The Overthinkers

Nathan Clarkson & Joseph Holmes
  • 4.9 (142)
  • Society & Culture
  • Weekly

A place to have fun thinking deeply! Every week, the hosts of The Overthinkers pose a question having to do with art, faith, philosophy, psychology, literature, pop culture, creativity, and more—then attempt to answer it with the help of New York Times bestselling authors, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists, Oscar-winning Hollywood directors/actors, Grammy-winning musicians, esteemed academics, prolific professors, and many more influential and intriguing guests. This is a place where you can both think well and laugh loudly. All are welcome, so put your thinking caps and your laughing socks on and come on in!

  1. 6d ago

    What if Aliens Exist? (With Dr. Matthew Halsted)

    What if UFOs are really aliens? How would that change the way we see the world? Would it be a threat to our Christian beliefs? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson interview pastor and author Dr. Matthew Halsted about his upcoming book, "Sightings and Secrets: UFOs, Eyewitness Testimonies, and How Christians Can Make Sense of the Unknown" References and resources Religious Americans less likely to believe in aliens: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/07/28/religious-americans-less-likely-to-believe-intelligent-life-exists-on-other-planets/ Did Jesus die for aliens? https://saltandlight.sg/faith/are-there-aliens-in-the-universe-and-did-jesus-die-for-them-too/ Caution about speculation: https://www.vaticanobservatory.org/sacred-space-astronomy/astro-theology-astro-biology/ Websites The Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.world Nathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.me Joseph Holmes: linktr.ee/JosephHolmes Matthew Halsted: https://www.matthewhalsted.com/

  2. Oct 19

    What's Wrong with Evangelicals? (With Bonnie Kristian)

    If there's one thing everyone in America seems to agree on its that they don't like Evangelicals. But why? And is that dislike valid. Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson interview journalist and author Bonnie Kristian about her new book "In Defense of Evangelicalism" References and Resources David Bebbington’s four-part definition of evangelicalism — conversionism, activism, biblicism, and crucicentrism: “Can Evangelicalism Be Defined?” — Crossway Pew Research Center’s explanation of how it classifies Americans into the evangelical, mainline, and historically Black Protestant traditions: “Religious Identity in the United States” — Pew Research Center Pew’s 2023–24 Religious Landscape Study — evangelicals declined from 26.3% of Americans in 2007 to 23.1% in 2023–24; mainline Protestants from 18.1% to 11.5%; historically Black Protestants from 6.9% to 5.4%. Evangelicals simultaneously increased from 51% to 58% of all Protestants: 2023–24 Religious Landscape Study — Pew Research Center Catholics declined from 24% of U.S. adults in 2007 to 19% in the 2023–24 Religious Landscape Study: “Religious Identity in the United States” — Pew Research Center Ryan Burge’s General Social Survey analysis of long-term changes in American religious affiliation—the analysis referenced in Joseph Holmes’s Sarah’s Oil review: “Have We Reached Peak None?” — Ryan Burge, Graphs About Religion Joseph Holmes’s earlier discussion of evangelical, mainline, Catholic, and Black Protestant traditions and their changing cultural influence: “‘Sarah’s Oil’ Serves Up A Christian Message Aimed At Tackling Racism” — Religion Unplugged Michael Luo on Christianity, race, and white supremacy: “American Christianity’s White-Supremacy Problem” — The New Yorker Jennifer Rubin’s argument that declining white evangelical cultural power has contributed to anti-democratic politics: “Why Are White Evangelicals Embracing an Anti-Democratic Movement? Because They’re Panicking.” — The Washington Post Mark Noll’s The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind: The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind — Eerdmans Aaron Renn on the absence of evangelicals from culture-shaping elite institutions: “The Problem with the Evangelical Elite” — First Things Pew on belief in the God described in the Bible — 91% of evangelicals, 86% of historically Black Protestants, and roughly two-thirds of Catholics and mainline Protestants: “Americans’ Spiritual Beliefs” — Pew Research Center Websites The Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.world Nathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.me Joseph Holmes: linktr.ee/josephholmes Bonnie Kristian:bonniekristian.substack.com

  3. Oct 12

    Why is Everyone Acting Like an Expert Now? (With Dr. Dannagal G. Young)

    Why do people fall for online conspiracy theories? Why does everyone speak with authority today as if they're an expert? Why do they dismiss real experts? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson talk to media psychology expert Dr. Dannagal Young. References and resources America and experts concerned about conspiracy theories and blame the internet: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9299316/ Social media makes us less informed; traditional news media makes us more informed: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19331681.2021.1969611 TikTok conspiracy theories in the Lindsy Clancey trial: https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/tiktokers-shown-patrick-clancys-60-174255826.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAI_8FGXdItco2yodQtPf4YpBGAV_UHql3N1HCBleD90A1Rn4hO18ttc6zpkJ6b5fMOHN6ZpxacT2n7goU8Oeng7IF56MDsdQrlLcsEs5K6Q-jbhchn8xJ5u5pvJ336u-rWR9c5p9E3AybnMVcjLbKImKIuByG5lcf3oKGPBE8JHf   Belief in conspiracy theories have not increased over time: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9299316/ Websites The Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.world Nathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.me Joseph Holmes: linktr.ee/josephholmes Dr. Dannagal Young: udel.edu/faculty-staff/experts/dannagal-young/

  4. Oct 5

    When Should We Go No Contact with Our Families? (With Noelle Mering)

    Experts say family estrangement is on the rise, even as abuse is not. But why? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson discuss with author Noelle Mering the findings of her book "No Contact: How a Seductive Ideology Broke Families and Friendships and How We Can Repair Them" References and resources Family estrangement on the rise:  https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jan/24/family-estrangement-children-parents-beckhams Rates of abuse dropping: https://www.healio.com/news/psychiatry/20251120/incidence-of-child-maltreatment-declined-overall-in-us-from-2012-to-2023 Why do families get estranged? https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2021/01/why-parents-and-kids-get-estranged/617612/ Do we need more boundaries? https://www.ted.com/podcasts/how-to-be-a-better-human/set-boundaries-and-find-peace-w-nedra-glover-tawwab-transcript Is calling family estrangement a trend offensive? https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/contributors/phil-lane-msw-lcsw Websites The Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.world Nathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.me Joseph Holmes: linktr.ee/josephholmes Noelle Mering: noellemering.com

  5. Sep 28

    Why Do We Need Dark Stories? (With Josh Larsen)

    From Grimms fairy tales to 1984 to the Bible itself, humanity has always told dark stories. But why? What purpose do they serve? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson discuss with film critic, author, and co-host of the "Filmspotting" podcast Josh Larsen. Websites The Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.world Nathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.me Joseph Holmes: linktr.ee.com/josephholmes Josh Larsen: larsenonfilm.com

  6. Sep 21

    Why Do We Need Art? (With Dr. Merideth Hite Estevez)

    Why do we love art so much? What purpose does art serve for humans? Or is art useless and maybe that's a good thing? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson talk to author Dr. Merideth Hite Estevez about her new book "Art is How God Loves Us" on The Overthinkers.  References and resources Does art have health benefits? https://iris.who.int/server/api/core/bitstreams/e1cc8536-773d-446f-9822-8ae376f41415/content Can art express things words can’t? https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/langer/ Is art useless? https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/526851-we-can-forgive-a-man-for-making-a-useful-thing Is art for therapy? https://www.alaindebotton.com/art/ Website The Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.world Nathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.me Joseph Holmes: linktr.ee.com/josephholmes

  7. Sep 14

    Why Don't We Trust the Elites? (With Aaron Renn)

    Why is there so much anti-elite sentiment in the world today? Is it the fault of the elites themselves, or cultural trends they can't control? Joseph Holems and Nathan Clarkson talk to culture critic and author Aaron Renn on their latest episode.  Defining elites:  https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elite https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-soc-071811-145542? American trust in institutions at all-time low. https://news.gallup.com/poll/712436/confidence-institutions-remains-near-time-low.aspx Global trust decreasing from fear to grievance: https://www.edelman.com/trust/2025/trust-barometer Anti-elite sentiment worldwide: https://www.ipsos.com/en/populism-remains-strong Christopher Nolan on democracies and greatness: https://singjupost.com/transcript-christopher-nolan-interview-with-podcaster-zhong-shu/ Low trust makes problems harder to solve: https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2019/07/22/how-americans-see-problems-of-trust/ Tyranny of merit hypothesis: https://pitchforkeconomics.com/episode/the-tyranny-of-merit-with-michael-sandel/ Democratization of information hypothesis: https://www.discoursemagazine.com/p/revolt-of-the-public-10-years-on Elite overproduction hypothesis: https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/the-elite-overproduction-hypothesis-994 Websites The Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.world Nathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.me Joseph Holmes: linktr.ee.com/josephholmes

  8. Sep 7

    Why Are We Addicted to Outrage?

    Are we addicted to outrage? Why does everyone seem so angry? Is social media making us angrier or making us overperceive our anger? And if we are angrier, is that a good thing because we have so much to be angry about? Nathan Clarkson and Joseph Holmes discuss the theories and science behind outrage culture on the latest episode of The Overthinkers. References and resources Do most Americans think politics is worse today? https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2023/09/19/americans-feelings-about-politics-polarization-and-the-tone-of-political-discourse/ Does negativity drive news consumption? https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-023-01538-4 Does high emotion drive news consumption? https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1509/jmr.10.0353 Does tribal signalling drive engagement? https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8256037 Does moral grandstanding increase status? https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/papa.12075 Does status seeking predict outrage? https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6795490/ Do we overestimate how much outrage there is? https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-023-01582-0? Does social media amplify outrage? https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8363141/ Is outrage good?: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37000374/ Websites The Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.world Nathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.me Joseph Holmes: linktr.ee.com/josephholmes

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About

A place to have fun thinking deeply! Every week, the hosts of The Overthinkers pose a question having to do with art, faith, philosophy, psychology, literature, pop culture, creativity, and more—then attempt to answer it with the help of New York Times bestselling authors, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists, Oscar-winning Hollywood directors/actors, Grammy-winning musicians, esteemed academics, prolific professors, and many more influential and intriguing guests. This is a place where you can both think well and laugh loudly. All are welcome, so put your thinking caps and your laughing socks on and come on in!

Information

  • Creator
    Nathan Clarkson & Joseph Holmes
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    327
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2020 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Overthinkers

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