Humanism Now
Welcome to Humanism Now, the weekly podcast from Humanise Live. Tune in for the latest news, insightful worldwide guest interviews, and lively discussions on the most pressing questions of our time — all from a naturalistic, empathetic, and rationalist world view that marks out humanism. Join us as we explore ethical dilemmas, dissect current events, and engage in thoughtful conversations that matter.
Episodes
35 episodes
35. Lindsay de Wal on Redefining Chaplaincy & the Rise of non-religious Pastoral Care in the NHS
"Transcendence is the connection with something wider; the world, the cosmos, nature, other fellow human beings, and doing good in this life"— Dr Lindsay De Wal When Dr Lindsay De Wal became the first non-religious h...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 35
•
31:16
34. Michael Bauer on Community Services Without Religion: Practical Humanism for a Secular Future
“The highest value, the most precious value we have is not peace—it’s freedom.” — Michael Bauer This week on Humanism Now, we’re joined by Michael Bauer, CEO of Germany...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 34
•
31:43
33. Audrey Simmons & Lola Tinubu on Keeping the Faith Out of the Classroom: Smart Move or Overreach?
This episode was originally recorded in May 2024."What we have in common is what is taking us forward." — Lola Tinubu In May 2024, the High Court ruled that Michaela Community School’s “prayer ban” did not unl...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 33
•
22:55
32. Alan Palmer on Finding Common Ground Through Faith Dialogues
“If we focus so much on the 5% that divides us, we miss the 95% we already share.” — Alan PalmerAlan Palmer is the former Chair of Central London Humanists, a trustee of Humanists UK, and a lo...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 32
•
18:59
31. Katherine Stewart on Money, Lies & God: How Billionaires Weaponised Religion to Undermine Democracy
The pro-life religion we see today is a modern creation. It was created for political purposes." — Katherine StewartKatherine Stewart is an award-winning journalist and author, who has investi...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 31
•
34:44
30. S.I. Martin on Uncovering Britain's Hidden Histories & the Power of Storytelling
"Isn't it true that we are the stories we tell ourselves?" — S.I. MartinThis week on Humanism Now, we’re joined by S.I. Martin—historian, author, and patron of Humanists UK—whose work has reshaped how we understa...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 30
•
29:34
29. Faith to Faithless on Finding Community after Leaving High-Control Groups (part of Podcastathon 2025)
This special episode of Humanism Now is released as part of Podcastathon 2025, the world’s largest podcast charity initiative. We’re proud to dedicate this episode to Faith to Faithless, a programme by Humanists UK suppor...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 29
•
45:04
28. Susie Alegre on the Algorithmic Assault on Human Rights: How AI Threatens Our Core Freedoms
AI technologies pose significant threats to fundamental human rights, reinforcing historical biases and power imbalances. This week, we are joined by Susie Alegre, international human rights lawyer and author, to explore the impact of ge...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 28
•
39:58
27. Happy Human Lithuania on the Magic of Humanist Ceremonies & Growing Social Enterprises
Humanist ceremonies—weddings, namings, and funerals—are growing rapidly worldwide, offering non-religious, deeply personal ways to mark life’s most significant moments. Laimingas Žmogus (Happy Human) is a social enterpris...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 27
•
30:12
26. Nathan Stilwell on the Need for Compassionate Assisted Dying Legislation & End of Life Care
Welcome back to Humanism Now for a special episode coinciding with the critical upcoming UK Parliament vote on assisted dying — a pivotal moment we've long campaigned for and debated. In this episode we hear how what the bill entails, wh...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 26
•
31:34
25. Paul Harrison on Humanists in Business, plus Approaches to Activism Discussion
"It's difficult to think of an area of work life that isn't connected to humanistic thought. If you start with ideas around the dignity of each human, compassion, kindness, ambitions, ways to behave, being evidence-based and being equitable...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 25
•
1:06:28
24. Lori Marriott on Humanist Climate Action
"A key tenet of humanism is empathy. Whether that's empathy for those around us or to all humans, but also we should extend that to all life of exists, and then forward in time, to future generations." - Lori Marriott<...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 24
•
1:12:57
23. Ariel Pontes on the Quest for Ethical Consciousness in a Divided World
"It's really not as hard as people think to have a peaceful conversation with somebody who disagrees profoundly with you on deep questions." - Ariel Pontes This week on Humanism Now we share our w...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 23
•
1:24:37
22. Ojas Singh Bhanot on Cultivating Student Groups plus Fostering Scientific Literacy in Society
"Humanism is about human goodness, appreciating reason & potential" - Ojas Singh BhanotThis week on Humanism Now, Mark & Nicole join the panel to discuss how illegal faith schools den...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 22
•
1:04:22
21. Valerie Jack on Finding Peace in Grief without God
“The irony of man's condition is that the deepest need is to be free of the anxiety of death and annihilation; but it is life itself which awakens it, and so we must shrink from being fully alive.” ― Ernest Becker, The Denial ...
•
59:23
20. Monica Belițoiu, ASUR on Championing Secularism & Science Across Europe
Welcome back to Humanism Now! This week AJ & Mark from the Central London Humanists join the panel to discuss the latest news, plus our interview with Monica Belițoiu, Chair of The Romanian Secular Humanist Associ...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 20
•
1:04:43
19. Celebrating International Women's Day! Conversation on Feminism and Humanism
Welcome to Humanism Now's International Women's Day Special hosted by Audrey Simmons (Association of Bla...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 19
•
54:27
18. Leo Igwe on New Future for Freethought, Atheism and Humanism in Africa
"We should acknowledge that humanism is something that beats in the heart of every human being" Dr Leo IgweThis week James, Lola & AJ are joined by legendary human rights activist,
•
Season 1
•
Episode 18
•
1:31:17
17. Jeremy Rodell on the Art of Interfaith Dialogue
Welcome back to Humanism Now. This we learn practical tips for engaging in good faith dialogues with people of different beliefs with expert insight from Jeremy Rodell, Director of Humanist UK's Dialogue Network and our regular panellist...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 17
•
1:06:40
16. Anya Overman on Humanism's Social Justice Impact
This week on Humanism Now, Audrey & AJ join the panel to discuss personal and group activism and support for Social Justice campaigns. The panel discuss; How do humanist vales align with these causes? How do we prioritise issu...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 16
•
1:18:43
15. Scott Jacobsen on the Importance of Journalism plus Navigating Global Conflicts with Humanistic Values
"Peace is more than just the absence of war. Peace requires respect for the worth and dignity of our fellow human beings, tolerance among individuals, and harmony within each person."
•
Season 1
•
Episode 15
•
1:24:39
14. 2023 Review & 2024 Preview; Hope, Awe & Collective Human Achievement
Join us as we review the 2023 year in Humanism and preview the events for 2024 with our regular panellists, Mark, Nicole & Katia.Together with host James, they discuss; insights from 2023 meetups and conv...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 14
•
1:01:53
13. Bart Campolo on Choosing Human Experience, Relationships & Belonging
"I know so many people whose lives got better when they learned how to use a crock pot and make a decent chili"Welcome back to Humanism Now. This week we are delighted to share an extended interview with
•
Season 1
•
Episode 13
•
1:09:31
12. Emma Wadsworth-Jones on Humanists International's Freedom of Thought Report 2023
"When we're upholding secularism, we're making sure that that is freedom of religion or belief for all, and not just for the non-religious to be safe" - Emma Wadsworth-JonesOn this week's Humanism Now we are delighted to be joi...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 12
•
1:07:29
11. Madeleine Goodall on Britain's Humanist Heritage
"Conscious morality cannot exist in any being except so far as it can look behind, before, and around; and can remember, compare, and reason about right and wrong so as to choose for itself, and for those it can influence, a given course." ...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 11
•
1:23:21