This American Life

This American Life

Each week we choose a theme. Then anything can happen. This American Life is true stories that unfold like little movies for radio. Personal stories with funny moments, big feelings, and surprising plot twists. Newsy stories that try to capture what it’s like to be alive right now. It’s the most popular weekly podcast in the world, and winner of the first ever Pulitzer Prize for a radio show or podcast. Hosted by Ira Glass and produced in collaboration with WBEZ Chicago. read less

Our Editor's Take

The world is a complex place full of personal and powerful stories. All it takes is a little effort and curiosity to reveal their potent magic. This American Life is a radio show and podcast that excels at that—discovering and telling compelling, captivating stories.

With a storied history beginning in 1995, This American Life is a legendary public radio show. It's journalistic in nature but so much more in practice. It's storytelling with a flair for the funny, the fascinating, and the meaningful.

Full of gripping drama, larger-than-life people, and compelling concepts, this podcast is striking. Its 2.3 million downloads per episode are a testament to its provoking production and wide-reaching appeal. With an enormous collection of episodes in the books, there's no shortage of content to enjoy.

With Ira Glass as longtime host, This American Life is entertaining yet philosophical. It tells intimate true stories while asking timeless and pertinent questions. The profound impact of the program is evident. It has won prestigious awards, including the first Pulitzer Prize for a podcast or radio program.

This show remains cutting-edge and fresh despite its impressive longevity. Perhaps it is the unique approach to storytelling that maintains the appeal. It is unafraid to try new things and push the limits of what a show can be, both in content and form.

This American Life has spawned a myriad of related shows, TV included. Whether a diehard lover of podcasts or a newcomer to the format, every listener should have this show on their radar. With a reputation for excellence and standard-setting history, this is podcast gold.

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Society & CultureSociety & Culture

Episodes

304: Heretics
Mar 10 2024
304: Heretics
The story of Reverend Carlton Pearson. He was a rising star in the evangelical movement when he cast aside the idea of hell and, with it, everything he'd worked for over his entire life. Carlton Pearson's church, Higher Dimensions, was once one of the biggest in the city, drawing crowds of 5,000 people every Sunday. But several years ago, scandal engulfed the reverend. He didn't have an affair. He didn't embezzle lots of money. His sin was something that to a lot of people is far worse: He stopped believing in hell. (2 minutes)Act One: Reporter Russell Cobb takes us through the remarkable and meteoric rise of Carlton Pearson from a young man to a Pentecostal Bishop: From the moment he first cast the devil out of his 17-year-old girlfriend, to the days when he had a close, personal relationship with Oral Roberts and had appearances on TV and at the White House. Just as Reverend Pearson's career peaked, with more than 5,000 members of his congregation coming every week, he started to think about hell, wondering if a loving God would really condemn most of the human race to burn and writhe in the fire of hell for eternity. (30 minutes)Act Two: Once he starts preaching his own revelation, Carlton Pearson's church falls apart. After all, when there's no hell (as the logic goes), you don't really need to believe in Jesus to be saved from it. What follows are the swift departures of his pastors, and an exodus from his congregation—which quickly dwindled to a few hundred people. Donations drop off too, but just as things start looking bleakest, new kinds of people, curious about his change in beliefs, start showing up on Sunday mornings. (23 minutes)Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org