Episode 44: The Secular Paradox, with Dr. Joseph Blankholm

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Joseph Blankholm, an assistant professor in the Department of Religious Studies at University of California, Santa Barbara, and the author of the new book, The Secular Paradox: On the Religiosity of the Not Religious. We talk about his decade-long research project of attending secular events and interviewing secular people trying to build secular organizations. We discuss in depth what he calls the “secular paradox” – the uneasy ambivalence secular people feel toward religion. We also talk about the unique position of “secular misfits” who don’t fit into the expected secular pattern. Finally, we find out whether a “true secular person” can dislike John Lennon’s song “Imagine.”In the bonus content, available exclusively to supporters on Patreon, we find out more about Joe’s research in the field, his discomfort around attending a Secular Day of the Dead ceremony, and why his research required so much alcohol consumption.The Secular Paradox: On the Religiosity of the Not Religious: https://nyupress.org/9781479809523/the-secular-paradox/Follow Joe on Twitter: https://twitter.com/joeblankholmFollow Nathan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NathGAlexanderNathan’s website: https://www.nathangalexander.com/If you find the podcast valuable and want to support it, check out our Patreon page, where you will also find bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/beyond_atheism We are grateful for every contribution.