PODCAST · religion
Beyond Atheism Podcast
by Atheists United Studios
The Beyond Atheism Podcast moves beyond questions of God’s existence to ask: what now? What should atheists and other nonreligious people be doing next in a godless world? What does it mean to be an atheist today? Is there an atheist worldview? Is there an atheist politics? Hosted by Nathan Alexander, a historian of atheism and author of Race in a Godless World: Atheism, Race, and Civilization, 1850-1914, and Todd Tavares, a political science scholar and atheist organizer, the podcast asks big questions and aims to discover answers through discussion and debate. Join us!
Episodes
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Ep. 75: The Awakening – Joseph Lyttleton
Faith seems to have been a part of the human experience for as long as we have existed. But what would happen if all belief in God disappeared over night? How would the behavior of believers change after their faith was stripped away? This is the concept that Joseph Lyttleton’s newest novel, The...
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Ep. 74: Humanism and Neurodiversity – Alastair Lichten
In this episode, we are joined again by Alastair Lichten, a humanist community builder and the author of the blog, Humanist Dad. We discuss his recent work in community organizing and the importance of creating welcoming, inclusive spaces. Alastair has been giving particular attention to autism…
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Ep. 73: Unbelief in Iran, Past and Present – Arash Ghajarjazi
In this episode, we’re joined by Arash Ghajarjazi, a scholar of Iranian Studies at Utrecht University and author of the new book, Remembering Khayyam: Episodes of Unbelief in the Reception Histories of Persian Quatrains. We delve into the history of Iran to discuss the long legacy of secular...
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Ep. 72: The Omega Course – Paul Clark
In this episode, we’re joined by Paul Clark, author of The Omega Course, a coming-of-age novel about guilt, redemption, and loss of faith. We learn about the central plot of the book, where 17-year-old Ross kills another driver in a car accident and seeks to find redemption, initially through the...
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Ep. 71: What is a Humanist Celebrant? – Sarah Ray
In this episode, we’re joined by Sarah Ray, the President of the Humanist Society and an Endorsed Humanist Celebrant and Invocator. We learn about how these roles are secularizing, the deep roots they have to humanism, as well as (because we know you are afraid to ask) what exactly humanist...
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Ep. 70: How to Build a Secular Country – Maggie Ardiente
In this episode, we talk with Maggie Ardiente, the board president of the Secular Coalition for America. In a wide ranging discussion, we learn how joining a small freethinkers group at university led to a lifelong career in secular activism. Against the harrowing backdrop of “religious freedom”...
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Ep. 69: What is a Humanist Parent? – Alastair Lichten
In this episode, we are joined by Alastair Lichten, a humanist community builder with Humanists UK, and the author of the blog, Humanist Dad. Alastair has been using the blog to explore how his humanist worldview informs the challenging decisions he makes as a parent raising children in the UK.…
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Ep. 68: Why Do We Have a Bible? – Jacob L. Wright
In this episode, we’re joined by Jacob L. Wright, Professor of Hebrew Bible at the Candler School of Theology, Emory University, and the author of Why the Bible Began: An Alternative History of Scripture and its Origins. Jacob explains how the Old Testament used a mix of history, myth, and poetry...
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Ep. 67: Lessons from the Atheists of Interwar Canada – Elliot Hanowski
In this episode, we’re joined by Elliot Hanowski, a Canadian historian and author of Towards a Godless Dominion: Unbelief in Interwar Canada (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2023). We discuss the small but vocal atheist and secular movement in 1920s and 1930s Canada. Elliot explains how this...
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Ep. 66: Heresy, Philosophy, and Hope – David Newheiser
In this episode, we’re joined by David Newheiser, a Senior Research Fellow in the Institute for Religion and Critical Inquiry at Australian Catholic University, and the editor of the book, The Varieties of Atheism (2022). We learn about how David went through a heresy trial when he was a teenager...
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Ep. 65: When Clergy No Longer Believe – Alexandr Zamușinski
In this episode, we talk with Alex Zamușinski, a PhD Candidate at the University of California, Riverside. Alex stops by to tell us about his research on the Clergy Project, an organization which provides peer support for clergy members who have begun questioning their faith. In addition to the...
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Ep. 64: What is a Humanist Chaplain? – Srishti Hukku
In this episode, we talk with Srishti Hukku, a humanist chaplain at the University of Ottawa (Canada). We learn about Srishti’s journey out of religion and her winding path to becoming a humanist chaplain. She explains what a chaplain does, why the military needs non-religious chaplains, and why…
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Ep. 63: The Persistence of Christian Privilege – Chrissy Stroop
In this episode, we talk with Chrissy Stroop, an ex-evangelical writer, speaker, and advocate. We talk about Chrissy’s journey out of evangelicalism, her creation of the hashtag #EmptyThePews, and her thoughts on Christian nationalism today. We also talk about Christian privilege and how it can…
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Ep. 62: Recovering from Religious Trauma – Jeremy Schumacher
In this episode, we’re joined by Jeremy Schumacher, a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and former Evangelical Lutheran. We talk about Jeremy’s journey to atheism and how to recognize and treat religious trauma through therapy. Jeremy also explains how the male privilege and purity culture in...
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Ep. 61: Why Aren’t There More Secular Politicians? – Juhem Navarro-Rivera
In this episode, we welcome back Dr. Juhem Navarro-Rivera, the Managing Partner and Research Director at Socioanalítica Research LLC, and the author of Secular Politics, a weekly newsletter exploring the role of secular people in American political life. We talk about Juhem’s recent work…
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Ep. 60: How Global is Your Humanism? – M L Clark
In this episode, we have a far-ranging talk with M L Clark, a writer of humanist essays and speculative fiction. We find out why M L moved from Canada to Colombia and how first-hand experience in a new culture shapes, informs, and models the actual practice of global humanism. Along the way, we...
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Ep. 59: What is a Graceful Atheist? – David Ames
In this episode, we’re joined by David Ames, the host of the Graceful Atheist podcast. David takes us through his own deconversion story and reveals the surprising fact that what led him out of the church was the same thing that led him to join in the first place. He also describes the intense...
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Ep. 58: How “Amusing Jews” Shaped Pop Culture – Jonathan Friedmann
In this episode, we’re joined by Jonathan Friedmann, a professor, dean, community leader, and now the co-host of the Amusing Jews podcast from AU Studios. After learning about how the Jewish religion can be distinguished from Jewish culture and tradition, we talk about how the Jewish-American...
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Ep. 57: Can Psychedelics Replace Religion? – Sharday Mosurinjohn
In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Sharday Mosurinjohn, an Associate Professor in the School of Religion at Queen’s University in Canada. We learn about the current use of psychedelics as well as their links to religion in both the past and present. Sharday talks about the universal connections...
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Ep. 56: 2022: The Year in Review
In this episode, Todd and Nathan reflect on the year that was. We talk about the most striking things we learned and the new questions they provoke. Along the way, we discuss atheist and nonreligious people’s growing power in society and how this is reflected in the voting booth, the continuing...
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Ep. 55: What Really Happens When We Die? – Tom Clark
In this episode, we talk about death with Tom Clark, a philosopher and the creator of Naturalism.org. Without a heaven (or hell), is there just an empty void awaiting us after our deaths? This is a mistake, says Tom. Rather, using thought experiments about the nature of consciousness, Tom…
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Ep. 54: What Can We Learn from the Norwegian Humanists’ Success? – Christian Lomsdalen
In this episode, we’re joined by Christian Lomsdalen, the president of the Norwegian Humanist Association. We learn about the history of the organization and how it has grown to over 100,000 members (2% of Norway’s population). We talk about how the organization was organized around rituals and...
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Ep. 53: Do Atheist Communities Need More Magic and Ritual? – Timothy Stacey
In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Timothy Stacey, a researcher at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. Past episodes of Beyond Atheism have examined the “secular paradox” and the isolation felt when people begin to challenge and lose their faith. In this episode we talk about creating and...
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Ep. 52: Secular Politics in Nebraska – Rachele Walter
In this episode, we’re joined by Rachele Walter, the current Vice Chair of Secular Democrats of Nebraska and the President of Lincoln Atheists. We talk about the state of secularism in Nebraska and how secular activism and political activism can be both deeply intertwined and yet be kept…
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Ep. 51: How Do We Recover from Religion? — Gayle Jordan
In this episode, we’re joined by Gayle Jordan, the Executive Director of Recovering from Religion. We talk about how Gayle’s organization helps people through the pain and difficulty associated with leaving a faith. Additionally, we learn about many of the specific problems and traumas caused by...
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Episode 50: Are you a Sentientist?, with Jamie Woodhouse
In this episode, we are joined today by Jamie Woodhouse, the host of the Sentientism Podcast and YouTube channel. We learn about “sentientism” – the idea that we should have moral concern for all sentient creatures – and what its ethical consequences are. We also find out, among other things,...
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Episode 49: The Nomadic Humanist, with Anya Overmann
In this episode, we’re joined by Anya Overmann, the host of The Nomadic Humanist podcast. We talk about how Anya’s humanist ideals developed and how they complement and complicate international travels, especially when she doesn’t have any set “home.” Through tales of her life as a digital nomad,...
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Episode 48: Black Freethinkers, with Dr. Christopher Cameron
In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Christopher Cameron, a professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and the author of Black Freethinkers: A History of African American Secularism. We talk about Chris’s own winding path to atheism before getting into the history. What...
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Episode 47: What is “Theistnormativity”?, with Dr. Kristina Lee
In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Kristina Lee, an assistant professor in Communication Studies at the University of South Dakota. We talk about the idea of “theistnormativity” – the way that Christianity and belief in God are subtly (or not!) privileged in the United States. This is seen in...
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Episode 46: Secular Activism in Texas, with Dr. Wil Jeudy
In this episode, we talk with Dr. Wil Jeudy, who was named Activist of the Year for 2022 by American Atheists. We talk with Wil about his experience as a secular activist in Texas, starting with a long journey to becoming an atheist and the desire for community. We learn about how Wil has moved...
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Episode 45: The Supreme Court and the Religious Right, with Rob Boston
In this episode, we’re joined by Rob Boston, Senior Adviser at Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, for a wide-ranging conversation on the work of Americans United and the religious right’s hold on the Supreme Court. In particular, we discuss the recent Kennedy v. Bremerton...
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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...
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Episode 43: Humanist Heritage, with Maddy Goodall
In this episode, we’re joined by Maddy Goodall, the Humanist Heritage Coordinator for Humanists UK. We talk about her current project outlining the century plus history of humanism in the UK. What follows is a surprising tale of political activism, liberation for women, and the unexpected…
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Episode 42: Why is “God” in Canada’s Constitution?
In this episode, Todd and Nathan discuss the strange inclusion of “God” in Canada’s constitution. Follow along as Nathan walks through Canada’s history to reveal how and why the otherwise secular Charter of Rights and Freedoms came to recognize the “supremacy of God” in its 1982 preamble. Todd…
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Episode 41: The Psychology of Atheism and Religion, with Dr. Will Gervais
In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Will Gervais, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Brunel University. We learn a bit about evolutionary psychology before finding out what it tells us about why people become atheists and the difference between the reported and observed power of rational thinking....
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Episode 40: Nonreligion in a Complex Future, with Dr. Lori Beaman
In this episode, we consider some of the ways the growing nonreligious population will shape future societies. To do so, we’re joined by Dr. Lori Beaman, the Principal Investigator of the Nonreligion in a Complex Future project. We talk about the numerous and sometimes unexpected effects and...
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Episode 39: Should Atheists Fear Death?
In this episode, Todd and Nathan get personal about death. Atheists still fear death, but don’t have the comfort provided by a belief in an afterlife. They discuss how rational their own fears of death are, how technology might allow us to deny death, and the importance of accepting death as a...
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Episode 38: Street Epistemology, with Mark Solomon
In this episode, we are joined by Mark Solomon, host of the Being Reasonable podcast. We talk to Mark about “street epistemology”: having conversations with people to find out why they believe what they believe. We learn how Mark gets people to question the foundations of their knowledge, and we...
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Episode 37: Building Atheist Communities, with Evan Clark
Ahoy, godless Street Pirates! In this episode we are joined by Evan Clark, the executive director of Atheists United, a growing organization in California. He tells us about how the organization has been changing to meet the needs of the atheist community, including through its innovative Atheist...
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Episode 36: The Freethinker, with Dr. Emma Park
In this episode, our guest is Emma Park, the new editor of the Freethinker magazine. Join us as we discuss the magazine’s incredible history and its impact on creating a secular society in Britain. Emma talks about the paradox of Britain’s growing nonreligious population and the stubborn...
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Episode 35: A Religious History of American Secularism, with Dr. Leigh Eric Schmidt
In this episode, we are joined by Leigh Eric Schmidt, the Edward C. Mallinckrodt Distinguished University Professor in the Humanities at Washington University in St. Louis, and the author of a new book, The Church of Saint Thomas Paine: A Religious History of American Secularism. In a far ranging...
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Episode 34: Mobilizing Atheists, with Sam McGuire
In this episode, we are joined by Sam McGuire, the National Field Director of American Atheists. She imparts wisdom on how atheists can organize as well as offers resources and opportunities for groups and individuals. We learn a lot about organizing as we talk about her experience with the...
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Episode 33: Ex-Muslims, New Atheists, and the Far Right, with Eiynah Mohammed-Smith
In this episode, we are joined by Eiynah Mohammed-Smith, an author, illustrator and the host of the Polite Conversations podcast. We talk about her time growing up in Saudi Arabia, her break with Islam, her involvement in New Atheism, and her subsequent disillusionment with that movement. Along…
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Episode 32: The State of Atheists in America, with Alison Gill
In this episode, we are joined by Alison Gill, the Vice President for Legal and Policy with American Atheists. We talk with Alison about her recent work charting the challenges and priorities of nonreligious people in the US today. We find out why she has said that “2021 was the worst state...
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Episode 31: Ten Things We’ve Learned So Far
After almost a year of Beyond Atheism, it is time to take a brief look back to take stock of what we’ve learned so far. In this episode, Nathan and Todd talk about their 10 main takeaways from the podcast, ranging from politics to activism to history. Stick around to hear their reflections on…
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Episode 30: The Basics of Secularism, with Dr. Jacques Berlinerblau
As societies become more and more religiously diverse, and more and more nonreligious, secularism takes on greater importance. But what is secularism? In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Jacques Berlinerblau, Professor of Jewish Civilization in the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown...
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Episode 29: Why is Sweden So Secular?, with Dr. Anton Jansson
Sweden is one of the most secular countries in the world. Around half of the population claims to be non-believers; one survey even found that only 18% of Swedes believed in God. But why is this the case? How does Sweden’s history explain its secular nature? To talk about these questions and…
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Episode 28: Morality without God, with Aaron Rabinowitz
Without a God to author morality, does this leave atheists adrift? What is morality, are there absolute moral truths, and how can we know about them? To examine these questions, we are joined by Aaron Rabinowitz, a PhD student in the Rutgers Graduate School of Education, and the host of two...
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Episode 27: Secularism and (Non)Human Rights, with Monica Miller
Effective secular activism takes on a number of forms and issues, and builds connections across many different – and often unexpected – groups of like-minded people. In this episode, we talk with Monica Miller, the Legal Director and Senior Counsel for the American Humanist Association and an...
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Episode 26: Atheist Churches?, with Dr. Jacqui Frost
In this episode we are joined by Dr. Jacqui Frost, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Rice University, to discuss the atheist practice of the Sunday Assembly. Although this burgeoning movement is sometimes referred to as an “Atheist Church,” we learn about what makes these communities different…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The Beyond Atheism Podcast moves beyond questions of God’s existence to ask: what now? What should atheists and other nonreligious people be doing next in a godless world? What does it mean to be an atheist today? Is there an atheist worldview? Is there an atheist politics?
Hosted by Nathan Alexander, a historian of atheism and author of Race in a Godless World: Atheism, Race, and Civilization, 1850-1914, and Todd Tavares, a political science scholar and atheist organizer, the podcast asks big questions and aims to discover answers through discussion and debate. Join us!
HOSTED BY
Atheists United Studios
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Beyond Atheism Podcast have?
Beyond Atheism Podcast currently has 75 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Beyond Atheism Podcast about?
The Beyond Atheism Podcast moves beyond questions of God’s existence to ask: what now? What should atheists and other nonreligious people be doing next in a godless world? What does it mean to be an atheist today? Is there an atheist worldview? Is there an atheist politics? Hosted by Nathan...
How often does Beyond Atheism Podcast release new episodes?
Beyond Atheism Podcast has 75 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
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You can listen to Beyond Atheism Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Beyond Atheism Podcast?
Beyond Atheism Podcast is created and hosted by Atheists United Studios.
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