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IMPORTANT: This is the final episode of Changed My Mind. Thanks for going on this journey with me! To keep up with my future pursuits, please sign up for my Substack newsletter at https://luketharrington.substack.com . I talk to pastor and writer J. R. Forasteros about how he came to regard the vaunted Oxford comma with a bit more skepticism. ALSO: Why I'm ending the show, what's next for me, and where you can find me in the future.

IMPORANT: CMM is coming to a close at the end of June. To keep up with me, please go sign up for my Substack newsletter at https://luketharrington.substack.com .Thanks! On this episode, I talk to Leah Libresco Sargeant, author of Arriving at Amen, about how she found her way into the Catholic Church. Also discussed: the shortcomings of the New Atheism; the scientific limits revealed by COVID-19; virtue ethics FTW.

I talk to my sister Tamar, who was once diagnosed with tokophobia (fear of pregnancy and childbirth), but recently gave birth to her first child. Also: self-hypnosis, feminism, my FDR impression. Support the show at https://patreon.com/changedmymind Email us at changedmymindpod@gmail.com Sign up for my Substack at https://luketharrington.substack.com

I talk to hip hop artist Sho Baraka on how his sympathies shifted from the revolutionary Du Bois to the more conservative Washington. Also discussed: Ralph Ellison. Lecrae. Should we defund the police? Support the show at https://patreon.com/changedmymind Email us at changedmymindpod@gmail.com Subscribe to my Substack at https://luketharrington.substack.com Visit Sho at https://www.barakaology.com

I talk to Catholic rapper Mandala about why he changed his mind about the iconic DC Comics villain. Also discussed: Is "Catholic rap" even a thing? Why are Midwestern rappers so into evil clowns? Did the Joker nudge me into the "dirtbag left"? Support the show at https://patreon.com/changedmymind Email us at changedmymindpod@gmail.com Sign up for my substack at https://luketharrington.substack.com Check out Mandala at https://mandalaraps.com

I talk to Chris White, director of 'Electric Jesus,' about how writing, shooting, and editing the film completely changed his perspective on the characters, the story, and his past. Also discussed: Judd "John Bender" Nelson's obsession with the Old Testament; my brother's struggles to put on plays at a Christian college; why has the political left turned into a bunch of "church ladies"? Email us at changedmymindpod@gmail.com Support us at https://patreon.com/changedmymind Sign up for my Substack at https://luketharrington.substack.com More info on 'Electric Jesus': https://electricjesusfilm.com

I talk to Liam Murray about how he landed at a pro-life conviction—despite walking away from his Catholic upbringing. Also discussed: Daylight Saving Time; the death of Google Reader; why are there Catholics in Scotland? Email us at changedmymindpod@gmail.com Support us at https://patreon.com/changedmymind Sign up for my Substack at https://luketharrington.substack.com Follow Liam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/liammurray

I talk to media and new humanities professor Dominic Pettman on how he came to question the idea that humans are at the center of history. Also discussed: What even *is* technology? Are humans just the “sex organs of machines”? And what is Dominic’s middle name? Support the show at https://patreon.com/changedmymind Email the show at changedmymindpod@gmail.com Sign up for my Substack at https://luketharrington.substack.com Visit Dominic at https://dominicpettman.com

I talk to academic, podcaster, and internet meme Asher Gelzer-Govatos about how he learned to appreciate the films of Wes Anderson. Also discussed: Runza sandwiches, Muriel Spark, Danny DeVito's Matilda. UPDATE: Yes, I’m aware that I mistakenly refer to The French Dispatch as “Licorice Pizza” throughout the podcast. In my defense, “Licorice Pizza” *really* sounds like a Wes Anderson movie. Support the show at https://patreon.com/changedmymind Email the show at changedmymindpod@gmail.com Sign up for my Substack at https://luketharrington.substack.com Visit Asher at http://www.ashergelzergovatos.com

I talk to philosopher Justin E. H. Smith (author of ’Irrationality’) about why, in his view, people know everything a priori, and therefore never change their minds. It’s a wild ride. Also discussed: Bigfoot, Pascal’s Wager, and what even *is* “rationality” anyway? Become a supporter at https://www.patreon.com/changedmymind Email us at changedmymindpod@gmail.com Subscribe to my Substack at https://luketharrington.substack.com Visit Justin at https://www.jehsmith.com

I talk to writer Robert Skvarla about how he's learned to use "the language of conspiracy" to interpret and explain political phenomena. Also discussed: The Koch Brothers. The Satanic Panic. Are "identity politics" just a tool of the Right? Robert Skvarla's Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertSkvarla Read both my books for free by signing up for my Substack: https://luketharrington.substack.com Support Changed My Mind at https://patreon.com/changedmymind Email the show at changedmymindpod@gmail.com

I talk to Ben Hansen, host of several Discovery Channel documentaries, about how his thinking has changed on the paranormal. Also discussed: Scooby-Doo!, the limits of belief, bulletproof backpacks. Become a supporter at https://patreon.com/changedmymind Email us at changedmymindpod@gmail.com Ben’s official website: https://benhansen.com More info on Shocks Docs: https://www.travelchannel.com/shows/new-on-travel-channel/aliens-make-contact-in-the-hudson-valley-and-they-may-not-come-i

I talk to Clint Carroll, host of ‘Whatcha Gonna Do? The Hulk Hogan Movie Podcast,’ about how he hated the Rolling Stones’ album ‘Exile on Main St.’…until it got stuck in his car’s CD player and he was forced to listen to it over and over. Also discussed: our respective attempts at stand-up comedy; that time I pretended to understand ‘There Will Be Blood’; is America due for a pro wrestling revival? Support the show at https://patreon.com/changedmymind Email the show at changedmymindpod@gmail.com Listen to ‘Whatcha Gonna Do?’: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whatcha-gonna-do-the-hulk-hogan-movie-podcast/id1118828232

I talk to William Giraldi, author of Hold the Dark, about how he found his way out of the Catholic Church…and then back into it, at least on an aesthetic level. Also: bodybuilding; Michael Jordan; is Christianity the only rebellion left? Support the show on Patreon at https://patreon.com/changedmymind Email the show at changedmymindpod@gmail.com Visit William Giraldi at http://www.wgiraldi.com

I talk to Walter Benn Michaels, author of ‘The Trouble with Diversity,‘ about how he became disillusioned, first with diversity, and then with capitalism. Also discussed: Willa Cather, F. Scott Fitzgerald, ’White Fragility.’ Support Changed My Mind at https://www.patreon.com/changedmymind Email us at changedmymindpod@gmail.com Check out my Substack at https://luketharrington.substack.com

I talk to high school teacher Nathan Ogan about why he changed his mind about the Electoral College. Also discussed: teaching Spanish class; why I should get to live in Hawaii; the objectively best way to shoot a free throw. Become a supporter at https://www.patreon.com/changedmymind Email me at changedmymindpod@gmail.com Support FairVote at https://www.fairvote.org

I talk to Tasha Robinson, film and TV editor for Polygon, about how she learned to love horror movies. Also discussed: What are the rules of four square? Do good-faith interactions ever really happen? And why do the best writers always ascend to editor heaven? This episode was previously only available to Patreon supporters, but we’re making it available to free listeners, because we love you guys. Happy Halloween! 

Support the show at https://patreon.com/changedmymind 

Email us at changedmymindpod@gmail.com

 Visit Tasha’s Twitter at https://twitter.com/TashaRobinson

I talk to Cynthia Pelayo, Bram Stoker Award–nominated author of Children of Chicago and Into the Forest and All the Way Through, about why she thinks ghosts probably aren’t real. Also discussed: prayer; voodoo priests; that time she got “canceled.”
 Support the show here: https://www.patreon.com/changedmymind
 Email me at changedmymindpod@gmail.com
 Visit Cynthia: http://www.cinapelayo.com

I talk to John Langan, author of The Fisherman and co-founder of the Shirley Jackson Award, about how he lost his Catholic faith. Also discussed: boarding schools, literary horror, and my inability to push “record.” Support Changed My Mind at https://www.patreon.com/changedmymind Email us at changedmymindpod@gmail.com Visit John here: https://johnpaullangan.wordpress.com

I talk to film critic Sarah Welch-Larson about how she ended up living in the Midwest, despite thinking she never would. Also discussed: Nic Cage, Yasujiro Ozu, and LIGHTING TRAIN TRACKS ON FIRE. Become a supporter of Changed My Mind by visiting https://www.patreon.com/changedmymind or email us at changedmymindpod@gmail.com.