PODCAST · religion
Life After God's tracks
by Life After God
Writer and speaker, Ryan Bell, of A Year Without God, shares insightful commentary on religion and irreligion in North America and engaging interviews with believers, heretics and the uncertain.
Episodes
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095 - Secular American Voices, feat. Juhem Navarro-Rivera
In this episode Ryan shares a few thoughts about the victory of Joe Biden in the presidential election, followed by an interview with Juhem Navarro-Rivera of Socioanalítica Research about the political views and values of secular Americans as compared to all Americans. These results are revealed…
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094 - Secular Day of the Dead, feat. Victoria de la Torre & Margaret Downey
On this episode I speak with Victoria de la Torre and Margaret Downey about Secular Day of the Dead, a secularized celebration of an ancient pre-Columbian Mesoamerican celebration that goes back some 3,000 years. This year the Freethought Society is hosting International Secular Day of the Dead…
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093 - Finding Realness, Meaning, and Belonging in Our Digital Lives, feat. Chris Stedman
On this episode I speak with Chris Stedman. Chris is a writer, speaker, and community organizer living in Minneapolis. His new book, out tomorrow from Broadleaf Books, is called "IRL: Finding Realness, Meaning, and Belonging in Our Digital Lives." The IRL in the title refers to the internet...
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092 - The Humanism of Albert Camus, feat. Jamie Lombardi
On this episode I speak with Jamie Lombardi about the humanistic philosophy of Albert Camus against the backdrop of our contemporary political situation: pandemic, wildfires on the west coast, police violence against black people, and the impending election. LINKS Reading "The Plague" During a...
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091 - White Too Long, feat. Robert P. Jones
On this episode I speak with Robert P. Jones, founder and CEO of Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) about his new bombshell of a book, "White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity." Jones speaks about his growing up in the Southern Baptist Church in Texas and...
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090 - We Are Not the Heroes, ft. Greg Epstein
On this episode I speak to Greg Epstein, humanist chaplain at Harvard University and MIT. In this wide ranging conversation, Greg and I talk about his upbringing and some of the events that led to where he is today at two of the most prestigious universities in the United States, working to build...
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089 - The Politics of Humanism with Justin Clark
In this episode I speak with Justin Clark about the relationship between secularism, humanism, and socialism. We even talk a little about Marx and the current political climate in the US.
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088 - Race in a Godless World with Nathan Alexander
In this episode I speak with historian Dr. Nathan Alexander about his new book, Race in a Godless World: Atheism, Race, and Civilization, 1850-1914. We talk about what Christianity and secularism have each done to engender and stem racist ideas and policies. We also discuss the peculiar…
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087 - Ex-Files: A Conversation with Pat Green
Today on the Ex-Files I speak with Pat Green. Pat is a former Christian pastor and recovering evangelical. Pat’s claim to fame is that he is a the father of Dave. Pat has been a successful business person, a taxi cab driver, and is currently a writer and photographer, living in Chicago. Pat was...
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086 - Ex-Files: A Conversation with Tim Hellmann
On this episode of the podcast I speak with Tim Hellmann. Tim is a former Christian who grew up fundamentalist in Bible Methodist and Pilgrim Holiness congregations. He tells me that he’s not very comfortable with labels but mostly closely identifies with agnostic. He has a bachelors degree in...
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085 - Black Freethinkers with Christopher Cameron
On this episode of the podcast I speak with University of North Carolina history professor, Christopher Cameron, about his new book, Black Freethinkers: A History of African American Secularism. Buy the book: http://www.nupress.northwestern.edu/content/black-freethinkers Follow Chris on Twitter:...
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084 - Rethinking Religious Trauma with Brian Peck
On this episode I speak with my friend Brian Peck about the importance of taking a trauma-informed approach to treating what he calls adverse religious experiences. Rather than merely pathologizing religion, Brian suggests that we recognize the reality of religious abuse and then focus on…
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083 - Ex-Files: A conversation with Kristi Kiger Upman
In this episode I speak with Kristi Kiger Upman. For ten years Kristi worked for the Southeast White House, a ministry associated with The Family. She tells me about how she became a Christian, her experience working in evangelical Christian ministry, and how she ultimately left her faith. Kristi...
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082 - This Life: Secular Faith and Spiritual Freedom with Martin Hägglund
On this episode of the podcast I speak with Yale professor of comparative literature and humanities, Martin Hägglund, about his new book, "This Life: Secular Faith and Spiritual Freedom." Unlike any book I've ever read before, Martin weaves together a secular understanding of life that is rooted…
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081 - The Fundamentalist Threat to American Democracy with Jeff Sharlet
This week on the podcast I speak with Jeff Sharlet, the New York Times bestselling author of seven books, including The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power and C Street: The Fundamentalist Threat to American Democracy. Today, Netflix released a five-part documentary...
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080 - Inciting Incident: A Conversation with Marissa and Bethany
This week on the podcast I speak with Marissa Alexa McCool and Bethany Futrell, the co-hosts of Inciting Incident podcast. Marissa is a podcaster, author, performer, speaker, and an LGBT rights and atheist activist. She is a trans woman, married, partnered, and a parent. She lives in St. Paul,...
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078 - Post-Religious Mental Health: A Conversation with Suandria Hall
Welcome to a special edition of the Life After God podcast. I'm excited to share conversations with you from a growing number of professionals who specialize in religious trauma, deconversion, and post-religious mental health. My goal with these conversations is to offer you a diverse range of...
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077 - Remembering George Tiller: A conversation with Gretchen Koch
In this bonus episode I speak Gretchen Koch on the occasion of the 10-year anniversary of the murder of George Tiller, the famous abortion doctor from Wichita, Kansas, who was shot and killed during the worship service at the Reformation Lutheran Church. Gretchen's parents were members of the…
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076 - Humanism & Our Political Commitments with James Croft
In this episode I speak with James Croft, a leader at the Ethical Society of St. Louis where he has been for the past five years. James is a humanist educator, activist, and sought after speaker around the world. He earned an MA in Education from University of Cambridge and an Ed.D. from Harvard...
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075 - Escaping from Jehovah's Witnesses with Lloyd Evans
On this episode I speak with Lloyd Evans. Lloyd is the founder and senior editor of JWsurvey.org - a website that promotes freethought among Jehovah's Witnesses. He is also author of "The Reluctant Apostate," a book that chronicles his experiences growing up as a JW and his journey to freedom…
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074 - What do we do with grief? with Alana Carter and Garrett Price
On this episode I speak with Alana Carter, a senior at Nazareth College, about her experience of loss and grief as a post-theist. Then I talk with Garrett Price, a mental health professional working in end-of-life care, about what is happening in grief and how to face it as an atheist. The…
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073 - Remembering Jean Vanier with Gretchen Meader
On this special NEWS BRIEF edition of the Life After God podcast, host Ryan Bell speaks with Gretchen Meader about Jean Vanier who died today at the age of 90. Jean Vanier was a Catholic philosopher, theologian, and humanitarian who in 1968 founded L'Arche, a community where people with...
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072 - Dying Out Loud with Dave Warnock
On this episode, Ryan speaks with Dave Warnock. Dave is the father of two daughters and a son, a former evangelical pastor in the Foursquare Church, now an atheist, and a lover of life. About six weeks ago Dave was diagnosed with ALS—Lou Gehrigs Disease—for which there is no treatment and life...
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071 - Ryan Becomes a Moral Realist: A Conversation with Aaron Rabinowitz
In this episode of the podcast, Ryan speaks with Aaron Rabinowitz about ethics and the current context and conditions of moral and ethical formation today. It is a wide ranging conversation, at the end of which Ryan experiences a surprising conversion! LINKS Video of Aaron's presentation to...
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070 - Talking About Islam Without Being a Bigot with Eiynah
In this episode I speak with Eiynah about the challenges of speaking about Islam and Muslims in our current political climate. We recorded this conversation on Wednesday evening, March 20, just five days after the horrific terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, that claimed...
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069- #ChurchToo: Sexual Abuse in the Church with Emily Joy
This week on the podcast I speak with Emily Joy about her experience leaving evangelicalism under a cloud of sexual abuse. Years later she and a friend started the #ChurchToo hashtag which has become a national phenomenon. BIO Emily is a spoken word poet, yoga teacher and activist living and...
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068 - What Atheism Can't Deliver with Christian Smith
This week on the podcast I speak with author and sociologist, Christian Smith. Christian Smith is the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for the Study of Religion and Society at the University of Notre Dame. Smith is well known for his research focused on...
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067 - Thrive After Religion with Curiosity
Brian Peck here with a bonus episode of the Life After God podcast. Max Tang and I recently hosted a webinar where we explored how curiosity can help you thrive after religion. I'm excited to share that conversation with you today. Several years after leaving the church I grew up in, I discovered...
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066 - A Crisis of Compassion with Alix Jules
On this episode I speak with Alix Jules about his journey of faith and humanism. We also talk about the state of politics in America as secular humanists who care about marginalized groups. At one point in the conversation Alix said, "we have a crisis of compassion" in this country and what we…
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065 - When I Spoke in Tongues with Jessica Wilbanks
On this episode I speak with Jessica Wilbanks, author of the new memoir, When I Spoke In Tongues: A Story of Faith and Its Loss. Jessica received her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of Houston, where she served as nonfiction editor for Gulf Coast. An active member of the literary...
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064 - Ex-Files: Surviving "Christian Education" with Alexis Record
Content Advisory: religious trauma, physical and sexual abuse Today on The Ex-Files I speak with Alexis Record. Alexis is a former Christian, raised in a fundamentalist home. In our conversation she recounts her experiences of profound loss, her harrowing encounters with fundamentalism in…
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063 - Seven Types of Atheism with John Gray
On this episode I speak with philosopher and author, John Gray, about humanism, secular utopianism, and his new book, Seven Types of Atheism. Professor Gray is the author of numerous books, including False Dawn: The Delusions of Global Capitalism, Straw Dogs: Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals,...
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062 - New Years Eve Special - 2018
The podcast launches a news season with this short New Year's Eve reflection. In this episode, host Ryan Bell looks ahead to the new year and his hopes and dreams for the Life After God community. Support the Life After God community on Patreon: www.patreon.com/lifeaftergod Visit the website:...
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061 - #Exvangelical with Christopher Stroop
On this episode I speak with scholar and writer, Christopher Stroop. As an ex-evangelical himself, Chris has been instrumental in galvanizing the ex-evangelical voice online with the hashtags #EmptyThePews, #Exvangelical, and #HowToEvangelical. His mission is to foster community for those harmed…
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060 - How And Why We Believe [part 2]
Brian Peck, Carolyn Golden, and James Connelly explore how beliefs impact the deconversion process and create challenges for relationships. This episode is part two of a conversation recorded on March 13, 2018. You can listen to part one here:...
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059 - How And Why We Believe [part 1]
Guest host, Brian Peck, shares a fascinating conversation about HOW and WHY we believe. Not surprisingly, we humans care a great deal about WHAT we believe but we're often unaware of the underlying conditions and psychological processes that give rise to our beliefs. On this episode, Brian talks...
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058 - Religious Abuse and the Problem of Forgiveness
*Content advisory: sexual abuse, rape, and violence* On this episode I speak with Anais Chartschenko about her experience of extreme abuse in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Her experience is tragic but not uncommon. In the second chapter I speak with Brian Peck and Gretchen Meader about the...
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057 - Varun Soni - Hindu Buddhist Humanist
On this episode I speak with Dean of Religious Life at University of Southern California, Dr. Varun Soni. Varun's rich and varied background and experience growing up in Southern California as child of one Hindu parent and one Buddhist parent makes him a unique voice in the academic and...
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056 - Ex-Files: Your Atheist Pastor with Luke King
On this episode I speak with former pastor and fellow podcaster, Luke King, about his deconversion and future plans to cultivate community for former Christians. You can hear Luke's podcast and learn more about his community at www.youratheistpastor.org Learn more about Life After God at...
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055 - Emancipation of a Black Atheist with Dauv Evans
On this episode I speak with author and leadership coach, Dauv Evans, about his book, Emancipation of a Black Atheist. Learn more about Life After God: www.lifeaftergod.org Support the Life After God: www.patreon.com/lifeaftergod Buy the book here: http://amzn.to/2CuahAD
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054 - A Better Life with Chris Johnson
On this episode I speak with photographer and filmmaker, Chris Johnson, about his book and documentary project, A Better Life, which tells the stories of 100 atheists who have found joy and meaning in a world without God. Chris is just completing a long season of touring with the film. You can...
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053 - Escaping Quiverfull with Brooke Arnold
On this episode I speak with comedian and survivor of the Quiverfull cult, Brooke Arnold. Mentioned in this episode: Brooke Arnold's website || www.brookearnold.com I could've been a Duggar wife (Salon) || https://goo.gl/dl787l Kurt Metzger || https://www.facebook.com/KurtMetzgerComedy
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052 - Ex-Files: Matthew Faraday
On this episode of The Ex-Files I speak to Matthew Faraday. Matthew lives with in Michigan with his wife and two kids. He is a nurse, an avid cyclist, and a lover of craft beer. Unbeknownst to either of us, Matthew and I started a journey to get to the bottom of the claims of Christianity around...
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051 - The Big Picture with Sean Carroll
This week I speak with theoretical physicist (Caltech), Sean Carroll. We talk about his new book entitled, The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself. The author of two previous books on physics for popular audiences (From Eternity to Here, The Particle at the End…
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050 - Confessions of a Lapsed Podcaster
In this episode, Ryan returns from a 6 month hiatus and explains where he's been and what's next. Mentioned in this episode: --Mary Oliver, *Upstream: Selected Essays* --Room to Thrive, the coaching and counseling practice of Brian Peck, LCSW (http://www.roomtothrive.com)
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049 - Talking Faith and Deconversion with Andy Stanley
This week I speak to Andy Stanley, senior pastor of North Point Community Church in Atlanta, Georgia. Andy founded the church over 20 years ago and today it is the largest congregation in America, according to Outreach Magazine. I talk to Andy about his experience growing up Christian, his…
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048 - Finding God in the Waves with Mike McHargue
This week I speak with speaker and podcaster, Mike McHargue, about his first book, "Finding God in the Waves: How I Lost My Faith and Found It Again Through Science," which came out yesterday. In both his book and this episode, Mike tells of his journey from fundamentalist Christianity to atheism...
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047 - SPECIAL UPDATE with Gretta Vosper
In this special update I speak with Gretta Vosper about the decision that just came down last week, declaring that she is "unfit for ministry in the United Church of Canada." This decision has come after a year and half of investigation into Gretta's beliefs after she said publicly that she does...
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046 - Ex-Files: Ciera Ramirez and Facing Depression
On this episode of The Ex-Files, I speak Cierra Ramirez. Ciera is was born and raised in New Mexico but for the past couple of years has called Austin, Texas, her home. As you’ll see, she’s a thoughtful and articulate woman. She’s a theater actor currently puppeteering in a local puppet opera...
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045 - One Year Anniversary of the Podcast with Brian Peck
On the occasion of the one-year anniversary of the podcast I had the opportunity to visit with Brian Peck. Though Brian and I had never met until last weekend, we have become good friends over the past year. He has been volunteering for Life After God, making the thoughtful memes you see on...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Writer and speaker, Ryan Bell, of A Year Without God, shares insightful commentary on religion and irreligion in North America and engaging interviews with believers, heretics and the uncertain.
HOSTED BY
Life After God
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Life After God's tracks currently has 96 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
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Writer and speaker, Ryan Bell, of A Year Without God, shares insightful commentary on religion and irreligion in North America and engaging interviews with believers, heretics and the uncertain.
How often does Life After God's tracks release new episodes?
Life After God's tracks has 96 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
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