Most people who leave religion do not just leave behind doctrine. They leave behind ritual too.

The prayers. The candles. The songs. The moments that gave shape to grief, fear, celebration, guilt, forgiveness, and change.

In this episode, Stuart talks with Jeremy Steele about his new book, Rituals for Heretics and People Who Aren’t Sure About God (https://amzn.to/4mzdL7R), and why ritual still matters even when belief falls apart.

Jeremy argues that rituals are not just “church things.” They are human things. We already use them all the time, whether we realize it or not. We replay songs after breakups. We light candles when we lose someone. We revisit places that matter to us. We hold onto objects, routines, and small symbolic acts because they help us process what is happening beneath the surface.

The conversation explores what happens when people deconstruct harmful beliefs but never replace the rituals that once gave their lives structure and meaning. Stuart and Jeremy talk about why rituals can still be powerful outside of religion, how they help us process change, and whether modern people are quietly rebuilding new forms of spirituality after rejecting the old ones.

They also wrestle with bigger questions:

If you have ever left church but still felt like you lost something important along with it, this conversation is for you.

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