Podcast appearances and mentions of ryan cragun

The LDS Church recently changed from 3 to 2 hour church. Is 2 hr church destroying community? Dr Ryan Cragun answers. We'll also discuss whether religious or non-religious are more healthy, wealthy, and wise. Check out our conversation... https://youtu.be/moBMOw1jjdU Don't miss our other conversations with Ryan: https://gospeltangents.com/people/ryan-cragun/ transcript to follow Copyright © 2025 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved Except for book reviews, no content may be reproduced without written permission   transcript to follow Copyright © 2025 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved Except for book reviews, no content may be reproduced without written permission

What pulls people from Church? Dr Ryan Cragun from Univ of Tampa says there are 2 things that lead people to leave religion: Push factors & Pull factors. What pushes people away from Church? Check out our conversation... https://youtu.be/A18Umb_xxlg Don't miss our other conversations with Ryan: https://gospeltangents.com/people/ryan-cragun/ transcript to follow Copyright © 2025 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved Except for book reviews, no content may be reproduced without written permission   transcript to follow Copyright © 2025 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved Except for book reviews, no content may be reproduced without written permission

Why does one person leave religion, while another person leaves? Dr Ryan Cragun discusses his own faith crisis and Rick shares why he stays. Check out our conversation... https://youtu.be/2qQ1dzvyalA Don't miss our other conversations with Ryan: https://gospeltangents.com/people/ryan-cragun/ transcript to follow Copyright © 2025 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved Except for book reviews, no content may be reproduced without written permission 0:00 Ryan's Mission 11:21 Ryan's Deconversion/Betrayal 17:41 Why People Stay or Leave 25:01 Hard Exits transcript to follow Copyright © 2025 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved Except for book reviews, no content may be reproduced without written permission

Some ex-Mormons leave religion with an noisy exit and are angry. Others walk away with little fanfare. What is the difference between these people? In his new book called "Goodbye Religion," University of Tampa sociology professor Dr Ryan Cragun discusses why people are leaving religion at higher rates. Check out our conversation... https://youtu.be/z7p-j-3YrJ0 Don't miss our other conversations with Ryan: https://gospeltangents.com/people/ryan-cragun/ transcript to follow Copyright © 2025 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved Except for book reviews, no content may be reproduced without written permission 0:00 Avalanches, Alligators, & Hurricanes 4:21 Educational Background 10:18 Intro to Goodbye Religion 16:29 Triggered vs Calm ex-Mormons transcript to follow Copyright © 2025 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved Except for book reviews, no content may be reproduced without written permission

We announce the first atheist billboard in Africa! We report on a tsunami of Christian nationalist bills and executive orders at the federal and state levels, including Texas, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Iowa and Tennessee. In honor of Valentine's Day, we hear Dan Barker's secular love song "It's Only Natural." Then sociology Professor Ryan T. Cragun, author of Goodbye Religion: The Causes and Consequences of Secularization, shows us, with data, that religious people are not happier, healthier or more moral than nonreligious people.

Why do industrialized countries lose religion? Dr Ryan Cragun has a very interesting theory. We'll also talk about other projects he is working on. Check out our conversation by subscribing to our free newsletter at gospeltangents.com/newletter https://youtu.be/ie4ezw8eQPM Don't miss our other conversations with Ryan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPiSAV7aMxI&list=PLLhI8GMw9sJ5TNY30k0M5dZa_cM1S9bk8 transcript to follow Copyright © 2023 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved Except for book reviews, no content may be reproduced without written permission transcript to follow Copyright © 2023 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved

What role does politics play in religious affiliation? Dr Ryan Cragun gives us a few hints and discusses his upcoming book on the topic. We'll also discuss his recent papers asking when women get LDS priesthood. Will Christ return before women get priesthood? Check out our conversation... https://youtu.be/xmEjPdBY78I Don't miss our other conversations with Ryan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPiSAV7aMxI&list=PLLhI8GMw9sJ5TNY30k0M5dZa_cM1S9bk8 transcript to follow Copyright © 2023 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved Except for book reviews, no content may be reproduced without written permission transcript to follow Copyright © 2023 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved

We've talked about why people don't identify as religious, but is it true that Conservative Churches grow at a faster rate? Is it true churches in the Global South are growing? Why is that? Dr Ryan Cragun answers this conundrum. Check oiut our conversation... https://youtu.be/eytjMTj0wUs Don't miss our other conversations with Ryan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPiSAV7aMxI&list=PLLhI8GMw9sJ5TNY30k0M5dZa_cM1S9bk8 transcript to follow Copyright © 2023 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved Except for book reviews, no content may be reproduced without written permission transcript to follow Copyright © 2023 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved

Is the Mormon Church in decline in its home state: Utah? Is the Mormon church over-reporting its Utah membership? Is the Mormon church in decline worldwide? Join us as we interview sociologist Dr. Ryan Cragan we we discuss his new article: "Mormons Are No Longer a Majority in Utah: Causes, Consequences, and Implications for the Sociology of Religion."  Episode Show Notes YouTube link   Mormon Stories Thanks Our Generous Donors! Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today: One-time or recurring donation through Donorbox Support us on Patreon PayPal Venmo Our Platforms: Youtube Patreon Spotify Apple Podcasts Contact us: MormonStories@gmail.com  PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117  Social Media: Insta: @mormstories Tiktok: @mormonstoriespodcast Join the Discord

LDS are legendary for tracking membership statistics. How do other religions track membership, or do they? We'll talk about the rise of Nones, the 2nd fastest growing religious group with Sociologist Dr Ryan Cragun. Check out our conversation... https://youtu.be/uwxdcyOMyDI Don't miss our other conversations with Ryan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPiSAV7aMxI&list=PLLhI8GMw9sJ5TNY30k0M5dZa_cM1S9bk8 transcript to follow Copyright © 2023 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved Except for book reviews, no content may be reproduced without written permission transcript to follow Copyright © 2023 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved

Dr Ryan Cragun made news this week when he said that Utah is no longer a majority Mormon state. How did he come to that conclusion? We'll talk about it in our next conversation. Check it out! https://youtu.be/RPiSAV7aMxI Don't miss our other conversations with Ryan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPiSAV7aMxI&list=PLLhI8GMw9sJ5TNY30k0M5dZa_cM1S9bk8 transcript to follow Copyright © 2023 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved Except for book reviews, no content may be reproduced without written permission transcript to follow Copyright © 2023 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved

The statement ‘we live in a secular age' is open to the obvious challenge that in some parts of the word, religion is a growing force in society. And even in places such as the US, religious activists seem to have growing influence – as the recent US Supreme Court decision about abortion suggests. So, is this actually a secular age? Ryan Cragun is a co-author (with Isabella Kasselstrand and Phil Zuckerman) of Beyond Doubt: The Secularization of Society (NYU Press, 2023) – listen to him in conversation with Owen Bennett Jones. Owen Bennett-Jones is a freelance journalist and writer. A former BBC correspondent and presenter he has been a resident foreign correspondent in Bucharest, Geneva, Islamabad, Hanoi and Beirut. He is recently wrote a history of the Bhutto dynasty which was published by Yale University Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

The statement ‘we live in a secular age' is open to the obvious challenge that in some parts of the word, religion is a growing force in society. And even in places such as the US, religious activists seem to have growing influence – as the recent US Supreme Court decision about abortion suggests. So, is this actually a secular age? Ryan Cragun is a co-author (with Isabella Kasselstrand and Phil Zuckerman) of Beyond Doubt: The Secularization of Society (NYU Press, 2023) – listen to him in conversation with Owen Bennett Jones. Owen Bennett-Jones is a freelance journalist and writer. A former BBC correspondent and presenter he has been a resident foreign correspondent in Bucharest, Geneva, Islamabad, Hanoi and Beirut. He is recently wrote a history of the Bhutto dynasty which was published by Yale University Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/world-affairs

The statement ‘we live in a secular age' is open to the obvious challenge that in some parts of the word, religion is a growing force in society. And even in places such as the US, religious activists seem to have growing influence – as the recent US Supreme Court decision about abortion suggests. So, is this actually a secular age? Ryan Cragun is a co-author (with Isabella Kasselstrand and Phil Zuckerman) of Beyond Doubt: The Secularization of Society (NYU Press, 2023) – listen to him in conversation with Owen Bennett Jones. Owen Bennett-Jones is a freelance journalist and writer. A former BBC correspondent and presenter he has been a resident foreign correspondent in Bucharest, Geneva, Islamabad, Hanoi and Beirut. He is recently wrote a history of the Bhutto dynasty which was published by Yale University Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The statement ‘we live in a secular age' is open to the obvious challenge that in some parts of the word, religion is a growing force in society. And even in places such as the US, religious activists seem to have growing influence – as the recent US Supreme Court decision about abortion suggests. So, is this actually a secular age? Ryan Cragun is a co-author (with Isabella Kasselstrand and Phil Zuckerman) of Beyond Doubt: The Secularization of Society (NYU Press, 2023) – listen to him in conversation with Owen Bennett Jones. Owen Bennett-Jones is a freelance journalist and writer. A former BBC correspondent and presenter he has been a resident foreign correspondent in Bucharest, Geneva, Islamabad, Hanoi and Beirut. He is recently wrote a history of the Bhutto dynasty which was published by Yale University Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/sociology

The statement ‘we live in a secular age' is open to the obvious challenge that in some parts of the word, religion is a growing force in society. And even in places such as the US, religious activists seem to have growing influence – as the recent US Supreme Court decision about abortion suggests. So, is this actually a secular age? Ryan Cragun is a co-author (with Isabella Kasselstrand and Phil Zuckerman) of Beyond Doubt: The Secularization of Society (NYU Press, 2023) – listen to him in conversation with Owen Bennett Jones. Owen Bennett-Jones is a freelance journalist and writer. A former BBC correspondent and presenter he has been a resident foreign correspondent in Bucharest, Geneva, Islamabad, Hanoi and Beirut. He is recently wrote a history of the Bhutto dynasty which was published by Yale University Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/religion

The statement ‘we live in a secular age' is open to the obvious challenge that in some parts of the word, religion is a growing force in society. And even in places such as the US, religious activists seem to have growing influence – as the recent US Supreme Court decision about abortion suggests. So, is this actually a secular age? Ryan Cragun is a co-author (with Isabella Kasselstrand and Phil Zuckerman) of Beyond Doubt: The Secularization of Society (NYU Press, 2023) – listen to him in conversation with Owen Bennett Jones. Owen Bennett-Jones is a freelance journalist and writer. A former BBC correspondent and presenter he has been a resident foreign correspondent in Bucharest, Geneva, Islamabad, Hanoi and Beirut. He is recently wrote a history of the Bhutto dynasty which was published by Yale University Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/secularism

The statement ‘we live in a secular age' is open to the obvious challenge that in some parts of the word, religion is a growing force in society. And even in places such as the US, religious activists seem to have growing influence – as the recent US Supreme Court decision about abortion suggests. So, is this actually a secular age? Ryan Cragun is a co-author (with Isabella Kasselstrand and Phil Zuckerman) of Beyond Doubt: The Secularization of Society (NYU Press, 2023) – listen to him in conversation with Owen Bennett Jones. Owen Bennett-Jones is a freelance journalist and writer. A former BBC correspondent and presenter he has been a resident foreign correspondent in Bucharest, Geneva, Islamabad, Hanoi and Beirut. He is recently wrote a history of the Bhutto dynasty which was published by Yale University Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/book-of-the-day

I interview Ryan Cragun, co-author of Beyond Doubt: The Secularization of Society, a new book that makes a compelling argument that secularization has indeed been happening, both in the United States and around the world. You can buy a copy of Beyond Doubt for yourself. Theme music courtesy of Body Found. Follow American Freethought on the intertubes: Website: AmericanFreethought.com  Twitter: @AMERFREETHOUGHT Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/21523473365/ Libsyn Classic Feed: https://americanfreethought.libsyn.com/rss Contact: john@americanfreethought.com Support the Podcast: PayPal funds to sniderishere@gmail.com

In this inaugural episode of the Finding Common Battle Grounds podcast, Josh and Ryan Cragun try to find common ground over whether college is worth the expense. They are joined by moderator, Tommy Triplett.

Today we speak with sociologists Rick Phillips and Ryan Cragun about "Why the Mormon Church has Declining Growth Rates in Utah and the World."

Today we speak with sociologists Rick Phillips and Ryan Cragun about "Why the Mormon Church has Declining Growth Rates in Utah and the World."

Encore release November 20, 2018. Encore releast August 13, 2017. Ryan Cragun makes his fourth appearance on the podcast, discussing his new book How to Defeat Religion in 10 Easy Steps: A Toolkit for Secular Activists. His broadranging suggestions include taxing religious institutions (and thereby unshackling them from IRS regulations on their speech), defending nonpartisan science and history education, and even co-opting religious traditions (including offering secular alternatives to traditional religious holiday songs). This compact book is an excellent resource for newby freethinkers, suggesting specific actions that can be taken by individuals, local groups, and national organizations. How to Defeat Religion is available in paperback and for Kindle. For more about Ryan Cragun visit RyanTCragun.com.

Encore release October 16, 2018. Encore release July 9, 2017. Not much of a war this year, and if there is one it looks like Christmas is winning. The American Family Association's "Naughty or Nice" list features far more companies that are Christmas-friendly than not. Sarah Palin has a new book out: Good Tidings and Great Joy: Protecting the Heart of Christmas. It's more word salad from the former governor of Alaska, in which she laments the supposed assault on the Baby Jesus' Birthday. Check out Katy Steinmetz's humorous review at TIME. Here are our suggestions for holiday gifts for non-believers: David's suggestions: 5. A gym membership ('cause this the only body you'll ever have) 4. One or more of the following books: The Great Agnostic by Susan Jacoby; What You Don't Know about Religion (but Should) by Ryan Cragun; Last Ape Standing by Chip Walter 3. A Nice Trip (David recommends Vegas) 2. Contribution in their name to American Atheists (or some other secular charity of your choice) 1. Binoculars (what non-believer doesn't enjoy sky gazing?) John's suggestions: 5. Cognitive Dissonance Combo Pack: Zealot by Reza Aslan & Killing Jesus by Bill O'Reilly 4. Books on the History of Christmas: The Battle for Christmas by Stephen Nissenbaum; Christmas in America by Penne Restad; Christmas Curiosities by John Grossman 3. Subscription to MUSE, a science magazine for 9 to 14-year-olds . 2. GoldieBlox - building toys aimed at getting girls interested in engineering. 1. Atheist Shoes  

Encore release October 9, 2018. Encore release July 2, 2017. We interview Ryan Cragun, sociologist and author of What You Don't Know about Religion (but Should) (available in hardcover and for Kindle). Ryan is also the co-author of Could I Vote for a Mormon for President? as well as the landmark study "How Secular Humanists (and Everyone Else) Subsidize Religion in the United States." For more about Ryan Cragun, visit RyanTCragun.com. Plus: David and Vonda will miss it this year, but John and Allison will be at the upcoming Atlanta Star Party, Thursday, August 29, 7PM on the campus of Emory University. Guests will include astronomers Phil Plait, Nicole Gugliucci, Pamela Gay and Derek Demeter. For more visit AtlantaStarParty.com. John will be introducing Dr. Frans de Waal (The Bonobo and the Atheist) at the Decatur Book Festival, Sunday, September 1, 5PM. For more visit DecaturBookFestival.com. Finally, our live presentation of American Freethought will be Sunday, September 1, 10PM at Dragon*Con's SkepTrack! For more visit SkepTrack.org. See you there!

Ryan Cragun is a sociologist of religion. Originally from Utah, he now lives in Florida and works at the University of Tampa. His research and writing focuses on religion, with an emphasis on Mormonism and the nonreligious. His research has been published in a variety of academic journals, including: Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, Sociology of Religion, Nova Religio, Journal of Religion and Health, and Journal of Contemporary Religion. When he's not working, he's spending time with his wife and son, watching science fiction or tinkering with open source software and computer hardware.

Dan is in China this month, so our student Ashley Van Fleet is in his chair giving the show a dose of youthful energy. We talk to Ryan Cragun about his work examining how the LDS church has changed the way it talks about LGBTQ folks in the past 40 years, and then William Bradshaw chats with us about his work on the factors that help explain which GBTQ men are more or less likely to have trouble reconciling their sexual and religious identities. And in One Last Thing, Ashley has been watching slam poetry and Tim is getting ready to watch a celestial show. Some of the things we talked about this month: Tim mentioned The Angel and the Beehive by Armond Mauss, and Dr. Cragun referenced the work of John Dehlin. Ashley mentioned the new Wonder Woman film, and also poetry by Haley Moseley, Victoria Morgan, Kayla Q, Olivia Gatwood, and Sarah Kay. And finally, Tim is, ironically, over the moon about the upcoming solar eclipse.   0:00-1:40: Opening 1:40-27:36: Cragun interview 27:41-38:23: Bradshaw interview 38:27-41:18: Van Fleet OLT 41:19-43:45: Hill OLT 43:45-45:02: Closing  

Is the LDS Church in decline, or one of the fastest growing churches in the world? Please join us today at Noon (Mountain) as sociologists Ryan Cragun and Rick Phillips review LDS Church growth statistics for 2016. We will be reviewing Matt Martinich’s recent article entitled “Top 10 Encouraging and Discouraging LDS Growth and Missionary Developments in 2016.” (link below). 

Is the LDS Church in decline, or one of the fastest growing churches in the world? Please join us today at Noon (Mountain) as sociologists Ryan Cragun and Rick Phillips review LDS Church growth statistics for 2016. We will be reviewing Matt Martinich’s recent article entitled “Top 10 Encouraging and Discouraging LDS Growth and Missionary Developments in 2016.”

Interview with Ryan Cragun. His new book is "How to Defeat Religion in 10 Easy Steps: A Toolkit for Secular Activists". Great ideas on how we can created a secular world and defeat religion. It is a short and powerful book. Ideas include: Promoting a fact based secular education, Empowerment of all minority groups, Sexual liberation, taking back control of holidays and rituals and much more.Investing Skeptically: The cost of owning a Prius and how to get money out of your IRA before 59.5 years of age without a penalty!

Dr. Ryan T. Cragun is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Tampa and the author of books including What You Don’t Know About Religion (but Should). His latest is called How to Defeat Religion in 10 Easy Steps. We spoke with Dr. Cragun about whether religious fervor is cyclical or fading, why religious holidays should become secular, and the surprising thing churches can do to stop the shifting trend away from religion.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR:  http://www.naturebox.com/thinkingatheistDr. Ryan Cragun is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Tampa, and he specializes in the sociology of religion.  A former Mormon (now atheist), Cragun has released his new book for which this show is titled.  Join us as we talk about religion around the world, its claims versus reality, and the stuff about religion which isn't known (or being taught), but should be.Link to Dr. Cragun's book:  http://www.amazon.com/What-Dont-About-Religion-Should/dp/0985281537Dr. Cragun's website:  http://www.ryantcragun.comChristmas: Behind the Curtain:  http://youtu.be/kenbgMjRvlY 

Today we interview Dr. Ryan Cragun who is an expert in the sociology of religion. In this episode we discuss his perspective regarding why people are religious and how religion affects peoples' lives and society at large.

In this episode Scott Holley and I interview sociologist Dr. Ryan Cragun about his newly published report called,"Mormons in the United States 1990-2008: Socio-demographic Trends and Regional Differences."