In this inaugural episode of MindShift podcast for 2019, I begin to explore what--if any--connections exist between the world of recognized, mainstream cults and the evangelical church. Most evangelicals would doubtless be outraged and offended if anyone suggested their church might in any way resemble a cult. But since the symptoms reported by both ex-cultists and ex-evangelicals are remarkably similar, I began to wonder if there surely must be a connection between the two. Listen in to find out more on this fascinating and intriguing topic!

In this final episode of MindShift podcast for 2018, I bring back a guest from the buckle of the Bible belt in the South of the United States--one "Seamus Clarke."    In our previous episodes, Seamus mentioned that the film "The Last Temptation of Christ" was hugely helpful in his deconstruction journey. So in this episode, we not only unpack the movie in more detail, we examine the evangelical and fundamentalist responses to it--30 years ago back in 1988 when it came out.   We also delve into the many issues the film raises: the humanity of Christ, how the portrayal of him having sex impacts upon the evangelical purity culture, the reliability of the Gospels, and more.

Several months ago, Andrew was a guest on MindShift podcast and provided a lot of very helpful analysis regarding much of what causes religious trauma--particularly in evangelical Christianity. In this episode, Andrew and I get into the specifics of what emotional health looks like, particularly for the person who has de-converted from religion. Andrew not only explores spirituality as a path for healing from religious trauma, he also provides a wide range of options for exploration.

In September of this year, I caught up with Andrew Gurevich down in Portland, OR and sat down for a great interview around the topic of "reconstruction after deconstruction." In this process, it turns out that reconstructing involves nothing less than...a total reorientation of our former worldviews, belief systems, and identities. If you've left religion behind, and are wondering what happens next--then you'll get a lot out of this wide-ranging and challenging conversation.

Back in September I caught up with ex-missionary and author, Steve Slocum, for a great podcast interview about his upcoming book: Why Do They Hate Us? Making Peace with the Muslim World. The title of his book is taken from a speech given by President George W. Bush mere weeks after 9/11--giving Bush's justification for "why they (Muslims?) hate us." Steve will explain not only what that speech meant both to Muslims and those in the West since then, but also offers up a way forward for understanding and peace to occur. In a world fueled by hateful rhetoric, coming from political and religious leaders alike, this kind of conversation is sorely needed today.

In this special edition of MindShift podcast, I talk to filmmaker Christopher Maloney about his project entitled "In God We Trump." What are the implications for the evangelical church going forward, based upon the fact that 81% of (largely white) evangelical Christians not only voted to elect Trump in 2016, but many continue to support him and many of his policies? Statistics have shown that thousands have left evangelical churches over the issue; and beyond that, many have given up their Christian faith also, citing this "deal with the devil" as the last straw. Listen in as Chris and I discuss the film, the reasons so many voted Trump, and what the future holds for evangelicalism in America--and the world.  

This week's episode features a conversation with Canadian ex-fundamentalist Janice Selbie. Now a trained counselor, she now helps people cope with the grief, loss and trauma associated with deconversion and spiritual transitions.   This is Janice's passion--to assist people in dealing with issues and problems from their past that may well be negatively impacting their lives and mental health currently. Leaving one's religion behind is incredibly difficult, and along with that decision comes oftentimes a high social cost that must be paid also.   In this edition, Janice offers up practical, helpful advice for those who are...walking the path of deconversion.

Deconstruction looks different for everybody--this is something I've learned from talking to many ex-evangelicals. Some become atheists, agnostics, angry theists; in fact there's a spectrum of paths people take.   In the case of Jimmy, however, his deconstruction looked entirely different: the sloughing off of the structures and strictures of evangelical, "American Christianity." What was left was...a return to a profound experience of God he'd had as a young man.   Find out more of Jimmy's journey in this episode!

In this episode, I talk to author and ex-fundamentalist, Sheri Pallas. Her new book is entitled "Man Has Ruined God: My Journey out of Religion and Into the Arms of God."   This is the substance of our great conversation--how exactly has Sheri survived such a toxic religious background, only to deconstruct her beliefs and yet somehow retain a view of God?   Although, as we will discover, this view of God is radically different than her former evangelical belief. Join myself and Sheri for a thought-provoking conversation!

Back in September of 2018, myself and Stacie Rae, "The Resting Traveller," put on a live podcast in the Seattle, Washington area. Together with a live audience, we had a great discussion on the topic of "reconstruction after deconstruction."   If you've left the church behind--and possibly your former faith too--where do you go from here? Turns out that deconstruction isn't the end game; rather, we need to go about reconstructing a brand-new identity: the reconstruction piece.   Join us as we explore this important topic!