Christianity Without Compromise: Rebuilding Faith Around Jesus Alone

Christian culture often teaches that faith must be earned, but this episode challenges why Christian identity so easily becomes performance. Kristen LaValley, author and speaker, is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss how performance-driven faith forms in church culture and why it leaves many feeling disconnected from God. Kristen traces how transactional beliefs,...

Men can say they support women in ministry all they want - but to truly support women requires action. Dr. Rob Dixon, author of Allies in Ministry , is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss how men can actively support women in ministry through everyday actions and leadership choices. Rob explains the gap between believing in women in ministry and living it out, sho...

Efficiency is not a Gospel value. Jake Doberenz, host of Christianity Without Compromise, is on Christianity Without Compromise discussing how modern culture's obsession with efficiency into Christian faith is at odds with the message of Jesus. Jake explains how the Gospel is not about maximizing outcomes but about embodying a slower, costly way of living that prioritizes people over productivity,...

Christian deconstruction doesn’t have to be the end of faith; it could be the beginning! Dr. Tiffany Yecke Brooks, author of To Rebehold the Stars , is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss why and how faith deconstruction can lead to intentional spiritual formation. Tiffany reframes deconstruction as a necessary but incomplete process, arguing that language, imagin...

Comfort has become a cultural goal and the loss of Christian courage may be one of the hidden costs. Dr. O. Alan Noble, associate professor of English at Oklahoma Baptist University and author of the forthcoming To Live Well , is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss why the recovery of Christian courage is essential in a distracted and disillusioned culture. Alan e...

“Love your neighbor” is one of the most quoted teachings in Christianity, yet it is often practiced in ways that reinforce division. Amar D. Peterman, theologian and author of Becoming Neighbors, is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss why Christian neighbor love is frequently misunderstood and how it can be reimagined in polarized communities. Amar shares how Jesu...

Many Christians have reduced the Church to a building, a service, or a weekly ritual—missing the deeper call of Christian faith. Matthew G. Mattson, author of Cathedrals of Connection and founder of the Between ministry, is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss why the Church is not primarily an institution but a sacred space created whenever two people truly connec...

Winning elections, winning debates, winning culture wars, and even winning converts. In this solo episode of Christianity Without Compromise , Jake Doberenz confronts the uncomfortable question at the heart of much of American Christianity: what if many of the wins being celebrated are not wins that Jesus would want? We unpack how metrics borrowed from politics and business have shaped how the Chu...

Some forms of Christianity frame difference as dangerous—so empathy and curiosity are viewed with suspicion. But this week on Christianity Without Compromise , Liz Charlotte Grant, Christian Century columnist, is on the show with host Jake Doberenz to discuss how genuine curiosity—and even disagreement—can be acts of faithfulness. They talk about the power of talking with those you disagree with,...

Should you say something when your church goes toxic—or stay quiet to keep the peace? On Christianity Without Compromise , Amy Fritz, host of the Untangled Faith podcast, joins Jake Doberenz to unpack the spiritual, emotional, and relational weight of speaking out. Drawing from her own journey from rule-following Christian student to institutional whistleblower, Amy shares what it takes to tell th...

Christians have too often talked about abortion with labels instead of love. Angela Weszely, co-founder of ProGrace and author of Becoming ProGrace: Expanding the Abortion Conversation Beyond Life Versus Choice , joins Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to explore a faithful, grace-filled approach to abortion rooted in the teachings of Jesus. In this conversation, Angela expla...

Behind the lights, fog machines, and polished sermons lies a darker reality in megachurches. Scott Latta, award-winning journalist and author of Gods of the Smoke Machine , is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss how evangelical megachurches create environments where spiritual abuse thrives. Drawing from personal experience and deep reporting, Scott outlines the pa...

Much of what passes for Christian marriage teaching has left couples confused, disconnected, and harmed—especially women. Sheila Wray Gregoire, author and researcher behind The Great Sex Rescue , joins Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to unpack how evangelical sex and marriage advice went so wrong. Drawing from large-scale survey data, Gregoire explains how obligation-based...

Many Christians are trapped in a false choice between political ideologies that distort the Christian faith. Justin Giboney, political strategist, attorney, and president of the AND Campaign, is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss his new book Don’t Let Nobody Turn You Around and the Black church’s enduring witness in the face of oppression. Drawing on his grandpa...

On this episode of Christianity Without Compromise , originally recorded live, Dr. Jared Stacy (theologian and author), Joash Thomas (Anglican minister and justice advocate), Larry Lin (pastor and writer), and Caleb E. Campbell (pastor and author) join host Jake Doberenz to examine the rise of Christian nationalism five years after the January 6 U.S. Capitol attack. Jared Stacy, scholar of conspir...

In this solo episode of the Christianity Without Compromise podcast, host Jake Doberenz explains why Christians need to cultivate joy—and exactly how they can do that. Using the example of the movie Elf, Jake explores how joy can change people and the world. Drawing from the work of Willie James Jennings, he defines joy as a way of life, outlines three ways to cultivate joy, and shares how choosin...

For this special holiday episode, host Jake Doberenz sets aside the usual Christian ethics debates for something more festive (and chaotic): a Christmas movie trivia game show featuring returning guest Joseph Holmes, film critic and host of The Overthinkers Podcast , and first-time guest Kenny Doberenz, film and media teacher and voice actor. The three dive into obscure facts about The Santa Claus...

Christians are still telling people to “just pray more” in response to depression. Trey Hayman, pastor of New City Church in Nashville, is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss how Christian faith and mental health need not be at odds. Drawing from both personal experience and theological training, Trey unpacks how the stigma around emotions and diagnoses developed...

If Christian community can be so toxic, should we just leave it all behind? Loren Richmond Jr., pastor, chaplain, and host of the Future Christian Podcast , is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss why the Christian faith still calls us to show up in community—even when church institutions fail. They talk candidly about disillusionment, spiritual exhaustion, and the...

American Christianity has often baptized destroying the planet in the name of dominion, capitalism, or end-times theology. Dillon Naber Cruz, author and theologian trained in permaculture design, is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss why true Christian ethics require care for the earth. The conversation explores how the golden rule applies to land use, how permac...

The Culture War claims to be Christian, yet misses everything about faith. In this solo episode, Jake Doberenz, host of Christianity Without Compromise , shares three reasons he has renounced the culture war mindset. Drawing from personal experience as a former participant, Jake explores how the culture war makes Christians worse people, replaces the gospel with ideology, and elevates fringe issue...

Behind the praise for caregivers in church spaces is a deeper failure to actually support them. Sunita Theiss, a neurodivergent writer and workshop leader, is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to  to expose how the church often celebrates caregiving in theory while neglecting caregivers in practice. She discuss the unseen burdens caregivers carry and how Christian faith ha...

The Bible isn’t exactly a Christian parenting book, despite what some popular books might suggest. Kelsey Kramer McGinnis, musicologist and journalist, and Marissa Franks Burt, novelist and theological educator, are on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to dissect the common myths behind Christian parenting advice. They explore how evangelical parenting books sold a prosperity...

Short-form sermon clips, podcasts, and documentaries are more accessible than ever—but what happens when Christians consume media about the Bible instead of the Bible itself? Craig Dehut, cinematographer, editor, and co-founder of Appian Media, is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss how digital content should supplement—not replace—scripture. This episode confront...

Violence has become an assumed option for many Christians in war, politics, and even personal safety. But that wasn’t always the case. Christianity Without Compromise host Jake Doberenz chats with Jason Porterfield, Christian peacemaker and author of Fight Like Jesus, and Cody Cook, theologian and author of Anarchist Anabaptist, for a live roundtable on one provocative question: should Christians...