Humanism Now

By Humanise LiveSociety & Culture Science Philosophy

Humanism Now episodes

October 25What Makes Us Human? Neanderthals, Denisovans and Our Origins | Oscar Lozada
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What if our view of ourselves as a unique species is wrong? This week we are joined by Oscar Lozada, an archaeologist and biological anthropologist at the University of Cambridge, to explore the other ways of being human: the Neanderthals of Shanidar Cave, the Denisovans, and a growing cast of newly discovered human relatives.
We dig into the "old man" of Shanidar, whose healed injuries hint that Neanderthals cared for their own; the long history of seeing these people as a mirror for our own prejudices; the explosion of new human species and the "ghost" lineages hiding in our DNA; why Homo sapiens ended up the sole survivors; and what deep history can teach us about climate change and extinction today.
"Over the last 170 years, Neanderthals have been a mirror for how we view ourselves. We've projected onto them everything we don't want to be." — Oscar Lozada
About the guest
Oscar Lozada is a PhD researcher in archaeology and biological anthropology at the University of Cambridge, studying the palaeoecology of the Neanderthals of Shanidar Cave in Iraqi Kurdistan. A zoologist by training, he worked in rural development across sub-Saharan Africa before a master's in prehistoric archaeology at Oxford, and has excavated early human sites in Britain, Morocco and Iraq. He is also a science communicator, posting as "Oz of the Ancients."
In this episode
Shanidar Cave and the "old man" whose healed injuries suggest Neanderthals cared for one another, plus the famous flower-burial story and why it's now doubted

A whistle-stop tour of human evolution: Homo erectus, Neanderthals, the Denisovans ("Dragon Man"), Homo floresiensis, Homo naledi, and the ghost lineages in our DNA

Why Homo sapiens are the sole survivors, and what deep history teaches us about climate adaptation, extinction, and reading our own past in the world around us
Links and references
Oscar Lozada, University of Cambridge profile: https://www.arch.cam.ac.uk/staff/oscar-lozada

@Oz_of_the_Ancients — Oscar's human evolution channel (YouTube, Instagram and Bluesky)

Reassessment of Neanderthal mortuary behaviour at Shanidar Cave (Cambridge project): https://www.arch.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/current-projects/reassessment-neanderthal-mortuary-behaviour-shanidar-cave-iraqi

Uncomfortable Oxford / Uncomfortable Cambridge walking tours: https://www.uncomfortableoxford.com
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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get started in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected].
Music: Blossom by Light Prism
Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

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1 hr 1 min
October 18Katherine Stewart on Christian Nationalism, Trump and the Fight for Democracy
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Two years ago, Katherine Stewart came on the show with a stark warning about the long campaign of Christian nationalism in the United States. A lot has happened since. As the US approaches the midterm elections, she returns to take stock: the changes, the corruption, the resistance, and what the next two years could bring, in America and well beyond it.
James Hodgson and Katherine discuss presidential overreach and what she calls the most lawless administration in American history, how the movement long predated Trump and will outlast him, the "persecution narrative" used to justify stripping away others' rights, the erosion of the separation of church and state, parallels with Reform UK and the European far right, and where the pockets of pro-democracy resistance really are.
"The aim is not about banning abortion. If they ban all abortions, they'll move on to the next thing. What they really want is to destroy democracy itself." — Katherine Stewart
About the guest
Katherine Stewart is an award-winning investigative journalist and author who has spent more than a decade reporting on the religious right and Christian nationalism. Her books are The Good News Club (2012), The Power Worshippers (2020), which inspired the documentary God & Country, and her latest, Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy (2025).
In this episode
Why Katherine calls this the most lawless administration in US history, and how the movement predates Trump and will outlast him

The "persecution narrative": how claiming victimhood is used to shield abuses and justify stripping away the rights of others

The international picture, from Viktor Orbán to Reform UK, the economics behind it, and where pro-democracy resistance is winning
Links and references
Katherine Stewart's website: https://katherinestewart.me

Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy (2025): https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/money-lies-and-god-9781635578546/

The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism (2020): https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/money-lies-and-god-9781635578546/

The Good News Club: The Christian Right's Stealth Assault on America's Children (2012): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Good-News-Club-Religious-Americas/dp/1586488430

God & Country, the documentary based on The Power Worshippers: https://www.godandcountrythemovie.com

Humanism Now is produced by ⁠Humanise Live⁠, a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get started in podcasting today at ⁠humanise.live⁠ or ⁠[email protected]⁠.
Music: Blossom by Light Prism
Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

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47 min
October 15Introducing: Humanism Ireland Podcast | James Hodgson on Humanism, Curiosity and the Story So Far | Bonus Crossover
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********
"We are rationalising animals. We feel first, and then we look for reason — so you have to actively push against that all the time."
Something a little different this week. James recently sat on the other side of the microphone as a guest on the Humanism Ireland podcast, the show from the Humanist Association of Ireland, hosted by Megan De Siún. We're sharing that conversation here as a bonus episode.
About this episode
This is a crossover with the Humanism Ireland podcast from the Humanist Association of Ireland (HAI), hosted by Megan De Siún, where it first appeared as a special crossover episode. If you enjoy it, please head over and subscribe to support another humanist and secular group. Humanism Now returns to its regular interviews next week.

In this episode
James's path to humanism:

What 90+ episodes have taught him

Where humanism goes next
Links and references
Humanism Ireland podcast (Humanist Association of Ireland): https://rss.com/podcasts/humanismireland

Humanist Association of Ireland: https://www.humanism.ie

Humanists International Freedom of Thought Report: https://fot.humanists.international

Sikivu Hutchinson, author and humanist (Humanism Ireland relaunch episode): https://sikivuhutchinson.com

********
Contact Humanist Ireland Podcast
https://media.rss.com/humanismireland/feed.xml
⁠Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.⁠
Join Megan for a chat with James Hodgson, host of Humanism Now podcast as they explore the world of humanist podcasting, and the wins and challenges along the way in this special crossover episode of Humanism Ireland Podcast.
Want to get in touch, or share your feedback? Contact [email protected]

********
Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get started in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected].
Music: Blossom by Light Prism
Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

Contact Humanist Ireland Podcast

Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.
Join Megan for a chat with James Hodgson, host of Humanism Now podcast as they explore the world of humanist podcasting, and the wins and challenges along the way in this special crossover episode of Humanism Ireland Podcast.
Want to get in touch, or share your feedback? Contact [email protected]

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30 min
October 04Massimo Pigliucci on How to Be a Happy Skeptic | The Power & Joy of Doubt
"I'm a skeptic, which means I'm entitled to change my mind — and that's not a bug, it's a feature." — Massimo Pigliucci
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Skepticism has a reputation problem. To many it sounds like cynicism, a reflex of doubt that drains the colour out of the world. But what if doubt is actually a path to a richer, more honest, happier life? James Hodgson is joined by scientist-turned-philosopher Massimo Pigliucci to reclaim skepticism as a way of life, from its ancient Greek roots to the vaccine debates and demagogues of today.
We trace the two great schools of ancient skepticism, explore why "skeptic" originally meant inquirer rather than denier, and get practical: how to judge expertise when you're not an expert, why changing your mind is a strength, and how doubt and happiness belong together.
About the guest
Massimo Pigliucci is the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York, with doctorates in both evolutionary biology and philosophy. Best known for How to Be a Stoic and his work on philosophy as a way of life, his new book is How to Be a Happy Skeptic: The Power of Doubt in a Meaningful Life.
In this episode
Who the ancient Skeptics really were, from the Pyrrhonists to the Academic skeptics, and why "skeptic" means inquirer, not cynic

Proportioning belief to evidence, how to judge expertise when you can't be an expert yourself, and why changing your mind is a feature, not a flaw

Why doubt and happiness belong together: eudaimonia, "a life worth living," and the ethics of belief
Links and references
Massimo Pigliucci, How to Be a Happy Skeptic: The Power of Doubt in a Meaningful Life: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/806907/how-to-be-a-happy-skeptic-by-massimo-pigliucci/

Massimo Pigliucci, How to Be a Stoic: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35102306-how-to-be-a-stoic

Massimo Pigliucci's writing, Figs in Winter: https://figsinwinter.medium.com

Massimo in conversation with the Central London Humanists: https://www.meetup.com/central-london-humanists/events/316243117/
Chapters
00:00 Introduction: can you hold doubt and joy?
00:57 Who were the Skeptics? Inquiry, not cynicism
03:52 How skepticism survived: the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Hume
06:30 Pyrrhonists vs Academic skeptics: suspending judgment
10:00 Degrees of belief: Carneades, Cicero and proto-Bayesian reasoning
15:21 The problem of expertise: who to trust
22:30 Why changing your mind is a feature, not a bug
23:47 Certainty, demagogues and the ethics of belief
29:38 Why a "happy" skeptic? Eudaimonia and a life worth living
34:28 The Stoics, the Skeptics and humanism
39:39 Changing Minds
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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get started in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected].
Music: Blossom by Light Prism
Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

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48 min
September 27Janet Ellis on the Joy of this One Life | New President of Humanists UK
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"I genuinely find comfort in the fact that life is finite." — Janet Ellis
She shaped the childhoods of millions on Blue Peter, and now she's making the case for living well without religion. Janet Ellis, broadcaster, actress, novelist and the new President of Humanists UK, joins James for a warm, wide-ranging conversation about how she came to humanism, what it offers in turbulent times, and why she finds genuine comfort in the idea that this life is the only one we get.
We talk about her film All We Have Is Each Other, grief and mortality after the loss of her husband, finding joy without guilt, whether Blue Peter was quietly humanist, how to talk to children about belief without indoctrination, the joy of writing, and her hopes for her time as President.

About the guest
Janet Ellis MBE is a broadcaster, actress and novelist, known to generations for presenting Blue Peter and Jigsaw. She is the author of the novels The Butcher's Hook and How It Was, hosts the podcast Twice Upon a Time, and in 2026 became President of Humanists UK.
Links and references
All We Have Is Each Other, the Humanists UK film with Janet Ellis: https://humanists.uk/janetellisfilm/

Janet Ellis, Humanists UK profile: https://humanists.uk/about/our-people/patrons/janet-ellis/

Twice Upon a Time, Janet's podcast on favourite childhood books (@twiceuponapod): https://linktr.ee/twiceuponpod

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/missjanetellis/

Substack: https://janetellis925764.substack.com/

Janet's novels: The Butcher's Hook (2016): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35407568

How It Was (2019): https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/45901019-how-it-was

In this episode
Her slow realisation of being a humanist, joining Humanists UK, and stepping up from patron to president

Grief, mortality and the film All We Have Is Each Other: why she finds comfort, not fear, in a finite life

Finding joy in turbulent times, talking to children about belief without indoctrination, and a call for humanists to be "out and proud"
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction: meet Janet Ellis
01:10 A slow realisation: discovering humanism
02:47 From patron to President of Humanists UK
05:07 Being publicly affiliated, and the conversations it starts
07:53 "All We Have Is Each Other": grief and a finite life
11:45 Finding joy in turbulent times
18:45 Blue Peter: was it a humanist show?
23:07 Talking to children about belief without indoctrination
27:18 Books that shaped her worldview
32:05 The joy of writing
36:53 Her hopes as President of Humanists UK
44:24 Closing question: changing minds
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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get started in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected].
Music: Blossom by Light Prism
Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

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52 min
September 23United by Hope: Live from the World Humanist Congress 2026 Part 2
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Part two of our dispatches from the World Humanist Congress 2026 in Ottawa. On the second and final day, James Hodgson caught up with more attendees, from the humanist chaplains bringing secular pastoral care into the Canadian Armed Forces, to the local Ottawa organisers who hosted the event, an Icelandic politician on humanist values in turbulent times, and two returning Humanism Now guests reflecting on the movement's past and future.
Across every conversation the theme of the Congress, humanism as resistance, keeps surfacing: resisting the erosion of truth, the normalisation of dehumanising rhetoric, and the complacency that assumes rights won can never be lost.
"It just takes one person in a room to change a whole conversation and change the course of history." — Roslyn Mould
Featured in this episode
Silvana Morales-Boiardi, humanist chaplain with Humanist Canada, training as a military humanist chaplain in the Canadian Armed Forces

Buela Nokutubo, member of Humanist Ottawa

Dr Richard Thain, Humanist Ottawa, long-time humanist and recipient of a service award at the Congress

Arndís Anna Kristínardóttir Gunnarsdóttir, President of Siðmennt (the Icelandic Humanist Association) and former member of Iceland's parliament

Chris Cameron, historian and author, representing the Association of Black Humanists

Roslyn Mould, of Accra Atheists and outgoing Vice President of Humanists International
Highlights
Building humanist chaplaincy in the Canadian Armed Forces, and how the first humanist military chaplain opened the door for the next generation

Why local groups matter: Humanist Ottawa on community, and Dr Richard Thain on four decades in the movement

Arndís Anna on resisting the normalisation of dehumanisation, and Roslyn Mould reflecting on stepping down after years of leadership at Humanists International
CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
01:06 Silvana Morales-Boiardi, Humanist Canada, humanist chaplaincy in the Armed Forces
08:12 Buela Nokutubo, Humanist Ottawa, finding community
13:50 Dr Richard Thain, Humanist Ottawa, four decades in the movement
20:17 Arndís Anna Kristínardóttir Gunnarsdóttir, Siðmennt, humanist politics as resistance
29:02 Chris Cameron, Association of Black Humanists, humanism and history
35:15 Roslyn Mould, reflections on leaving the Humanists International board
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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get started in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected].
Music: Blossom by Light Prism
Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

World Humanist Congress, Humanists International, humanism, resistance, Ottawa, humanist chaplaincy, military chaplaincy, Humanist Canada, Humanist Ottawa, Siðmennt, Arndís Anna Kristínardóttir Gunnarsdóttir, Chris Cameron, Association of Black Humanists, Roslyn Mould, Accra Atheists, secularism, Humanism Now

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46 min
September 13Christian Nationalism, Free Speech and Gen Z | Tess Sumner
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"Evidence is most powerful when it's paired with empathy."
What is it like to come of age when politics has never felt calm? Tess Sumner has spent her entire adolescence inside a permanent sense of political crisis, and she has turned that into advocacy. In this episode, James speaks with Tess Sumner, a Harvard student and humanist writer, about her article "When Christian Nationalism Becomes Public Policy" and what the fight over church and state looks like to the next generation.
We discuss how student accountability gets reframed as "religious discrimination", why so many young people feel exhausted and cynical about democracy, how the threat of doxxing and backlash quietly polices free expression, and why Tess believes humanism has a genuinely hopeful offer for Gen Z.

About the guest
Tess Sumner is a student at Harvard University studying government and English, and a youth advocate from New Hampshire focused on child welfare policy and church-state separation. A former intern with the American Humanist Association, she wrote the widely shared article "When Christian Nationalism Becomes Public Policy" for The Humanist.

In this episode
What a University of Oklahoma essay controversy reveals about how accountability gets reframed as religious discrimination

Coming of age in permanent political crisis: why many in Gen Z feel exhausted, cynical and unsure what a functioning democracy looks like

How the threat of doxxing and backlash quietly polices free expression, and what humanism offers as a response
Chapters
00:00 Introduction: meet Tess Sumner
01:32 The article, and the Oklahoma essay controversy
05:31 Coming of age in constant political crisis
07:21 Where a disillusioned generation turns
08:51 Christian nationalism and the threat to democracy
10:59 Young Christian influencers and who they represent
13:08 What humanism offers Gen Z
14:34 Making the humanist case better
15:34 Where humanism meets everyday life
17:09 Self-policing and the chilling of free expression
19:23 Doxxing, threats and real-world consequences
23:59 How to resist: dialogue and rebuilding institutions
26:30 What's next for Tess
27:55 A vision for the future
28:46 Closing question: changing her mind
Links and references
Tess Sumner, "When Christian Nationalism Becomes Public Policy" (The Humanist): https://thehumanist.com/news/national/when-christian-nationalism-becomes-public-policy

Tess Sumner, contributor page at The Humanist: https://thehumanist.com/contributor/tess-sumner/

American Humanist Association: https://americanhumanist.org
Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community!
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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get started in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected].
Music: Blossom by Light Prism
Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
29 min
September 08Humanism as Resistance: Live from the World Humanist Congress 2026 Part 1
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Something a little different this week. James Hodgson took Humanism Now on the road to the World Humanist Congress 2026 in Ottawa, hosted by Humanists International and Humanists Canada, where more than 500 attendees from over 60 countries gathered around a single theme: resistance. Between sessions, James grabbed five minutes each with fellow attendees, some returning guests and many new faces, to hear what brought them there and what they are building back home.
The result is a whistle-stop tour of the global humanist movement: civic participation and chaplaincy, coalition-building between atheists and humanists, humanist confirmations and ceremonies, and a first look at where the next Congress will be held.
"One of the ways we build power to ensure society better reflects our values is by coming together." — James Croft
Featured in this episode
Bob Reuter, president of the Alliance of Humanists, Atheists and Agnostics (AHA) Luxembourg and co-host of the radio show Iwwer Gott an d'Welt

James Croft, humanist chaplain and lead faith advisor at the University of Sussex

Nick Fish, president of American Atheists

Urtė Žukauskaitė-Zabukė, founder of HERE (formerly Happy Human Lithuania)

Christian Lomsdalen, president of the Norwegian Humanist Association

Maggie Ardiente, president of Humanists International
Highlights
Why "humanism as resistance" is the theme for this moment, and Maggie Ardiente on a movement responding to authoritarianism worldwide (plus a first look at the next Congress)

James Croft and Nick Fish on civic participation, building coalitions, and why atheists and humanists share the same fight

How Norway's 75 years of humanist confirmations built a movement approaching 198,000 members, and Lithuania's drive to scale humanist ceremonies around the world
Chapters
00:00 Introduction: live from the World Humanist Congress 2026
00:52 Bob Reuter, AHA Luxembourg
02:44 James Croft, humanist chaplaincy at the University of Sussex
10:16 Nick Fish, American Atheists
17:06 Urtė Žukauskaitė-Zabukė, HERE (Lithuania)
20:53 Christian Lomsdalen, Norwegian Humanist Association
26:34 Maggie Ardiente, President of Humanists International
Links and references
Bob Reuter, AHA Luxembourg: https://www.aha.lu

James Croft: https://www.croftspeaks.org

Nick Fish, American Atheists: https://www.atheists.org

Urtė Žukauskaitė-Zabukė, HIA: /https://www.hia.lt/en/

Christian Lomsdalen, Norwegian Humanist Association: https://www.human.no

Maggie Ardiente, Humanists International: https://humanists.international
Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community!
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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get started in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected].
Music: Blossom by Light Prism
Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

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38 min
August 30Is Humanism a Subculture? Rory Booth on Style, Space and Belonging
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"It's harder for the mass market to hit a moving target." — Rory Booth
Punks had the mohawk. Ravers had the warehouse. What does humanism have?
Historian and filmmaker Rory Booth studies how subcultures form, thrive and die, from 19th century Parisian bohemians to the British rave scene of the 1990s. He is also a founding member of Leicester Humanists. In this episode, we ask whether humanism qualifies as a subculture, and what organisers can steal from scenes that got it right.
Rory argues that the visual definition of subculture, all style and shock, has been overplayed. What actually holds a scene together is language, humour, and above all space: the shared understanding that in this room, with these people, you are allowed to be a slightly different version of yourself. That, he suggests, is exactly what a humanist group offers, and it is why the venue you pick matters far more than most organisers realise.
We also get into the life cycle problem. A subculture dies the moment the mainstream understands it, or worse, misunderstands it. So is being small and slightly illegible an advantage? And has the internet, with its infinite choice and its everyone-is-a-creator economy, made real subcultures impossible?
Rory Booth is a historian and filmmaker specialising in cultural and urban history, with a focus on 19th century bohemianism and the 1990s rave scene. He is a founding member of Leicester Humanists, where he leads on events and works on school speaking and interfaith engagement. He also plays in punk and noise rock bands.

In this episode
Definitions of subculture as style, and why Rory thinks the visual emphasis has been overdone

Why a scene often dies the moment the mainstream can name it, and what that means for a movement trying to grow

Frame analysis, and the practical reason your venue changes what people feel able to say

Did the internet killed the subculture? Too much choice, no physical presence, and a scene where everyone is a creator and nobody is the audience

Hard-won advice for anyone starting or running a local group
Links and references
Leicester Humanists: https://humanists.uk/local-group/leicester/

Find your local humanist group (Humanists UK): https://humanists.uk/community/local-humanism/

Dick Hebdige, Subculture: The Meaning of Style (1979): https://www.routledge.com/Subculture-The-Meaning-of-Style/Hebdige/p/book/9780415039499

Erving Goffman, Frame Analysis (1974) and The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life

E. M. Forster, Howards End, chapter 9, source of the "conversational hare": https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/howardsend/full-text/chapter-9/

Leicester Secular Hall, the world's first purpose-built secular hall: https://heritage.humanists.uk/leicester-secular-hall/
Related Humanism Now episodes
Nicole Shasha, Rory's co-founder at Leicester Humanists, has appeared on the show several times, including Ep. 014, Ep. 019 and Ep. 059.
Chapters:
00:00 Rory Booth on Exploring Subcultures: Definitions and Context
08:00 The Role of Subcultures in Society
13:38 Humanism as a Subculture
18:43 The Impact of the Internet on Subcultures
25:43 Creating and Sustaining Subcultures
31:40 Reflections on Change and Growth
Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.
Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]

Music: Blossom by Light Prism
Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

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41 min
August 23"Am I a Humanist?" Shay Leonia on Discovering Humanism in Public
"I've never heard of humanism, but is this what I've been all along?"
What happens when you discover the word for what you've believed your whole life? Shay Leonia came to humanism only recently, and rather than hide the learning curve, she has made it the heart of her work. In this episode, James Hodgson talks with Shay about her journey into humanism, the art of admitting what you don't know, and how to bring humanist values to people who have never heard the term.
We discuss growing up with everyday kindness as a lived value, letting go of the supernatural without losing what matters, the AHA Creator Program and building coalitions beyond the secular space, and why humanism needs to become more accessible and more representative if it is going to grow.

About the guest
Shay Leonia is the communications manager at the American Humanist Association (AHA), where she hosts the How to Humanist podcast and runs AHA's Creator Program, partnering with content creators to bring humanism to new audiences. A lifelong musician based in Philadelphia, she founded the media company 44th Minute Media and came to humanism recently, arriving, as she puts it, curious, a little confused, and glad she stayed.

In this episode
How Shay discovered humanism through a job posting and realised it named the values she'd held all along

Learning out loud: the "fourth wall break" behind How to Humanist, and why admitting what you don't know builds trust

The AHA Creator Program, giving people a "soft landing" into humanism, and why the movement must become more accessible and representative
Chapters
00:00 Introduction: meet Shay Leonia
01:18 Growing up, and early humanist values
03:11 A reformed Jewish upbringing
04:01 Discovering humanism through a job posting
05:17 Learning humanism in public
06:00 Talking across belief systems, and reforming your own views
08:53 Letting go of the supernatural
10:05 Breaking the fourth wall on How to Humanist
14:39 The AHA Creator Program
17:12 Building coalitions beyond the secular space
19:59 Giving people a "soft landing" into humanism
22:57 Humanism's blind spots: accessibility and representation
25:51 What role should the AHA play?
28:24 Advice for talking with allies
31:04 Leading with curiosity and compassion
31:32 Changing minds and letting go
Links and references
How to Humanist podcast: https://americanhumanist.org/how-to-humanist-podcast/

American Humanist Association: https://americanhumanist.org

Greg Epstein, Good Without God (mentioned in the episode): https://www.gregmepstein.com
Check out our new website and subscribe for updates: www.humanism.now

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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies and individuals across the globe. To start your own podcast, visit humanise.live or email [email protected].

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible and should not be treated as a fully accurate record of the conversation.

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37 min

About Humanism Now

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⁠⁠Support Humanism Now and join our community⁠⁠.

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Humanism Now is a weekly podcast for anyone curious about secular humanism and making the most of the one life we have.

Host James Hodgson, founder of podcast studio Humanise Live, is joined by scientists, philosophers, campaigners, authors and everyday people who are building a fairer world, cultivating human flourishing and celebrating the joy of being human.

Every episode is a long-form interview that takes one hard ethical question seriously, using reason and evidence rather than dogma, and always with compassion for the people involved. Recurring themes include:

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Resisting nationalism and the future of democracy

AI ethics, technology and what it means to stay human

climate action, equality and social justice

science, scepticism and critical thinking

awe, meaning and our place in the cosmos

You will come away with ideas you can actually use: better arguments, better questions, and practical ways to live an ethical, purpose-driven life while understanding more about yourself, other people and the universe.

Whether you are a lifelong humanist or simply curious about a naturalistic worldview, hit follow and join a global community working towards a fairer, kinder and more rational world, for this generation and the next.

Every episode, guest and transcript is at humanism.now.

Support Humanism Now and join our community

Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies and individuals across the globe. To start your own podcast, visit humanise.live or email [email protected].

Music credit: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible and should not be treated as a fully accurate record of the conversation.