I interview Ryan Cragun, co-author of Beyond Doubt: The Secularization of Society, a new book that makes a compelling argument that secularization has indeed been happening, both in the United States and around the world. You can buy a copy of Beyond Doubt for yourself. Theme music courtesy of Body Found. Follow American Freethought on the intertub…

I interview Matt Johnson, whose new book How Hitchens Can Save the Left argues that the late Christopher Hitchens's staunch defense of classical liberalism is still useful, even 11 years after his death, in helping the American Left to resist some of its more illiberal tendencies. Buy a copy of How Hitchens Can Save the Left for yourself! Theme mus…

I interview Joseph Monninger, a college professor and novelist who discovered, only three days after his retirement, that he had terminal lung cancer and likely only months to live. His memoir Goodbye to Clocks Ticking is a heartfelt, humanistic account of facing death and processing an unexpected reprieve. Buy a copy of Goodbye to Clocks Ticking f…

I interview Bradley Onishi, cohost of the Straight White American Jesus podcast, and author of the new book Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism—And What Comes Next. It's a terrifying look at the recent history of Christian nationalism and evangelical support for anti-democratic ideas. For more about Bradley and h…

I interview Daniel Sokatch, CEO of the New Israel Fund and author of Can We Talk about Israel? A Guide for the Curious, Confused, and Conflicted. Buy a copy of Can We Talk about Israel? for yourself. For more about the New Israel Fund, visit NIF.org. Theme music courtesy of Body Found. Follow American Freethought on the intertubes: Website: America…

I interview Emily Dreyfuss, co-author (with Dr. Joan Donovan and Brian Friedberg) of Meme Wars: The Untold Story of the Online Battles Upending Democracy in America. Buy a copy of Meme Wars for yourself. Theme music courtesy of Body Found. Follow American Freethought on the intertubes: Website: AmericanFreethought.com Twitter: @AMERFREETHOUGHT Face…

With less than two weeks to go before the midterms, I talk with David A. Hollinger, history professor at the University of California, Berkley, and author of Christianity's American Fate: How Religion Became More Conservative and Society More Secular. This timely new book explores how, while American culture remains overwhelmingly secular, evangeli…

For this special episode, I'm joined by podcast co-founder and co-host emeritus David Driscoll. We talk about the recent disastrous Supreme Court rulings (Carson v Makin, Kennedy v Bremerton, and Dobbs v Jackson); the ramifications of the House Select Committee on the events of January 6, 2021; and possible Constitutional crises and other terrifyin…

I interview Nadya Dutchin, the new Executive Director of the American Humanist Association. Our wide-ranging discussion includes her plans and hopes for the AHA; reaction to the gun massacres in Buffalo, NY and Uvalde, TX; raising secular kids in the current social and political climate; the effect of the newly conservative Supreme Court on litigat…

I speak to two members of the leadership of the Association of Secular Elected Officials (ASEO), a new organization devoted to helping elected officials be authentic about their beliefs and ethics, and providing a forum for elected officials to connect with each other for education, support and fellowship. Leonard Pressberg is the founder and presi…

I interview Christopher M. Finan, Executive Director of the National Coalition Against Censorship, and author of the new book How Free Speech Saved Democracy: The Untold History of How the First Amendment Became an Essential Tool for Securing Liberty and Social Justice. Buy a copy of How Free Speech Saved Democracy for yourself! For more about Chri…

I interview Kevin Bolling, Executive Director of the Secular Student Alliance, a non-profit organization whose purpose is to educate high school and college students about the value of scientific reason and the intellectual basis of secularism in its atheistic and humanistic manifestations. We talk about how SSA was affected by the pandemic, about …

I interview Andrew Fiala about his new book Tyranny from Plato to Trump: Fools, Sycophants, and Citizens. It's an exploration of the psychological and social dynamics involving tyrants and would-be tyrants, their enablers, and the mobs who cheer them on. For more about Andrew visit AndrewFiala.com. Buy a copy of Tyranny from Plato to Trump here. Al…

I interview Crawford Gribben, author of The Rise and Fall of Christian Ireland, a fascinating history of the island from the late Roman Era through the rapid secularization of the 21st century. Buy a copy of The Rise and Fall of Christian Ireland for yourself! Follow Crawford on Twitter @GribbenC. Theme music courtesy of Body Found. Follow American…

On the tenth anniversary of the death of Christopher Hitchens, I talk with philosophy professor and fellow podcaster Ben Burgis about his new book Christopher Hitchens: What He Got Right, How He Went Wrong, and Why He Still Matters. Buy a copy of Ben's book Christopher Hitchens for yourself. For more about Ben visit BenBurgis.com. Check out Ben's p…

From Pepe the Frog to the kidding-not-kidding white power hand sign, conservatives are increasingly using "humor" and weird "inside jokes" to spread hate-speech, bigotry, and violent threats. The latest tiresome fad is the phrase "Let's Go Brandon," which is a not-so-thinly-veiled substitute for the more blunt "Fuck Joe Biden." Republican congressm…

I interview Duquesne law professor Bruce Ledewitz about his new book The Universe Is on Our Side: Restoring Faith in American Public Life. Bruce is a secularist who nonetheless proposes that the current societal crisis in America (and perhaps the entire Western world) is rooted in the aftermath of what Neitzsche called "the Death of God." It's a co…

I interview David G. McAfee about his new book Hi, I'm an Atheist!: What That Means and How to Talk About It with Others. Buy a copy of Hi, I'm an Atheist! for yourself. For more about David, follow him on Facebook. Theme music courtesy of Body Found. Follow American Freethought on the intertubes: Website: AmericanFreethought.com Twitter: @AMERFREE…

I interview Leigh Eric Schmidt, a professor at Washington University in St. Louis, and author of The Church of Saint Thomas Paine: A Religious History of American Secularism, which looks at the struggles of 19th century freethinkers to define themselves in contrast to traditional religion and traditional religious organizations. Buy a copy of The C…

I interview philosopher and author Thomas Cathcart about his new book There Is No God and Mary Is His Mother, a thought-provoking exploration aimed at ex-Christians and even atheists, which asks whether Christianity can be credible, meaningful, and practical absent the traditional theological formulas and doctrines. Buy a copy of There Is No God an…

I interview award-winning popular science writer Mary Roach about her new book Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law. It's a humorous look at the serious topic of human-animal conflict in an age of exploding population and global warming. Buy your very own copy of Fuzz. For more about Mary and her work visit MaryRoach.net. This was Mary's third appearan…

I interview Harvard Professor Jennifer Hochschild about her new book Genomic Politics: How the Revolution in Genomic Science Is Shaping American Society. To buy a copy of Genomic Politics, click here. Plus: America is finally out of Afghanistan. Unfortunately, the chaotic end to US withdrawal will be an ongoing political controversy; and, of course…

I interview Dr. Obery M. Hendricks, Jr. about his new book Christians Against Christianity, a scathing rebuke from a progressive Christian perspective against how (white) conservative Christians pursue political power while ignoring the central teachings of Jesus regarding love, mercy, tolerance, and justice. Plus: It looks like America is getting …

I interview Representative Jared Huffman (Democrat representing California's 2nd District), co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional Freethought Caucus. We talk about the origins, purpose, and recent activity of the Freethought Caucus; about perennial issues (like the national motto, the Pledge of Allegiance, legislative prayer, etc.) of concer…

I interview John V. Petrocelli, Professor of Psychology at Wake Forest University, about his new book The Life-Changing Science of Detecting Bullshit. What exactly is bullshit, and how does it differ from a lie? Why do people bullshit? And how can we become better at identifying and countering bullshit? These are all important questions given our c…

I interview Muhammad Syed, President of Ex-Muslims of North America. We discuss the critical mission of his organization, as well as their new Apostate Report, which analyzes the demographics of Muslims who live in the United States and Canada who leave the faith, and breaks down the reasons their decision and the challenges they face as a result. …

I interview skeptical investigator, author, and podcaster Benjamin Radford. Our wide-ranging conversation covers various topics, including the Pentagon's pending release of a report on UFOs [latebreaking info: the nine-page report, titled "Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena" was released on June 25, 2021 by the Director of Nation…

I interview Daniel A. Sjursen, retired combat veteran and former West Point history instructor, about his new book A True History of the United States, which tackles head-on the dark aspects of America's past: racism, genocide, conquest, and capitalist hegemony. For more about Danny and his work visit SkepticalVet.com. To buy a copy of his book cli…

I interview historian Philip Jenkins about his new book Climate, Catastrophe, and Faith: How Changes in Climate Drive Religious Upheaval, in which he rewrites the familiar approaches to the history of religion, argues that climate is the missing dimension in religious history, and offers a timely discussion of future trends in religion during an er…

I interview Roy Speckhardt, Executive Director of the American Humanist Association and author of Justice-Centered Humanism: How (and Why) to Engage in Public Policy for Good. We talk about how Humanists can expand their concerns from separation of church and state to current issues like race, class, gender, and sexuality; his impending retirement …

I interview German astrophysicist Dr. Heino Falcke, who led the international team of scientists and technicians that created the first image of a black hole. Heino's new book is Light in the Darkness: Black Holes, the Universe, and Us. For more about Heino and his work visit HeinoFalcke.org. To buy a copy of his book click here. Theme music courte…

I interview Princeton's Dr. Michael Gordin about his new book On the Fringe: Where Science Meets Pseudoscience, an exploration of the "demarcation problem"; i.e., how to separate science from non-science. For more about Michael and his work visit MichaelGordin.com. To buy a copy of his book click here. (At the top of the show, a clip from Irish com…

I interview journalist (and senior fellow at the Cato Institute's Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity) Mustafa Akyol, author of Reopening Muslim Minds, in which he outlines how the Islamic world lost its way, and how it can move toward progress and modernity by leveraging traditions from its own past. For more about Mustafa and his work visit …

I interview scientist and science advocate Dr. David Robert Grimes about his new book Good Thinking: Why Flawed Logic Puts Us All at Risk and How Critical Thinking Can Save the World. For more about David and his work visit DavidRobertGrimes.com. To buy a copy of the book for yourself click here. Plus: The 21-year-old man who murdered eight people …

I interview Emily Joy Allison, author of #ChurchToo: How Purity Culture Upholds Abuse and How to Find Healing, in which she shares her deeply personal story and offers a way forward for survivors of church-based indoctrination and mistreatment. To buy a copy of this book click here. For more about Emily and her work visit EmilyJoyPoetry.com. Plus: …

I interview Ian Rosenberg, media lawyer, legal counsel for ABC News, and author of The Fight for Free Speech: Ten Cases that Define Our First Amendment Freedoms. For more about Ian and his book visit thefightforfreespeech.com. Plus: Donald Trump survived his second impeachment, and now the Republican Party continues the project of ejecting anyone w…

I interview Dr. Randall Balmer, historian and Episcopal priest, about his new book Solemn Reverence: The Separation of Church and State in American Life. To buy this book click here. Plus: Kudos to the US House of Representatives for removing Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene from her committee assignments, as punishment for promulgating…

I interview Harvard economist Dr. Benjamin M. Friedman about his new book Religion and the Rise of Capitalism. To buy this book click here. Plus: Donald Trump gets impeached. Again. For inciting the riot at the US Capitol. And his impeachment trial begins in the Senate on February 9th. The Justice Department should show no mercy to the rioters who …

Rioters overrun the US Capitol for four hours, disrupting the formal tally of electoral votes by a joint session of Congress. Trump and his surrogates (and a long line of conservative leaders) bear direct responsibility for inciting this violence and feeding dangerous misinformation to their followers. Plus: Democrats will control both Congress and…

I interview Michael Arthur, writer, director, and producer of the documentary I, Pastafari: A Flying Spaghetti Monster Story. For more about the film visit ipastafaridoc.com. Plus: A COVID-19 patient in a California hospital uses an oxygen tank to murder a fellow patient--for praying. The Pope okays COVID-19 vaccines even if they were developed usi…

I interview John R. Hibbing, author of The Securitarian Personality: What Really Motivates Trump's Base and Why It Matters for the Post-Trump Era. Buy a copy of the book for yourself here. Plus: Trump's running out of options in his fraudulent attempt to overturn his election loss. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic gets worse and worse, and Trump an…

I interview Tim Ward, co-author (along with Gleb Tsipursky) of Pro Truth: A Practical Plan for Putting Truth Back Into Politics. We talk about the Pro-Truth Pledge, a tool to enable politicians, government officials, public personalities, and even regular citizens in sharing, honoring, and encouraging the truth as a central foundation for political…

I interview historian David J. Silverman about his book This Land Is Their Land: The Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth Colony, and the Troubled History of Thanksgiving. Buy a copy of the book for yourself here. Plus: Looks like we're getting rid of Trump but not Trumpism. Joe Biden has won the presidency, but the Democrats lost ground in the House of Rep…

I interview Noah Lugeons, author of Outbreak: A Crisis of Faith - How Religion Ruined Our Global Pandemic. Noah is also a co-host of The Scathing Atheist and God Awful Movies podcasts. To buy a copy of Outbreak, click here. Plus: The skeptical community mourns the loss of James "The Amazing" Randi. Humanist Mubarak Bala, held incommunicado for near…

I interview Dr. Richard Carrier about his latest book, Jesus from Outer Space: What the Earliest Christians Really Believed about Christ, which asserts that the teachings of Jesus Christ began as cosmic revelations to a chosen few, and only later did Christian writers create a terrestrial biography for Jesus that borrowed heavily from similar death…

I interview theologian Dr. Craig A. Evans, co-author of Can We Trust the Bible on the Historical Jesus?, which is based on a debate Dr. Evans had some years ago with Dr. Bart Ehrman. (My apologies on the sound quality of the interview itself. We experienced technical difficulties.) For more about Craig Evans and his work visit craigaevans.com. Buy …

I interview Jared Yates Sexton, author of American Rule: How a Nation Conquered the World but Failed Its People, a dark history of the United States from colonial times to the present. Sexton came to national prominence during the 2016 presidential election, when his reporting from Trump rallies earned him death threats. He is also the co-host of T…

Mubarak Bala, president of the Nigerian Humanist Association, was arrested in April 2020, allegedly for a Facebook post that blasphemed against Islam. Since his arrest, no one--not even his lawyer--has seen or heard from Bala. His whereabouts are uncertain, and no one knows if he is alive or dead. I talk with Leo Igwe, Chair of the Board of Trustee…

The Democrats have a ticket! As expected, former Vice President Joe Biden has selected Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate. If elected, Biden will be our second Catholic president, but Harris will make history as the first VP of African descent or of Asian descent. Some conservatives are already circulating a birther conspiracy about her (say…

I talk with Marie D'Elephant, host of Everyone's Autonomous, a new podcast in which she talks "with guests and subject matter experts about how we can begin to move forward after having processed our toxic religious upbringings." We also discuss something else that's in the news more often these days: polyamory, or "ethical non-monogamy." For more …