Latter Day Struggles

Send us a Positive Review!Series Title: Do I Stay Christian? Book Analysis [Part VI of V]Welcome to part IV of our exploration of Brian McLaren’s book “Do I Stay Christian”. In each of these episodes, Val and Nathan go through McLaren’s 10 compelling reasons to LEAVE institutionalized Christianity and 10 compelling reasons to STAY.In this episode the two reasons discussed to LEAVE are as follows: 7) Because Christianity is STUCK due to its “belief policing” and its accompanying resistance to scientific advancements that might push up against traditional religious ideas, and 8) Because Christianity as a religious system has arguably failed in its prime purpose: to transform people into loving, caring human beings.Reasons to stay in this episode are as follows: 7) Leaving complex and messy systems is arguably buying into a similar superiority complex that often draws people into Christianity in the first place, and 8) Christianity is both getting better and it is getting worse. Better?  The internet’s built-in ability to demand openness and accountability. Worse? Two words: Christian NationalismVal and Nathan respect McLaren’s straightforward, honest look at our Christian history and share in his trust that each of us is wise enough to look truth straight in the eye in order to forge our own path towards spiritual health and wholeness.Book referenced in this episodeDo I Stay Christian?: A Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed, and the Disillusioned, by Brian D. McLarenThe Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power, by D. Michael QuinnSupport the showSupport the show Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Access $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Gift a Scholarship Download Free Resources Visit our Website

Send us a Positive Review!Series Title: Do I Stay Christian? Book Analysis [Part III of V]In each of these episodes, Val and Nathan go through McLaren’s 10 compelling reasons to LEAVE institutionalized Christianity and 10 compelling reasons to STAY.In this episode the two reasons discussed to LEAVE are as follows: 5) Because of Christianity's "real" master...MONEY.  In this section Nathan and Val break down both how this issue applies to both "big" Christianity and to our our faith tradition's specific complex and problematic relationship with money, and 6) Because of serious harm done due to white male patriarchy.The two viable reasons to STAY in institutional Christianity discussed in this episode are: 5) Due to Christianity's legendary founder.  This section focuses both on expanding our understanding of the difference between scriptural literalism and scriptural literary value. 6) because innocence is an addiction and solidarity is the cure.What McLaren means by this is that those who leave Christianity are enjoying the luxury of privilege.  Listen in to capture what he means by this and decide for yourself. Books referenced in this episodeDo I Stay Christian?: A Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed, and the Disillusioned, by Brian D. McLaren⁠⁠The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power,⁠⁠ by D. Michael QuinnSupport the showSupport the show Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Access $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Gift a Scholarship Download Free Resources Visit our Website

Send us a Positive Review!Series Title: Do I Stay Christian? Book Analysis [Part II of V]In each of these episodes, Val and Nathan go through McLaren’s 10 compelling reasons to LEAVE institutionalized Christianity and 10 compelling reasons to STAY.In this episode the two reasons discussed to LEAVE are as follows: 3) Because of the huge world-wide death toll and life toll due to Christian imperialism/ colonization, and 4) Because of perpetual issues with loyal Christian “company men” who value loyalty to institution over loyalty to those whom they are serving who come to worship God and find healing community.The two viable reasons to STAY in institutional Christianity discussed in this episode are: 3) Because those who value the rhythms of community worship will find that there is no human-run institution that will be exempt of the complexities of human-run institutions, and 4) Because when speaking relative to the creation of the universe, Christianity is in its infancy and very young things are very underdeveloped by necessity.Val and Nathan respect McLaren’s straightforward, honest look at our Christian history and share in his trust that each of us is wise enough to look truth straight in the eye in order to forge our own path towards spiritual health and wholeness.Books referenced in this episode:Do I Stay Christian?: A Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed, and the Disillusioned, by Brian D. McLarenThe Creation of Patriarchy, by Gerta LernerSupport the showSupport the show Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Access $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Gift a Scholarship Download Free Resources Visit our Website

Send us a Positive Review!Series Title: Do I Stay Christian? Book Analysis [Part I of V]This is part one of a five part series analyzing Brian McLaren’s book "Do I Stay Christian”.In each of the next 5 episodes, Val and Nathan go through McLaren’s 10 compelling reasons to LEAVE institutionalized Christianity and 10 compelling reasons to STAY.In this episode the first two reasons to LEAVE are as follows:1) Because of the brutal treatment of Jewish people by Christians throughout Christianity’s history, and2) Because of Christianity’s long history of brutality to their own brave dissenters who have seen institutional problems of blindness, ignorance, and corruption have called them out, and have been physically or psychologically punished.The two viable reasons to STAY in institutional Christianity discussed in this episode are:1) Because leaving Christianity hurts those valiantly trying to heal systemic problems [and those staying comprise some of the bravest, noblest badasses you can find anywhere😉] and2) because there are more options than to stay compliantly or leave defiantly.Those who stay can model high levels of integrity, authenticity, and personal authority. Val and Nathan respect McLaren’s straightforward, honest look at our Christian history and share in his trust that each of us is wise enough to look truth straight in the eye in order to forge our own path towards spiritual health and wholeness.Book referenced in this episode⁠Do I Stay Christian?: A Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed, and the Disillusioned, by Brian D. McLarenSupport the showSupport the show Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Access $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Gift a Scholarship Download Free Resources Visit our Website

Send us a Positive Review!Series Title: Journey Out of Orthodoxy [Part II of II]This episode is part II of Valerie and Nathan’s reflections on their journey out of orthodoxy. In this episode they respond to the large amount of feedback that the previous episode received by those listening to Valerie’s former podcast “Generation Xhausted” and address several questions, including their thoughts on parenting, leaving institutional religion all together, and more.  Val also talks about how the human brain as a “three member committee” struggles to meet separate needs and gives a neurological explanation for why faith expansion brings up so much angst in so many people. Book referenced in this episode: Faith After Doubt by Brian McLaren.Support the showSupport the show Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Access $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Gift a Scholarship Download Free Resources Visit our Website

Send us a Positive Review!Series Title: Journey Out of Orthodoxy [Part I of II]In this episode, Val and Nathan share a recording from Valerie's first podcast titled "Generation Xhausted", which is a podcast where Valerie delved into issues of soul crisis, something that many people simply call "burnout", ranging from crisis in marriage, aging, parenting, work, body image, and finally, faith crisis.  In this particular episode, Val and Nathan talk about their own faith journeys and their ongoing realizations as they left the simplicity and somewhat hubristic comfort of orthodoxy.  They also share how they have—and currently are—making meaning of the complexities of relationship with institutional religion in the face of personal soul expansion.This is the very first podcast episode that Valerie and Nathan did together tackling the LDS faith journey...who knew where this would lead?  Support the showSupport the show Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Access $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Gift a Scholarship Download Free Resources Visit our Website

Send us a Positive Review!Join Val in this beautiful conversation with Jody England Hansen as together they explore the complexities of membership in the human race (oh, and also in the LDS church) as well as other beautiful ideas about making meaning of struggle and becoming the makers of meaning in our own spiritual lives.  This conversation focuses on these two main topics:The power and importance of taking ownership in our own worship.  Much can be learned if we are allowed to find and interpret relevant meaning in every aspect of our lives (ranging from the symbolism in the LDS temple to the symbolism in Star Wars or Lord of the Rings).  As we realize we are the creators of meaning, we find ourselves more satisfied in our worship, rather than feeling guilt, shame, or boredom for having meaning imposed upon us by outside forces.Jody also offers thoughts on how her childhood in the home of Mormon progressive scholar and educator Gene England has influenced her ability to stay in the wrestle and create a spiritual life that works for her, while also honoring that each individual has a unique hero's journey of their own. Mentioned in this episode: YouTube Video — Rabbi Benay Lappe - An Unrecognizable Jewish Future: A Queer Talmudic Take (Recommended by Jodi)Poem — Voting As a Fire Extinguisher, by Kyle Tran MyhreSupport the showSupport the show Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Access $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Gift a Scholarship Download Free Resources Visit our Website

Send us a Positive Review!In this episode Val and Nathan open up with a refresher courses on the theories of faith development that have impacted their growth the most and break down a theory that is less about stages of faith and more cyclical in nature. This stage theory breaks down Order Disorder Reorder. They give many examples in pop culture, nature, theology, and myth that illustrates that cycles of birth, death, and rebirth can be found virtually everywhere. This cycle reminds us that Jesus didn't begin the cycle of birth, death, and resurrection, but rather is one sublime manifestation of this pervasive phenomenon. Val and Nathan further talk about why we resist this cycle in our own lives, why this cycle is absolutely necessary to our growth and transformation, and how the cycles of order (birth), disorder (death/suffering), and reorder (rebirth/resurrection) can be found most significantly in our own lives as our own ideas, expectations, paradigms, and desires evolve ever upward.Books referenced in this episode:Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development and the Quest for Meaning, by James FowlerThe Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Values, and Spiritual Growth, by M. Scott PeckThe Different Drum: Community Making and Peace, by M. Scott PeckThe Road Less Traveled and Beyond: Spiritual Growth in an Age of Anxiety, by M. Scott PeckFaith After Doubt: Why Your Beliefs Stopped Working and What to Do About It, by Brian McLarenThe Hero with a Thousand Faces: The Collected Works of Joseph Campbell, by Joseph CampbellThe Universal Christ: How a Forgotten Reality Can Change Everything We See, Hope for, and Believe, by Richard RohrPodcasts mentioned in this episode:Latter Day Struggles | Episode 33: Stages of Faith Development, Why We are Stuck, How to get Unstuck (for Valerie's Sunstone Symposium Lecture on Stages of Faith Development and Why we as a church are stuck). Support the showSupport the show Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Access $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Gift a Scholarship Download Free Resources Visit our Website

Send us a Positive Review!In this episode Val and Nathan review several common cognitive biases that many Christians worldwide struggle with due to their leadership’s tendency to constrict intellectualism [because broad and open inquiry may challenge their denomination’s particular ideologies]. When intellectualism is stifled, we do not become complex thinkers and we tend to overlook these biases and shortchange our own God-given abilities to grow in knowledge, truth, and wisdom. The biases are these:Confirmation biasComplexity biasCommunity biasComfort and complacency biasConfidence biasConspiracy biasCatastrophe/normalcy biasCash biasBooks referenced in this episode: Do I Stay Christian?: A Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed, and the Disillusioned, by Brian D. McLaren⁠⁠The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power,⁠⁠ by D. Michael QuinnSupport the showSupport the show Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Access $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Gift a Scholarship Download Free Resources Visit our Website

Send us a Positive Review!In this episode Nathan and Val draw from the wisdom of Jungian scholar James Hollis and his insights about truly evolved parenting.Turns out that parenting is not about crafting perfect children.  It is not about crafting compliant children.  It is not even about protecting children from tough lessons.  Nor is it about needing children to carry on their parents belief systems.  While this may induce anxiety in many of us who have been taught that this is exactly what parenting is all about, this in fact is not the healthiest way to create a relationship truly based on unconditional love and connection with our kids.  Val and Nathan talk about their own journey, the nuances, the differences that arise with children of different ages and even how this dance between parent and child carries on into older (and sometimes much older) adulthood.The bottom line? Our children are not here to validate our lives, our roles, or our beliefs.  They are here to become beautifully themselves.  And we do well to honor this process.  And we can best honor this process when we are spiritually and psychologically healthy ourselves.Book referenced in this epode:Living an Examined Life, by James Hollis (one of Valerie's top scholarly crushes)Support the showSupport the show Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Access $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Gift a Scholarship Download Free Resources Visit our Website