Show Notes
Alyssa Grenfell grew up knowing three things: coffee was basically heroin, God had a very specific plan for her life, and that plan included Italy. Denver... same difference. In this episode, Alyssa and Shay get into what it actually costs to leave the Mormon church: the wrong husband God recommended, the sister who didn't spontaneously combust when she accidentally drank coffee, and where exactly sin is hiding in the furniture at West Elm. Alyssa wrote the book on leaving Mormonism. Literally. It's called How to Leave the Mormon Church and it’s the necessary guide to ever tasting that sweet, sinful, macchiato. ABOUT ALYSSA GRENFELL
Alyssa Grenfell is a writer, content creator, and speaker exploring the intersections of faith, culture, and personal transformation. Raised in a devout Mormon family, she attended Brigham Young University, served a full-time mission, and married in the temple before ultimately leaving the church in her mid-twenties. Now based in Texas, Alyssa creates commentary, essays, and videos that unpack high-demand religions, social dynamics, and the challenges of rebuilding identity outside of faith. How to Leave the Mormon Church by Alyssa Grenfell: https://bit.ly/exmormonbook YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@alyssadgrenfell TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alyssadgrenfell Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alyssadgrenfell
LEARN MORE American Empathy Project: https://americanempathyproject.org For more on humanism: https://linktr.ee/americanhumanist
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Today we return to the foundations, the brick laying of humanism, if you will. In this episode, Greg Epstein — Harvard and MIT's Humanist Chaplain and author of the NY Times bestseller Good Without God — joins us to break down what humanism actually is, where it came from, and why some of our biggest existential questions have been getting wrestled with for millennia, by regular people who just wanted to live a good life without being strong-armed into it. Welcome to humanism... we're glad to have you. ABOUT GREG EPSTEIN Greg M. Epstein serves as Humanist Chaplain at Harvard & MIT, where he advises students, faculty, and staff members on ethical and existential concerns from a humanist perspective. TechCrunch's first “ethicist in residence,” he has been called “a symbol of the transition in how Americans relate to organized religion” (The Conversation). He is author of the New York Times-bestseller Good Without God, and the multi-award-winning Tech Agnostic, and has written for TIME, CNN, and The Boston Globe. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregmepstein Good Without God: https://bit.ly/goodwithoutgodbook Tech Agnostic: https://bit.ly/techagnosticbook LEARN MORE For more on humanism: https://linktr.ee/americanhumanist
We're chatting with actor, director, writer (and humanist) Jon Huertas today, traveling down the memory lane of his iconic roles and learning some of our favorite tidbits from his career. Jon also shares how humanism has impacted his career and just how cuddly cows are. Enjoy this conversation with Jon as we continue to honor Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month. #meetyourheroes ABOUT JON HUERTAS
Why wait? We're still on a kick from celebrating AHA's 85th annual conference this past weekend which included honorees Jordan Klepper, Anthea Butler, and Hank Green. And although we sold out of tickets for it (not once, but) twice, we know that not everyone got a chance to attend all the wonderful sessions. So we figured, let's give the people what they want -- and what everyone wants -- is more Klepper. ABOUT JORDAN KLEPPER
It's a humanist crossover episode! "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.