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Sarah McCammon, NPR journalist and author of "The Exvangelicals," shares her journey out of evangelical Christianity, including her pivotal relationship with her non-religious gay grandfather.We explore how journalism provided Sarah with a space to question and how my work in therapy also demands openness to evidence. We covered the impact of the Trump era on evangelicalism and the earlier Emergent movement led by figures like Rob Bell and Rachel Held Evans.We delve into the evangelical subculture's "parallel institutions" and their role in fostering distrust of mainstream institutions. Finally, we reflect on our wariness of echo chambers and the value we now place on viewpoint diversity and factual specificity.Watch this Episode on YouTube:https://youtu.be/Kl0cr4MZaBISarah’s Book “The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church”:https://www.amazon.com/Exvangelicals-Loving-Living-Leaving-Evangelical/dp/1250284473Sarah’s SubstackDepolarize! PodcastReconstruct Podcast___________________________________________Get Tickets for Theology Beer Camp 2024Use Code ReturnofYHP for $50 off your ticket!___________________________________________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

After kicking things off with our usual game of "Bar, Bank, Church or Dispensary?” and “Ways we are becoming our dads” segments, I introduced a new segment focused on funny Hard Times headlines.Tony recalled his recent time in Rome and reflected on the passing of theologian Jurgen Moltmann. This led into a conversation about Israel and the war in Gaza, and all three of us gave our thoughts on the conflict.Finally, I brought forward the idea of seeing Christianity as a story in which we find ourselves, and we compared it with other meta-narratives competing for our attention and loyalty.Watch this Episode on YouTube:https://youtu.be/O27kTZyxVcURESOURCES MENTIONED:Tony's Substack on Jürgen MoltmannMovie: God On TrialKristen Ashley's Book: Knight___________________________________________Get Tickets for Theology Beer Camp 2024Use Code ReturnofYHP for $50 off your ticket!___________________________________________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

Today’s episode is a thoughtful conversation with my friend Josh Patterson of the (Re)Thinking Faith Podcast about his evolving relationship with Christianity. No longer a pastor, he sometimes struggles to articulate theological concepts that once came easily. Practices that used to nourish his soul now give him pause, and he wonders if his reduced engagement with Christian community and spiritual disciplines has contributed to this sense of distance.Despite this, Josh still experiences spontaneous moments of prayer, gratitude, and spiritual connection. He values embodied spiritual experiences over mere intellectual agreement with doctrines. The theological issues that once consumed him, such as Hell and atonement theories, have been overshadowed by more fundamental metaphysical and philosophical questions. He resonates with poetic and metaphorical approaches to theology (AKA “theopoetics”) that allow religious language to gesture toward profound truths and experiences without collapsing into rigid literalism.Watch this Episode on YouTube:https://youtu.be/BuySOBvUOhYJosh's Podcast "Rethinking Faith":https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rethinking-faith/id1438696524___________________________________________Get Tickets for Theology Beer Camp 2024Use Code ReturnofYHP for $50 off your ticket!___________________________________________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

In this mid-week episode (full version is available on Patreon!) I am joined by Jenny Hamilton, a licensed therapist and senior lecturer at the University of Lincoln in the UK, talking about her peer-reviewed movie therapy method.We discussed how films can provide a unique form of escapism while also helping foster empathy by allowing viewers to experience the world through someone else's perspective. Jenny emphasized the importance of tailoring selections to each individual client's interests, issues, and comfort level. We also touched on the value of using well-known films as a common reference point, which can help build rapport and facilitate deeper conversations.Should I find a guest or two who wants to try out the MOVIE Method, perhaps for a Patreon episode? We would watch a well-known movie and then talk through some journaling/response “homework” based on Jenny’s approach? Let me know! Jenny's Website:https://jennyhamiltoncounselling.wordpress.com/Jenny's Podcast "The Movie Method":https://open.spotify.com/show/3hx4QmEz4LfQOoxqScwEU8?si=a4c8760608624958The conversation article: https://theconversation.com/watching-movies-could-be-good-for-your-mental-health-214325Jenny's Twitter @JennyHa0216___________________________________________Get Tickets for Theology Beer Camp 2024Use Code ReturnofYHP for $50 off your ticket!___________________________________________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

This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Matt Halstead about his new book “The End of the World as You Know It” which focuses on End Times prophecies and apocalyptic literature. We touched on everything from the psychological drives behind our fascination with the future to the importance of maintaining a questioning mindset in matters of faith.We kicked things off by acknowledging the trauma and anxiety that can often accompany these teachings, especially for those who grew up in conservative evangelical circles. Matt shared how he was never encouraged to ask critical questions about these topics but rather was expected to simply accept what he was told. We also got into the history of apocalyptic literature and how it has been interpreted throughout the centuries. Matt pointed out that these texts were originally written from the perspective of oppressed groups, not the privileged empires of the day. Matt’s Book “The End of the World as You Know It”: https://www.amazon.com/End-World-You-Know-Really/dp/1683597125Matt’s Faculty Page:https://eternity.edu/meet-dr-halsted/Revelation Lectures by Craig S. Keener:https://masterlectures.zondervanacademic.com/revelation-craig-s-keener___________________________________________Get Tickets for Theology Beer Camp 2024Use Code ReturnofYHP for $50 off your ticket!___________________________________________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

** Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/5U0kztmTnxkIn response to a listener suggestion, as well as having enjoyed Bonnie Kristian's recent newsletter on the topic, I looked into the recent Harrison Butker commencement address controversy. I had a few thoughts!I talk briefly about the situation, how I largely think of it in terms of protected religious speech, more progressive options within Christianity, the good questions raised by conservative counter-reactions in support of Butker and what one such reaction gets quite wrong, and some insights from the "cultural competency" world of psychotherapy that I think are applicable.Bonnie's newsletter: https://bonniekristian.substack.com/p/that-commencement-speech-didnt-need?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=405918&post_id=144821513&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=false&r=42udl&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=emailJames Martin, SJ: https://www.americamagazine.org/voices/james-martin-sjgaychurch.orgParentData on daycare: https://parentdata.org/day-care-bad-children/___________________________________________Get Tickets for Theology Beer Camp 2024Use Code ReturnofYHP for $50 off your ticket!___________________________________________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

You know her and love her — my friend and recurring guest Kristen Tideman joined me this week for another listener-powered Q&A session!We recommended voices outside Christianity who provide thoughtful commentary on religion and culture, considered why some Christians seem to have a gentle certainty in their faith while others wrestle with doubt, recommended resources for those interested in psychology but not necessarily at a graduate school level, and wrapped with our Q&A tradition, “podcasts someone else should start.”I always look forward to bringing Kristen back for these episodes, so please continue to send in your questions and feedback!**Watch this episode on YouTube**https://youtu.be/ZWEDLrjwiAAKristen & Sarey’s Website:https://www.tidycocreative.com/RESOURCES MENTIONED:“The Spiral Staircase: My Climb Out of Darkness” Book by Karen Armstrong:https://www.amazon.com/Spiral-Staircase-Climb-Out-Darkness/dp/0385721277“A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam”:https://www.amazon.com/History-God-000-Year-Judaism-Christianity/dp/0345384563“Nonzero: The Logic of Human Destiny” Book by Robert Wright:https://www.amazon.com/Nonzero-Robert-Wright-audiobook/dp/B003VXOYU0/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.W5VbJEd_C7ARelFjPSPdn3yzWFEz_e8NNfRIuUQAVYQiGo7URK4okOWLCcU-5qKRkbZWePmrNEF5UMu2Bsnz0zVH2G-PDpc_rM3QD3GaET1B7YIFlklFaTi9a-8eJlmCGiwutLTJ5mzRIKor8tBFjjIl4mgdq9ixog65RS29IuP6zMeEftqYoSnZP90f73gmgICZuXNiRBhMwUxuvgP76n0gRWYNnZ8v5a3Rb0BlR7I.lzOXxi7UQfAmzXEGnSvr1HwJpM3ZqgRzjKOlcv4A9dI&dib_tag=se&hvadid=695122461575&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9060341&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=9167534309706362485&hvtargid=kwd-389232807553&hydadcr=3376_13743879&keywords=nonzero+book&qid=1716136609&sr=8-1Ezra Klein Show Episode with George Saunders:https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/19/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-george-saunders.html“The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds” Book by Michael Lewis:https://www.amazon.com/The-Undoing-Project-Michael-Lewis-audiobook/dp/B01KBM82M4/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.cvym2lRDIPNob6LgRNDHPOZobL47bYhXCus_FyflE7PaLtByydXWtl_51cpuc2ZxMkfrpUp-o6hKcSIUSzkhknTjMdXCue97elz4LG7AvzJE6OzgVNhyksDwdbqAHnyKUGSJurbTFXxpO5dYRVt9zYkObJ4dX6m3od1-udbHCQKuj0meg8W0G2_KIsoh8nL3_2dKfbIpK9IM6iT-HVNoUcRiH8XiWFaxn3IwyB8MjH0.4vPkZtU2aPl5IqVdSPK_-_EKr3NNIbwGQh97XlkI5NE&dib_tag=se&hvadid=409935120645&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9060341&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=8779447192951884940&hvtargid=kwd-409536905666&hydadcr=22597_11320627&keywords=%27the+undoing+project%27+by+michael+lewis&qid=1716136308&sr=8-1“Thinking Fast and Slow” Book by Daniel Kahneman:https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Fast-and-Slow-audiobook/dp/B005Z9GAJG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=W7JLD65U1X9F&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.J9E3G6r9vjT1ToBWoQvd_jo79NsGeWfMZRwA2IF1bWJJecsgTr9qjHdmX1IlwlqR1EG-cf0ADeQL21OlMnbOLgifLEj4VZDGqBWLpB_c7vGXt0QZa6bMPAg8Za2CbpRwWjTQt0HE4RDRKSgN2snnYa3A8BfMmIludhAdWWNwsnCp6ta6bw8UEcWSv40VpjFqBKBEnqkIouZAVHf-HVvQ6-IooQcNBDgIcj5APXDkih0.xp5f73ny4T0lA9HxrBZfR5AkTsDReliAZ7g4fWtc_YQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=thinking+fast+and+slow&qid=1716136287&sprefix=thinking+fast+%2Caps%2C128&sr=8-1Freakonomics Show “No Stupid Questions”:https://freakonomics.com/series/nsq/Radio Lab’s Podcast “The Queen of Dying”:https://radiolab.org/podcast/queen-dying___________________________________________Get Tickets for Theology Beer Camp 2024Use Code ReturnofYHP for $50 off your ticket!___________________________________________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

How many times has someone told you that you have to watch The Chosen, the smash hit TV series depicting the life of Jesus?My buddy Jeff Martin and I break down season 1 episode 1, reacting to all manner of interesting details from my own liberal Christian therapist perspective and Jeff’s more moderate Evangelical lens.We get into psychology, Biblical studies, theology, history, and even some parenting territory.I’m very curious how much appetite there is for continuing with episodes like this, so please check it out and let me know what you think!**Watch this episode on YouTube**https://youtu.be/6091jNfI8mc___________________________________________Get Tickets for Theology Beer Camp 2024Use Code ReturnofYHP for $50 off your ticket!___________________________________________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

My guest this week is Lauren Auer, a licensed counselor specializing in religious trauma. She grew up in the evangelical world and initially opened her practice with a faith-based approach (hence the name Steadfast Counseling) but found herself questioning her own beliefs as she witnessed concerning changes in her church community and started receiving a lot of religious trauma cases in her practice, despite not explicitly advertising this specialty.We discussed the overt and more subtle forms of religious trauma (abuse is the thing that happens to you, while trauma is what happens inside you). many people are "the frog in the pot" from a young age, accustomed to certain behaviors and beliefs within their religious communities. This normalization can make it difficult to recognize when something is amiss or causing harm. Fear of questioning or deviating from the prescribed path often keeps individuals trapped in a state of confusion and self-doubt.While Lauren is currently only able to see clients in Illinois, there are resources available, such as the Reclamation Collective directory, a geographically organized list of therapists who self-identify as having expertise in working with religious trauma.My own Spiritual Harm and Abuse Scale -- a free-to-use clinical screener for therapists -- and a condensed research handout on spiritual abuse, are both freely available on dankochwords.com**Watch this episode on YouTube**https://youtu.be/rnZnu1VnGvoLauren's Website:https://steadfastcounseling.com/Follow Lauren on Instagram -- @steadfastcounselingFind Clinicians Who Deal with Religious Trauma:reclamationcollective.com____________________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

After kicking things off with our usual game of "Bar, Bank, Church or Dispensary?” and “Ways we are becoming our dads” segments, we talked about Josh and Tony's work on the recently concluded Emerged podcast, an ambitious 10-episode series examining the Emerging Church movement. We debated the semantics and cultural implications of the "California sober" lifestyle and whether it really counts as “sober,” getting into the healthcare differences between so-called “abstinence” and “harm reduction” approaches to substance use.Tony told us about his speaking engagements at two "post-Christian spiritual communities" in Grand Rapids, Michigan. To close out, we had a spirited dialogue sparked by Josh's experience caring for his four-year-old nephew for a day, which included painting their nails in matching rainbow colors.Next month, I'll be coming in hot with some reasons I am feeling hopeful about the future of mainline liberal Protestantism, which Tony will do his best to abuse me of! But that’s the fun of these GGCH episode, right?**Watch this episode on YouTube**https://youtu.be/DEDU2b-cFZoTony's Website:https://reverendhunter.com/____________________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