Caspar Melville

Why so much preaching in British pop?

Chart-topping artists are increasingly keen to proclaim their commitment to Christianity.

19 March 2020

The politics of everyday life

Culture is neither passively consumed, nor handed down from on high, as the work of Stuart Hall and Richard Hoggart reminds us.

10 September 2014

Book review: Fire and Ashes: Success and Failure in Politics by Michael Ignatieff

10 February 2014

Goodbye to all this

After eight years in the hot seat, Caspar Melville says farewell to the role of New Humanist editor

28 August 2013

Peddling Mithras

The editor made a mistake. Caspar Melville fesses up

1 August 2013

Thinking machine: an interview with Daniel Dennett

With his new book Daniel Dennett provides both a valuable toolkit for good thinking, and a reminder that for him philosophy is a contact sport. Caspar Melville meets him

28 June 2013

Helping people break free from faith

Caspar Melville on what the Apostasy Project can do, and what it can't

24 June 2013

Do you want to see The Unbelievers?

A new documentary follows godless superstars Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss on their world tour to vanquish irrationalism, with cameos from Woody Allen, Cameron Diaz, Ricky Gervais and a host of other fans. Excited? Appalled? Couldn't care less? Let us know

2 May 2013

What do you want from a rationalist community?

Our new online rationalist community has 2350 members, which is a great start. Now we have to decide how to develop it, what it stands for and what it should be doing. Caspar Melville explains the options and how you can help decide

26 April 2013

Video: “Learning about philosophy is learning about yourself”, Jonathan Rée on Ludwig Wittgenstein

Watch the philosopher and critic Jonathan Rée talk entertainingly about the unique life and thought of the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein

27 March 2013

Why reason really matters

The case of Margaret Wisele in Malawi, a woman who had her leg hacked off because she was accused of witchcraft, reminds us of the vital importance of campaigning for reason.

19 March 2013

Facing the future: an interview with Jim Al-Khalili

Theoretical physicist and star science presenter Jim Al-Khalili has just become the President of the British Humanist Association. Caspar Melville finds out what we can expect from his tenure

7 March 2013

When debate with the religious is pointless

Unlike some atheists, I think that debate between the faithful and faithless can be fruitful. But after appearing at an event alongside a pair of Muslim speakers last week, I'm afraid I'm having second thoughts

6 March 2013

How to build a community

More than a thousand people have now become founder members of our online rationalist community. Caspar Melville explains how we intend to build it

26 February 2013

Creationism and the Curse of Ham: History Texas style

The consequences of Texas's 2007 law promoting biblical teaching in schools are now becoming all too clear, according to an independent report.

31 January 2013

Where am I? What is this place?

You're reading the first post on the all-new RA Blog. Editor Caspar Melville explains what you'll be finding here

16 January 2013

Nothing more than feelings

In his new book, and an article for New Humanist, Francis Spufford claimed religion makes “emotional sense” and atheists should be less dismissive of believers. Caspar Melville meets him to hear his case

19 December 2012

Editorial: Woman trouble

The solution to the Church of England's problems with women bishops and gay marriage is not to modernise Anglicanism, but to cut it loose, so it can argue about what Jesus would do without bothering the rest of us. It's time to disestablish, says Caspar Melville

11 December 2012

Redrawing the lines

Sociologist Linda Woodhead has just finished a five-year government-funded academic project mapping religion in society. She argues that religion is not disappearing but transforming. Caspar Melville assesses her evidence.

19 November 2012

Saving our universities? New Humanist interviews AC Grayling

As AC Grayling’s New College of the Humanities enrols its first intake, Caspar Melville asks our most prominent humanist what prompted his most controversial venture

31 August 2012

Editorial: Hope for heathens

Without religion, can atheists have hope?

22 August 2012

True crime

Campaigning death row lawyer Clive Stafford Smith’s latest book is a gripping real-life thriller, but the ending remains a mystery. Caspar Melville meets him

9 July 2012

Editorial: Pork, alcohol and sex

Leaving religion behind

18 June 2012

Editorial: Marketplace of outrage

An inclination to censor is supplanting the free flow of ideas

14 June 2012

The passion of the bishop

After years of struggle with his faith and dispair at the church's in-fighting and repressive attitude to sex, fomer bishop of Edinburgh Richard Holloway left religion behind. Caspar Melville hears his confession

9 May 2012

Never ending story

Helen Bamber has been listening to the victims of torture, cruelty and genocide for more than 60 years, but she retains her faith in humanity. Caspar Melville meets her

25 April 2012

Book review: The Last Holiday by Gil Scott-Heron

His posthumous memoir is just the last of the many disapointments of the great Gil Scott-Heron, says Caspar Melville

21 February 2012

No fire, no brimstone: An interview with Alain de Botton

Alain de Botton thinks atheists should take the best ideas from religion, and leave the bad stuff behind. Caspar Melville goes in search of enlightenment

20 February 2012

Vicars, vicars everywhere

An issue that's packed with priests

9 February 2012

Editorial: Oh my America

Faith and the American way

9 February 2012

Heavenly host: Caspar Melville interviews Rev Richard Coles

Former popstar, BBC presenter and parish priest Reverend Richard Coles talks to Caspar Melville about faith, doubt and dachsunds

31 October 2011

Editorial: Big talk

David Cameron says Britain is broken. But can the Big Society fix it?

12 October 2011

Editorial: School for scandal

Education is a fundamental concern for humanists – so it's no surprise that AC Grayling's New College is dividing opinion

27 July 2011

Diagnosis evil

Simon Baron-Cohen wants to redefine how we think of human cruelty. Caspar Melville meets him

7 July 2011

Editorial: Big books

Bibles, doubt and morality without God

26 May 2011

Editorial: Bibles and bones

New Humanist editor Caspar Melville on an issue full of relics, witches, bibles and doubt

17 May 2011

Editorial: Creating confusion

Far from being an atheist straw man, Biblical fundamentalism poses a real threat to British schools

24 March 2011

Natural history of the soul

Caspar Melville meets the man who thinks that spirituality is essential to consciousness, and science can tell us why

22 March 2011

Editorial: oh we of little faith

Are faith and religion necessarily intertwined?

15 February 2011

Editorial: it just ain’t natural

We shouldn't allow myth and dogma to cloud rational evidence-based argument

15 February 2011

It’s the faith, stupid!

Social scientist Olivier Roy has been tracking religion for three decades. Caspar Melville talks to him about his new book Holy Ignorance

10 January 2011

Editorial: Rationality rules

We should put our trust in reason, especially when it challenges our preconceptions

13 October 2010

It’s all just words

Blasphemer, failure, hypocrite, comedian – Stewart Lee tells Caspar Melville why he’s so offensive

13 September 2010

Editorial: Catholic crisis

It is time the for the Catholic Church to be held to account

22 June 2010

Editorial: Just believe

It seems that anti-science is on the rise, but hopefully we've found the antidote

6 April 2010

Battle of the Babies

A new book argues that liberal secularism and high birth rates are fuelling a revival of religious fundamentalism. Caspar Melville speaks to its author Eric Kaufmann

22 March 2010

Editorial: Bishops, belief and barnets

Catholic child abuse scandals highlight the dangers of religious privilege

4 March 2010

After the watershed

The American sociologist Manning Marable, who died in April 2011, was one of his country's most acute social analysts. In this interview from 2009 he talks to editor Caspar Melville about race, Katrina and the prospects of the first black President

17 November 2009

Editorial: Inside denial

Is our timidity emboldening the creationists?

15 September 2009

Editorial: Bogus treatment

By supporting Simon Singh we can help change Britain's chilling libel laws

13 July 2009

Editorial: Faith in freedom

When it comes to threats to our freedoms we all need to pay attention

13 May 2009

Free market faith

Globalisation is leading to more belief, not less. Caspar Melville talks to the editor of The Economist about his new book tracing the rise and rise of religion

8 May 2009

Editorial: Puzzling history

Would life be better if we knew all the answers?

26 March 2009

On the trail of the red pilgrims

The philosopher Michail Ryklin tells Caspar Melville what really motivated communism's faithful followers

4 March 2009

Editorial: Fine lessons

Funny how atheists enjoying themselves can be so threatening to believers

8 January 2009

Editorial: Vive la Revolución!

Amid the battered bankers and pessimistic pundits why are humanists so happy?

7 November 2008

Editorial: Something to believe in

With so much to choose from, what do you believe in?

5 September 2008

Editorial: The real new media

Time for tough thinking

8 July 2008

Roots

Caspar Melville unravels the rise and fall of dreadlocks

7 July 2008

Editorial: Backwards and forwards

With the decline of the old-style Christian Right, are US evangelicals growing up?

8 May 2008

Editorial: Toxic mix

From Russia to India, France to Iran, come particular examples of a general rule – religion and politics are a toxic mix

5 March 2008

Dinner with Darwin

To celebrate the birthday of the father of evolution we asked a selection of scientific commentators, including Steve Jones and Jerry Coyne, what they’d like to say to him round the supper table.

8 January 2008

Editorial: Incredible Mr Darwin

The more science uncovers, the more brilliant the father of evolution is revealed to be

8 January 2008

Editorial: The A Word

When it comes to being cultish and dogmatic, religion is still the brand leader

5 November 2007

Bertrand Russell in Busota

Caspar Melville introduces our appeal to help secular education in Uganda

20 July 2007

Editorial: We feel good

Secularism isn't on the wane, despite what you read in the media, says Caspar Melville

19 July 2007

Editorial: I respect your ignorance

Humanists are not dogmatists obsessed with belief, says Caspar Melville

17 July 2007

Editorial: Bleaker still and bleaker?

What do they mean by 'post-secular'?

16 July 2007

Anti-God squad

Caspar Melville speaks to the Rational Response Squad, America's new web-savvy atheist activists

11 July 2007

Deep-boned sadness

Caspar Melville remembers a melancholic master, the novelist Kurt Vonnegut

11 July 2007

Editorial: He did God

Tony Blair helped bring the toxic certainties of religious belief back into politics and culture. Let's hope Gordon Brown doesn't do the same, says Caspar Melville

10 July 2007

Atheism à la mode

What is the outspoken French atheist philosopher Michel Onfray really saying? Caspar Melville meets him and canvasses some expert opinion.

29 June 2007

Editorial: State of mind

New editor Caspar Melville wishes New Humanist a happy 120th birthday

14 June 2007

French Farce

Hip hop didn't spark the riots in Paris, says Caspar Melville; it merely predicted them

31 May 2007

Editorial: Top Marx

What has happened to Marxism? And in particular, the angry passionate British Marxist intellectuals, who used to so enliven politics in the '60s and '70s?

31 May 2007

Editorial: Start making sense

Do you get the feeling that you're constantly swamped by religion? Are you worried that the humanist, rationalist or secularist world view is losing out to zealotry? Is reason on the back foot?

31 May 2007

Editorial: One year on

I became editor of New Humanist a year ago, just as religious fundamentalism was making its remorseless march to the centre of the global agenda.

31 May 2007

God’s my big homie

Caspar Melville reports on the resurrection of religion in black popular music

31 May 2007

New Brotherhood

The recent London bombings focused attention on Britain's black Muslims. Caspar Melville meets some new converts

31 May 2007

The debunkers

India's rationalists are on the frontline of the battle between science and superstition. Caspar Melville reports on their fight to debunk "holy men"

31 May 2007

The real thing

Caspar Melville on the oddness of rock snobbery

31 May 2007

From Juke Joints to Jamie Callum

Caspar Melville goes in search of the spirit of jazz

31 May 2007

Hell is other iPods

Caspar Melville on the loneliness of the long-distance shuffler

31 May 2007

Beats, rhymes and grime

As record companies play safe by producing bland supermarket pop, Caspar Melville hopes an unlikely contender - British hip hop - will succeed in bringing music back to life

31 May 2007

Writhing on Ecstasy

Acid House inspired even the most unlikely ravers to brave the dance floor. But did it leave anything behind once the high was over, asks Caspar Melville

31 May 2007

Editorial: Simply Human

It may have come as something to a shock to Darwin's contemporaries to be told that we're really just animals.

31 May 2007

Little monsters

Caspar Melville speaks up for dragons, dinosaurs and devils

31 May 2007