Reza AslanEvery podcast appearance, updated as new ones drop

Reza Aslan on why Iran is winning, and why the idea of nationalism may be the next great illusion to fall. | Subscribe to Futurology! https://linkin.bio/futurology/ What does it mean for a nation to fight a war it cannot win? Iranian scholar and author Reza Aslan joins Nathan Gardels to cut through four decades of American self-deception about Iran. In this episode, Aslan argues that the war in Iran has done exactly what decades of intelligence had predicted: silenced dissent, entrenched hardline power, and destroyed the slow-burning possibility of reform taking root in Iran. He makes the case that Iran is not an unhinged theocracy, but a completely rational actor facing a waning global superpower mired in a “cosmic war mentality. Subscribe to the Berggruen Institute on YouTube to be the first to listen to new Futurology episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@Berggrueninst Catch up on the Futurology conversation with full episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyYCSKWs8iYgjg-mhu-EuhTrG0-adrb0c Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/futurology/id1821718921 Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2I38HvHP6KlXrD5ysfygxk?si=XB2qyyGjT2ONMTd5XUKJAg&nd=1&dlsi=ac8cda6751834298 Mentioned in this Episode: No God but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam — Reza Aslan (Book, 2005) Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth — Reza Aslan (Book, 2013) God: A Human History — Reza Aslan (Book, 2017) Where to find Resa Aslan: https://www.rezaaslan.com/ Show ideas and feedback? Email: futurology@berggruen.org Learn more about the Berggruen Institute https://www.berggruen.org Follow Futurology! Instagram : / futurologypod Twitter/X : / futurologypod Tiktok : / futurologypod Facebook : / berggrueninst LinkedIn : / berggrueninst Bluesky : / futurologypod Credits Executive Producers: Nicolas Berggruen, Nathan Gardels, Nils Gilman, Dawn Nakagawa, & Jason Hoch Producers: Grant Slater, Alex Gardels, & Nathalia Ramos Associate Producer: Elissa Mardiney Theme Music: Marcus Bagala Audio Engineer: Aaron Bastinelli & Kyle Scott Wilson Futurology is a production of Studio B and Wavland for the Berggruen Institute in Los Angeles, California.

What happens to Islam when Earth is no longer beneath your feet? This episode is the third installment in Aspiring Martians’ January series exploring Religion on Mars , following conversations on Buddhism and Hinduism, and leading into next week’s series finale on Christianity. Joe is joined by Dr. Reza Aslan , a globally recognized scholar of religion, bestselling author, and public intellectual known for making complex religious history accessible and deeply human. Reza’s work focuses on Islam as a living tradition shaped by debate, migration, interpretation, and history rather than rigid doctrine. In this conversation, Joe and Reza explore how Islam might function on Mars by first grounding the discussion in its origins — how Islam spread through trade, scholarship, and governance, and how its decentralized authority structure shapes religious decision-making today. They dive into the Five Pillars of Islam and examine how daily prayer, fasting during Ramadan, charity, pilgrimage, and belief itself might adapt on a planet with different days, directions, and environmental constraints. The episode also explores Islam’s long relationship with astronomy, space, and scientific inquiry, including how Muslim scholars studied Mars centuries before modern telescopes, and how contemporary Muslim-majority nations are actively engaged in space exploration today. Along the way, they unpack why science fiction — especially Dune — draws so heavily from Islamic culture, language, and ideas of power, scarcity, and survival in harsh environments. Rather than asking whether Islam can “work” on Mars, this episode reframes the question entirely: what does a faith built on adaptability, intention, and community already understand about living meaningfully in extreme places? ~ A huge thank you to Reza for joining me on today’s episodeand sharing his incredible intellect and insights, to Nick Thorburn for the stellar theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the incredible graphics, to Jero Squartini for the amazing animations, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the FB group, and to my family for putting up with my incessant Mars ramblings at all hours of the day.

In this episode of The Brief, host Jim Clancy engages in a compelling dialogue with Reza Aslan, focusing on Aslan’s new children’s book about the Israel-Palestine conflict. Aslan’s book aims to navigate the complexities of this ongoing conflict in a manner relatable to children aged five to twelve, encouraging a dialogue between young readers and their parents. The conversation touches on the need for addressing global issues such as war and trauma, and the pivotal role empathy plays in understanding multiple narratives.

Bryan sits down with Religious Scholar Reza Aslan to talk about our misinterpretations of countries outside of the west, the current conflict in the Middle East, what it means to be American, the incredible story of Howard Baskerville and more. Get Reza's new book here - https://www.amazon.com/American-Martyr-Persia-Tragic-Baskerville/dp/1324004479 Want more Bryan Callen? You can buy tickets to one of his stand-up shows near you by visiting www.bryancallen.com/live You can listen to the full episode here: APPLE PODCASTS: https://apple.co/3eXvC9w SPOTIFY: https://spoti.fi/3Lpqlnp Want to look as good as The Kid? Get your merch here: http://bit.ly/bryancallenmerch #islam #israel #palestine #america #debate

Reza Aslan is a leading expert in world religions and his bestselling books have touched on a range of issues related to history, extremism and spirituality. His latest work, An American Martyr in Persia , challenges us to look at how seriously we take our ideals of constitutional democracy and whose freedom do we support. Aslan illuminates these issues by exploring the real-story of Howard Baskerville, a 22-year-old Christian missionary from South Dakota who traveled to Persia (modern-day Iran) in 1907 for a two-year stint teaching English and preaching the gospel. Baskerville arrived in the midst of a democratic revolution led by a group of brilliant young firebrands committed to transforming their country into a fully self-determining, constitutional monarchy, one with free elections and an independent parliament. In death, Baskerville became a martyr who spurred the revolutionaries to remove the shah from power, signing a new constitution and rebuilding parliament in Tehran. At this critical time when many people are questioning it, Aslan's new work offers a powerful parable about the universal ideals of democracy―and to what degree Americans are willing to support those ideals in a foreign land, Iran, a country frequently demonized and misunderstood in the West. Aslan along with Ray Suarez will explore how one person can still make a difference when freedom is at stake. NOTES In association with World Affairs. SPEAKERS Reza Aslan Author, An American Martyr in Persia: The Epic Life and Tragic Death of Howard Baskerville ; Twitter @rezaaslan In Conversation with Ray Suarez Host, "World Affairs" on KQED In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 24th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Iranian Islamic regime is currently up against the biggest threat in more than 40 years. Can this coalition of protesters succeed in bringing down the dictatorship? Mosheh recently spoke to Iran expert and NY Times bestselling author, Reza Aslan, who has a new book out: An American Martyr in Persia . Aslan was born in Iran and his family escaped the rise of the Islamic regime in 1979. We discuss his family history, what led us to the current revolution and what is next. We go through various scenarios on why this revolution might succeed as well as what might cause it to fail. We also discuss his book, which tells the extraordinarily compelling, true story of Howard Baskerville, 22-year old Christian missionary from Nebraska who became a commander in the 1906 Iranian Revolution. Baskerville’s story has lessons for the latest revolution, more than a century later. And finally, Aslan talks about the evolution Islam is currently going through and how it compares to how Christianity and Judaism changed over time. – Please remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave us a review. – Mosheh Oinounou ( @mosheh ) is an Emmy and Murrow award-winning journalist. He has 20 years of experience at networks including Fox News, Bloomberg Television and CBS News, where he was the executive producer of the CBS Evening News and launched the network's 24 hour news channel. He founded the @mosheh Instagram news account in 2020 and the Mo News podcast and newsletter in 2022. Follow Mo News on all platforms: Newsletter: https://monews.bulletin.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mosheh/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/mosheh Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MoshehNews Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/moshehnews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mosheh

Rainn Wilson and Reza Aslan are my guests on today’s Dear Gabby. These brilliant guys cohost Metaphysical Milkshake … and that’s an apt description for our Big Talk! We cover so much ground here, including how to infuse spirituality into every aspect of your life, how to be your own guru, and how to make joy the throughline that integrates everything you do. From philosophy to religion to the spiritual side of Dwight Schrute, it’s all in this Big Talk. This Big Talk covers so much ground. You’ll hear us talk about: Using joy as a throughline to integrate every part of your life—even if you’re on a slightly scary Uber ride. I’ll share how I turned an uncomfortable moment into an opportunity for joy. Demystifying what it means to be a person of faith. As Reza said, “Living a spiritual life is an active choice—there’s nothing magical about it. Being a person of faith is a decision that you make.” The power of humility. I love what Rainn said about humbling ourselves to pray: “Prayer is an ability to say I need help. And there is a beautiful, bountiful, power coursing through this Universe that can help me along my journey—if I attune to it.” How to approach therapy as a spiritual practice. (I LOVE what Rainn had to say about this!) Why service to others is integral to spiritual growth. “You can't just sit in your walled garden and become more spiritual staring at a tree or a crystal with some incense burning,” Rainn said. True spirituality also means “Serving others, connecting with others, trying to make the world a better place,” RESOURCES The following are helpful resources and books I mention in the episode. ABOUT RAINN WILSON & REZA ASLAN: Rainn Wilson is an actor (you might know him as Dwight Schrute from The Office), a comedian, and the New York Times bestselling author of The Bassoon King: My Life in Art, Faith, and Idiocy. He’s also the founder of the YouTube Channel SoulPancake , and the cohost of the Metaphysical Milkshake podcast. Reza Aslan is also a host of Metaphysical Milkshake ! He’s an Emmy-nominated producer, a scholar of religions, a commentator, a profressor, and the author of three books, including the #1 New York Times bestseller Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth . MIRACLE MEMBERSHIP: Want even more support? I created the Miracle Membership to help you design a spiritual practice you can stick to—so you can feel connected, supported and inspired every day. Each week I deliver lessons, guided meditations and community connection. I also have a 21-day challenge planned for you each quarter! The Miracle Membership is easy to access on your phone, computer or tablet. Click here to join : https://bit.ly/3oW93of My new book, Happy Days, the Guided Path from Trauma to Profound Peace and Inner Wisdom , is available for preorder! I’d suggest getting your copy stat! If you order the book before February 7, you’ll get a V.I.P. ticket to my Live Online Event Experience on February 26, 2022 …. This is the first live event I’ve hosted in two years! DearGabby.com/HappyDays MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES: </

This week, Phill is joined by author Reza Aslan to revisit the early aughts in the American imagination. In the wake of America's withdrawal from Afghanistan, how do notions of American exceptionalism hold up? Reza and Phill discuss how Christian imperialism has crept its way into allegedly secular politics, look critically at America's outmoded hero complex, and question to legitimacy of the liberator theology that we carry with us today. For a transcript of this show, please visit crooked.com/unholierthanthou .

In the season 1 finale of Powers & Principalities, I speak with Reza Aslan about what we've learned about the United States in the past four years. In particular, we discuss what it means that 70 million Americans voted for Trump to be re-elected, the cult-like characteristics of Trumpism, the 'geography of identity' of Trumpism, the role of the media, and much more. Reza Aslan is author of several books, including God: A Human History , Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth , and Beyond Fundamentalism . He is also Professor of Creative Writing at the University of California, Riverside and executive producer of Rough Draft with Reza Aslan and the CNN documentary series, Believer . Stay tuned after the interview for more info on season 2 of Powers & Principalities. Follow Reza on Twitter @rezaaslan and learn more about his work at rezaaslan.com . Follow Blake on Twitter @brchastain and Instagram @brchastain_ . Support Blake's work via a subscription to The Post-Evangelical Post newsletter - use this link to save 40% for 1 year thru 12/2! Other methods of support can be found at exvangelicalpodcast.com/support . --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/powers--principalities/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/powers--principalities/support Get full access to The Post-Evangelical Post at postevangelicalpost.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the season 1 finale of Powers & Principalities, I speak with Reza Aslan about what we've learned about the United States in the past four years. In particular, we discuss what it means that 70 million Americans voted for Trump to be re-elected, the cult-like characteristics of Trumpism, the 'geography of identity' of Trumpism, the role of the media, and much more. Reza Aslan is author of several books, including God: A Human History , Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth , and Beyond Fundamentalism . He is also Professor of Creative Writing at the University of California, Riverside and executive producer of Rough Draft with Reza Aslan and the CNN documentary series, Believer . Stay tuned after the interview for more info on season 2 of Powers & Principalities. Follow Reza on Twitter @rezaaslan and learn more about his work at rezaaslan.com . Follow Blake on Twitter @brchastain and Instagram @brchastain_ . Support Blake's work via a subscription to The Post-Evangelical Post newsletter - use this link to save 40% for 1 year thru 12/2! Other methods of support can be found at exvangelicalpodcast.com/support . --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

Reza Aslan is an internationally-renowned best-selling author, religious studies scholar, commentator, television host, and the producer of several television shows including CNN’s Believer . www.rezaaslan.com On this episode, Kim and Reza discuss what it truly means to have faith – both inside and outside the realms of religion – and talk about how a deep and personal faith can help you find your place in the world, and flourish. The post EDMN 010: Faith, with Reza Aslan appeared first on The Wellness Couch .

Reza Aslan is an internationally renowned writer, commentator, professor, producer, and scholar of religions. His books include: the international bestseller No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam; Beyond Fundamentalism: Confronting Religious Extremism in a Globalized Age; and the #1 New York Times bestseller, Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth. They have been translated into dozens of languages and won numerous awards. Aslan’s degrees include a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from Santa Clara University, a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard University, a PhD in the Sociology of Religions from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Iowa. Born in Iran and a resident of Los Angeles, he is an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and serves on the board of directors of several organizations, including the Ploughshares Fund, which gives grants for peace and security issues. We spoke about his latest bestseller, God: A Human History. Learn more about Reza Aslan here: http://rezaaslan.com/

Reza Aslan is the founder of Aslan Media, a social media network for news and entertainment about the Middle East and the world. A scholar of religions, he is currently professor of creative writing at the University of California, Riverside. His books include “Beyond Fundamentalism: Confronting Religious Extremism in the Age of Globalization,” “No God But God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam,” and “Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth.” This interview is edited and produced with music and other features in the On Being episode “Reza Aslan — Islam’s Reformation.” Find more at onbeing.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.