Beyond Atheism Podcast

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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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....

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...