Episode 37-A: John McCargar – Humanist Student Groups and Chaplains

Gabe is joined by John McCargar to talk about Humanist student groups and chaplains, drawing from his experience founding the Humanists of Boston University (HBU).

Note: this is episode 37-A, which is just the interview itself. You can listen to episode 37-B, which includes additional commentary about the interview if you have the stomach for it. I would recommend you start with A.

Listen to this episode

The interview structure:

• John’s faith journey from Catholicism, to Mormonism, to militant atheism, to Humanism
• Building intentional communities focused on ethics and Secular Humanism
• Secular Humanism among religious groups
• Growth and decline of secular/humanist student groups, and the relationship of chaplains
• Previous guests on the show, Zachary Bos and Patrick, and their involvement with the HBU
• The cultural background of Humanism
• The role of a chaplain at a university
• Paths to becoming a chaplain, Humanist credentials, and The Humanist Institute
• Current chaplains at Boston University
• Why universities should consider having a Humanist chaplain
• Secular Humanists using the word chaplain