Brand, who is currently doing an MA in Religion and Global Politics at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), was inspired to make Dr Evans the first guest on his new show after reading his book, Liberal Terror. He describes Dr Evans as 'the first person I read [at SOAS] who gave me the thrill of learning, the thrill of new knowledge.'
The aim of the series is to explore what it means to be human in the 21st century. The inaugural episode, Can We Really Stop Terror?, aired last week and topped iTunes download charts in the UK and Australia, and reached No.3 in Canada.
Over the course of 80 minutes Brand and Dr Evans discuss themes from Dr Evans’ considerable work on the history of violence, exploring the link between liberalism and terrorism and the idea 'there is no such thing as Muslim militancy, distinct and separate from Western secularism and Western imperial objectives.'
Evans talks about using violence diagnostically to understand the power structures and values of political regimes – and how these relate to what Brand describes as the sudden lurch to the right, our terrible dread of terrorism and fear of immigration.
"Brand has a knack for capturing the zeitgeist of the moment and as such I’m honoured to be the first guest on his new series. As an author and academic, speaking to Brand is an opportunity to engage people more broadly, to give my work and ideas a reach beyond academia, and hopefully in doing so, inspire the world to think differently – to imagine a better world," said Dr Evans.
His conversation with Brand is the perfect forum. The podcast is a must-listen for anyone with an interest in the power, politics and violence of our times, and how we might use collective consciousness to make the world a better place. It won’t disappoint Russell Brand’s dedicated followers either.