In Life without God: An Outsider's Look at Atheism (Cambridge UP, 2023), Rik Peels explores atheism from a new perspective that aims to go beyond the highly polarized debate about arguments for and against God's existence. Since our beliefs about the most important things in life are not usually based on arguments, we should look beyond atheistic arguments a ... Show More
Apr 2025
Amy Zhang, "Circular Ecologies: Environmentalism and Waste Politics in Urban China" (Stanford UP, 2024)
After four decades of reform and development, China is confronting a domestic waste crisis. As the world's largest waste-generating nation, the World Economic Forum projects that by 2030, the volume of household waste in China will be double that of the United States. Starting in ... Show More
1h 7m
May 7
Edith Szanto, "Twelver Shi'i Self-flagellation Rites in Contemporary Syria: Mourning Sayyida Zaynab" (Edinburgh UP, 2025)
Edith Szanto’s Twelver Shi'i Self-Flagellation Rites in Contemporary Syria: Mourning Sayyida Zaynab (Edinburgh UP, 2025) is a striking and deeply immersive ethnographic study that takes the reader into the shrine town of Sayyida Zaynab in Syria. This town was a vibrant center of ... Show More
5m 45s
May 3
Arely M. Zimmerman, "Contentious Citizenship: Salvadoran Activism and Belonging Across Borders" (U Arizona Press, 2026)
Contentious Citizenship: Salvadoran Activism and Belonging Across Borders (U Arizona Press, 2026) reshapes how we understand belonging, identity, and political participation in the context of migration. Drawing on decades of Salvadoran activism from the 1980s solidarity movement ... Show More
23m 24s
Dec 2024
PART 2 of What’s the Point of Existence? God, Atheism, and the Meaning of Life 🌍
Join an electrifying debate exploring life's ultimate questions: What’s the purpose of existence? How do God and atheism shape our understanding of the cosmos, consciousness, and meaning? Recorded at the prestigious Royal Institution in London, this thought-provoking discussion f ... Show More
43m 2s
Feb 2024
E85 - Alex O’Connor: Philosopher Reflects On Death, Atheism, Morality & Meaning
<p>Today we are joined by the Cosmic Skeptic, Alex O'Connor, for a fascinating look into philosophy, atheism, and the pursuit of an ethical life. Alex has gained recognition for his unique perspective on reality, which he interprets through the lenses of materialism and agnos ... Show More
1h 30m
Mar 2024
Episode #197 ... New Atheists and cosmic purpose without God - (Zizek, Goff, Nagel)
As we regularly do on this program-- we steelman different philosophical positions. Hopefully the process brings people some joy. Today we go from ideology, to New Atheism vs Creationism, to Aristotle, to Thomas Nagel, to Phillip Goff's new book called Why? The Purpose of the Uni ... Show More
38m 45s
Jan 2016
WOF 004: Answering the Atheists
<p>Atheism is on the rise, especially among young people and notably on the Internet. Bishop Robert Barron and Brandon Vogt discuss the most popular atheist arguments and how to respond. They also talk about Bishop Barron's new study program, "The Mystery of God", and take a ques ... Show More
28m 34s
Dec 2024
Episode 137, Between God and Atheism: Live in London (Part II - Further Analysis and Discussion)
<p>This is a live recording from our recent show at The Royal Institution Theatre in London.</p> <p>The panel includes returning guests Philip Goff (professor of philosophy at Durham) and Rowan Williams (former Archbishop of Canterbury), as well as two new panellists, Elizabeth O ... Show More
38m 47s