Beyond Atheism Podcast

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, whether a “True Sentientist” can eat honey or own a pet. In the bonus section, available exclusively to Pa...

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, she gives us her thoughts on other digital nomads, and on the secular movement today. We also learn wh...

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 do we know about the religion of enslaved people? Were there any atheists among them? How did religion...

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 things like having “In God We Trust” on the money, the ubiquitous “God Bless America” in politicians’ sp...

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 from finding like-minded people in Houston to becoming a state organizer and political activist. In the...

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 School District ruling, in which the court found that a high school football coach praying on the sidelin...

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...

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 humanist roots of everyday symbols and objects hiding in plain view. We also ask Maddy whether a “true humanis...

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 and Nathan consider the significance of these symbolic inclusions and the risk they pose to the separatio...

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. Will also explains how his survey methodology revealed a number of “closeted atheists” that traditiona...

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 changes this project has been examining. Listen in to learn how the growth of the nonreligious has altered...

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 prerequisite for giving meaning to life. This deep, far-ranging discussion also touches on how atheists h...

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 discuss how this can challenge deeply held (but untrue) beliefs. In the bonus section, available exclus...

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 Street Pirates program. It is a great how-to on getting people through the doors and then getting them...

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 persistence of institutions like the monarchy and religious privilege, and the challenge of finding the appropr...

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 discussion we learn why after his death the eighteenth-century radical Thomas Paine went from disgrace...

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 Southern Maryland Chapter of the Washington Area Secular Humanists, her role in the controversy over a sex e...

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 the way, we talk about Sam Harris, ex-Muslims, hijabs, and more. We also ask Eiynah whether a “true athe...

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 legislative session for civil rights in more than a decade.” We also ask whether a “true atheist” can suppor...

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 what true atheists can and cannot do. In the bonus content, available exclusively for supporters on Patreo...

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 University, and the author of the new book, Secularism: The Basics. In addition to giving us a practica...

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 more, we are joined by Dr. Anton Jansson, an associate professor and researcher in intellectual history at...

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 podcasts, Embrace the Void and Philosophers in Space. Aaron explains why the absence of a God actually allow...

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 attorney with the Nonhuman Rights Project, and learn how an early interest in animal rights led to her arg...

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 from religious practices. In a wide-ranging conversation, Jacqui explains what a Sunday Assembly service...