Across the River #2: Dr. Gary Laderman

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Gary Laderman (Emory University) about how death shapes culture, religion, and power. We discuss why the sacred is double-edged, how the U.S. funeral industry grew out of the Civil War and the rise of embalming, and why modern life has not become less religious, but differently religious. We dig into true crime and horror as cultural rituals, the death penalty as a story America tells itself about justice, sacrifice, and national identity, and the uncomfortable ways social media and AI are transforming grief and our relationship to the dead. This conversation does not sanitize death, and it does not treat these questions as abstract.

Dr. Gary Laderman is a "misfit" scholar and Emory University professor who explores the hidden side of American spirituality. He is a leading expert on the culture of death, celebrity worship, and the religious history of psychoactive drugs. Rather than looking at traditional churches, he focuses on how we find the "sacred" in modern life, from funeral homes to pop culture.

His instagram and website (both personal and professional) should be regularly checked for the next big thing- in the meantime his newest book " Scared Drugs" can be bought and (hopefully) read here.*

*Disclosure: Links below may contain affiliate tracking. Purchases made through these links help support the podcast at no additional cost to you.