The End of the World

This week's show explores global religions and the pandemic, with a special focus on religious nationalism's role in pandemic politics. We begin with a survey of religious responses to Covid-19 in South Asia, using this to explore the worrying spread of authoritarianism in response to the pandemic, and how "public health" laws and other measures are being used to target religious and social minorities. We'll also look at how internal religious cleavages are making effective Covid-19 responses difficult, from Pakistan to Afghanistan. We'll also delve into how Hindu nationalism in India has harnessed the popular appeal of Vedic science in India to pass off bogus ayurvedic medical claims as cures for Covid-19, with remedies ranging from turmeric and cow urine to Baba Ramdev's herbal Coronil pills. All of this is made possible, scholars suggest, by the broad support for Hindu nationalism across India. From there we pivot back to the United States, and delve deeper into the politics of Christian nationalism and current debates over Covid-19 public health restrictions. As our authors suggest, at the heart of Christian nationalism is a potent blend of religious, ethnic, political, and economic beliefs that come together to form a distinct political dynamic that is at the heart of current Covid-19 opposition and are intimately tied up with the politics of white racial grievances and social change. The world is becoming increasingly global and diverse, but not everyone is happy about those changes, and some want a return of the so-called "glory days." We'll delve into the hows and whys of some of these beliefs and these dynamics and more in this week's episode.

I'm producing these episodes in parallel with a course I'm teaching at California State University, Chico. Each week I explore a different topic related to the end of the world, from doomsday preppers and our deepest fears to the role of religion, media, and politics in thinking about the end of the world.

Audio samples:

Intro: "Breakfast on the Dark Side of the Moon" by Mana Junkie. 2020 CC-BY-NC (3.0). 

This week's show explores questions of religion and the environment, and specifically issues of climate change. We begin with a look at the concept of Nature-Based Solutions or NBS, and how a variety of groups are promoting religious engagements with nature-based solutions, from green infrastructure projects and solar panels to efforts like the UN's 2030 Decade of Ecosystem Restoration. We'll also look at how religious worldviews shape local communities' ability to adapt to climate change, looking at case studies from Zambia and Malawi where traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and religious practices are coming into conflict with new forms of charismatic Pentecostal and Evangelical Christianity in Africa, which is leading to a loss of climate resilience and intergenerational conflict over religious rituals and environmental conservation. Finally, we'll look at the role of ecological education in Pope Francis's 2015 Laudato Si' Encyclical and explore how religions can foster a new ecological awareness and hopefully help address the global climate crisis. 

I'm producing these episodes in parallel with a course I'm teaching at California State University, Chico. Each week I explore a different topic related to the end of the world, from doomsday preppers and our deepest fears to the role of religion, media, and politics in thinking about the end of the world.

Audio samples:

Intro: "Soul Searching" by Jeris. CC-BY (3.0). 

World Religions and Global Issues (RELS 332) - Week 2 Class Lecture

This week's show continues our focus from last episode on religion and violence, delving into a more systematic look at religion and cultures of terror. After thinking about some of the broad connections between religion and violence, we'll take a closer look at three cases of religious violence and terror from within Christian, Jewish, and Hindu religious circles. We'll consider how divinely-sanctioned religion drives many of these actors, as well as the exclusive claims to religious identity that undergird the religious worldviews of the militant religious activists. As we'll discuss, it is increasingly difficult to disentangle the impacts of globalization from new forms of religious violence that take aim at secular states and politics.   

I'm producing these episodes in parallel with a course I'm teaching at California State University, Chico. Each week I explore a different topic related to the end of the world, from doomsday preppers and our deepest fears to the role of religion, media, and politics in thinking about the end of the world.

Audio samples:

Intro Music: "Chill Till I'm Killed" by septahelix. 2021. CC-BY-NC (3.0). 

World Religions and Global Issues (RELS 332) - Week 1 Class Lecture

After taking a few months off this spring we're back in action and with an expanded focus in season 2 of the End of the World podcast. The next few shows will turn from the earlier end of the world focus to questions of religion and globalization. This first show looks at debates over the changing role of religion in the post-WWII period and how the rise of new forms of ethnic and religious nationalism caught many secular proponents by surprise. We'll also begin exploring some of the links between religion and violence and think about how religion acts as both a source of conflict and a potential vehicle for resolving conflicts. As we'll discuss, it is increasingly difficult to disentangle the impacts of globalization on world religions from the rise of new forms of religious nationalism and religious violence.     

I'm producing these episodes in parallel with a course I'm teaching at California State University, Chico - World Religions and Global Issues (RELS 332). Each week I explore a different topic related to the end of the world, from doomsday preppers and our deepest fears to the role of religion, media, and politics in thinking about the end of the world.

Audio samples:

Intro: "Wanderer (Take 2)" by Admiral Bob (BY-3.0).

In this week's show I turn to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and his important role in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. In particular, I'll look at how his religious and ethical beliefs are reflected in his writings and his actions, and I'll explore what lessons from 1960s racial justice struggles continue to resonate today with the Black Lives Matter movements and struggles for social and racial justice. This is our first new show for 2021, and what a heck of a year it has been so far. As the recent white supremacist insurrection on January 6 in Washington D.C. has made clear, the issues that Dr. King raised are just as relevant today as whey were during his lifetime. 

Today's show, Jan 18, 2021, also marks the celebration of MLK Jr. Day, which is now a federally recognized holiday.

There is one short video clip included which you can watch by following the links below:

As I noted in the last episode of this show, my End of the World class at CSU Chico has come to an end, so I will be shifting gears for this podcast as we move into 2021. Exactly what shape it will take is still being debated, but I do plan to continue the show in some form. I also noted last time that I hoped to get in one final show for 2020, and here it is. For this last show of 2020 I decided to do something a bit different, which is to offer a reading of a timely classic, Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. So for this week's show I present you with chapter 1 of this holiday story! I don't think it is too much of a stretch to say that for poor old Ebenezer Scrooge, his brush the the end of the world was more than just a tall tale. So with no further ado, let's jump right into the Bah Humbug, er...I mean the End of the World.

Audio Samples:

This week's show marks the conclusion of our End of the World class. To help us wrap up this episode begins by takes a look at how we might survive the end of the world, from constructing human refuges deep underground to more fanciful ideas such as space colonization. We'll even look at insects as a food substitute in a nuclear winter scenario. From there we'll step back and consider the bigger story of the end of the world we have been exploring for the past 15 weeks, reviewing some of the key themes and thinking about what we have learned from our study of the end of the world.   

I'm producing these episodes in parallel with a course of the same name which I am teaching at California State University, Chico where I am currently teaching. Each week I will look at a different topic related to the end of the world, from doomsday preppers and our deepest fears to the role of religion, media, and politics in thinking about the end of the world.

There are several short video segments included which you can watch by following the links below:

In this week's show we look at the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, or SETI, and our fascination with alien phenomena, from UFOs to government conspiracies at sites like Roswell and Area 51. We'll explore the Fermi Paradox and efforts by Frank Drake and others to reach out and make contact, including the famous 1974 Arecibo Message, and the debates about whether we should be trying to make contact. We'll also look at some  reasons for our lack of proof about alien existence, from a cosmic Great Filter to catastrophic climate change on alien planets.

In this podcast series we delve into the past, present and future dynamics of the End of the World and ask why this concept continues to have such cultural resonance. From apocalyptic religious narratives in the Book of Revelation to the Zombie Apocalypse and Doomsday Preppers, the end of the world remains an important cultural idea. From our current global Coronavirus pandemic to catastrophic wildfires, hurricanes, and widespread social unrest, it's little wonder that people are worried about the End of the World. 

There are several short video segments included which you can watch by following the links below:

In this week's show we look at artificial intelligence or AI, and how the rise of new supercomputers and data crunching algorithms are changing everything from warfare and security to the arts and humanities. We'll explore some of the ways in which our daily lives are increasingly shaped by AI technologies, from smart homes to machine learning systems improving recommendations on Netflix. We'll also discuss some of the potential risks and exciting development associated with AI, from lethal autonomous weapons (aka killer robots) to AI created music, art, and movie scripts. And we'll consider some prophetic Biblical text from a new Jesus A.I.

I'm producing these episodes in parallel with a course of the same name which I am teaching at California State University, Chico where I am currently teaching. Each week I will look at a different topic related to the end of the world, from doomsday preppers and our deepest fears to the role of religion, media, and politics in thinking about the end of the world.

There are several short video segments included which you can watch by following the links below:

In this week's show we look at disease and pandemics, a topic that everyone on the planet has been dealing with in recent months. From historical outbreaks such as the Plague of Justinian or the Black Death in the 14th century, to more modern diseases like the 1918 Influenza pandemic and SARS in 2003, disease remains the most deadly natural enemy of humanity--a point made clear by our current coronavirus pandemic. We'll also look at how society has responded to the threat of disease, and the ways in which religion and politics have shaped our responses. Finally, we'll ask what we learned from these earlier pandemics and global health threats.

I'm producing these episodes in parallel with a course of the same name which I am teaching at California State University, Chico where I am currently teaching.  Each week I will look at a different topic related to the end of the world, from doomsday preppers and our deepest fears to the role of religion, media, and politics in thinking about the end of the world.

You can also listed to the two special bonus episodes on plagues and pandemic below:

In this week's show we look one of the most pressing issues in the world today--climate change. We'll explore some of the history and recent trends around a changing climate, and ask why countries around the world seem unable to take the bold steps necessary to address climate change before it becomes a global catastrophe. We'll also look at how American attitudes about climate change have themselves been changing, mostly for the better. And we'll look at how religious values and religious traditions around the world are grappling with the ethical and moral dilemmas posed by climate change. All this and more in this week's episode of the End of the World. 

I'm producing these episodes in parallel with a course of the same name which I am teaching at California State University, Chico where I am currently teaching.  Each week I will look at a different topic related to the end of the world, from doomsday preppers and our deepest fears to the role of religion, media, and politics in thinking about the end of the world.

There are several short video segments included which you can watch by following the links below:

In this week's episode, we'll look at billionaire bunkers and how the elite are preparing for the apocalypse. The idea that the super-wealthy and Silicon Valley elites are busy building secret bunkers in places like Australia and New Zealand has been a popular media story, but when you peel back the slick PR stories what we find is a lot of smoke and mirrors and very little substance. We'll also explore how climate change is creating a hotter, dryer future from Australia to California and how these global trends are driving more people to prepare for disaster. We'll also touch on the fascinating intersections of apocalyptic ideologies, techno-libertarian elites profiting from technology-driven social disruptions, and explore conservative religious preppers in the American northwest, better known as the "American Redoubt," where God, guns, and prepping go hand in hand.

I'm producing these episodes in parallel with a course of the same name which I am teaching at California State University, Chico where I am currently teaching.  Each week I will look at a different topic related to the end of the world, from doomsday preppers and our deepest fears to the role of religion, media, and politics in thinking about the end of the world.

There are several short video segments included which you can watch by following the links below:

In Episode 3 we'll dive into the cultural origins of bunkers and fallout shelters and consider how Cold War era politics shaped fears about Communism and nuclear annihilation. We also explore the "first doom boom" of the 1960s when backyard shelter building exploded, and how early survivalist figures like Robert DePugh gave rise to modern doomsday prepping and worries about the end of the world. We'll also touch on new surveillance technologies such as Gorgon's Stare and associated privacy concerns that are driving some people into bunkers and away from prying corporate and government eyes. 

I'm producing these episodes in parallel with a course of the same name which I am teaching at California State University, Chico where I am currently teaching.  Each week I will look at a different topic related to the end of the world, from doomsday preppers and our deepest fears to the role of religion, media, and politics in thinking about the end of the world.

There are several short video segments included which you can watch by following the links below:

In this special bonus for Episode 1 I delve a bit more into the history of the Book of Revelation, looking at what the text actually says and some of the reactions on its content. This is meant to supplement the main Episode 1 and its discussion of the End of the World. 

Hi everyone, and welcome to Episode 1 of this special podcast series on the End of the World. 

I'm producing these episodes in parallel with a course of the same name which I am teaching at California State University, Chico where I am currently teaching.  In this first episode I delve into some of the history and background context to the End of the World, and ask why ideas about the world ending continue to resonate in our contemporary world and popular culture. Each week I will look at a different topic related to the end of the world, from doomsday preppers and our deepest fears to the role of religion, media, and politics. 

For show notes and more details about this course (and some of the materials references in this episode) be sure to visit my End of the World page: