

You Have Permission
Dan Koch
So many of us have been given bad answers to good questions -- questions about God, suffering, prayer, fate, science, justice, and more -- often by people with pure intentions. But we needn't stop with those pat answers. You have permission to take both Christianity and the modern world very seriously, and this podcast will introduce you to people from across the Christian spectrum engaging these timeless and difficult questions in various ways.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 17, 2023 • 46min
Shiny Happy People: Did Bill Gothard Create Pedophiles? (#198)
Welcome to Part 1 of this highly-requested series of response episodes to the Amazon docuseries Shiny Happy People. For these response episodes, Dan is joined by former Bill Gothard-ite Mark Scandrette. Much like the Duggar family of TLC reality series fame (“16 and Counting”), Mark was raised in the homeschool culture described in the SHP series and began his family life under Gothard’s teachings. Over the next few weeks, Dan and Mark will release four episodes, each in response to an episode of the Amazon series.This week, the two set up the context for the SHP and discuss episode one specifics, including the cultural influence and mindset of the Duggars (birth control does not cause miscarriages!), authority structures, the prosperity gospel, and homeschool culture. Dan also addresses some of the psychological realities at play: binary thinking, the fragility of purity culture, and healing through dialogue. Dan includes a "PSA" to address factual inaccuracies and misconceptions presented in the episode.Register for Theology Beer Camp: Theologybeer.campUse code: YHPGODPOD at checkout!Mark's Website: http://www.markscandrette.com/Shiny Happy People Doc: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B8TR2QV5?ref=DVM_US_DL_SL_GO_AST_SHPL23_mkw_s-dc&mrntrk=pcrid_661333345146_slid__pgrid_148685833846_pgeo_9060341_x__adext__ptid_kwd-2080177786042&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqs6lBhCxARIsAG8YcDjOR_JowUp4AIO6X1sdtfQVa1WHUoPgwpQv5ZkaXx4jODFvd3kpNP0aArlJEALw_wcB___________________________________________Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKochFaith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochEmail about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.comYHP Patron-only FB group: tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: www.dankochwords.com/yhp.htmlJoin Dan's email list: www.dankochwords.com/Artwork by sprungle.co/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 10, 2023 • 1h 16min
Un-Shaming Each Part of Ourselves (#197)
It’s natural to try to protect ourselves from perceived threats. Historically, this instinct has helped us survive and navigate risk. But sometimes, creating the feeling of safety, specifically in the midst of faith changes, can come at the cost of ignoring valuable parts of ourselves. Using the model of Internal Family Systems, author and therapist Molly LaCroix helps us learn to look at all parts of our internal “family” with compassion and realize that each part plays a crucial role. Register for Theology Beer Camp: Theologybeer.campmollylacroix.comMolly’s Book “Restoring Relationship: Transforming Fear into Love Through Connection”: https://www.amazon.com/Restoring-Relationship-Transforming-Through-Connection/dp/B08H3VDPG/ref=asc_df_B08KH3VDPG/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=509467422400&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10079099000795160328&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9019667&hvtargid=pla-1238153395654&psc=1___________________________________________Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKochFaith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochEmail about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.comYHP Patron-only FB group: tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: www.dankochwords.com/yhp.htmlJoin Dan's email list: www.dankochwords.com/Artwork by sprungle.co/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 3, 2023 • 1h 11min
Re-Engaging a Problematic Faith (#196)
Joining me today is author, professor (Toronto School of Theology), and theologian Natalie Wigg-Stevenson to discuss her book "Transgressive Devotion.” Natalie asks, "What theological claims are we making, and how are they contributing to how we keep producing theological knowledge?" Her free online “devotional” is made up of three modules, each of which we discuss: going from abandonment toward presence, from fear toward risk, and from certainty toward doubt.Register for Theology Beer Camp: Theologybeer.campUse code: YHPGODPOD at checkout!Natalie’s Book “Transgressive Devotion Theology as Performance Art in 2021” (Paperback): https://www.amazon.com/Transgressive-Devotion-Theology-Performance-Art/dp/033405947X/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=9780334059479&linkCode=qs&qid=1687812111&s=books&sr=1-1Natalie’s Faculty Page: https://www.tst.edu/directory/faculty/wigg-stevenson-natalie___________________________________________Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKochFaith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochEmail about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.comYHP Patron-only FB group: tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: www.dankochwords.com/yhp.htmlJoin Dan's email list: www.dankochwords.com/Artwork by sprungle.co/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 26, 2023 • 1h 20min
You Are Not Your Beliefs (#195)
We continue our occasional "intellectual humility" series, and this one went DEEP. Joining me were Sarey Martin Concepción and Dr. Daryl Van Tongeren (Hope College), who says that humility “is about being the right size in a situation” and “starts with psychological security." We touch on cognitive limitations and what the research says about intellectual humility and spiritual leaders. Daryl's Faculty Page:https://hope.edu/directory/people/van-tongeren-daryl/index.htmlDaryl’s Book “Humble: Free Yourself from the Traps of a Narcissistic World“: https://www.amazon.com/Humble-Yourself-Traps-Narcissistic-World/dp/1615198571/ref=asc_df_1615198571/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=564704733009&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13435967084262869039&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9019667&hvtargid=pla-1602581144540&psc=1Sarey’s Blueprint 1543 page:https://blueprint1543.org/about/about-sarey-martin-concepcion/YHP "Intellectual Humility" Episode #184:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-have-permission/id1448000113?i=1000608179436___________________________________________Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKochFaith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochEmail about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.comYHP Patron-only FB group: tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: www.dankochwords.com/yhp.htmlJoin Dan's email list: www.dankochwords.com/Artwork by sprungle.co/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 20, 2023 • 1h 8min
Worries About Progressive Christianity - Andy Squyres (#194)
Joining us for another WAPC episode is author, songwriter, and dynamic Instagram presence Andy Squyres (that’s the best term I can think of!). Andy says, "We live in an age where nothing can be said without it being contested," and "I see many people not finding the answers within deconstruction that deconstructionism promises." We talk about worries around pop-culture mental health work, a sometimes never-ending focus on doubt, and alternatives that are neither Christian orthodoxy nor nihilism. andysquyres.comAndy’s Instagram: @andysquyresAndy’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/andysquyres___________________________________________Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKochFaith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochEmail about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.comYHP Patron-only FB group: tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: www.dankochwords.com/yhp.htmlJoin Dan's email list: www.dankochwords.com/Artwork by sprungle.co/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 12, 2023 • 1h 9min
Hellish Religious Trauma & Its Treatment (#193)
Returning for a 3rd time is author and therapist Dr. Mark Karris to discuss his book "The Diabolical Trinity: Healing From a Wrathful God, Tormenting Hell, and a Sinful Self." Mark's work fleshes out the damaging effects of certain doctrines of hell and his research offers several approaches to healing from theologically-tinged mental health issues. We discuss different therapeutic modalities that are well-suited to religious trauma work, like Internal Family Systems and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, as well as memory consolidation, self-compassion, and more.**Dr. Karris’s definition of religious trauma was an adapted version based on that of Laura Anderson & Brian Peck (Religious Trauma Institute) and Kendra Snyder & Kayla Felten (Reclamation Collective).MarkGregoryKarris.comMark's book "The Diabolical Trinity: Healing Religious Trauma from a Wrathful God, Tormenting Hell, and a Sinful Self": https://www.amazon.com/Diabolical-Trinity-Religious-Wrathful-Tormenting-ebook/dp/B0BYPHQ4WXMark’s 1st Episode "Toxic Christianity" & Its Damaging Claims (#45)”:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-have-permission/id1448000113?i=1000457113992Mark’s 2nd Episode “Religious Disorientation & Growth (#103)”: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/songs-stories-podcast/id807519271?i=1000614029771YHP “The Hell Anxiety Scale (#64)” Episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-have-permission/id1448000113?i=1000457113992YHP Episode #43 with Brad Jersak: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/songs-stories-podcast/id807519271?i=1000614029771Unlocking the Emotional Brain book: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=unlocking+the+emotional+brain&hvadid=409952031487&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9019667&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=7771513243401502275&hvtargid=kwd-41529286341&hydadcr=24625_11409876&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_7rr6fx6si5_e___________________________________________Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKochFaith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com -- he is accepting more work!)Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochEmail about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.comYHP Patron-only FB group: tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: www.dankochwords.com/yhp.htmlJoin Dan's email list: www.dankochwords.com/Artwork by sprungle.co/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 5, 2023 • 1h 12min
How Should We Think About Spiritual Experiences? (#192)
Joining me today is Dale C. Allison Jr., Professor of New Testament (Princeton Theological Seminary), to discuss his book "Encountering Mystery: Religious Experience in a Secular Age." We cover materialism, empiricism, and the prevalence of mystical, spiritual, and/or “unitive” experiences. Dale says that “people's experiences are stranger and weirder, more mystical and terrible than we usually think.” I agree with him that we need to take such experiences seriously, and Dale and I both speak about some of our own. I am less convinced than he is, however, that most of these experiences are veridical, that is, that they point us to accurate truth claims (I’ll be discussing this issue more in the months to come).Dale’s Faculty Page: https://www.ptsem.edu/people/dale-c-allison-jrDale’s Book “Encountering Mystery: Religious Experience in a Secular Age:https://www.amazon.com/Encountering-Mystery-Religious-Experience-Secular/dp/0802881882/ref=sr_1_1?crid=GFLY57GB8MWZ&keywords=Encountering+Mystery+dale+allison&qid=1685479203&s=books&sprefix=encountering+mystery+dale+allison%2Cstripbooks%2C101&sr=1-1Dale’s Book “The Historical Christ and the Theological Jesus”: https://www.amazon.com/Historical-Christ-Theological-Jesus/dp/0802862624___________________________________________Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKochFaith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com -- he is accepting more work!)Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochEmail about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.comYHP Patron-only FB group: tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: www.dankochwords.com/yhp.htmlJoin Dan's email list: www.dankochwords.com/Artwork by sprungle.co/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

4 snips
May 30, 2023 • 1h 8min
All About Ritual (#191)
Today we're talking all about ritual with psychologist Laird Edman, who researches the cognitive science of religion, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence at Northwestern College. “People have all kinds of physiological experiences when they engage in rituals,” he says. “It taps into our endorphins" and "helps calm and de-stress people." We cover imagistic versus doctrinal ritual, orthopraxy over orthodoxy, the meaning behind rituals, and more.Laird’s Faculty Page:https://www.nwciowa.edu/psychology/faculty/laird-edman#:~:text=Laird%20Edman%20Professor%20of%20Psychology%3B%20Department%20Chair&text=Laird%20Edman%20specializes%20in%20the,teaching%20and%20assessing%20critical%20thinkingBlueprint 1543 Episode with Laird:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/psych-for-theology-ministry-laird-edman/id1541066188?i=1000594724069Dimitris Xygalatas NPR Piece on Ritual:https://www.npr.org/2022/09/13/1122796534/rituals-are-important-to-human-life-even-when-they-seem-meaninglessDimitris Xygalatas’s book on Ritual: https://www.amazon.com/Ritual-Seemingly-Senseless-Worth-Living/dp/0316462403___________________________________________Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKochFaith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com -- he is accepting more work!)Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochEmail about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.comYHP Patron-only FB group: tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: www.dankochwords.com/yhp.htmlJoin Dan's email list: www.dankochwords.com/Artwork by sprungle.co/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 23, 2023 • 1h 24min
Growing Up Among "Sweaty Pentecostals" (#190)
In today's long overdue conversation, I talk with author Chris Green (Professor of Public Theology at Southeastern University - Lakeland, FL). Chris explains being raised in Pentecostalism (the focus of our conversation), discussing the radical embodied aspects of its spiritualized expression of faith. Chris says, "We can't stop making myths and stories about ourselves and assigning meaning." Dr. Chris Green’s Website: https://www.cewgreen.com/Chris' Substack: https://substack.com/@cewgreenLent Sermon Series: https://macrinamagazine.com/issues/lent-sermon-series/___________________________________________Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKochFaith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com -- he is accepting more work!)Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochEmail about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.comYHP Patron-only FB group: tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: www.dankochwords.com/yhp.htmlJoin Dan's email list: www.dankochwords.com/Artwork by sprungle.co/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 15, 2023 • 1h 11min
LIVE: Is Christianity Worth Passing On? (#189)
This episode is the final panel from our live event in Seattle featuring "The Big Five" (Sarah Lane Ritchie, Sarey Concepción, Tripp Fuller, Myron Penner, and Dan Koch).___________________________________________Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKochFaith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com -- he is accepting more work!)Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochEmail about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.comYHP Patron-only FB group: tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: www.dankochwords.com/yhp.htmlJoin Dan's email list: www.dankochwords.com/Artwork by sprungle.co/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices