Beyond Atheism Podcast

Even in the most secular countries, some regions are very religious while some are more secular. In this episode, Prof. Tina Block takes us through the history of irreligion in the Pacific Northwest, traditionally the region with the lowest church attendance, religious identification, and participation in both the US and Canada. She describes the factors that helped shape the secular culture there as well as the impact that class, gender, and family had on forging a life free from religious compulsion.Tina’s book, The Secular Northwest: Religion and Irreligion in Everyday Postwar Life (UBC Press): https://www.ubcpress.ca/the-secular-northwestNathan is presenting a talk, “No Gods, No Masters: The Politics of Atheism,” at the Nonreligion and Secularity Research Network conference on June 17th. For more details, see the conference program: https://nonreligionandsecularity.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/2021-nsrn-preliminary-conference-programme-03-2021.pdfRegister here if you are interested: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdC1DqY-hq-MXBE6ovsECaV2NOIjaM8TdDxGAWVdNaUX2J1Lw/viewformFollow Nathan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NathGAlexanderNathan’s website: https://www.nathangalexander.com/If you find the podcast valuable and want to support it, go to https://anchor.fm/beyond-atheism and click the “Support” button. We are grateful for every contribution.

Today we talk about what happens when a government tries to create an atheist society. This was attempted at various times in the brief history of the USSR – with surprising results. To help us understand the Soviets’ campaign against religion, we are joined by Dr. Victoria Smolkin. We discuss the Soviets’ struggle against religion, from building a secular administrative state, to militant atheism, to rapprochement, all while learning that the dreaded “godless commies” weren’t quite what they were made out to be.Victoria’s book, A Sacred Space Is Never Empty: A History of Soviet Atheism (Princeton University Press, 2018): https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691174273/a-sacred-space-is-never-emptyMore on Victoria: https://www.wesleyan.edu/academics/faculty/vsmolkin/profile.htmlFollow Victoria on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SmolkinVictoriaFollow Nathan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NathGAlexanderNathan’s website: https://www.nathangalexander.com/If you find the podcast valuable and want to support it, go to https://anchor.fm/beyond-atheism and click the “Support” button. We are grateful for every contribution.

In this episode, Nathan and Todd are joined by Dr. Clare Stainthorp, an expert in atheism and freethought in nineteenth-century Britain. We talk about Clare’s exploration of the brief but amazing life of freethinking scientist/poet Constance Naden. We draw links between freethought and radical politics, and also make connections between the way freethinkers created community in the past and ‘zine culture. Another amazing and insightful hour!Follow Clare on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ClareGS87Clare’s book, Constance Naden: Scientist, Philosopher, Poet:https://www.peterlang.com/view/title/65828Clare’s article on Constance Naden’s life: https://dangerouswomenproject.org/2016/11/11/3646/Nineteenth-Century Religion, Literature and Society: Disbelief and New Beliefs, co-edited by Clare Stainthorp and Naomi Hetherington: https://www.routledge.com/Nineteenth-Century-Religion-Literature-and-Society-Disbelief-and-New-Beliefs/Hetherington-Stainthorp/p/book/9781138572850For more on freethinkers and feminism in the nineteenth century, see Laura Schwartz’s Infidel Feminism: Secularism, Religion and Women's Emancipation, England 1830–1914: https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9780719085826/Information from the Secular Coalition on the upcoming American Supreme Court decision in the Fulton v. City of Philadelphia case, which has important implications religious organization’s ability to discriminate on grounds of sexual orientation, marital status, religion, etc.: https://www.decisionday.org/Follow Nathan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NathGAlexanderNathan’s website: https://www.nathangalexander.com/If you find the podcast valuable and want to support it, go to https://anchor.fm/beyond-atheism and click the “Support” button. We are grateful for every contribution.

In this episode, Todd and Nathan discuss Nathan’s recent article, “Reading John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty in the Age of ‘Cancel Culture’ and ‘Fake News’.” We discuss Mill’s famous defense of free speech and its limits. Along the way, we talk about the implications for present-day issues like “cancel culture,” Antifa’s answer to hate speech, and religious tolerance in a secular world.Reading John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty in the Age of “Cancel Culture” and “Fake News”: https://www.liberalcurrents.com/reading-john-stuart-mills-on-liberty-in-the-age-of-cancel-culture-and-fake-news/Karl Popper’s Paradox of Tolerance: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox_of_toleranceExamples of “cancel culture” we discuss:3 cases of people being fired for innocuous things: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/06/stop-firing-innocent/613615/Gina Carano: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gina_Carano#Social_media_controversyCanceled young-adult novelist: https://reason.com/2019/02/28/he-was-part-of-a-twitter-mob-that-attack/For Todd’s post-episode reflections, check out: https://todd-tavares.medium.com/Follow Nathan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NathGAlexanderNathan’s website: https://www.nathangalexander.com/If you find the podcast valuable and want to support it, go to https://anchor.fm/beyond-atheism and click the “Support” button. We are grateful for every contribution.

In this episode, Nathan and Todd discuss the book, The Seven Types of Atheism, by John Gray. We talk about the seven types and offer comments and criticism along the way. Among the questions we raise are: Must atheists be miserable? Can atheists celebrate Christmas? Is there meaning in life for atheists?It’s not necessary to read the book before listening, but if you want a shorter entry into Gray’s writing, check out his article, “What scares the new atheists”: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/03/what-scares-the-new-atheistsFor Todd’s post-episode reflections, check out: https://todd-tavares.medium.com/Follow Nathan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NathGAlexanderNathan’s website: https://www.nathangalexander.com/If you find the podcast valuable and want to support it, go to https://anchor.fm/beyond-atheism and click the “Support” button. We are grateful for every contribution.

In this episode, Todd and Nathan talk with Dr. Charles Devellennes about atheism in the French Enlightenment, the recent gilets jaunes (yellow vests) protests in France, next year’s French presidential election, and France’s model of secularism. Charles is a Senior Lecturer in Political and Social Thought at the School of Politics and International Relations, University of Kent, and the author of the recent books: Positive Atheism: Bayle, Meslier, d'Holbach, Diderot (Edinburgh University Press) and The Gilets Jaunes and the New Social Contract (Bristol University Press).Positive Atheism: Bayle, Meslier, d'Holbach, Diderot: https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-positive-atheism.htmlThe Gilets Jaunes and the New Social Contract: https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/the-gilets-jaunes-and-the-new-social-contractFollow Charles on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CDevellennesFor Todd’s post-episode reflections, check out: https://todd-tavares.medium.com/Follow Nathan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NathGAlexanderNathan’s website: https://www.nathangalexander.com/

In this episode, Todd and Nathan talk with Dr. Greg Sharzer about his new book, Late Escapism and Contemporary Neoliberalism: Alienation, Work and Utopia (Routledge). We talk about religion as a means of escapism, as well secular ways of escaping the current neoliberal moment through things like video games, BTS fandom, DisneyLand, and the alternatives to market capitalism that informed his previous book No Local: Why Small-Scale Alternatives Won't Change The World.Late Escapism and Contemporary Neoliberalism: Alienation, Work and Utopia: https://www.routledge.com/Late-Escapism-and-Contemporary-Neoliberalism-Alienation-Work-and-Utopia/Sharzer/p/book/9781138242319No Local: Why Small-Scale Alternatives Won't Change The World: https://www.johnhuntpublishing.com/zer0-books/our-books/no-localIf you would like a PDF of any of these books, feel free to email Greg directly: greg.sharzer@utoronto.caFor Todd’s post-episode reflections, check out: https://todd-tavares.medium.com/Follow Nathan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NathGAlexanderNathan’s website: https://www.nathangalexander.com/

In this episode, Nathan and Todd talk with Dr. Kimberly Hamlin about her new book, Free Thinker: Sex, Suffrage, and the Extraordinary Life of Helen Hamilton Gardener. Gardener (1853-1925) lived a fascinating life: she was a freethought lecturer, a world traveler, and a key organizer for women’s suffrage. She was described as the “most potent factor” in the passage – in 1919 – of the 19th Amendment to the US constitution which granted women the right to vote. We talk about a range of topics including how her agnosticism was the starting point for her feminism, the question of race and women’s suffrage, and the interesting fate of HHG’s brain.Free Thinker: Sex, Suffrage, and the Extraordinary Life of Helen Hamilton Gardener: https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324004974For more on Kimberly Hamlin: http://www.kimberlyhamlin.com/author/Follow Kimberly on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProfessorHamlinFollow Nathan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NathGAlexanderFor Todd’s post-episode reflections, check out: https://todd-tavares.medium.com/Buy Kimberly’s book first, but if you are in the mood for a second, check out Nathan’s Race in a Godless World: Atheism, Race, and Civilization, 1850-1914: https://nyupress.org/9781479835003/race-in-a-godless-world/

In this episode, Todd and Nathan discuss the history of atheism and its lessons for the present. How have atheists in the past lived? What barriers did they face? What values and politics did they espouse? We uncover some surprising commonalities and differences.Nathan’s article on the history of agnosticism:  https://thehumanist.com/magazine/march-april-2019/philosophically-speaking/philosophically-speaking-an-atheist-with-a-tall-hat-on-the-forgotten-history-of-agnosticism/Nathan’s book, Race in a Godless World: https://nyupress.org/9781479835003/race-in-a-godless-world/Twitter thread on the British Census of 1851: https://twitter.com/ClareGS87/status/1372905963607441418For people in the United States who have belonged to secular communities, please fill out the Secular Communities Survey: https://secularcommunities.com/surveyFor Todd’s post-episode reflections, check out: https://todd-tavares.medium.com/Follow Nathan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NathGAlexanderNathan’s website: https://www.nathangalexander.com/

In this episode, Nathan and Todd talk with Andrew Grossen, the Communications Manager at Secular Coalition for America. Among other things, we talk about the referendum campaigns Andrew worked on while in Ireland for the legalization of abortion, same-sex marriage, and blasphemy, and his current work with the Secular Coalition.Secular Coalition for America: https://secular.org/Twitter: https://twitter.com/seculardotorgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/SecularCoalitionAndrew’s recent piece about Ireland: https://secular.org/2021/03/stpaddys/The tweet dunking on Ted Cruz: https://twitter.com/seculardotorg/status/1285168729119170560?s=20For Todd’s post-episode reflections, check out: https://todd-tavares.medium.com/Follow Nathan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NathGAlexanderNathan’s website: https://www.nathangalexander.com/