Almost Heretical

In this episode, we speak with Sarah Bessey about the idea of evolving faith and its accompanying challenges. We dive into what it means to have faith during times of change and whether there are any limits to that change. Additionally, we explore the influence of Rachel Held Evans on Sarah's personal faith journey and what insights we might be missing from Rachel's voice in the present day. Finally, we discuss how evolving faith intersects with the idea of Christian orthodoxy and the role of community in supporting those who are wrestling with difficult questions.Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email almostheretical@gmail.comBecome a member and get:1. Bonus episodes of Utterly Heretical (our private podcast) every month2. All full-length episodes3. Access to our private community of 350+ listenersBecome a member: almostheretical.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(Listen to the second half of this chat with Sam here.) The final episode of the Worship series, with Sam Hedrick - a worship leader at Cascade Church in Portland, Oregon and songwriter who has been going through a process of deconstruction while continuing to write music for the church. Sam shares his experience of grappling with doubts and difficult questions while also feeling a sense of responsibility to provide a space for worship and connection for others. Listen to Sam's music on Spotify.Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email almostheretical@gmail.comBecome a member and get:1. Bonus episodes of Utterly Heretical (our private podcast) every month2. All full-length episodes3. Access to our private community of 350+ listenersBecome a member: almostheretical.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(Watch the full uncut version of this episode). What does worship look like when you're questioning, leaving, or changing your faith? How can we bring everything back to our humanness, and what role does incarnation play in that? And what happens when we stop chasing after revival and focus on the wildness of the Spirit of God? Join us for a conversation with William Matthews (Spotify | Instagram), former worship leader at Bethel, as we explore these questions and more on Almost Heretical.Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email almostheretical@gmail.comBecome a member and get:1. Bonus episodes of Utterly Heretical (our private podcast) every month2. All full-length episodes3. Access to our private community of 350+ listenersBecome a member: almostheretical.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the Worship series. After our faith evolution, we now have a complicated relationship with worship music. Join us as we sing three songs (The Heart of Worship, How He Loves, and The Stand) on the worship songs that once filled our hearts and churches. Delve into how our changing theology and feelings have transformed our relationship with these songs. Embark on a musical journey that reflects our faith's evolution and reexamines the role of worship in our lives.Intro music by Sam Hedrick (Spotify | Instagram)Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email almostheretical@gmail.comBecome a member and get:1. Bonus episodes of Utterly Heretical (our private podcast) every month2. All full-length episodes3. Access to our private community of 350+ listenersBecome a member: almostheretical.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In honor of #InternationalWomensDay, we’re highlighting 16 notable and forgotten women of the Bible, uncovering their stories from both canonical scripture and lesser-known texts like the Apocrypha, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and Second Temple writings. Many of these women named in the Bible have been overlooked or erased, yet they played significant roles in shaping biblical narratives. Their voices, though often marginalized, offer a deeper understanding of the cultural and historical context of scripture.We explore the stories of Mary Magdalene, Miriam, Vashti, Judith, Susanna, Huldah, Anna, and the Woman at the Well, as well as lesser-known figures like Batanoosh, Aseneth, Emzara, and the women connected to the Nephilim. These women were prophets, warriors, leaders, and visionaries whose impact extends far beyond their brief mentions in scripture. By rediscovering their stories, we reclaim their significance and challenge traditional narratives that have long ignored their contributions.Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email  contact@almostheretical.comBecome a member and get:1. Bonus episodes and aftershows2. All full-length, ad-free episodes3. Access to Heretical Together (our private community of 350+ listeners)Become a member: almostheretical.com/premium Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if I still want to pass on faith to my children, but I'm not sure what I believe? What do kids need to be learning about Christianity at different stages? What do kids have to teach us about holding uncertainty. We talk with Sarah Swartzendruber, a pastor passionate about empowering parents in deconstruction to create spiritual practices for their kids.Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email almostheretical@gmail.comBecome a member and get:1. Bonus episodes of Utterly Heretical (our private podcast) every month2. All full-length episodes3. Access to our private community of 350+ listenersBecome a member: almostheretical.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Parenting & Deconstruction Part 1: Do formerly fundamentalist parents project their own trauma on their children? What kind of “stability” do kids of deconstructing parents actually need? Is it okay to not ever get community back? Nate and Shelby discuss this all and more with Cindy Wang Brandt, the author of Parenting Forward and You Are Revolutionary.Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email almostheretical@gmail.comBecome a member and get:1. Bonus episodes of Utterly Heretical (our private podcast) every month2. All full-length episodes3. Access to our private community of 350+ listenersBecome a member: almostheretical.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we hear from listener Katherine about her disillusionment with Christianity due to Trump, hell, and bad biblical interpretations on women. What was your breaking point? Join us as we discuss the cracks in our experience of Christianity and explore how to move forward.Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email almostheretical@gmail.comBecome a member and get:1. Bonus episodes of Utterly Heretical (our private podcast) every month2. All full-length episodes3. Access to our private community of 350+ listenersBecome a member: almostheretical.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What kinds of texts were rejected from the New Testament canon? Are extra-canonical texts as dangerous and bad as we used to think? How does history and archaeology affect how we read the Bible today? We wrap up the Canon series diving into these questions and more as we seek to discover better ways to approach biblical and non-biblical texts and use them today.Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email almostheretical@gmail.comBecome a member and get:1. Bonus episodes of Utterly Heretical (our private podcast) every month2. All full-length episodes3. Access to our private community of 350+ listenersBecome a member: almostheretical.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How did the early church determine which texts would go into the canon and which would not? Are all texts outside the New Testament heretical or dangerous? Does the truth of the canon formation process change how we think about the Bible we have? Nate & Shelby look at how we got the books we have in our bibles and debunk some myths about the process.Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email almostheretical@gmail.comBecome a member and get:1. Bonus episodes of Utterly Heretical (our private podcast) every month2. All full-length episodes3. Access to our private community of 350+ listenersBecome a member: almostheretical.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices