

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

Mar 8, 2021 • 1h 3min
Certainty with Pete Enns (#108)
I'm joined by author and Old Testament scholar Pete Enns to talk about certainty: why we want it, what it does for us psychologically, how he got interested in writing about it, what it has to do with "biblical" faith, and more. Peteenns.com -- his books, his podcast, and moreFollow Dan on IG: https://www.instagram.com/dancoke/Or Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanKochFaith deconstruction resources: soyouredeconstructing.comEdited 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: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 1, 2021 • 1h 51min
Ravi Zacharias, Religious Abuser (#107)
I'm re-joined by Dr. Paula Swindle to go through the details of Ravi Zacharias's various abuses of power throughout his career as a Christian apologist. Specifically, Paula and I focus on these findings through the lens of religious or spiritual abuse, searching through the wreckage with an eye toward what each of us has found in our own research (hers much more extensive than my own!), as well as what we've picked up from other research and what Paula has seen directly through the religious abuse her own clients have survived over the years.Paula's episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-have-permission/id1448000113?i=1000498837671Dispatch article: https://frenchpress.thedispatch.com/p/you-are-one-step-away-from-complete-c25?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjo0Mjk3ODk0LCJwb3N0X2lkIjozMjUzNjkwMywiXyI6InIrYTlRIiwiaWF0IjoxNjEzNDA5ODIzLCJleHAiOjE2MTM0MTM0MjMsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0yMTc2NSIsInN1YiI6InBvc3QtcmVhY3Rpb24ifQ.URwkcpHS-x7vwAMvjDt4SwP1VbRDbf7WUqeDf2U0wWk&fbclid=IwAR14rYfuGilG78CLennbL1dOBavwARv4A0NORdfNhr6_ehNQ3y8sFNtVNAIReport itself: https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/rzimmedia.rzim.org/assets/downloads/Report-of-Investigation.pdfPaula's podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sacred-intersections/id1540524515Follow Dan on IG: https://www.instagram.com/dancoke/Or Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanKochFaith deconstruction resources: soyouredeconstructing.comEdited 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: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 26, 2021 • 1h 7min
A Compassionate Progressive Response to Alisa Childers (#106)
My first act of peaceful engagement and deescalation in the budding culture war between conservative/traditional and progressive/deconstructing Christians. May we be humble and kind peacemakers even as we disagree on important issues. May we reject tribalism in all its forms, embracing God in every one of God's creatures.The interview from which I pulled the clips:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQ6doQsSQLU&t=44s&ab_channel=CapturingChristianityFollow Dan on IG: https://www.instagram.com/dancoke/Or Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanKochFaith deconstruction resources: soyouredeconstructing.comJoin 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: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 22, 2021 • 1h 30min
Deep Magic & Death Anxiety (#105)
Sarah Lane Ritchie joins me for our regular chat to talk through two related topics: (1) a longing for the "deep magic" that used to move our Evangelical souls in tales like the Chronicles of Narnia, and (2) our own anxiety about death and the possibility that we will simply cease to exist (even though as Christians we hope that isn't the case). This episode is dedicated to Blake Beaver, beloved member of the YHP community, who passed away on Feb 14th, 2021. Follow Dan on IG: https://www.instagram.com/dancoke/Or Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanKochFaith deconstruction resources: soyouredeconstructing.comEdited 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: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 15, 2021 • 1h 32min
Christian Nationalism: Diagnosis & Treatment (#104)
** Please take my Varieties of Church Experience Survey, and share with friends and family (especially more conservative ones!): https://northwestupsych.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3r3jgp1f2oqDJNc **As someone paying some attention to the news, I was not surprised that Trump was acquitted a second time in the Senate. But back on January 6th, I was somewhat surprised to see so much Christian imagery and signage at the Capitol Hill siege. David Cassidy, a PCA pastor in Franklin, TN, wrote an incredible tweet thread recently on Evangelicals, conspiracy theories, and Christian nationalism. We disagree theologically about plenty, but I respect the hell out of what he's doing, and this was a fantastic conversation. We need more leaders like David if this largely-lost generation of Baby Boomer Evangelicals is to be saved from themselves and brought back to God. David's original Twitter thread: https://twitter.com/dpcassidyc3/status/1350455524261814272?s=11Follow Dan on IG: https://www.instagram.com/dancoke/Or Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanKochFaith deconstruction resources: soyouredeconstructing.comEdited 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: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 8, 2021 • 2h 9min
Religious Disorientation & Growth (#103)
** Please take my Varieties of Church Experience Survey, and share with friends and family (especially more conservative ones!): https://northwestupsych.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3r3jgp1f2oqDJNc **One of my most popular guests, Mark Karris (episode 45: "Toxic Christianity" & Its Damaging Claims), returns to talk about his book Religious Refugees. Specifically, we talk through the five symptoms of what he calls Religious Disorientation Growth Syndrome, as well as 5 possible ways forward toward re-orientation. Mark's book: https://www.amazon.com/Religious-Refugees-Constructing-Spiritual-Emotional/dp/1938480554/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1612811313&sr=1-15 Symptoms of Religious Disorientation Growth Syndrome: 1. Doubting or denying one’s religious beliefs that were once held as true.2. Subtle or intense anxiety about a person’s relationship with God. 3. Increase of painful emotions, such as anger, loneliness, shame, guilt, sadness, and despair. 4. Isolation (community is massive for healing, meaning-making, and growth after trauma) and criticism (feared or realized) from members within their own family and/or religious community. 5. Existential angst concerning a person’s identity and future selfThe 5 Stations of Healing we spoke about:1. Becoming aware of and using one’s emotions2. An “unholy huddle” — the importance of a community3. Listen and be mindful of our emotions and therefore our selves4. Values5. Open and Relational theologyMark's YouTube video about why people are leaving the church: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGIrnQMXkkM&t=1sMarkGregoryKarris.comMark’s previous YHP episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-have-permission/id1448000113?i=1000457113992Join the Patreon for those resources Mark promised! patreon.com/dankochFollow Dan on IG: https://www.instagram.com/dancoke/Or Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanKochFaith deconstruction resources: soyouredeconstructing.comEdited 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: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 1, 2021 • 1h 29min
Two Feminists & their Bible (and Saints) (#102)
Please take my Varieties of Church Experience survey, and share with friends and family: https://northwestupsych.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cXX09dWdzBtxtOeI'm joined by Luci and Jordan, the hosts of the Two Feminists Annotate the Bible/Beatified Podcast. We talk through the feminist hermeneutic, the Anglican and Episcopal traditions, liturgy and "canon within a canon", the documentary hypothesis of Torah compilation, and more. Luci and Jordan's Bible podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-feminists-annotate-the-bible/id1139914425Their Beatified podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-feminists-annotate-the-beatified/id1476904755Follow Dan on IG: https://www.instagram.com/dancoke/Or Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanKochFaith deconstruction resources: soyouredeconstructing.comEdited 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: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 25, 2021 • 2h 16min
Is the Enneagram Real? (#101)
To celebrate 100 episodes -- that is, 101 episodes -- my friends join me to talk about a subject that everyone else seems to love a lot more than I do: the Enneagram! The 5 of us, 4 short of the holy number of 9 (myself, Sarey Martin Concepcion, Myron Penner, Sarah Lane Ritchie, and Tripp Fuller), take various positions on the Enneagram and have a lively debate/discussion about its usefulness (or not) and the extent to which is accurately maps onto reality. This is more of a fun, alcohol-soaked, lighthearted episode than we’re used to with YHP, and I think it is all the more special on that account.Can We Do Better Than the Enneagram?: https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2021/january-february/enneagram-personality-psychology-research-based.htmlFollow Dan on IG: https://www.instagram.com/dancoke/Or Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanKochEdited 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: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 18, 2021 • 1h 41min
A History of Conspiracy Theories & Evangelicals (#100)
I’m joined by Dr. Sam Perry to discuss the tangled historical web of White Evangelicals in the US and their use of and affiliation for various conspiracy theories, starting in the 1950 around “outside agitators” in the Civil Rights movement. Sam traces through lines all the way up to Donald Trump, hitting the Moral Majority, Pat Robertson, Tim LaHaye/Left Behind, Obama, and birtherism along the way. We also get some historical context for many conspiracy theories that we were taught in Evangelical households growing up: the Satanic panic, New Age denunciations, the “gay agenda,” anti-Catholic sentiment, and more. We talk about parallel institutions within Evangelicalism and their distribution role in disseminating certain conspiracy theories. It was a lot to cover, and more could be said about almost every issue that came up, but I think listeners will find it helpful (and even entertaining) nonetheless.Sam’s article on The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/amp/evangelical-leaders-like-billy-graham-and-jerry-falwell-sr-have-long-talked-of-conspiracies-against-gods-chosen-those-ideas-are-finding-resonance-today-132241Why Are Christians Succeptible to Conspiracy Theories?:https://www.abc.net.au/religion/why-are-christians-susceptible-to-conspiracy-theories/13003550The American Life "The Problem We All Live With": https://www.thisamericanlife.org/562/the-problem-we-all-live-with-part-oneRhetorics of Race and Religion on the Christian Right: https://www.amazon.com/Rhetorics-Race-Religion-Christian-Right-ebook/dp/B081LMTKFZEdited 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: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 11, 2021 • 2h 15min
I Don't Believe in that God: Natalie Schepman (Joseph) (#99)
Natalie Schepman of the band Joseph joins Dan for the latest in the “I Don’t Believe In That God” series, where Dan talks with folks do not consider themselves to be theists/Christians with the aim of getting to the bottom of what precisely they do not believe (in a non-evangelistic way). At the end of the conversation, the two compare their views and explore various areas where they agree/disagree. This conversation was delightful, full of laughs, and incisive.After the episode, a 10-minute clip from the most recent patron-exclusive episode is also included (1:59:00).Follow Dan on IG: https://www.instagram.com/dancoke/Or Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanKochEdited 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: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices