Boen visits Norman, Oklahoma, where he was born, to meet the man he thinks changed his parents’ lives—and his life, too. (31 minutes)

Abby Stein’s youngest sister got married last month, the last of 13 kids in their family.

Alex Edelman grew up in an Orthodox Jewish household in Boston. But one year, unexpectedly, his family decided to celebrate Christmas – for what he says are very Jewish reasons.

Michelle Navarro attended a Catholic youth group retreat when she was thirteen.

Hamza and Brian visit Tahir Alam, the alleged mastermind of a plot to ‘Islamize’ Birmingham’s schools.

Rebecca Shrader thought she knew what was right when it came to abortion. Then she got pregnant.

In the summer of 2006, an FBI official visited a mosque in Orange County, California. His intention was to reassure the community that they weren't being spied on.

What does God get out of us praising him? Or is it actually for us? (7 minutes)

On a friend’s recommendation, B.A. Parker decides to try attending First Corinthian Baptist Church in Harlem.

What does God get out of us praising him? Or is it actually for us? (7 minutes)

Religion professor Elaine Pagels explains the roots and evolution of Satan in religious texts.

From the ages of 12 to 27, our producer Elna Baker was supposed to confess to male clergy anytime she did anything sexual. It was so routine for her that she barely thought to talk about it.

Shalom Auslander reads his true story, "The Blessing Bee." It's about the time when, as a third-grader at an Orthodox Jewish school, Shalom saw his chance to both make his mom proud, and push his drunken father out of the picture. Part of his scheme involved winning the school's bee on the complicated Hebrew blessings you say before eating certain foods.

Reporter Eric Mennel introduces Host Ira Glass to church planters, a group of evangelical Christians who apply the lessons of Silicon Valley to their goals of building new churches and growing their flock. (9 ½ minutes)

A private basketball coach teaches a young student some things his parents don't agree with. David Kestenbaum has the story.

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is from Grand Rapids, Michigan. So is This American Life producer Susan Burton.

Elna Baker talks to a Republican woman who voted for Hillary Clinton this year, and has suffered consequences in the Mormon community she lives in.

Awhile back, San Francisco experienced a rash of burglaries that all fit a pattern. The suspect got into businesses at night through skylights, or the attic, and then lowered himself in with ropes where he would rob safes.

Fat is seen by so many people as a kind of moral issue. They think you’re fat because you’re weak and can’t get control of your own life.


When Mariya Karimjee was little, members of her family made a decision that would affect her entire life. Years later, she wants to know why.