
This Is Not Church Podcast
This Is Not Church podcast offers a compelling and thought-provoking exploration of the intersections between deconstruction, activism, spirituality, and the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as vital issues like Black Lives Matter and First Nations' rights. Hosted by passionate individuals who are dedicated to fostering open and inclusive conversations, this podcast delves into the complex journey of deconstructing one's faith, while simultaneously embracing and advocating for the rights and stories of the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as the fight for racial justice within the Black Lives Matter movement and the preservation of First Nations' cultures and rights. With a focus on examining the evolving landscapes of faith and identity, "This Is Not Church" provides a safe and informative space for listeners to engage with narratives of self-discovery, resilience, and transformation, ultimately encouraging a more empathetic and understanding society.
Latest episodes

Mar 18, 2024 • 1h 25min
Devout: A Conversation With Anna Gazmarian
This Quoircast eopisiode is brought to you by Fire And Silk by Meghan Irene Turner. Published by Quoir and will be available April 9th, 2024Trigger Warning: In this conversation we talk about Mental Illness and SuicideIf you or anyone you know is contemplating suicide or self harm, please call the suicide prevention hotline: The number is 988In this episode we chat with Anna GazmarianAnna Gazmarian holds an MFA in creative writing from the Bennington Writing Seminars. Her essays have been published in The Rumpus, Longreads, The Sun, and The Guardian. Anna works for The Sun Magazine and lives with her family in Durham, North CarolinaYou can follow Anna on:Facebook Instagram TwitterYou can find all things Anna Gazmarian related on her websiteYou can purchase Devout: A Memoir Of Doubt on Amazon.comYou can connect with This Is Not Church on:Facebook Instagram Twitter TikTok YouTubeAlso check out our Linktree for all things This Is Not Church relatedPlease like and follow our Quoircast Partners:Heretic Happy Hour Messy Spirituality Apostates Anonymous Second Cup with Keith The Church Needs TherapyIdeas Digest The New Evangelicals Snarky Faith Podcast Wild Olive Deadly FaithJonathan Foster Sacred Thoughts Holy Heretics Reframing Our StoriesEach episode of This Is Not Church Podcast is expertly engineered by our producer The Podcast Doctor Eric Howell. If you’re thinking of starting a podcast you need to connect with Eric!

Mar 11, 2024 • 1h 15min
Holy Hell: A Conversation With Derek Kubilus
This Quoircast episode is brought to you by the Jonathan_Foster Podcast. In this episode we chat with Derek KubilusDerek Ryan Kubilus is an ordained elder serving in the East Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church. He is also a member of the Order of Saint Luke and an amateur podcaster. He currently serves the First United Methodist Church of Ashland, Ohio, where he lives with his wife, Maggie Astrino, and their two Great Pyrenees dogs, Beowulf and Fenris.You can follow Derek on:Facebook InstagramYou can find all things Derek Kubilus related on his websiteYou can purchase Holy Hell on Amazon.comYou can connect with This Is Not Church on:Facebook Instagram Twitter TikTok YouTubeAlso check out our Linktree for all things This Is Not Church relatedPlease like and follow our Quoircast Partners:Heretic Happy Hour Messy Spirituality Apostates Anonymous Second Cup with Keith The Church Needs TherapyIdeas Digest The New Evangelicals Snarky Faith Podcast Wild Olive Deadly FaithJonathan Foster Sacred Thoughts Holy Heretics Reframing Our StoriesEach episode of This Is Not Church Podcast is expertly engineered by our producer The Podcast Doctor Eric Howell. If you’re thinking of starting a podcast you need to connect with Eric!

Mar 4, 2024 • 1h 1min
Disciple Interrupted: A Conversation With Sara Heacox Sosa
This Quoircast podcast episode is brought to you by The New Evangelical Podcast. Pushing the Evangelical Church forward and re-thinking how it approaches key cultural issues.In this episode we chat with Sara Heacox SosaSara helps people feel more confident in their influence as followers of Jesus. She does this as an author, coach, Family Ministries Pastor, conference-wide Director of Children’s Ministries for her denomination, and university professor. She has a Master of Christian Formation from North Park Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry Degree in Church Leadership from Bethel Seminary. When not teaching or writing, you can find her walking her dog, laughing with her two adult children, and dreaming of owning an island off the coast of Scotland.You can follow Sara on:Facebook Instagram You can find all things Sara Heacox Sosa related on her websiteYou can purchase Disciple Interrupted on (it is also now available in audio) Amazon.comYou can connect with This Is Not Church on:Facebook Instagram Twitter TikTok YouTubeAlso check out our Linktree for all things This Is Not Church relatedPlease like and follow our Quoircast Partners:Heretic Happy Hour Messy Spirituality Apostates Anonymous Second Cup with Keith The Church Needs TherapyIdeas Digest The New Evangelicals Snarky Faith Podcast Wild Olive Deadly FaithJonathan Foster Sacred Thoughts Holy Heretics Reframing Our StoriesEach episode of This Is Not Church Podcast is expertly engineered by our producer The Podcast Doctor Eric Howell. If you’re thinking of starting a podcast you need to connect with Eric!

Feb 26, 2024 • 1h 12min
Marriage In The Bible: A Conversation With Jennifer Bird
This Quoircast podcast is brought to you by RJ The Astronaut by Jon Turney. Published by Quoir and available now.In this episode we chat with Jennifer BirdAn East Coaster by upbringing, undergrad, and graduate schools, Dr. Bird has taught in New Jersey, Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina, Oregon and Virginia. She is currently embracing the title, "independent public biblical scholar," and you can follow her commentary and interview videos and her official co-hosted podcast at the links at the top of this site. Her background within the United Methodist Church, education in a Presbyterian affiliated institution, time spent in several ministerial contexts, six years of graduate work in biblical studies, and more than 25 years of teaching in classrooms of all kinds all inform her approach to having quite honest, and sometimes difficult, conversations about what is actually to be found in the scriptures of the Christian Bible.You can follow Jennifer on:Facebook Instagram YouTube TokTokYou can find all things Jennifer Bird related on her websiteListen to her podcast Wild Olive hereYou can purchase Marriage In The Bible on Amazon.comYou can connect with This Is Not Church on:Facebook Instagram Twitter TikTok YouTubeAlso check out our Linktree for all things This Is Not Church relatedPlease like and follow our Quoircast Partners:Heretic Happy Hour Messy Spirituality Apostates Anonymous Second Cup with Keith The Church Needs TherapyIdeas Digest The New Evangelicals Snarky Faith Podcast Wild Olive Deadly FaithJonathan Foster Sacred Thoughts Holy Heretics Reframing Our StoriesEach episode of This Is Not Church Podcast is expertly engineered by our producer The Podcast Doctor Eric Howell. If you’re thinking of starting a podcast you need to connect with Eric!

Feb 19, 2024 • 1h 2min
Giving Up God: A Conversation With Sarah Henn Hayward
This Quoircast podcast is brought to you by Too Much And Not Enough by Karen Shock. Published by Quoir and available now.In this episode we chat with Sarah Henn HaywardSarah Henn Hayward has been writing since she cracked open her first “quiet time” devotional journal. Sarah grew up in the Chicago suburbs, went to Marquette University for physical therapy, and moved to Spokane, WA, where she met her husband and grew their family. They love camping in the Pacific Northwest and take advantage of their beautiful surroundings as much as possible. After her deconstruction and departure from the faith of her youth, Sarah felt lost and adrift. Being a Christian was the foundation of her identity, giving her life purpose and meaning. She turned to books for comfort. When the progressive Christian voices fell flat and the atheistic approaches to life couldn't relate to her grief, she began writing her own spiritual memoir.You can follow Sarah on:Facebook InstagramYou can find all things Sarah Henn Hayward related on her websiteYou can purchase Giving Up God on Amazon.comYou can connect with This Is Not Church on:Facebook Instagram Twitter TikTok YouTubeAlso check out our Linktree for all things This Is Not Church relatedPlease like and follow our Quoircast Partners:Heretic Happy Hour Messy Spirituality Apostates Anonymous Second Cup with Keith The Church Needs TherapyIdeas Digest The New Evangelicals Snarky Faith Podcast Wild Olive Deadly FaithJonathan Foster Sacred Thoughts Holy Heretics Reframing Our StoriesEach episode of This Is Not Church Podcast is expertly engineered by our producer The Podcast Doctor Eric Howell. If you’re thinking of starting a podcast you need to connect with Eric!

Feb 12, 2024 • 55min
Out Of Focus: A Conversation With Amber Cantorna-Wylde
This Quoircast episode is brought to you by Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political & Economic Teachings of the Gospels. Published by Quoir and available now.In this episode we talk with Amber Cantorna-WyldeAmber Cantorna-Wylde is a national speaker, coach, and storyteller supporting LGBTQ+ people through their coming out process and educating others on the importance of full inclusion. As someone who lost everything when coming out as gay. Amber is passionate about dissolving shame, fostering self-acceptance, and generating messages of hope for LGBTQ+ people and their families, especially those from conservative faith backgrounds. She’s the author of "Out of Focus: My Story of Sexuality, Shame, and Toxic Evangelicalism" (releasing October 2023), "Unashamed: A Coming-Out Guide for LGBTQ Christians" (WJK Press, 2019) and "Refocusing My Family" (Fortress Press, 2017). She is the founder and host of the Unashamed Love Collective ~ a beautiful and inclusive membership-based online community for LGBTQ+ people and allies. She also leads Cultivating Community Retreats—small, intimate group gatherings that build lasting relationships with like-minded people.You can follow Amber on:Facebook Instagram You can find all things Amber Cantorna-Wylde related on her websiteYon can purchase Out Of Focus: My Story of Sexuality, Shame, and Toxic Evangelicalism on Amazon.comYou can connect with This Is Not Church on:Facebook Instagram Twitter TikTok YouTubeAlso check out our Linktree for all things This Is Not Church relatedPlease like and follow our Quoircast Partners:Heretic Happy Hour Messy Spirituality Apostates Anonymous Second Cup with Keith The Church Needs TherapyIdeas Digest The New Evangelicals Snarky Faith Podcast Wild Olive Deadly FaithJonathan Foster Sacred Thoughts Holy Heretics Reframing Our StoriesEach episode of This Is Not Church Podcast is expertly engineered by our producer The Podcast Doctor Eric Howell. If you’re thinking of starting a podcast you need to connect with Eric!

Feb 5, 2024 • 1h 4min
The Beautiful Madness: A Conversation With Robert Hudson
The Quoircast podcast is brought to you by Ideas Digest. Can religion be our trusted guide through life's challenges, or does it sometimes mislead us?In this episode we talk with Robert HudsonIn third grade Robert knew that books would be his life—reading them, writing them, and making them. He has been a teacher, a book-store clerk, a journal editor, a translator, a book designer, a proofreader, a small-press publisher, a writer, and he has certificates in bookbinding and hand printing. Robert was an editor at Zondervan for 30+ years. He is best known as the author of The Christian Writer’s Manual of Style and has authored twelve books in all. He is a member of the West Michigan Thomas Merton Society, the International Dante Society, and the Traherne Association, and he serves on the board of the Calvin College Center for Faith and Writing.You can follow Robert on:Facebook You can find all things Robert Hudson related on his websiteYou can purchase The Beautiful Madness Of Martin Bonham on Amazon.comYou can connect with This Is Not Church on:Facebook Instagram Twitter TikTok YouTubeAlso check out our Linktree for all things This Is Not Church relatedPlease like and follow our Quoircast Partners:Heretic Happy Hour Messy Spirituality Apostates Anonymous Second Cup with Keith The Church Needs TherapyIdeas Digest The New Evangelicals Snarky Faith Podcast Wild Olive Deadly FaithJonathan Foster Sacred Thoughts Holy Heretics Reframing Our StoriesEach episode of This Is Not Church Podcast is expertly engineered by our producer The Podcast Doctor Eric Howell. If you’re thinking of starting a podcast you need to connect with Eric!

Jan 29, 2024 • 1h 8min
The Gospel According To James Baldwin: A Conversation With Greg Garrett
This Quoircast episode is brought to you by Honoring The Journey Podcast. Where Leslie and Karen discuss all things faith and deconstruction.In this episode we chat with Greg GarrettGreg Garrett is the critically-acclaimed author of over two dozen books of fiction and nonfiction. Like his literary heroes James Baldwin and Marilynne Robinson, Greg moves fluidly from fiction to nonfiction exploring the big human questions. His latest book is The Gospel According to James BaldwinYou can follow Greg on:Facebook Twitter InstagramYou can purchase The Gospel According to James Baldwin on Amazon.comYou can connect with This Is Not Church on:Facebook Instagram Twitter TikTok YouTubeAlso check out our Linktree for all things This Is Not Church relatedPlease like and follow our Quoircast Partners:Heretic Happy Hour Messy Spirituality Apostates Anonymous Second Cup with Keith The Church Needs TherapyIdeas Digest The New Evangelicals Snarky Faith Podcast Wild Olive Deadly FaithJonathan Foster Sacred Thoughts Holy Heretics Reframing Our StoriesEach episode of This Is Not Church Podcast is expertly engineered by our producer The Podcast Doctor Eric Howell. If you’re thinking of starting a podcast you need to connect with Eric!

Jan 22, 2024 • 1h 12min
Karma And Grace: A Conversation With Neena Mahadev
This Quoircast podcast episode is brought to you by Second Cup With Keith Podcast. Keith Giles will provide new insights and perspectives on a variety of questions and topics related to the Christian faith. So, pull up a chair, pour yourself a hot mug of your favorite coffee or tea, and let's learn something new together.In this episode we chat with Neenah MahadevAssistant Professor Neena Mahadev is an anthropologist with research, theoretical, and teaching expertise in the anthropology of religion, media and ritual mediations, political economy, pluralism, political theologies, South Asia, and Inter-Asian Studies. She has carried out extensive fieldwork in Sri Lanka, and also in Singapore. She received her PhD in Anthropology from Johns Hopkins University, an MA in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago, and a BA in Sociology/Anthropology from Carleton College. Dr Mahadev serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Global Buddhism, and also for the new book series New Directions in the Anthropology of Christianity. She holds a stewardship role as an Advisory Board Member of Omnia Institute, an international organization dedicated to grassroots Inter-Religious Peacemaking work in several sites of conflict.You can connect with Neena on:Facebook Instagram Twitter You can purchase Karma and Grace on Amazon.comYou can connect with This Is Not Church on:Facebook Instagram Twitter TikTok YouTubeAlso check out our Linktree for all things This Is Not Church relatedPlease like and follow our Quoircast Partners:Heretic Happy Hour Messy Spirituality Apostates Anonymous Second Cup with Keith The Church Needs TherapyIdeas Digest The New Evangelicals Snarky Faith Podcast Wild Olive Deadly FaithJonathan Foster Sacred Thoughts Holy Heretics Reframing Our StoriesEach episode of This Is Not Church Podcast is expertly engineered by our producer The Podcast Doctor Eric Howell. If you’re thinking of starting a podcast you need to connect with Eric!

Jan 15, 2024 • 1h 7min
What To Believe: A Conversation With John D Caputo
This Quoircast podcast episode is brought to you by Religious Refugees by Mark Karris. Published by Quoir and available now.In this episode we chat with John D CaputoJohn D. Caputo is a hybrid philosopher/theologian intent on producing impure thoughts, thoughts which circulate between philosophy and theology, short-circuits which deny fixed and rigorous boundaries between philosophy and theology. Caputo treats "sacred" texts as a poetics of the human condition, or as a "theo-poetics," a poetics of the event harbored in the name of God. His past books have attempted to persuade us that hermeneutics goes all the way down (Radical Hermeneutics), that Derrida is a thinker to be reckoned with by theology (The Prayers and Tears of Jacques Derrida), and that theology is best served by getting over its love affair with power and authority and embracing what Caputo calls, following St. Paul, The Weakness of God. He has also addressed wider-than-academic audiences in On Religion and What Would Jesus Deconstruct? and has an interest in interacting with the working church groups like ikon and the “Emergent” Church. He is currently working in a book on our frail and mortal flesh, probably to be entitled The Fate of All Flesh: A Theology of the Event, II.You can follow John Caputo on:Facebook You can find all things John D Caputo related on his website.You can purchase John D Caputo's book on Amazon.comYou can connect with This Is Not Church on:Facebook Instagram Twitter TikTok YouTubeAlso check out our Linktree for all things This Is Not Church relatedPlease like and follow our Quoircast Partners:Heretic Happy Hour Messy Spirituality Apostates Anonymous Second Cup with Keith The Church Needs TherapyIdeas Digest The New Evangelicals Snarky Faith Podcast Wild Olive Deadly FaithJonathan Foster Sacred Thoughts Holy Heretics Reframing Our StoriesEach episode of This Is Not Church Podcast is expertly engineered by our producer The Podcast Doctor Eric Howell. If you’re thinking of starting a podcast you need to connect with Eric!