Religion on the Mind

Matt and Max from Milkless are back! We pick up our conversation on belief and the meaning of life that we started in episode #271. After exploring the potential downsides of belief without proof (i.e. conspiracy theories) and the psychology behind how and why we believe, we chatted about the meaning of life. We grappled with the nature of meaning itself, expressing both panentheistic views of God...

I’m kicking off a new series exploring the intersection of comedy, religion, and spirituality! My first guest is Ryan Erwin, a gay ex-Mormon missionary turned clean comic. We talk about his idyllic Mormon childhood in Utah, his departure from Mormonism and exploration of other faiths, his introduction to comedy, and how he has ultimately found spiritual fulfillment in nature and everyday activitie...

When we have spiritual experiences with things like worship music, is that the Holy Spirit moving? Or, as Tim Whitaker (The New Evangelicals) claimed in a viral Instagram meme, is it “just the drums”? Can it be both? Tim and Sarah Lane Ritchie return to discuss these ideas, Tim’s experiences as a worship drummer, “spiritual technologies” like worship music, the potential harm of conflating these e...

Tyson Motsenbocker returns to help Dan answer if he is being followed by a handful of AI-generated bot Instagram accounts. Could they be Russians? Why is Avis so interested in her son Jason and “knitting small bees”? Are we in an “uncanny valley” yet with AI content?  Tyson on Instagram Where the Waves Turn Back Book Tyson's Website ___________________________________________ Get Tickets for Theol...

This week I’m joined by co-hosts of the excellent fatherhood-focused Milkless Podcast, Max Valverde and Matt Naylor for another listener-favorite “I Don’t Believe in That God” episode. Max leans towards atheism, finding a personal God unlikely, while Matt feels a pull towards spirituality but questions specific religious claims. This is actually an episode swap -- so today there is both a new Milk...

Finally, a long chat with indie Christian musician John Mark McMillan! John Mark started out firmly in the mainstream Christian world but has been gradually exploring more complex and nuanced expressions of faith (and doubt!) through his art.  We discussed his early life on a Christian commune, what it's like to be a recording artist wrestling with deep questions of faith and doubt, and whether a...

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 2 & 3, reacting to all manner of interesting details from my own liberal Christian therapist perspective and Jeff’s more moderate Evangelical lens. We get into: Shabbat and Shabbat dinner Conversion experiences and their...

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 Emerge...

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...

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...

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 perspec...

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 traum...

** Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/5U0kztmTnxk In 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...

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 psy...

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 pa...

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 practi...

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...

This week, I sat down with Katelyn Beaty and Roxanne Stone, the fantastic hosts of the Saved by the City podcast. I asked them for their take on the "masculinity crisis" some have described in our cultural moment. From their experiences dating in New York City to their observations about the dearth of male role models in many kids' lives, they painted a picture of the loneliness, frustration and l...

The spiritual education of children can be daunting, especially when parents have more questions about God than answers. Does this necessarily lead to a dead end, or are there tools available when we have very little “bedrock” on which to stand? Meredith Anne Miller feels that mainstream Christian children's education focuses too heavily on making kids obedient, rather than inviting exploration. M...

I was joined by editor, podcaster, and novelist Jason Kirk to discuss how he put his Evangelical upbringing — barely distinguishable from my own — into his recent novel Hell Is A World Without You. We also discussed the power of storytelling to capture the overlap of complex ideas, fear of Hell, queer affirmation, Dune, and more.  **Watch this episode on YouTube** https://youtu.be/69-5jPEmrBE Jaso...

On this week’s episode, I spoke with Elias Dummer, a musician, marketer, and former singer-songwriter of the Canadian Christian rock band The City Harmonic. We talked about the power and potential of contemporary worship music, exploring its role as a "spiritual technology" and its ability to unite people across various divisions -- class, race, theology, etc. And yes, in case you are wondering, I...

In this conversation, Tim Whitaker of The New Evangelicals joins Dan for a dual-feed special episode to discuss the upcoming book by Richard B. Hays, a respected New Testament scholar (Duke), and his son Christopher (Fuller), titled 'The Widening of God's Mercy: A Thoroughly Biblical Account of LGBTQ Affirmation in the Church.' They explore the potential impact of the book and the various reaction...

Dan spoke with friend and frequent guest Sarey Martin Concepcion about the intersection of intellectual humility and our Christian faith journeys, attempting to tie this together with his recent set of “Still Christian” episodes. They discussed how Sarey was raised in a fundamentalist evangelical strain of Christianity that valued certainty and correct doctrinal beliefs above all else. This made i...

On this month's Generation Gap Culture Hour, Dan, Josh, and Tony play a round of “Bar, Bank, Church, or Dispensary,” consider ways they are becoming like their dads, discuss the impact of the forthcoming gay-affirming book by New Testament scholar Richard B. Hays, the New York Magazine attempted takedown of Andrew Huberman, and more. **Watch this episode on YouTube** https://youtu.be/g5vmzxlRTLI R...

Dan's guest today is Simon Nixon, a former pastor and licensed counselor in Australia who works predominantly with domestic violence offenders in group therapy settings, helping them understand how to change their behavior and become safe partners and fathers. They discuss the challenges of such work, including the emotional difficulty and the need for a non-judgmental approach to facilitate chang...