Volume 123

Issue 1: January/February 2008

Cover story: Steve Jones, John van Wyhe, Jerry Coyne and James Randerson enjoy dinner with Darwin, Laurie Taylor meets David Attenborough, Dave Rich reports on the government's fight against Islamic extremism, John Clark asks if Slavoj Žižek is serious, David Belden warns of an evangelical takeover of the US military, Sally Feldman enjoys a little luxury, Stein Ringen says real freedom requires faith, Peter Hamilton assesses the work of two great photographers, Elizabeth Wilson defends militant atheism, Charles Freeman on how a Roman Emperor ended Christians' right to ask questions, Stan Cohen asks when did torture become acceptable? PLUS film maker Ben Anthony travels to meet the cult at the end of the world, Paul Bishop reassesses Carl Jung, AC Grayling looks at a Catholic attack on nonsense, Natalie Haynes is unimpressed by a trendy African novel, Michael Bywater is in awe of a man who defeated an octopus, and much, much more...

Issue 2: March/April 2008

Cover story: Michael Binyon on why God is the real winner in the Russian election, Laurie Taylor talks to Richard Sennett, Stephen Howe asks what we can learn from the memoirs of ex-Islamists, Martin Rowson on how the imagination helps us make the world in our own image, Joan W Scott says the French ban on headscarves is not a victory for secularism, Meera Nanda investigates the piety of India's middle classes, Sally Feldman celebrates Catherine the Great, Nina Power finds Iran refuses to conform to our expectations, Julian Baggini asks why shouldn't people have to work for their council houses? PLUS Peyvand Khorsandi meets India's hugging saint, Bill Cooke celebrates humanism's 200th birthday, Toril Moi admires Simone de Beauvoir, Natalie Haynes reviews an excellent assault on alternative medicine, Andrew Mueller travels back in time to Acid House, Shirley Dent sings Salman Rushdie's praises...

Issue 3: May/June 2008

Cover story: James Crabtree on how Democrats are courting the US evangelical vote, Sanal Edamaruku recalls the night a guru tried to kill him live on Indian TV, sixty years on Mike Marqusee and Eliane Glaser explore the state of Israel, Doug Ireland asks if Muslim "moderate" Tariq Ramadan can be trusted, Andrew Mueller says summer festivals must be avoided at all costs, Winston Fletcher finds drinking in Syria is easy if you try, Daniel Miller assesses the influence of Henri Lefebvre on Paris '68, Sally Feldman celebrates the agony and ecstasy of the high heel, Peter C Kjaergaard warns that creationism is on the march in Europe, Roger Davidson tells how Levinas broke away from Heidegger PLUS Ken Worpole says the spirit of '68 lives on in parklife, Ted Nield reminds us that in science, as in life, some stories are too good to be true, Colin Brewer asks the Pope to clarify the Vatican's position on suicide, Laurie Taylor gets medieval with the cults, Stephen Howe wonders why Gordon Brown is endorsing Neocon history, Jonathan Derbyshire introduces a dystopian Hungarian novel, Simon May listens to the dead philosophers...

Issue 4: July/August 2008

Cover story: Paul Sims on why politics, religion and money can never overshadow the sheer drama of sport, Kenan Malik on why both sides are wrong in the race debate, Mark Juergensmeyer visits the global religious terrorists, Lisa Jardine tells Laurie Taylor why she believes in doubt, precision and uncertainty, Michael Bywater searches for clues to the real Woody Allen, Natalie Haynes goes deep undercover in the empire of woo, Sally Feldman lines up the women who turn on their own sex, Paul Kelly on why liberalism can allow the devout and the faithless get along, Caspar Melville unlocks the history of dreadlocks, PLUS playwright Trevor Griffiths discovers the true revolutionary spirit of Tom Paine, Robin Ince pays tribute to the late, great comedian George Carlin, Arnold Brown returns to the Edinburgh Festival, Keith Kahn-Harris gains an insight into Norwegian Black Metal, Michael Binyon tours Russia with Jonathan Dimbleby, Philip Womack is absolutely terrified by a spooky debut novel, and much, much more.

Issue 5: September/October 2008

Cover story: Sex appeal – Dagmar Herzog on the American Religious Right's seductive new recruitment strategy, Edna Fernandes explores the interfaith business, Paul Sims finds out who's behind the anti-Scientology protests, Richard Gregory explains why we can't see what we can't understand, Elizabeth Wilson unveils this season's new scapegoats, Richard Dowden meets the Mourides of Senegal, AC Grayling wades into the swamp that is Intelligent Design, Sally Feldman explores the sexual politics of the voice, Doug Ireland welcomes a passionate and practical approach to secularism, Paul Heelas explains that even the godless need spirituality, Owen Hatherley on Francis Bacon's chilly humanism, PLUS comedian Nick Doody dusts off his death penalty gags, Laurie Taylor takes a stroll...

Issue 6: November/December 2008

Cover Story: Alexei Sayle tells Laurie Taylor why he no longer needs to be right, Ricky Gervais, Phill Jupitus, Natalie Haynes and many more introduce our Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People extravaganza, Kerem Oktem visits a Turkey caught between theocracy and fascism, Steven Lukes asks if Durkheim could help predict our reaction to the crunch, neuroscientist Norman Doidge explains how the brain is far more flexible than we thought, Conor Gearty assesses the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on its 60th birthday, Sally Feldman finds out what's under the kilt, Stephen Howe chases the storm of controversy surrounding the ideas of Edward Said, Daniel Miller says Damien Hirst is the artist we deserve; PLUS: Atheist Bus creator Ariane Sherine on what was probably the craziest week of her life, Rabbi Jonathan Romain on why faith schools only reinforce division, Shadia Drury on the false rationalism of Thomas Aquinas...

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