Human Beings. How did we become the creatures that we are? How did our bodies, and more importantly, our minds, evolve from the bodies and minds of simpler creatures?

In this episode I speak with Dr William Von Hippel, a social psychologist, and author of the book The Social Leap, which is about this very subject. Join us as we learn the story of humanity.

About Dr William Von Hippel:
https://psychology.uq.edu.au/profile/3034/bill-von-hippel

The Social Leap:
https://www.amazon.com/Social-Leap-Evolutionary-Science-Where/dp/0062740393

A clip from Dr Von Hippel's appearance on the Joe Rogan Show:
https://youtu.be/h6oF1CCupiE

How do we relate to our body? Do we treat our bodies like objects we possess? Is there a better way? These questions are at the heart of Jamie Lee Finch's work. In this episode we discuss her background in evangelical Christianity, her 2019 book You Are Your Own, and the work she does now as an embodiment coach. 

Links to Jamie Lee Finch's work:

Website
https://jamieleefinch.com/

Her Course "Your Body Is A Person":
http://www.jamieleefinch.com/wonder

Her Book "You Are Your Own":
https://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Your-Own-Christianity-ebook/dp/B07TDNMK8K/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=you+are+your+own&qid=1628274596&sr=8-1

Social Media:
http://www.instagram.com/iamjamieleefinch
http://www.twitter.com/jamieleefinch

Is a secular society an atheist society? Hemant Mehta, the writer behind thefriendlyatheist.com, youtuber, and activist, would say a resounding "no". In this conversation we talk about his work advocating for a society that functions better for everyone, rather than catering to religious groups.

Find out more about Hemant Mehta:
http://www.friendlyatheist.com
http://www.twitter.com/hemantmehta

Mentioned in this episode:
Conversation between Sean McDowell and Hemant Mehta hosted by Justin Brierley
https://youtu.be/Hhuxq7wLpFc

Why is everyone talking about deconstruction? Why are hashtags like #exvangelical becoming so familiar? Are people leaving evangelical churches in droves? These are just a few of the questions that my guest Chrissy Stroop and I discuss in this week's episode of The Wonder and The Mystery of Being.

Chrissy Stroop holds a Ph.D. in History and Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities from Stanford University. She filed her dissertation (as Christopher Stroop, pre-transition), "Providential Empire: Russia's Religious Intelligentsia and the First World War" in May 2012. Since that time Stroop has taught at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration in Moscow, Russia, and at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

Chrissy has written for The New Republic, The Economist, The New York Times,  Foreign Policy, Political Research Associates, Religion Dispatches, The Moscow Times, Eurasianet, Playboy, or Dame Magazine, and co-edited a book called Empty the Pews: Stories of Leaving the Church with Lauren O'Neal.

Follow Chrissy Stroop on twitter:
https://twitter.com/C_Stroop

Support Chrissy Stroop on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/cstroop

Empty the Pews on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XL2T2LD/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

"Good religion takes us deeper into our own humanity."

This week Justin McRoberts and I discuss our perspectives on religious practices, whether they can be healthy and helpful, and what that might look like. Nietzsche, Heiddeger, and Camus are just a few names that come up over the course of this conversation.

This is the first in-person interview for the show, filmed in the evening in front of my 1969 Airstream Trailer, The Curiosity.

Justin McRoberts is a musician, writer, and speaker. His new book is called "It Is What You Make of It: Creating Something Great from What You’ve Been Given"

The book on amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/What-You-Make-Creating-Something-ebook/dp/B08L71Y5CY/

Learn more about Justin:
http://www.justinmcroberts.com
http://www.twitter.com/justinmcroberts

This week we're talking about the SOUL! What is it? Do we really HAVE a soul? How did we come to believe in the idea of a soul in the first place?  We also go down several incredible tangents such as simulation theory, solipsism, visual perception, and how our brains process information.

Shannon is a regular host of the Atheist Experience, and The Line, two weekly youtube shows run by the Atheist Community of Austin (ACA). Shannon also has her own youtube channel. Links to all these are below!

Shannon's Youtube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0qhPJh8DeoR-3JhMrIvw0g

The Atheist Experience:
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheAtheistExperience

The Line:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIv3LvN_0CNzMpSrTF9naNA

1 year ago I wrote an instagram post that changed my life.  In this special live episode of the show, I re-read the post, and talk about what feels the same, what feels different, and what I would have done differently.

This is live, casual, and off-the-cuff. Aired on youtube live on May 20, 2021.

Youtube link here:
https://youtu.be/hl4fpJAw-8g

I hope you enjoy!

No two people's process of religious deconstruction is the same. In getting to know C Davis, aka @deconstructingblack on Instagram, I've found that many of our experiences are similar, but some are quite different. In this conversation, C and I discuss those similarities and differences, and she shares with us what it's like to go through a process of deconstruction as a Black woman in America.

Learn more about C:
http://www.instagram.com/deconstructingblack
http://www.instagram.com/deconstructingcolors

Sasha and I discuss the immense value of rituals, even for those of us with a much more secular, non-religious worldview. We get into how we make meaning, experience awe, and approach mystery. Some of my favorite topics!

I'm thrilled to get this chance to speak with Sasha, for so many reasons. Her life, work, and family are so brilliantly interesting to me, and her father's book/movie "Contact" was so influential for me growing up. We talk about that story towards the end of our chat.

Sasha is a writer, speaker, and filmmaker, and the book we discuss in this conversation is her 2019 release "For Small Creatures Such As We...", which is one of my top book recommendations.

To learn more about Sasha Sagan:
http://www.sashasagan.com
http://www.twitter.com/sashasagan
http://www.instagram.com/sashasagan

"For Such Creatures Such As We..." on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Small-Creatures-Such-We-Unlikely-ebook/dp/B07N5JQXFK/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=for+such+creatures&qid=1620071000&sr=8-3

How did the Bible come to be? That is a massive question that couldn't possibly be unraveled in a single episode. So over the coming months, I plan on doing several episodes tackling different aspects of this question.

We'll start with the first books of the Bible - the Torah, also called the Pentateuch. In this episode I speak with Dr Joel Baden, Professor of Hebrew Bible at Yale University, about the documentary hypothesis of Torah authorship. The Torah is traditionally attributed to Moses, but there appear to be some very good reasons why that might not be the case, and some incredible implications if not.

Join Dr Baden and I as we begin to lay the groundwork of how best to understand what the Bible is, how best to read it, and how we can gain a richer understanding of its ancient roots by learning from the Jewish perspective.

Check out Dr Baden's books here:
https://www.amazon.com/Joel-S.-Baden/e/B004R86924%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

Dr Baden's twitter account (where he's breaking down the Torah verse by verse daily):
https://twitter.com/joelbaden

Dr Baden's Talk at the Nantucket Project (I mentioned it in the episode):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS7LgbMr1m4