Best Nathan Dickey Podcasts (2024)

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#046: The Fundamentalist Fear of Fantasy, Part II (w/ Hertzey Hertz) 1:32:17

4+ y ago1:32:17

1:32:17

This episode is the second and final part of the conversation I had with my friend Hertzey Hertz on her show a couple years ago on her YouTube show Hertzey Talks, and which she has given me permission to mirror here on my own podcast. In Part I, Hertzey and I discussed one aspect of the Satanic Panic of the 1980s, what I have called “The Fundamenta…

1
#045: The Fundamentalist Fear of Fantasy, Part I (w/ Hertzey Hertz) 2:09:10

4+ y ago2:09:10

2:09:10

This episode is a slightly abridged mirror of a different show on which I was a guest a couple years ago, hosted by Hertzey Hertz on her YouTube channel, with her permission. Hertzey and I did a point-by-point commentary and debunking of a fundamentalist Christian program that aired in 1984, titled Deception of a Generation, and which is available …

1
#044: Remembering Jacob Bronowski (w/ Timothy Sandefur) 1:12:12

4+ y ago1:12:12

1:12:12

This episode is a tribute to the late great philosopher, mathematician, poet, and science popularizer Jacob Bronowski (1907-1974). Forerunner to such figures as Carl Sagan and Richard Dawkins, Bronowski was a true Renaissance man of the twentieth century and a pioneer of intellectual communication to the public at large and science popularization. …

1
#043: Sex, Power, and Partisanship (w/ Dr. Hector A. Garcia) 40:13

4+ y ago40:13

40:13

In this episode, we’re diving headlong into two really tricky and complex issues: Evolutionary psychology and the world of politics. It is not intuitive to many people that the modern 21st century political landscape has anything to do with our ancient past as hunter-gatherers in the pre-civilization world, a world in which our distant ancestors we…

1
#042: Power, Politics, and Fundamentalism: Commentary on “The Family” Documentary (w/ Chris Shelton) 1:22:01

4+ y ago1:22:01

1:22:01

The subject of this episode is a secretive group of Christian nationalists and fundamentalists who have insinuated themselves into the world of American politics, including foreign policy, at the highest levels. We are discussing the group or movement simply known as “the Family,” and our vehicle for delving into this very important and eye-opening…

1
#041: Darwin and His Evolutionary Defenders (w/ Dr. David Orenstein) 59:00

4+ y ago59:00

59:00

In this episode, I am joined by special guest Dr. David Orenstein, professor of Anthropology at Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York, to discuss his new book Darwin’s Apostles: The Men Who Fought to Have Evolution Accepted, Their Times, and How the Battle Continues, co-authored with Dr. Abby Hafer and available soon from Humanist…

1
#040: The Case Against Miracles and Apologetics (w/ John W. Loftus) 47:09

5y ago47:09

47:09

The subject of our doubt and scrutiny for this episode is miracles and the metaphysical religious truth-claims that all miracle accounts come pre-packaged with. Joining me in this discussion is my special guest, John W. Loftus, author and editor of the upcoming anthology, The Case against Miracles. John W. Loftus is a leading atheist writer and thi…

1
#039: Sympathy for the Devil (w/ Jon Hammond) 28:36

5y ago28:36

28:36

In this episode, we are exploring the intersection of mythology, history, and common interpretations of ancient texts that many millions hold to be sacred. We’re looking at the biblical depiction of the Christian God’s arch-nemesis and rival in a new light, one that does not take the traditional Christian perspective for granted. If it’s the case t…

1
#038: Escaping Religious Purity Culture (w/ Linda Kay Klein) 44:24

5y ago44:24

44:24

On this episode, we cover the evangelical Christian “purity movement” that emerged primarily as an American phenomenon in the 1990s. This movement built an entire industry out of the concept of purity and abstinence from any and all sexual expression. The resulting subculture saw the marketing of purity rings, purity pledges, and purity balls. But …

1
#037: Christian Nationalism’s Founding Myth (w/ Andrew L. Seidel) 47:34

5y ago47:34

47:34

My guest for this episode is Andrew L. Seidel, an atheist, secular activist, and constitutional and civil rights attorney at the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), which has been instrumental in litigating many successful cases involving entanglements between religion and the US Constitution. Andrew has written extensively about religious fre…

1
#036: Transgender Representation in Fiction (w/ Dharma Kelleher) 51:19

5y ago51:19

51:19

My guest for this episode is Dharma Kelleher. One of the few transgender authors in crime fiction, Dharma writes gritty novels (four in all, with more to come) about outlaws, renegades, and misfits, all with a progressive bent and written from a trans/queer perspective. Her novels include the Jinx Ballou Bounty Hunter series and the Shea Stevens ou…

1
#035: American Intolerance of Immigrants is Not New 30:49

5y ago30:49

30:49

The history of America’s treatment of the “poor and huddled masses” tells a very different story than the one we’re often accustomed to hearing, one of hostility and exclusion toward outsiders who looked to America to live up to its promise. Contrary to popular belief, the poor and huddled masses were never welcome in America. On this episode, we d…

1
A Leap of Doubt #035: American Intolerance of Immigrants is Not New 30:49

5y ago30:49

30:49

The history of America’s treatment of the “poor and huddled masses” tells a very different story than the one we’re often accustomed to hearing, one of hostility and exclusion toward outsiders who looked to America to live up to its promise. Contrary to popular belief, the poor and huddled masses were never welcome in America.On this episode, we di…

1
#034: Did Jesus Exist? (w/ David Fitzgerald) 1:16:13

5+ y ago1:16:13

1:16:13

In this episode, we are doubting the historical existence of a man you may have heard about: Jesus of Nazareth. Ever since critical biblical scholarship began in the eighteenth century, largely a product of the Enlightenment, the consensus among mainstream historians and religious scholars has been that a man named Jesus did historically exist in P…

1
#034: Did Jesus Exist? (w/ David Fitzgerald) 1:16:14

5+ y ago1:16:14

1:16:14

In this episode, we are doubting the historical existence of a man you may have heard about: Jesus of Nazareth. Ever since critical biblical scholarship began in the eighteenth century, largely a product of the Enlightenment, the consensus among mainstream historians and religious scholars has been that a man named Jesus did historically exist in P…

1
#033: Reviewing “Wild Wild Country” (w/ Chris Watson) 1:15:23

5+ y ago1:15:23

1:15:23

Eastern mysticism clashes with rural America in this episode, as we recount a tale of religious bigotry, government paranoia, bombings, wiretapping, poisonings, assassination attempts, and airplane chases. I am joined by my good friend and patron the show Chris Watson, host of The Podunk Polymath Podcast, to review and discuss the six-part Netflix …

1
#032: The Satanic Panic, Fantasy Games, and Religion (w/ Joseph Laycock, PhD) 53:26

5+ y ago53:26

53:26

In this episode, we explore the topic of fantasy role-playing games (RPGs) within the context of the moral panic and cultural stigmatization that surrounded games like Dungeons & Dragons and Vampire: The Masquerade during the Satanic Panic of the 1980s and 1990s. My special guest is Joseph Laycock, PhD, assistant professor of religious studies at T…

1
#031: How Evangelicalism Fosters Sexual Abuse (w/ Carly Gelsinger) 54:15

5+ y ago54:15

54:15

My guest for this episode is Carly Gelsinger, author, writing teacher, and freelance editor. She holds a bachelor’s in psychology from William Jessup University and a master’s in journalism from Boston University. Her work has appeared in local, regional, and national publications. Her first book, which was released this month, is called Once You G…

1
#030: Westworld and Philosophy (w/ Kimberly Engels and James South) 43:11

5+ y ago43:11

43:11

In this episode, there is plenty for us to doubt, because we’re talking about philosophy of mind with some moral and ethical philosophy thrown in like sprinkles on top. In what may well become a recurring theme on this podcast, we’re doing another philosophical deep-dive into a television series. This week, we’re analyzing HBO’s Westworld, a cerebr…

1
#029: The Post-Fact Era and the Rise of Trump (w/ Nathan Bomey) 54:26

6y ago54:26

54:26

In this episode, we are applying our doubts and critical thinking toward the myth of “alternative facts” and other lies and fictions of our day that has infected our democracy, ushered in a post-fact era and the digital misinformation age, and helped propel Donald Trump into the White House. My guest for this episode is Nathan Bomey, the author of …

1
#028: Falsifying Christianity (w/ David Madison) 58:52

6y ago58:52

58:52

In this episode I welcome David Madison as my special guest. He is a former Christian minister who is now an outspoken atheist, author of the 2016 book “Ten Tough Problems in Christian Thought and Belief.” He earned a PhD in Biblical Studies from Boston University School of Theology in 1975 and for nearly a decade served as pastor for two liberal c…

1
#027: Women versus Religion (feat. Karen L. Garst, PhD) 56:31

6y ago56:31

56:31

This week I am very excited to bring you an interview with Karen L. Garst, PhD. She writes for the Faithless Feminist blog and website and is the editor of the book Women Beyond Belief: Discovering Life without Religion (published in 2016). She has also edited a new book which has just been published, titled Women v. Religion: The Case against Fait…

1
#026: Biology, Women, and Religions (feat. Dr. Abby Hafer) 1:06:16

6y ago1:06:16

1:06:16

My guest on this episode is Dr. Abby Hafer. She holds a doctorate in zoology from Oxford University and teaches human anatomy and physiology at Curry College. She is the author of the 2015 book The Not-So-Intelligent Designer—Why Evolution Explains the Human Body and Intelligent Design Does Not. Together, we discuss the evolutionary origins of sex …

1
#025: Of Apes, Men, and Gods (feat. Hector Garcia, PhD) 43:34

6y ago43:34

43:34

Why has the belief in a single, all-powerful, and dominant male god been so widespread and pervasive throughout human history, and why does it continue to be so influential and intuitive to human beings today? In this episode, I interview Dr. Hector Garcia, a clinical psychologist and author of the 2015 book Alpha God: The Psychology of Religious V…

1
BONUS : Team Rissy (A Tribute to Marissa Alexa Lennex-McCool) 49:32

6y ago49:32

49:32

This special bonus episode is a collaboration between myself and a host of other fellow secular podcasters and friends of the secular podcasting community, a massive crossover episode in which you’ll hear us all tell in our own words we love and support Marissa Alexa Lennex-McCool. Marissa is going to be getting her science vagina operation very so…

1
#024: On Sex, Love, and Dating (feat. Harris O'Malley (aka Dr. NerdLove) 58:05

6y ago58:05

58:05

There are all manner of misconceptions and potentially harmful myths surrounding what women want, what men want, and about how best to navigate romantic relationships, from flirting to dating to long-term relationships. On this episode, I speak with special guest Harris O’Malley, aka Doctor NerdLove, to dive into these issues and set the record str…

1
#023: On Human Conflict and Progress (feat. Nabila Jamshed) 49:06

6y ago49:06

49:06

Where should we look to find the origins of political violence and crisis? Is political crisis and conflict inevitable? If so, what can we possibly do to improve the human condition and ground a rationale for effecting change in a universe that really is devoid of any ultimate, transcendent meaning? For this week’s episode, I am very excited to wel…

1
#022: Changing Our Myths (feat. Marissa Alexa McCool) 58:33

6y ago58:33

58:33

On this episode, I speak with my friend and LGBTQ-rights activist and speaker Marissa Alexa McCool. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with three degrees in English, Anthropology, and Cinema & Media Studies. She hosts multiple podcasts, including The Inciting Incident Podcast, The Cis Are Getting Out of Hand, and We Too – Our Stories…

1
#021: The Good Place and Philosophy (feat. Aaron Rabi & Bethany Futrell) 1:22:59

6y ago1:22:59

1:22:59

Welcome to this week’s episode. Everything is fine. In this episode, I am joined by my good friends Aaron Rabi and Bethany Futrell to discuss NBC’s The Good Place, a show which is a testament to the fact that sitcoms can actually be philosophically robust and make people think deeply about morality and ethics. Who knew? Created by Michael Schur, Th…

1
#020: Zerin Firoze, Ex-Muslim Atheist and Asylum Seeker 46:49

6y ago46:49

46:49

On this episode, I speak with Zerin Firoze, a courageous young woman and ex-Muslim from Bangladesh, a country where many atheist and agnostic bloggers have been murdered by fundamentalist Muslims in recent years. She is currently living in the US as an asylum-seeker and describes herself as an atheist, feminist, NASA geek, and aspiring doctor. Zeri…

1
#019: Empathy, Feminism, and Mechanical Engineering (feat. Sarah Nicholson) 55:59

6y ago55:59

55:59

In this episode, we tackle the issue of sexism in STEM education, both in the past and in the present, and the important yet seemingly counter-intuitive roles emotional intelligence and empathy play in the way scientists, technologists, and engineers design and build for people. My guest for this episode is Sarah Nicholson, who has recently graduat…

1
#018: Unpacking Jordan Peterson (feat. Tylor Lovins) 1:09:27

6y ago1:09:27

1:09:27

On this episode, I am joined by Tylor Lovins to discuss the work of Jordan B. Peterson, the controversial clinical psychologist who has in the last two years become something of an academic rockstar. Our discussion mainly focuses on Peterson’s theological and philosophical claims as we try to unpack the complicated and often controversial ideas and…

1
#017: End-of-the-World Blues in Lars von Trier's "Melancholia" (feat. Niels Nothdurft) 59:05

6y ago59:05

59:05

This week’s episode is a review/analysis of Melancholia, a 2011 film written and directed by the controversial Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier. My guest for this discussion is my Danish friend and fellow Von Trier enthusiast Niels Böge Nothdurft. We discuss Melancholia as an apocalyptic end-of-the-world movie in both a physical and a psychological …

1
#016: Chris Shelton, Ex-Scientologist (Part II) 56:42

6y ago56:42

56:42

This is the second part of my interview with ex-Scientologist Chris Shelton, who for 27 years was a devout believer in and staff member of the Church of Scientology. Founded by science-fiction pulp writer L. Ron Hubbard in the mid-twentieth century, this enigmatic and powerful cult belief system has consumed and destroyed the lives of countless num…

1
#015: Chris Shelton, Ex-Scientologist (Part I) 1:17:35

6y ago1:17:35

1:17:35

My guest this week is author and podcaster Chris Shelton, who for 27 years was a devout believer in and staff member of the Church of Scientology. Founded by science-fiction pulp writer L. Ron Hubbard in the mid-twentieth century, this enigmatic and powerful cult belief system has consumed and destroyed the lives of countless number of gullible peo…

1
#014: Cultural Narratives, Political Tribes, & Humanity’s Death Star (feat. Dr. Valerie Tarico) 51:54

6y ago51:54

51:54

My guest for this episode is Dr. Valerie Tarico, a psychologist, writer, and social commentator who tackles religious fundamentalism, gender roles, reproductive empowerment, and the intersection of these three. She joins me on this episode to discuss the power of political mythmaking and cultural storytelling and try to understand the confusing and…

1
#013: Passionate Atheism (feat. Sally Hunt) 1:04:27

6y ago1:04:27

1:04:27

On this episode, I speak with Sally Hunt, atheist activist and author of the blog and YouTube channel The Passionate Atheist. According to her website, she “advocates for the separation of church & state, comprehensive sex education, sex-positivity, feminism, social, racial, & economic justice, and equal human rights for all.” She is the Public Rel…

1
#012: Robert G. Ingersoll and the Golden Age of Freethought (feat. Justin Clark) 1:07:34

6y ago1:07:34

1:07:34

In this episode, we are diving into the history of the American freethought movement, specifically the “Golden Age of Freethought” from the late nineteenth-century to the beginning of WWI. The orator, essayist, and freethinker Robert Green Ingersoll (1833-1899), who was widely known as the “Great Agnostic,” was a key figure during this period, and …

1
#011: From Religious Cult Member to Atheist Activist (feat. Joe Magestro) 1:08:55

6y ago1:08:55

1:08:55

In this episode, I dive into the topic of religious exclusivity and cult-like doctrines. My special guest is Joseph Magestro, author of the book Ask an Atheist: What You Should Know When Discussing God and Religion. In this book, Joe describes himself as “just an average person – your average atheist” who enjoys “discussing religion with numerous i…

1
#010: The Art and Social Politics of Marvel's "Black Panther" (feat. Tony Reaves, Jr.) 1:07:50

6y ago1:07:50

1:07:50

In February 2018, the record-breaking film Black Panther joined the ever-growing pantheon of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and made an indelible impact on popular culture almost overnight, grossing over $1.3 billion worldwide. The movie, based on the Marvel comics created in 1966, chronicles the rise of T’Challa, the titular “Black Panther,” as the…

1
#009: Naked Mormon History (feat. Bryce Blankenagel) 1:06:19

6y ago1:06:19

1:06:19

In this episode, we return to the subject of the weird and fascinating world of Mormonism. My guest for this episode is ex-Mormon Bryce Blankenagel, who joins me to dive even deeper into the history of the Mormon religion and its founder, nineteenth-century con man Joseph Smith. Bryce hosts the Naked Mormonism podcast, a historical podcast in which…

1
#008: Science-Based Politics (And a Better Way to Elect Presidents) 58:01

6+ y ago58:01

58:01

What could possibly explain the astonishing phenomenon of a candidate as inexperienced and manifestly unqualified as Donald Trump sweeping first the Republican nomination and then the general election? Joining me on this episode to muse on this question is John C. Wathey, an author and computational biologist whose research interests include protei…

1
#007: Abortion is a Human Right 1:30:22

6+ y ago1:30:22

1:30:22

In this episode, we explore the issue of women’s reproductive rights. The historic 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade upheld women’s dignity and placed constitutional protections around women’s freedom of choice and right to control their own body by making abortions legal in the United States. But this human right has been under constant atta…

1
#006: Homeopathic Jesus Particles, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Science 1:16:19

6+ y ago1:16:19

1:16:19

In this episode, I am joined by Natalie Newell and Chad Hayes, MD, hosts of the new Parenthetical Science Podcast, to discuss the subtle and sometimes not-so-subtle fear-based marketing techniques used by the alternative medicine and organic-only lobby movement in the various food and healthcare products they want to sell to gullible and vulnerable…

1
#005: Leaving Mormonism 1:21:56

6+ y ago1:21:56

1:21:56

“Why would Coca-Cola have a better marketing strategy than God?” ~ Ami In this episode I am joined by Ami, one of the hosts of the Secular Soup podcast, as she shares her story of growing up in the Mormon church and what eventually prompted her to question Mormonism and religion in general and quietly take leave of that faith tradition. We talked a…

1
#004: I Was a Teenage Apologist: My Journey from Christianity to Atheism 54:54

6+ y ago54:54

54:54

In this episode, I perform a reading of an autobiographical essay I wrote a just a little over a year ago on my blog, Skeptical Inquests. This essay is entitled, “I Was a Teenage Apologist: My Journey from Christianity to Atheism.” As the title suggests, this essay tells the story of my deconversion; how I went from devout Christian believer and as…

1
#003: Black Mirror and Philosophy 1:33:30

6+ y ago1:33:30

1:33:30

You can blame me, try to shame me, and still I'll create podcasts for you! And anyone who knows what "Black Mirror" is (which should be everyone) will understand. This episode is devoted to a deep-dive discussion of some of the philosophical ideas and issues explored in the television series "Black Mirror," including such meaty areas as the nature …

1
#002: Real Life Beyond Faith 45:14

6+ y ago45:14

45:14

In this second episode, I speak with Jenica and Patrick Crail, hosts of the Real Life Beyond Faith podcast. Jenica and Patrick are a married couple who were once devoted Christians and are now outspoken atheists. We talk about how they navigated the challenges that came with seriously doubting their faith and how they managed the process of leaving…

1
#001: The Real Atheologists 1:06:53

6+ y ago1:06:53

1:06:53

In this, the debut episode of A Leap of Doubt, I interview Justin Schieber and Benjamin Watkins, hosts of Real Atheology: A Philosophy of Religion Podcast. Topics of this discussion include: what philosophy of religion is, why it continues to be relevant in academic philosophical discourse, how to define religion, the nature of belief and deconvers…

1
Camp Giant City - Weekend Leave - Episode 2 15:41

8y ago15:41

15:41

Welcome back to Camp Giant City! After putting in some serious hard work around camp the boys of Company 696 are set loose into the town of Makanda for their first Weekend Leave. From bootlegging, to misunderstandings with the town folk, to the terrors of meeting potential love interests, these boys are in for a well-deserved break from routine to …

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