Life After God

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 question I get more than any other is how to face death as an atheist. Whether it is the death of a loved one or ones own death, the prospect of mortality is one of the main things that keeps religion thriving in our world. Likewise, understanding grief and how to face it as an atheist is essential for a vibrant life after God.Become of member of the Life After God community and help make this podcast possible. Join today at www.patreon.com/lifeaftergodVisit our website at www.lifeaftergod.orgFollow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ourlifeaftergod), Twitter (www.twitter.com/ourlifeaftergod), and Instagram (www.instagram.com/ourlifeaftergod).

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 disabilities live with those who care for them.LINKSJean Vanier, Savior of People on the Margins, Dies at 90 (New York Times) | https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/07/obituaries/jean-vanier-dead.htmlBecoming Human, by Jean Vanier | https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Human-10th-Anniversary-Vanier/dp/0809145871L'Arche | https://www.larche.orgJean Vanier on OnBeing with Krista Tippett | https://onbeing.org/programs/jean-vanier-the-wisdom-of-tenderness/

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 expectancy is between three and five years. As a result of this heavy news, Dave has chosen to live the remainder of his life very deliberately; to die out loud, as he says.We talk about his conversion to Christianity, his ministry in the Foursquare Church, his departure from the church and his eventual atheism and its effect on his relationships. In the second half we talk about his ALS diagnosis, what the prospect of death means to him and what he is already learning on this journey.Special thanks to Cass Midgley for his production and post-production assistance, and to Marie D'Elephant for helping me schedule Dave and for all her support along the way.Our executive producer is Jeff Straka.LINKSDave's website | http://

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!LINKSVideo of Aaron's presentation to Triangle Freethought Society | https://youtu.be/m2zw3ZSSnN4Embrace the Void podcast | https://voidpod.com/podcastsPhilosophers in Space podcast | https://0gphilosophy.libsyn.com/What is moral realism? (according to the IEP) | https://www.iep.utm.edu/moralrea/Life After God website | http://www.lifeaftergod.orgSupport this podcast by becoming a member | http://www.patreon.com/lifeaftergodFollow Life After God on Twitter | http://www.twitter.com/ourlifeaftergodFollow Ryan Bell on Twitter | http://www.twitter.com/ryanjbell

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 the lives of 50 people.How can we talk about Islam and Muslims without being a bigot? On the one hand, individuals absolutely have the right to challenge and criticize and type of ideology or belief, including Islam, especially in open, democratic societies. On the other hand, we cannot separate our criticism of religion from the social and political context in which we make those critiques. Timing and tone do matter. While all critiques may be permitted, not all comments are advisable at every moment if we care about the lives of those who are most effected.Ideology has consequences, as we have seen with acts of terror that run the ideological spectrum from Nazism, to white nationalism and identitarianism (such as t

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.BIOEmily is a spoken word poet, yoga teacher and activist living and working in Nashville, Tennessee. Her advocacy takes place at the intersection of faith, sexuality and healing, and her work has been featured in Time, Cosmopolitan, Jezebel, Mother Jones, The Huffington Post and more. Emily is the co-creator of the #ChurchToo hashtag, a #MeToo spinoff exposing sexual violence in Christian churches and other faith communities. She is also a sexuality education writer for the website Scarleteen and in her spare time, works at a church. More about Emily and her work can be found at emilyjoypoetry.com. You can find Emily online on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at the username, @EmilyJoyPoetry (links below).LINKS Emily Joy's website | http://www.emilyjoypoetry.comAs a Teen, Emily Joy Was Abus

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 religion, adolescents and emerging adults, and social theory. Smith received his MA and PhD from Harvard University in 1990 and his BA from Gordon College in 1983. He was a Professor of Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for 12 years before his move to Notre Dame. Christian is the author of at least 17 books including the extremely influential, "Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America," published in 2000. His new book is entitled, "Atheist Overreach: What Atheism Can’t Deliver."You might want to pair this conversation with episode 63: Seven Types of Atheism with John GrayHave a thought about this episode that you'd like to share? Write to me at ryan@lifeaftergod.o

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 that while the content of my beliefs had changed, I was still viewing the world through old ways of thinking. This realization began a personal and professional quest to find effective antidotes to fundamentalism.Over the years I've discovered evidence-based clinical practices, conducted my own personal experiments, and learned a lot from the collective wisdom of others who have effectively undermined the influence of fundamentalism in their lives.Max Tang has been on a similar journey and is exploring the many ways curiosity can help us thrive after religion through her speaking and writing. You can find more about her work at https://www.maxgetscurious.com/.In the podcast, we reference the work of Todd Kashdan's re

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 need to realize is that "we're all in this together."Alix is a writer, activist, and social commentator who typically discusses race, religion, and politics in culture. He’s been featured in Ebony Magazine, Time Magazine Online, and is a contributor to various books and articles on science, tech, and the impact of religion in the African American community. His activism includes building bridges for humans through discourse, and finding literal safe spaces for Nonbelievers, LGBT Youth, and recovery programs for survivors of abuse.He’s an academic nomad whose graduate studies range from Computing and Data interpretation from Columbia University and Northwestern - to challenging the ideas of the mind with studies in Psych

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 community in Houston, Jessica frequently teaches writing workshops for Inprint, Writespace, Grackle & Grackle, Writers’ League of Texas, and Boldface, the University of Houston’s annual conference for emerging writers.Visit Jessica's website | https://jessicawilbanks.comBuy her book | https://www.amazon.com/When-Spoke-Tongues-Story-Faith/dp/0807092231Become a member of Life After God today | http://www.patreon.com/lifeaftergodVisit the Life After God website | http://www.lifeaftergod.orgLike and follow our Facebook page | https://www.facebook.com/ourlifeaftergodFollow us on Twitter | http://www.twitter.com/ourlifeaftergod...and Instagram | https://instagram.com/ourlifeaftergodAlso, don't forget to check out the Sec

Content Advisory: religious trauma, physical and sexual abuseToday 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 Christian missions, brushes with death, extreme shaming, and misadventures in Christian education.Today, Alexis the mother of two remarkable children, a volunteer leader at Sunday Assembly San Diego, an the author of the chapter, Women v. Indoctrination, in the book, Women v. Religion: The Case Against Faith—and for Freedom, edited by Karen Garst, and published by Pitchstone Publishing. Elements of Alexis’ story are being told here for the very first time and may be difficult listening, especially if you have survived abuse of any kind, but especially religious abuse.Women v. Religion, edited by Karen Garst | https://goo.gl/gcoiX6#Exvangelical#ExposeChristianSchools

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, Black Mass: Apocalyptic Religion and the Death of Utopia, and, most recently, Seven Types of Atheism, which is not so much a strict typology of atheism. Indeed, what would such a project entail since atheism is one thing and one thing only. Rather, it’s a fascinating, enlightening, sometimes irritating survey of the various schools of thought into which atheists have fallen in the past several centuries.LINKSOrder "Seven Types of Atheism" | https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374261092Book review by Terry Eagleton | https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/apr/11/seven-types-atheism-john-gray-review-atheist-believer-material-worldBook review in New Humanist by Ralph Jones | https://newhumanist.org.uk/articles/5328/book

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/lifeaftergodVisit the website: www.lifeaftergod.org

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 by and alienated from conservative religious communities. His recent writing has appeared in Religion Dispatches and Playboy.LINKSChris's website | www.chrisstroop.comChris's Twitter | www.twitter.com/C_Stroop#Exvangelical Twitter hashtag | www.twitter.com/search/?q=%23exvangelicals#EmptyThePews Twitter hashtag | www.twitter.com/search/?q=%23emptythepewsWhy I Am Not an Atheist | www.chrisstroop.com/2018/02/11/why-i-am-not-an-atheist/The Spectacular Nadir of American Evangelicalism | www.playboy.com/read/the-spectacular-nadir-of-american-evangelicism-1Support the Life After God podcast at www.patreon.com/lifeaftergodLife After God website | www.lifeaftergod.org

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:http://www.lifeaftergod.org/059-how-and-why-we-believe-part-1/or read the transcript here:https://www.roomtothrive.com/blog/2018/3/24/how-and-why-we-believeIn this episode, James talks about going through a deconversion when your partner is still a believer. Mixed-faith relationships are common and can be maintained but they often test the strongest of bonds as a couple renegotiates the essential elements of their relationship.By focusing on HOW we believe we can more easily unite around the shared human experience of living with a believing brain. Of course, WHAT we believe will continue to be important but perhaps understanding the HOW and WHY will allow us to relax our grip a little bit on the WHAT.In addition to discussing how divergent beliefs impact relationships, t

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 with two of his close friends and trusted colleagues about how beliefs are formed and how they function for us individually and within relationships.A former Catholic, an ex-Mormon, and a post-Evangelical walk into a bar......and geek out about psychology and the human experience.Carolyn Golden, Psy.D. is a clinical psychologist, who, in addition to her clinical practice, teaches psychology at Boise State University. Carolyn's interest in how we create and maintain beliefs resulted in her developing and teaching The Psychology of Belief.James Connelly, Psy.D. is a clinical psychologist with and an infectious curiosity about how our brains work and a fascination with WHY and HOW we believe. James is currently writing a

*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 subject of forgiveness. Those of us who grew up in the church know that forgiveness is a central virtue. But post-Christianity, Christian appears much more sinister. Building on my conversation with Anais, I ask Gretchen and Brian to reflect on the subject of forgiveness from their personal experience and expertise as therapists.LINKSRoom to Thrive | www.roomtothrive.comBooks by Anais Chartschenko | www.amazon.com/Anais-Chartschenko/e/B00J4QSO7CLife After God website | www.lifeaftergod.org#metoo #churchtoo

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 interreligious spheres.LINKSLearn more about Varun Soni and his work at his personal website: www.varunsoni.com.Office of Religious Life at USC: www.orl.usc.eduRoom to Thrive: https://www.roomtothrive.com/

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.orgLearn more about Life After God at www.lifeaftergod.orgSupport the Life After God at www.patreon.com/lifeaftergod

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.orgSupport the Life After God: www.patreon.com/lifeaftergodBuy the book here: http://amzn.to/2CuahAD