Ye Gods With Scott Carter

Rabbi Susan Goldberg has served on the Los Angeles Unified School District's Faith Advisory Council and the L.A. District Attorney's Interfaith Advisory Board. And Susan was the consulting rabbi for the Emmy-winning Amazon Prime series TRANSPARENT. She's also founder of Nefesh, which calls itself “an open-hearted Jewish community, welcoming all identities, and cultivating empathy, love and justice...

Bill Cain, writer and Jesuit priest, discusses his two most recent books: THE DIARY OF JESUS CHRIST, which re-imagines the carpenter from Nazareth, and THE BOOK OF CAIN: ON ADDING A NEW BOOK TO THE FAMILY BIBLE, which tells of Bill being the primary caregiver for his dying mother. You can check out some of his writing on Showtime’s YOUR HONOR, starring Bryan Cranston, as well as HOUSE OF CARDS and...

Author, translator, and mystic teacher, Mirabai Starr, whose newly revised edition of her 2013 book, GOD OF LOVE: A GUIDE TO THE HEART OF JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM, may be a balm to a world weary of politicization, polarization, ignorance and fear. She is also the author of WILD MERCY: LIVING THE FIERCE AND TENDER WISDOM OF THE WOMEN MYSTICS, in which she explores how women across faith trad...

Amy Ephron, author of the new mystery novel UNSEASONABLY COLD, says was fueled by a feeling of “collective grief”. You can hear Amy talk more on that subject in the documentary "Everything is Copy" about her eldest sister, Nora Ephron.  In addition to her books for adults, Amy has also written a trilogy of books for middle-grade readers: CASTLE IN THE MIST, CARNIVAL MAGIC and THE OTHER SIDE OF THE...

Samuel D. Hunter is a playwright best-known for THE WHALE, which he adapted for the film, directed by Darren Aronsky, for which  Brendan Fraser won the Oscar for Best Actor.  His New York Drama Critics' Award winning play A CASE FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD, opens September 5th at the Rogue Machine Theatre in Los Angeles. The play is set in a cubicle in which two people are seated: Keith is a mortgage...

My guest is Lee C. Camp, the host of the NPR show NO SMALL ENDEAVOR, which explores what it means to live a good life. Before the break, Lee described his childhood Christian community, the Church of Christ. Despite that church’s founding principle being unity with other Christians, Lee absorbed many doctrines that left him with what he calls “theological baggage.” Lee also works on another podcas...

ESPN Senior Writer Tom Junod, who has contributed to G.Q., Esquire and The Atlantic. Tom has famously profiled such celebrities as Tony Curtis, Frank Sinatra Jr., and Kevin Spacey. In 1996, he wrote the ESQUIRE cover story “Can You Say...Hero?” about PBS host Mr. Rogers, which inspired the 2019 film A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. Tom Hanks played Fred Rogers and WIDOW’S BAY star Mathew Rhys...

Adriana Trigiani is a bestselling author, host of the podcast, YOU ARE WHAT YOU READ, and director of several films, including the 2020 rom-com THEN CAME YOU starring Craig Ferguson and Kathy Lee Gifford. She’s also adapted her novels BIG STONE GAP, starring Ashley Judd and, for Lifetime, VERY VALENTINE.  Her new book, THE VIEW FROM LAKE COMO, tells of a woman finding her purpose after the death o...

We conclude our miniseries OF GOD AND COUNTRY with professor of Religion and the Arts at Belmont University and author of WE BECOME WHAT WE NORMALIZE: Dr. David Dark. His books include EVERYDAY APOCALYPSE: THE SACRED REVEALED IN RADIOHEAD, THE SIMPSONS, AND OTHER POP CULTURE ICONS, and LIFE’S TOO SHORT TO PRETEND YOU’RE NOT RELIGIOUS. His latest book, WE BECOME WHAT WE NORMALIZE: WHAT WE OWE EACH...

Charlie Sykes is a rarity: Decent, Wisconsin-nice, smiling, gracious, man of integrity in an often transactional profession. He was raised in a liberal, non-religious household, but became a Catholic and a Republican. He's still a Catholic, but no longer a Republican, though still a conservative. A journalist and radio host in Wisconsin for 40 years, and the bestselling author of nine books includ...

As part of our miniseries OF GOD AND COUNTRY, we speak with author, podcaster and journalist for THE ATLANTIC, David Frum. David served as a presidential speechwriter for George W. Bush, has authored 10 books, and now hosts THE DAVID FRUM SHOW and writes for The Atlantic. We’re discussing how both America and classic conservative David have shifted since Donald Trump took over the Oval Office in 2...

As part of our miniseries OF GOD AND COUNTRY, we're talking with activist and TV and film star from A HANDMAID’S TALE, GET OUT, and THE WEST WING, Bradley Whitford about his relationship to religion, after being raised a Quaker by atheist leaning parents.  Brad attended All Saints Episcopal in Pasadena during priest-in-charge Ed Bacon’s leadership. Bacon is now retired but the church, founded in 1...

We’ll look at two American stories: The Christian Right and Muslim-American Immigrants. We’ll hear from former Senior Director at the Obama White House and Senior Advisor at the State Department, Nayyera Haq. The daughter of Pakistani Muslim parents, she describes how her 1980’s childhood on Staten Island led to her working to elect Barack Obama. But first: CBS News national correspondent for Sund...

Jonathan Alter: author, columnist, pundit, podcaster, filmmaker and lecturer. Jon executive-produced Amazon Prime’s 2013 satirical series ALPHA HOUSE, created by Pulitzer-Prize-winning Doonesbury cartoonist Gary Trudeau, and starred John Goodman. We discuss how religion influenced the founding fathers and why the “separation of church and state” is a controversial American idea, which doesn’t appe...

Scott talks with actor, activist, 4-time Grammy-winning rapper, and half of hip-hop supergroup, Run The Jewels, Killer Mike. In the episode, Mike talks about his admiration for - and friendship with - Civil Rights icon and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Andrew Young, growing up in the all-Black neighborhood of Atlanta’s Collier Heights, and his musical evolution. Learn more about spo...

Actress and comedian Susie Essman, who played Susie Green on CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, is poised to reteam with Larry David and an all star cast, including past YE GODS! guest Larry Wilmore, for HBO’s LIFE, LARRY AND THE PURSUIT OF UNHAPPINESS. Susie's 2009 memoir is "WHAT WOULD SUSIE SAY?: BS WISDOM ABOUT LOVE, LIFE AND COMEDY". She and bff Joy Behar appeared on stage together last year in Joy’s off-...

Danielle Crittenden is a journalist and author. Her new book is DISPATCHES FROM GRIEF: A MOTHER’S JOURNEY THROUGH THE UNTHINKABLE. Danielle’s Atlantic article "ON LOSING A DAUGHTER" and husband David Frum’s article "MIRANDA’S LAST GIFT", also for Atlantic, explore their sudden loss of their daughter Miranda at 32, the time they had with her, and how they both processed that loss.  Danielle also re...

Stephen Mitchell is an author, editor, and translator of classic and spiritual literature. His 1988 translation into English of the TAO TE CHING by Lao Tzu, and its accompanying audio book have been indispensable guides to millions of seekers.  We discuss how spiritual texts come to be written, the history of the translating and compiling of the Christian gospels, and why Stephen was compelled to...

Kevin Nealon is an Emmy-nominated writer and cast member on SNL, and host of Hiking with Kevin in addition to his many other TV and film appearances and his comedy specials, most recently, Loose in the Crotch . His new film Mermaid , starring opposite Robert Patrick and Johnny Pemberton, debuted in limited release on April 8th and will go wide on May 26th He also plays the banjo and has published...

Larry Wilmore has one of the most impressive resumes in TV from IN LIVING COLOR to the BERNIE MAC SHOW, THE DAILY SHOW to BLACKISH and INSECURE. His acclaimed podcast for The Ringer LARRY WILMORE: BLACK ON THE AIR, just wrapped up in December of 2025 after 289 episodes.  Larry will appear in Larry David’s new HBO mini series LIFE, LARRY AND THE PURSUIT OF UNHAPPINESS: AN ALMOST HISTORY OF AMERICA...

Rabbi Steve Leder - named by Newsweek Magazine twice as one of the ten most influential rabbis in America and over his 37 year tenure at Los Angeles’ oldest synagogue, Wilshire Boulevard Temple - has ushered thousands of families through life’s most joyous and heartbreaking moments. He's been a contributor to THE TODAY SHOW, CBS SUNDAY MORNING, CNN, and NPR. Steve’s Most recent book, New York Time...

Sharon Lawrence is a 6-time Emmy nominated actress – including three for her portrayal of Assistant D.A. Sylvia Costas on Steven Bochco and David Milch’s ground-breaking NYPD BLUE, for which she won the SAG AWARD for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. She was also nominated for her work on GREY’S ANATOMY. Sharon has appeared in hundreds of TV episodes and films, and starred...

Michael Patrick King is an Emmy-winning producer, writer, director, and prime mover behind the global cultural phenomena that is SEX IN THE CITY. He's also creator of the long-running sit-com TWO BROKE GIRLS on CBS and THE COMEBACK, starring Lisa Kudrow, now on HBO Michael talks about which vestiges of growing up Catholic have stayed with him. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoic...

Comedian, actor, and author John Hodgman is the host of the popular JUDGE JOHN HODGMAN podcast, and New York Times Magazine column. His 2017 memoir VACATION LAND: TRUE STORIES FROM PAINFUL BEACHES, chronicles the mishaps and triumphs of John’s quest to make sense of life. John’s childhood as a self-identifying outsider helped him create the knee-slappingly funny FX animated series DICKTOWN, The se...

Author and actress Annabelle Gurwitch tells tales of the “Itinerant, scam artists, and hucksters”, who hang from the branches of her family tree in her 2017 memoir WHEREVER YOU GO, THERE THEY ARE: STORIES ABOUT MY FAMILY YOU MIGHT RELATE TO. Most kids see their lives as normal and, only later, realize how absurd their homelife was. Her new memoir is THE END OF MY LIFE IS KILLING ME: THE UNEXPECTED...