
I was a Teenage Fundamentalist. An Exvangelical podcast.
Brian and Troy used to be loyal Christian megachurch leaders. They’re not anymore. This podcast explores life in and after fundamentalism.
Latest episodes

Sep 29, 2023 • 1h 17min
088 - I was a Teenage Christian Nationalist with April Ajoy
April Ajoy, recovering conservative and viral TikToker, discusses her teenage Christian nationalist experience and deconstruction from fundamentalism. She shares her irreverent videos critiquing Evangelical culture, religious upbringing, fire tunnels, conflicting beliefs, societal expectations, and evolving faith. Also includes discussions on presidents, MTV influence, homosexuality, and her book deal and vibrator promotion.

Sep 15, 2023 • 1h 6min
087 - God Hates Divorce
Brian & Troy take a look at how divorce is presented in the New Testament and how the Church has handled it over the last 2000 years. Our hosts also reflect on their own experience and ask, do Jesus and the Bible really offer adequate guidance for the 21st century. Spoiler alert, no.
The resources suggested in this episode are:
Christian views on divorce - Wikipedia
A Theology of Divorce – Religion Online
Ep #69 - Troy Story II: Leaving My Marriage...and Church
Ep #75 - Brian Walks Away from his Marriage
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Transcript of the episode is here.
Podcast links: https://linktr.ee/iwatf
Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone and Recovering from Religion is here to help. Please visit: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/
---We're now on video on YouTube here.Want more? Check out our exclusive Patreon episodes here.Our blog is here.Join the conversation and connect with others here.The transcript of this episode is here.All our other links are here. Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone, and Recovering from Religion is here to help.

Sep 1, 2023 • 1h 15min
086 - I was a Teenage Preacher But Now I’m an Atheist with Dan Barker
Dan Barker served as an evangelical Christian preacher and composer for 19 years before leaving Christianity in 1984. He and his wife Annie Laurie Gaylor are the current co-presidents of the Freedom from Religion Foundation, and he is co-founder of The Clergy Project. In this fascinating chat, he shares his journey out of faith and why he identifies as an Atheist today.
You can connect with Dan and his work at:
Freethought Radio Podcast
Freedom From Religion Foundation - Freedom From Religion Foundation
The Clergy Project
Dan Barker: Books
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Transcript of the episode is here.
Podcast links: https://linktr.ee/iwatf
Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone and Recovering from Religion is here to help. Please visit: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/
---We're now on video on YouTube here.Want more? Check out our exclusive Patreon episodes here.Our blog is here.Join the conversation and connect with others here.The transcript of this episode is here.All our other links are here. Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone, and Recovering from Religion is here to help.

6 snips
Aug 18, 2023 • 1h 2min
084 - God is a Narcissist with Catherine Quiring
Catherine Quiring describes herself as a reformed people-pleaser, Exvangelical and an aspiring advocate for anti-oppressive spirituality. She is a licensed Mental Health Counsellor, and Self-Trust Coach. Catherine tells Brian and Troy why she believes the Evangelical god is a narcissist and that the symptoms experienced by those who have experienced covert narcissistic abuse are extremely similar to those experienced in high-control religious settings.
You can connect with Catherine via:
Her website: www.cqcounseling.com
Instagram: @catherinequiring
Facebook: @cqcounseling
The book she referenced in this episode was Breaking Their Will: Shedding Light on Religious Child Maltreatment : Heimlich, Janet
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Transcript of the episode is here.
Podcast links: https://linktr.ee/iwatf
Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone and Recovering from Religion is here to help. Please visit: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/
---We're now on video on YouTube here.Want more? Check out our exclusive Patreon episodes here.Our blog is here.Join the conversation and connect with others here.The transcript of this episode is here.All our other links are here. Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone, and Recovering from Religion is here to help.

Aug 3, 2023 • 1h 14min
083 - Troy Deals with his Religious Trauma in Singapore (Our Stories Part 31)
Troy, dealing with religious trauma, continues his journey in Singapore and falls hard for a Chinese woman. He confronts his religious baggage and reflects on his experience with a deceptive progressive church. Troy leaves Singapore, gets married, and explores different spiritual avenues outside Christianity. Living in Southeast Asia exposes him to new cultures and conspiracy theories, leading to reflections on returning to Australia and the intersection of new age spirituality and far-right conspiracy cults.

Jul 20, 2023 • 1h 18min
082 - Cult Hacking with Stephen Mather
After Troy and Brian appeared on Stephen's podcast, Cult Hackers back in 2021, Stephen now brings his expertise to talk about cults from an organisational psychology perspective. He shares how organisational models help us understand cult leadership, coercive control dynamics and why people join and stay.
You can find Stephen's podcast here: Cult Hackers and his website here: culthackers.com
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Transcript of the episode is here.
Podcast links: https://linktr.ee/iwatf
Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone and Recovering from Religion is here to help. Please visit: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/
---We're now on video on YouTube here.Want more? Check out our exclusive Patreon episodes here.Our blog is here.Join the conversation and connect with others here.The transcript of this episode is here.All our other links are here. Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone, and Recovering from Religion is here to help.

Jul 6, 2023 • 1h 25min
081 - I was a Published Christian Author with D.L. and Krispin Mayfield
Krispin and D.L. Mayfield are a husband-and-wife team and hosts of the Prophetic Imagination Station. Both were missionaries and published Christian writers who have recently been very public about their deconversion from Christianity. Brian and Troy talk with them about their deconversion journey and its impact on their careers and marriage.
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Transcript of the episode is here.
Podcast links: https://linktr.ee/iwatf
Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone and Recovering from Religion is here to help. Please visit: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/
---We're now on video on YouTube here.Want more? Check out our exclusive Patreon episodes here.Our blog is here.Join the conversation and connect with others here.The transcript of this episode is here.All our other links are here. Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone, and Recovering from Religion is here to help.

Jun 22, 2023 • 1h 19min
080 - Marc Fennell Wasn’t a Very Good Teenage Fundamentalist (Leaving Part 18)
Marc Fennell is an award-winning Australian journalist and documentary maker who was once a teenage fundamentalist...but he claims he was not a very good one. He has just released a documentary about Australian Pentecostalism called The Kingdom where he confronts his own past spent in church. Brian & Troy talk with Marc about why he left and why he’s remained largely silent about his religious past until now.
You can learn all about Marc here: marcfennell.com
The Kingdom is available to stream in Australia here and will be available to international audiences soon.
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Transcript of the episode is here.
Podcast links: https://linktr.ee/iwatf
Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone and Recovering from Religion is here to help. Please visit: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/
---We're now on video on YouTube here.Want more? Check out our exclusive Patreon episodes here.Our blog is here.Join the conversation and connect with others here.The transcript of this episode is here.All our other links are here. Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone, and Recovering from Religion is here to help.

Jun 8, 2023 • 1h 12min
079 - Troy Deals with His Religious Trauma in Korea (Our Stories Part 30)
Picking up where he left off in Episode 64 - Troy Story II, Troy left the Church & his Christian marriage and headed off to live & work in South Korea. In this episode, he recounts his largely unsuccessful attempts to deal with his religious trauma by parking his religious issues and indulging in the maladaptive coping strategies of casual sex and alcohol abuse.
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Transcript of the episode is here.
Podcast links: https://linktr.ee/iwatf
Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone and Recovering from Religion is here to help. Please visit: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/
---We're now on video on YouTube here.Want more? Check out our exclusive Patreon episodes here.Our blog is here.Join the conversation and connect with others here.The transcript of this episode is here.All our other links are here. Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone, and Recovering from Religion is here to help.

May 25, 2023 • 1h 27min
078 - Oh No, Ross & Carrie Were Teenage Fundamentalists
Ross Blocher and Carrie Poppy have a hugely popular podcast where they join religions, undergo alternative medical treatments, and hunt for ghost, goblins, demons, and deities...so you don't have to! If it has an extraordinary claim attached to it, they'll check it out and report on it. In this episode, Brian and Troy talk with them about their teenage fundamentalism and what they have discovered about some of the wild claims of Christianity and other religions.
You can connect with Ross and Carrie through their website: ohnopodcast.com and their podcast: Oh No, Ross and Carrie.
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Transcript of the episode is here.
Podcast links: https://linktr.ee/iwatf
Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone and Recovering from Religion is here to help. Please visit: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/
---We're now on video on YouTube here.Want more? Check out our exclusive Patreon episodes here.Our blog is here.Join the conversation and connect with others here.The transcript of this episode is here.All our other links are here. Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone, and Recovering from Religion is here to help.