Casual conversations on mindset, mental health and being your best human, with Jamie Stedman.
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Writer and speaker, Ryan Bell, of A Year Without God, shares insightful commentary on religion and irreligion in North America and engaging interviews with believers, heretics and the uncertain.
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How to Navigate Health Expectations Over the Silly Season
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I’ve had LOADS of conversations with my mindset clients recently about setting expectations for the silly season, so I thought we’d do something different and have a little chat about it on the podcast. Christmas can put a lot of pressure on people! But is it really necessary? You can let loose a little bit over Christmas without guilt, but make su…
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Richard Turnbull: Improving Health and Resilience
52:18
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Richard Turnbull is an accredited exercise physiologist, sports scientist and published author with qualifications longer than a giraffe's neck. He's knowledgeable and well-respected in the areas of sports science, nutrition, diabetes and metabolic conditioning (just to name a few). As a by-product of working as a coach with many high-performance a…
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Sam Ah-See: A Love Hate Relationship with Boxing
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Sam Ah-see is a 33-year-old professional boxer who currently lives in the regional area of Orange NSW. After 6 years of retirement, Sam is returning to the sport armed with an impressive fight history including 4 Australian titles, 6 state titles, a silver medal in the Thailand Kings Cup, and he attended the World Championships in Mexico. In our ch…
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Peter Sutton: Strength, Resilience and Letting Go - Pretend Heart Attacks and All
55:26
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Despite his calm exterior, Peter Sutton is a self-described experience chaser. His consistent need to seek out new experiences has seen him, along with partner Natalle, live across the globe before finally settling on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast with their two boys. It sounds like an idyllic existence, and for the most part, it has been. Sunshine a…
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Often, with people we hold in high regard, it’s easy to forget that they’re human. Human problems, human emotions, and very human reactions to trauma. Rob Vergano is one such bloke. A 20-year veteran of the NSW Police Force, it’s fair to say Rob has seen some shit and, as he held the rank of Inspector, he had to see it all. Being a Police Officer w…
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095 - Secular American Voices, feat. Juhem Navarro-Rivera
1:15:52
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In this episode Ryan shares a few thoughts about the victory of Joe Biden in the presidential election, followed by an interview with Juhem Navarro-Rivera of Socioanalítica Research about the political views and values of secular Americans as compared to all Americans. These results are revealed in a new report by Socioanalítica Research entitled, …
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094 - Secular Day of the Dead, feat. Victoria de la Torre & Margaret Downey
45:15
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On this episode I speak with Victoria de la Torre and Margaret Downey about Secular Day of the Dead, a secularized celebration of an ancient pre-Columbian Mesoamerican celebration that goes back some 3,000 years. This year the Freethought Society is hosting International Secular Day of the Dead on Zoom, due to the pandemic. All are invited to join …
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093 - Finding Realness, Meaning, and Belonging in Our Digital Lives, feat. Chris Stedman
1:04:09
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On this episode I speak with Chris Stedman. Chris is a writer, speaker, and community organizer living in Minneapolis. His new book, out tomorrow from Broadleaf Books, is called "IRL: Finding Realness, Meaning, and Belonging in Our Digital Lives." The IRL in the title refers to the internet shorthand for “in real life,” in contrast to our online li…
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092 - The Humanism of Albert Camus, feat. Jamie Lombardi
1:09:04
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On this episode I speak with Jamie Lombardi about the humanistic philosophy of Albert Camus against the backdrop of our contemporary political situation: pandemic, wildfires on the west coast, police violence against black people, and the impending election. LINKS Reading "The Plague" During a Plague, with Jamie Lombardi, Greg Epstein, and Ryan Bel…
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091 - White Too Long, feat. Robert P. Jones
58:01
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On this episode I speak with Robert P. Jones, founder and CEO of Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) about his new bombshell of a book, "White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity." Jones speaks about his growing up in the Southern Baptist Church in Texas and Mississippi, his growing awareness of the crisis festeri…
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090 - We Are Not the Heroes, ft. Greg Epstein
1:18:17
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On this episode I speak to Greg Epstein, humanist chaplain at Harvard University and MIT. In this wide ranging conversation, Greg and I talk about his upbringing and some of the events that led to where he is today at two of the most prestigious universities in the United States, working to build meaningful community among the non-religious and ask…
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089 - The Politics of Humanism with Justin Clark
1:13:02
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In this episode I speak with Justin Clark about the relationship between secularism, humanism, and socialism. We even talk a little about Marx and the current political climate in the US.By Life After God
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088 - Race in a Godless World with Nathan Alexander
56:34
56:34
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In this episode I speak with historian Dr. Nathan Alexander about his new book, Race in a Godless World: Atheism, Race, and Civilization, 1850-1914. We talk about what Christianity and secularism have each done to engender and stem racist ideas and policies. We also discuss the peculiar resurgence of scientific racism in recent years, particularly …
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087 - Ex-Files: A Conversation with Pat Green
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Today on the Ex-Files I speak with Pat Green. Pat is a former Christian pastor and recovering evangelical. Pat’s claim to fame is that he is a the father of Dave. Pat has been a successful business person, a taxi cab driver, and is currently a writer and photographer, living in Chicago. Pat was originally on the Life After God podcast back in 2015 …
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086 - Ex-Files: A Conversation with Tim Hellmann
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On this episode of the podcast I speak with Tim Hellmann. Tim is a former Christian who grew up fundamentalist in Bible Methodist and Pilgrim Holiness congregations. He tells me that he’s not very comfortable with labels but mostly closely identifies with agnostic. He has a bachelors degree in Sociology and Anthropology from Truman State University…
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085 - Black Freethinkers with Christopher Cameron
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On this episode of the podcast I speak with University of North Carolina history professor, Christopher Cameron, about his new book, Black Freethinkers: A History of African American Secularism. Buy the book: http://www.nupress.northwestern.edu/content/black-freethinkers Follow Chris on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccamrun2 Visit Chris's website: h…
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084 - Rethinking Religious Trauma with Brian Peck
1:25:42
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On this episode I speak with my friend Brian Peck about the importance of taking a trauma-informed approach to treating what he calls adverse religious experiences. Rather than merely pathologizing religion, Brian suggests that we recognize the reality of religious abuse and then focus on treating trauma using the best evidence-based practice. "Rel…
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083 - Ex-Files: A conversation with Kristi Kiger Upman
1:05:15
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In this episode I speak with Kristi Kiger Upman. For ten years Kristi worked for the Southeast White House, a ministry associated with The Family. She tells me about how she became a Christian, her experience working in evangelical Christian ministry, and how she ultimately left her faith. Kristi was at the Southeast White House at the same time Je…
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082 - This Life: Secular Faith and Spiritual Freedom with Martin Hägglund
1:11:05
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On this episode of the podcast I speak with Yale professor of comparative literature and humanities, Martin Hägglund, about his new book, "This Life: Secular Faith and Spiritual Freedom." Unlike any book I've ever read before, Martin weaves together a secular understanding of life that is rooted in our necessarily fragile, temporal existence, with …
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081 - The Fundamentalist Threat to American Democracy with Jeff Sharlet
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This week on the podcast I speak with Jeff Sharlet, the New York Times bestselling author of seven books, including The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power and C Street: The Fundamentalist Threat to American Democracy. Today, Netflix released a five-part documentary series entitled, The Family, based upon Sharlet's stel…
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080 - Inciting Incident: A Conversation with Marissa and Bethany
1:25:14
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This week on the podcast I speak with Marissa Alexa McCool and Bethany Futrell, the co-hosts of Inciting Incident podcast. Marissa is a podcaster, author, performer, speaker, and an LGBT rights and atheist activist. She is a trans woman, married, partnered, and a parent. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with her family. Marissa graduated from the U…
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078 - Post-Religious Mental Health: A Conversation with Suandria Hall
1:11:07
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Welcome to a special edition of the Life After God podcast. I'm excited to share conversations with you from a growing number of professionals who specialize in religious trauma, deconversion, and post-religious mental health. My goal with these conversations is to offer you a diverse range of perspectives, share practical insights you can use in y…
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077 - Remembering George Tiller: A conversation with Gretchen Koch
1:24:13
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In this bonus episode I speak Gretchen Koch on the occasion of the 10-year anniversary of the murder of George Tiller, the famous abortion doctor from Wichita, Kansas, who was shot and killed during the worship service at the Reformation Lutheran Church. Gretchen's parents were members of the same church and in attendance that day. Gretchen herself…
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076 - Humanism & Our Political Commitments with James Croft
1:19:45
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In this episode I speak with James Croft, a leader at the Ethical Society of St. Louis where he has been for the past five years. James is a humanist educator, activist, and sought after speaker around the world. He earned an MA in Education from University of Cambridge and an Ed.D. from Harvard Graduate School of Education. In this conversation we…
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075 - Escaping from Jehovah's Witnesses with Lloyd Evans
1:10:06
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On this episode I speak with Lloyd Evans. Lloyd is the founder and senior editor of JWsurvey.org - a website that promotes freethought among Jehovah's Witnesses. He is also author of "The Reluctant Apostate," a book that chronicles his experiences growing up as a JW and his journey to freedom from Watchtower indoctrination. His "John Cedars" YouTub…
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074 - What do we do with grief? with Alana Carter and Garrett Price
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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 …
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073 - Remembering Jean Vanier with Gretchen Meader
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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. LINKS Jean Van…
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072 - Dying Out Loud with Dave Warnock
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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…
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071 - Ryan Becomes a Moral Realist: A Conversation with Aaron Rabinowitz
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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! LINKS Video of Aaron's presentation to Triangle Freethought Society | https://youtu.be/m2zw3ZSSnN…
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070 - Talking About Islam Without Being a Bigot with Eiynah
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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 …
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069- #ChurchToo: Sexual Abuse in the Church with Emily Joy
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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. BIO Emily is a spoken word poet, yoga teacher and activist living and working in Nashville, Tennessee. Her advocacy takes place…
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068 - What Atheism Can't Deliver with Christian Smith
1:03:13
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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 the…
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067 - Thrive After Religion with Curiosity
1:17:57
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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 …
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066 - A Crisis of Compassion with Alix Jules
1:07:06
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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." A…
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065 - When I Spoke in Tongues with Jessica Wilbanks
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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 writi…
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064 - Ex-Files: Surviving "Christian Education" with Alexis Record
1:32:59
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Content Advisory: religious trauma, physical and sexual abuse Today 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…
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063 - Seven Types of Atheism with John Gray
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57:43
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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 Ut…
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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/lifeaftergod Visit the website: www.lifeaftergod.org…
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061 - #Exvangelical with Christopher Stroop
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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 communit…
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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.ro…
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059 - How And Why We Believe [part 1]
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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 …
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058 - Religious Abuse and the Problem of Forgiveness
1:02:03
1:02:03
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*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 …
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057 - Varun Soni - Hindu Buddhist Humanist
1:15:07
1:15:07
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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. LINKS Learn more about Varun Soni and …
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056 - Ex-Files: Your Atheist Pastor with Luke King
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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.org Learn more about Life After God at www.lifeaftergod.org Support the Life After God at www.patreo…
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055 - Emancipation of a Black Atheist with Dauv Evans
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51:59
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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.org Support the Life After God: www.patreon.com/lifeaftergod Buy the book here: http://amzn.to/2CuahADBy Life After God
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On this episode I speak with photographer and filmmaker, Chris Johnson, about his book and documentary project, A Better Life, which tells the stories of 100 atheists who have found joy and meaning in a world without God. Chris is just completing a long season of touring with the film. You can learn more the links below. Learn more about Life After…
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053 - Escaping Quiverfull with Brooke Arnold
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On this episode I speak with comedian and survivor of the Quiverfull cult, Brooke Arnold. Mentioned in this episode: Brooke Arnold's website || www.brookearnold.com I could've been a Duggar wife (Salon) || https://goo.gl/dl787l Kurt Metzger || https://www.facebook.com/KurtMetzgerComedyBy Life After God
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On this episode of The Ex-Files I speak to Matthew Faraday. Matthew lives with in Michigan with his wife and two kids. He is a nurse, an avid cyclist, and a lover of craft beer. Unbeknownst to either of us, Matthew and I started a journey to get to the bottom of the claims of Christianity around the same time. We began corresponding in Nov 2014. We…
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051 - The Big Picture with Sean Carroll
1:02:24
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This week I speak with theoretical physicist (Caltech), Sean Carroll. We talk about his new book entitled, The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself. The author of two previous books on physics for popular audiences (From Eternity to Here, The Particle at the End of the Universe), Sean now turns his attention to ques…
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In this episode, Ryan returns from a 6 month hiatus and explains where he's been and what's next. Mentioned in this episode: --Mary Oliver, *Upstream: Selected Essays* --Room to Thrive, the coaching and counseling practice of Brian Peck, LCSW (http://www.roomtothrive.com)By Life After God
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