Listen Now

Hemant Mehta is the author behind the popular atheist blog The Friendly Atheist. Daniel and Hemant speak about how churches inspire charitable giving and what nonbelievers can learn from them. And Hemant brings attention to the 100-odd atheists that have surged into political offices with the recent election. ~ If you support the message of this podcast, become a patron at patreon.com/reenchantment Read Mehta's work at The Friendly Atheist: friendlyatheist.patheos.com/ Read more about acedia at The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/acedia-the-lost-name-for-the-emotion-were-all-feeling-right-now-144058?fbclid=IwAR2G1jIFjYzN7HG5C3XxctHvWvcWH-BdbWsObegRV3cCKnpvyFWdz-W-iXw

This episode is about the life of Genya Shkolnik, my grandmother. This is the first in a new series of episodes about "lives well-lived." I sat down with my mother and sister to talk about her story, her character, and her legacy. ~ Want to support the message of this show? Become a patron at patreon.com/reenchantment

A bar can be a sacred place. So can an alley, or a mountaintop, or an abandoned power plant. As people increasingly search for spiritual fulfillment outside the walls of religion, we need a new way of thinking about what constitutes sacred space. Daniel explores how we might utilize our personal sense of the sacred to identify "natural temples" in the world around us. ~ If you appreciate this podcast, please support it at — patreon.com/reenchantment Eric Weiner's article "Where Heaven and Earth Come Closer" — https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/11/travel/thin-places-where-we-are-jolted-out-of-old-ways-of-seeing-the-world.html

The U.S. election may be over but healing the division and rancor in the country will take years. Anthony Magnabosco uses a dialogue technique called Street Epistemology to get people to think more carefully about how they came to know what they know. He uses this technique to soften—or even reverse—peoples' deeply held beliefs about religion, politics, or social issues, while building genuine mutual respect. ~ Watch how Anthony does SE in real life: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCocP40a_UvRkUAPLD5ezLIQ Find advice about learning SE and connecting with the international SE community at: https://streetepistemology.com

Is communism religious in nature? Is capitalism? The line between ideology and religion is more porous than it might first seem. Daniel talks with Nathan Robinson, editor of Current Affairs magazine, about how ideological movements come to resemble religious movements even when they don't have—or are explicitly against—supernatural worldviews.

Pluralism can be difficult. Sometimes, it might seem impossible. But as the world globalizes, we must learn to coexist in increasingly complex and even paradoxical communities. Daniel speaks with long-time friend and christian minister Christian Watkins about coexistence in both a religious and political context.

Daniel talks with Chris Stedman about his new book, "IRL: Finding Realness, Meaning, and Belonging in Our Digital Lives." When we cross the thin glass screen of our digital devices do we enter an artificial realm, or is the online world an authentic part of reality? Find the show notes for this episode at: https://www.reenchantmentpod.com/post/show-notes-what-is-real-chris-stedman

Daniel speaks with Bart Campolo about how to create a congregation of nonbelievers. Bart is a former Evangelical preacher who has since left his faith. He is now the Humanist chaplain at the University of Cincinnati and the founder of the Humanist congregation, Cincinnati Caravan. ~ Find the links mentioned in this podcast at: https://www.reenchantmentpod.com/post/show-notes-let-s-admit-we-liked-church-bart-campolo

Daniel speaks with Nick Fish, the president of American Atheists, about how he's changing the narrative around atheism using real-life stories of nonbelievers. ~ Sign up for action alerts about how you can get involved: https://www.atheists.org/act/ See and follow results from the Secular Survey here: https://www.secularsurvey.org/ Find a partner or affiliate group to join near you: https://www.atheists.org/activism/affiliates/

Mystical experiences are not supernatural events but psychological ones. Daniel speaks with Professor Eric Steinhart about how atheists understand and interpret mystical experiences as well as prominent nonbelievers who have written and spoken about these extraordinary states. ~ Support the show at patreon.com/reenchantment

Carl Sagan was a beloved popularizer of science. His daughter, Sasha Sagan, carries on his legacy with "For Small Creatures Such As We," a book that gives practical ideas for how to live out the humane and science-driven values her father advocated in his lifetime. _ Re-Enchantment is an affiliate of Bookshop. If you buy through the link below, 10% of the proceeds will go toward supporting the podcast: https://bookshop.org/shop/reenchantment Pre-order "Something In The Water" by going to the link below: http://kck.st/3jYDqVU

New Atheism was a movement that spanned from roughly 2001 to 2013. It was characterized by an aggressive online debate style that often satirized religions, idolized science, and made many enemies along the way. New Atheists became the stereotype of what it meant to be an “atheist.” Mike and I discuss the way the movement rose to prominence, why it fell apart, and what we can learn from New Atheism moving forward.Support the show by becoming a patron at patreon.com/reenchantment

Can a rave be worship? If an atheist meditates on Jesus, are they still an atheist? Can a changing Christianity remain vital in an increasingly secular world?Anton Faynberg and I had very similar upbringings but chose very different spiritual paths. He is a believing Christian in the Anglican tradition. I am a secular Humanist. We don't always agree, but we find both common ground and conflict as we discuss our respective beliefs.To help support the show, go to the Patreon page -  patreon.com/reenchantmentFollow the show on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/Re_Enchantment 

Einstein's ideas about religion have often been misunderstood. He neither believed in God nor was he an atheist. In this episode, Lecco Morris and I discuss the complex beliefs of the most famous physicists of all time. We delve into his Humanism, his commitment to pacifism, and his humbleness before the enduring mysteries of our universe. Einstein, the titan of science, was also a wise and caring man. He knew how far the circle of his knowledge extended and never claimed to see beyond. Patreon Membership — To help support me and this show, please become a member at: https://www.patreon.com/reenchantment Anything helps.

I speak with Kythe Heller about mysticism, both old and modern, and how it intersects with art. We delve into the activism and writing of 13th century mystic Marguerite Porete, the word-weaving of the Chilean poet Cecilia Vicuña, and the sacred music of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt.

I speak with Bob Faw about how positive psychology can help Humanists develop a rich and flourishing internal life. Religions give people ways to feel ecstatic, empathetic, humble, or part of a group. Modern psychology is piecing together what behaviors we can introduce into our lives to go beyond feeling "OK" and instead feel truly connected and wholly alive.

On this episode I talk with Mike Myers about the occult as "kayfabe"—a term from professional wrestling that's all about suspending disbelief. Occultism comprises many different practices such as ritual magic, tarot card reading, and more, and would seem to be the furthest possible thing from a skeptical worldview. But Mike is both a skeptic and an occultist. In this episode we talk about how that's possible and what other nonbelievers might gain from being "kayfabe occultists."

Daniel interviews Casper ter Kuile about his new book, "The Power of Ritual: Turning Everyday Activities into Soulful Practices." — We talk about the epidemic of loneliness, sacred movies, and why Casper loves singing to cows.Buy the book and learn more about Casper on his website https://www.caspertk.com/#order

Professor Anthony Kronman writes that we live in "a powerful but pointless age." Science gives us awesome knowledge and abilities, but it may sabotage something just as important: our sense of significance.You can buy Professor Kronman's book, "Education's End" here https://www.amazon.com/Educations-End-Colleges-Universities-Meaning/dp/0300143141