Serrano’s book:

Learn more about Isaac Serrano:

Listen to Faithful Politics:

More from Josh Burtram:

Follow Faithful Politics:

Instagram:

Facebook:

X / Twitter:

Threads:

Follow River City Underground:

Listen on Spotify:

Listen on Apple Podcasts:

Business / Speaking / Podcast Inquiries:

josh@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com

#FaithRoundtable

#FaithfulPolitics

#IsaacSerrano

#MeaningCrisis

#JoshBurtram

#Philosophy

#Christianity

#Materialism

#Purpose

#MentalHealth

#SpiritualFormation

#Depression

#Anxiety

#FaithAndCulture

#ModernLife

#Church

#Theology

#ChristianPodcast

#Existentialism

#Transcendence