Becoming Human

Becoming Human with the philosopher Samuel Loncar is a show for a species in transition. The show features long-form, solo series that bring scholarly depth and academic insights to today’s most pressing questions around science, religion, technology, and philosophy. Between these long-form, solo series, enjoy Explorations: journeys into time, culture, art, and history, encountering the mystery of the Human in conversations and free-standing episodes. Series 1: Origins, tells the story of the atheistic revolution, beginning with Socrates and Jesus, that made the modern world.

A Woman's Choice: Agency and Meaning in The Scarlet Letter, Chap. 4-6 | Ep. 5 11/13/2025

Who Was John the Baptist? | A Conversation with Dr. James F. McGrath 11/06/2025

Who Was John the Baptist? | A Conversation with Dr. James F. McGrath Who really was John the Baptist? A prophet? An antiestablishment rebel and activist? Jesus' teacher? In this Becoming Human Conversation, philosopher and scholar of religion Samuel Loncar interviews the scholar James F. McGrath about his groundbreaking research on John the Baptist. James F. McGrath, author of "Christmaker: A Life of John the Baptist" and "John of History, Baptist of Faith: The Quest for the Historical Baptizer," and the Clarence L. Goodwin Chair in New Testament Language and Literature at Butler University, shows how John is a fascinating religious figure in his own right. Aside from his influence on Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, John is also revered by the Mandaeans, the last extant gnostic sect, who revere John the Baptist and see themselves as part of his prophetic tradition. ABOUT James F. McGrath Dr. James F. McGrath is the Clarence L. Goodwin Chair in New Testament Language and Literature at Butler University. His PhD is from the University of Durham in England. His interests include early Christianity, John the Baptist and the Mandaeans, science fiction, and the intersection of religion and science. He blogs at ReligionProf on the Patheos web site. This public work is made possible by the support of Becoming Human Members. Become a Member of Becomging Human today: ABOUT Samuel Loncar Born in Athens, Greece, Samuel’s ancestors’ give him global roots: in Okinawa, Japan, among the Chippewa (or Ojibwe) people, and in Eastern Europe. Samuel’s diverse background motivated his search for a truth that would respect his upbringing but answer his hardest questions, leading him to discover, at age 14, an ancient philosophy text that converted him to philosophy as a way of life. He received his Ph.D. from Yale University in 2019 and specializes in philosophy and its connection to religion, science, and the growth and preservation of knowledge in the digital age. Samuel is the founder and creator of the Becoming Human Project, a multi-media project to bring philosophy as a way of life to everyone and build a community of creators seeking a more meaningful life. Samuel Loncar, Ph.D. (Yale) is a philosopher, scholar of religion and science, poet, and Editor of the Marginalia Review of Books. /episode/index/show/becominghuman/id/38939905

Fear and Trembling: Self-Knowledge Begins in Recognition, Ch. 3 The Scarlet Letter, Ep. 4 11/04/2025

The Witch, the Gossips, & the Madonna: Chapter 2 of The Scarlet Letter 11/03/2025

Halloween, Hawthorne, and the Supernatural: Introduction & Ch. 1 The Scarlet Letter, Ep. 2 10/31/2025

How the Scarlet Letter Tells Us Who We Are: A Poetry Peddler Conversation, Ep. 1 10/30/2025

Why Ignorance Rules the World: Socrates, Euthyphro, and the Search for Knowledge, Ep.1 10/17/2025

Why Ignorance Rules the World: Socrates, Euthyphro, and the Search for Knowledge, Ep.1 Ignorance, humanity's greatest enemy, yet also the secret source of wisdom according to Greece's greatest influencer, Socrates, whose ideas went viral, caused a cultural crisis, and led to his prosecution for impiety, disturbing the peace of a social order that refused to ask: what is real knowledge? Shortly before his trial, Socrates encountered an expert in piety, Euthryphro, and asked: what is piety? What is justice? How do we know what something really is? Euthyphro's answer might shock you. Presented by Samuel Loncar, Ph.D. (Yale University), Becoming Human Project Founder Plato Project, Episode 1, Key quote from the Euthyphro: [Socrates to Euthyphro] "Tell me then, what this form itself is, so that i may lok upon it and, using it as a model, say that any action of yours or another's that is of that kind is pious, and if it is not that it is not." Learn More About the Project ~ https://substack.com/@samuelloncar/p-175027592 Support the Project ~ Born in Athens, Greece, Samuel’s ancestors’ give him global roots: in Okinawa, Japan, among the Chippewa (or Ojibwe) people, and in Eastern Europe. Samuel’s diverse background motivated his search for a truth that would respect his upbringing but answer his hardest questions, leading him to discover, at age 14, an ancient philosophy text that converted him to philosophy as a way of life. He received his Ph.D. from Yale University in 2019 and specializes in philosophy and its connection to religion, science, and the growth and preservation of knowledge in the digital age. Samuel is the founder and creator of the Becoming Human Project, a multi-media project to bring philosophy as a way of life to everyone and build a community of creators seeking a more meaningful life. Samuel Loncar, Ph.D. (Yale) is a philosopher, scholar of religion and science, poet, and Editor of the Marginalia Review of Books. /episode/index/show/becominghuman/id/38626280