Exvangelical

This week I'm re-releasing my conversation with Beth Allison Barr, author of the book The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth. I'm joined by two guest co-hosts, Emily Autenrieth and Laura Agase.The theology and practice of complementarianism in conservative Christian circles has shaped the lives of millions of women. For over a century, it has oppressed women and become a requirement for involvement and belonging in conservative churches. Dr. Barr's expertise in church history illustrates that - despite the claims of complementarianism's proponents - this is a newer understanding of Christian history and scripture, and not an unchanging, millennia-long orthodox belief.This is a book that has spurred conversation inside and outside the church. You can purchase the book here or from A Seat at the Table Books.Follow Dr. Barr on Threads: @bethallisonbarrOrder books from A Seat at the Table Books.Follow Blake on Threads @brchastain, and follow the podcast on Twitter & Instagram @exvangelicalpod.Exvangelical is part of Irreverent Media Group. Learn more at irreverent.fm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

Today's guest is Lenny Duncan, author of the new book Psalms of My People: A Story of Black Liberation as Told through Hip-Hop.This is a wide-ranging conversation, and I can't wait for you to listen.This conversation is another entry in my new series, The Good Books. A new feed should be available soon.To support this show, head over to postevangelicalpost.com and subscribe for free or $5/month. The site is currently hosted on Substack, but I am exploring options to move to a new platform.Drop me at line at contact@exvangelicalpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

Hello, 2024!Today I'm overjoyed to share my conversation with Kevin Garcia about their new book, What Makes You Bloom: Cultivating a Practice for Connecting with Your Divine Self. This book is all about establishing new spiritual practices after leaving rigid fundamentalism, and I hope you check it out after listening to our chat.This episode has a longer intro explaining the multiple hiatuses in 2023, finishing my manuscript, my plans for a new show called The Good Books, and updates about eventually moving from Substack. The interview starts at around the 4:30 mark (dynamic ads may affect that start time).Learn more at postevangelicalpost.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

This week's guest is is Dr. Laura Anderson, author of the book When Religion Hurts You: Healing from Religious Trauma and the Impact of High-Control Religion. We talk about the definitions of trauma and abuse, what drew her to this work, the importance of embodiment, and more.Find all the ways to follow Laura online at https://drlauraeanderson.com/Support this podcast with a subscription to The Post-Evangelical Post newsletter. Subscribe for free or upgrade to $5/month or $50/year to get ad-free podcast feeds. Learn more at postevangelicalpost.com-As noted in the intro, I want to acknowledge that two days after my last episode was published, the war in Gaza began. I'm not the person to listen to in this moment. Here are some essays that have spoken to me and helped me understand this moment:"a lot of things are true." by Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg"Speech and Speechlessness," by Talia Lavin"The Children Are Ours," by Camille HernandezChurches for Middle East Peace, October 12th letter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

It's been a minute--well, more than a minute. Almost 4 months. Glad to be back to share this interview with Matthias Roberts, author of the new book Holy Runaways: Rediscovering Faith After Being Burned by Religion.We talk about Matthias' story, the language we use to describe our experiences, 'progressive fundamentalism,' and the reality of ~ the slippery slope ~.Let me know what you think - email me at contact@exvangelicalpodcast.comLearn more about Matthias's work at matthiasroberts.com.You can support my work by subscribing to my newsletter, The Post-Evangelical Post; subscribe for free, or upgrade to a paid subscribscription at $5/month at postevangelicalpost.com/subscribe. Paid subscriptions get ad-free podcast feeds and subscriber-only content.---I did continue to write during my hiatus. Here are some updates:The Extreme SelfThe Impossibility of Fallow Periods OnlineAn update on Exvangelical & BeyondThe Comfort of Fictional Religions: The Spark Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

Happy Pride, everyone!I'm re-releasing this 2021 interview with Erin Green and Paul Southwick of The Religious Exemption Accountability Project. CW: this conversation includes discussion of sexual and gender discrimination and other forms of abuse.We talk about how LGBTQ+ students are treated by college administrations, how LGBTQ+ students end up at religious colleges, the history of religious colleges resisting civil rights, and why a formal legal challenge is important.In March 2021, REAP filed "a historic, class-action lawsuit representing 33 LGBTQ students and alumni from religious colleges demanding that the U.S. Department of Education to stop granting religious exemptions to taxpayer-funded religious colleges and universities that discriminate against and abuse their LGBTQ students. Learn more about the lawsuit and meet our plaintiffs here." In January 2023, that initial complaint was dismissed, but an appeal has been filed. For the full timeline of their case, visit https://www.thereap.org/lawsuit.REAP is also very active on social media and recently ran a #cantpraythegayaway campaign. Follow them on Instagram.Support the podcast via a subscription to my newsletter, The Post-Evangelical Post. For $5/month or $50/year you'll get ad-free podcast feeds, subscriber only writing, and more. Read my latest essay, "I Still Haven't Socially Recovered from Lockdown," that I mentioned in the intro. You can also subscribe for free. Visit postevangelicalpost.com to subscribe.Exvangelical is a production of The Post-Evangelical Post, LLC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

This week I welcome R. Scott Okamato back to the show to discuss his book Asian American Apostate: Losing Religion and Finding Myself at an Evangelical University. We talk about his life as a professor at an evangelical college, the classroom experience, pushing back against Whiteness as an Asian American man, and how he found community on and off campus.Scott is also the host of the Chapel Probation podcast. Blake was a guest! Check out Scott's prior appearance on Exvangelical.Buy Scott's book from Bookshop.org and support this show. Use Kindle? Use this link.Support this show via a paid subscription to The Post-Evangelical Post at $5/month or $50/year. Exvangelical is a production of The Post-Evangelical Post, LLC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

In this short episode, I talk about some of the books I'm reading right now. I wrote about them earlier this week for Post-Ev Post.The books discussed:Asian American Apostate by R. Scott Okamoto.Bookshop | AmazonThe Flowering Wand by Sophie StrandBookshop | AmazonFinding the Fool by Meg Jones WallBookshop | Amazon The Heartland by Kristin L. HogansonBookshop | AmazonExvangelical is a production of The Post-Evangelical Post, LLC and a member of Irreverent Media Group.Support the show by subscribing to The Post-Evangelical Post for $5/month or $50/year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

In this episode, I catch up with Holly Laurent from MEGA, the satirical improv show about a fictional megachurch. We last spoke in 2019, and a lot has changed since then.We talk about improv, comedy & satire, and the upcoming MEGA spinoff, The Rise and Fall of Twin Hills.Find out more about MEGA at their website.Support this show via a subscription to The Post-Evangelical Post. Subscribe for free or upgrade to $5/month or $50/year to get ad-free podcast feeds and more.Exvangelical is a production of The Post-Evangelical Post, LLC, and a member of the Irreverent Media Group. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

New interviews are recorded and being planned, but not ready to be published. Various other commitments in life have taken precedent. In lieu of an interview, I'm publishing an audio version of an essay I wrote called "On Public & Private Griefs" last fall on The Post-Evangelical Post.Thanks for listening. Exvangelical is a production of The Post-Evangelical Post, LLC. The Post-Evangelical Post is a newsletter about belief, technology, and society--with a focus on US white evangelicalism. Subscribe for free or upgrade at $5/month or $50/year to receive ad-free podcast feeds and more. 25% of net proceeds are donated. Learn more at postevangelicalpost.com/support. Exvangelical is a part of Irreverent Media Group. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about