Sunday School Dropouts

Laura turns the tables and interviews her cohost, Andrew Kerbs, for an honest and often tender look at what it was like to grow up male in purity culture. Andrew shares stories from his childhood in both the Mormon church and the Seventh day Adventist tradition, unpacking how ideas about worthiness shaped everything from his family dynamics to his sense of self. Together they explore the quiet pre...

Andrew and Laura sit down with Sherah Pettus from the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery for a real, heartfelt look at how purity culture keeps shaping our bodies, sexuality, and sense of worth long after we leave high control religion. Sherah brings her own story and a liberation-focused perspective to the conversation as they unpack everything from shame and sexual identity to raising kid...

Andrew and Laura hang out with yoga therapist and somatic practitioner Kim June Johnson for a really grounding and honest conversation about what it actually looks like to heal purity culture wounds through Eastern practices. Kim shares her story of leaving evangelicalism, discovering yoga and breathwork, and slowly learning to trust her body again after years of shame and control. They talk about...

Andrew and Laura welcome trauma professional and theologian Willow Sipling for an unflinching look at purity culture within the Catholic Church and beyond. Together they dig into how teachings on chastity, celibacy, and confession shape shame, control, and sexuality, especially for LGBTQ+ people navigating doctrines that label desire as “disordered.” The conversation balances honest critique with...

Andrew and Laura sit down with Dr. Bethany Peake, a trauma-informed counselor and spiritual director at the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery, for a raw, thoughtful, and surprisingly hopeful conversation about what happens when patriarchy shapes your idea of God. They dig into how purity culture, control, and the “male gaze of the divine” mess with people’s sense of self, spirituality, and...

Andrew flips the script and interviews his co-host, Dr. Laura Anderson, for a raw and honest conversation about growing up in purity culture, how it shaped her relationships and self-worth, and what it took to heal after surviving domestic violence. They talk about the messy mix of high-control religion, gender roles, shame, and the long (and sometimes funny) road to finding freedom and feeling at...

Hosts Laura Anderson and Andrew Kerbs sit down with trauma-informed coach and therapist Terri Allred from the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery to unpack how purity culture fuels domestic violence, particularly during Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Terri draws on decades of experience supporting survivors of sexual and spiritual abuse to explain how purity teachings often spiritualize...

This week, Andrew and Laura welcome the brilliant and hilarious Katherine Spearing—author, practitioner, and founder of Tears of Eden —to talk about everyone’s favorite church obsession: purity culture. You know, that special brand of shame that told you your worth was tied to your virginity and your shoulders were a stumbling block. Katherine unpacks how that messaging messed with an entire gener...

Season 3 of Sunday School Dropouts is here, and this time it’s all about purity culture—its origins, its lasting impact, and the process of healing from it. After a summer break, the hosts return ready to unpack one of the most pervasive and misunderstood aspects of modern religion. This season features a range of guests, including therapists, coaches, and individuals from Catholic, Mormon, and ev...

In the season two finale of the Sunday School Dropouts podcast, Andrew and Laura recap their experiences and favorite episodes from the past season. They share personal anecdotes about the impact of high control religion on finances, trauma-informed therapy, and purity culture. Laura and Andrew highlight significant episodes such as their conversation with Jo Luehmann about financial trauma and An...

This week we will be talking to a notorious former pastor about their experience growing up inside high control religion, becoming a poster child for purity culture, being set up to take over for a large church and ultimately giving it all up, deconstructing his faith and leaving the church. If you grew up in evangelicalism, and likely even if you didn’t, you’re sure to be familiar with Joshua Har...

What are Adverse Religious Experiences (AREs) and spiritual abuse? Aren’t they the same thing as religious trauma? Join Andrew and Laura on this week’s episode to discuss AREs, spiritual abuse, dynamics of power and control, how this relates to fundamentalism and how all of this…isn’t religious trauma? You heard us correctly!  Andrew and Laura discuss all of this AND how these things can result in...

In this episode, Laura and Andrew engage in a lively discussion with Janice Lagata about her experiences growing up in evangelicalism, her time at Hillsong College, and the importance of literature and financial therapy. They explore themes of banned books, free speech, and the influence of worship music on personal faith. The conversation is rich with insights and personal anecdotes, making it a...

Jo Luehmann shares her journey from being a pastor to deconstructing her faith, focusing on the financial challenges and mindsets that shaped her path. The episode also explores strategies for overcoming financial anxiety and reclaiming autonomy after leaving high-control religious settings. Resources Mentioned: Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel Your First Million by Arlan Hamilton Your Journey...

In this episode of the Sunday School Dropouts podcast, Angela Denker joins Andrew to discuss her new book, 'Disciples of White Jesus: The Radicalization of American Boyhood'. Reverend Denker explores themes of masculinity, gender narratives, and the influence of culture and church on boys and men. Highlighting the shifting political landscape, she emphasizes the impact of figures like El...

This week on Sunday School Dropouts, we're joined by author Sarah Henn Hayward for an honest, insightful conversation about her journey from devout Christianity to agnostic atheism. Sarah, author of Giving Up God , opens up about her upbringing in the Evangelical Free Church and the slow, freeing path of deconstruction that followed. She reflects on purity culture, youth group experiences, an...

The holidays are over and we are back into our purity culture mini-series! This month we are talking about purity culture and it’s impact on individuals who grew up male in this system. We are thrilled to have Dr. Bradley Onishi on the podcast today as our professional who has done research and client-facing work in this area as well as being a purity culture poster boy himself. Join Brad and Laur...

We are thrilled to have with us today Dr. Tina Schermer Seller who is an author, researcher, professor, and psychotherapist specializing in the impacts of purity culture, shame resilience, gender, and sexuality. In this episode, Dr. Tina shares her research and how she came to realize the psychological and physiological impact of purity culture and how that shaped the direction of her work with cl...

In this episode of Sunday School Dropouts, Andrew Pledger opens up about his journey growing up in the Independent Fundamental Baptist (IFB) movement and the lasting effects of religious trauma on his mental health, sexuality, and sense of identity. He shares his experiences navigating legalism, spiritual abuse, and the pressure to conform, including his time at Bob Jones University and the emotio...

Today we are joined by Andrew Pledger to talk about the financial burden that going to a religious college/university can cause. We get into not only the cost of these institutions but the extended control they have over all aspects of someone’s life, even when it’s the time in life where you’re developmentally ready to have more freedom. Andrew shares his story with us about how he chose to go to...

In this conversation, Zach Anderson shares his journey of growing up in the Mormon Church, navigating his identity as a gay man, and the impact of high control religions on mental health and body image. He discusses his process of resigning from the church, the challenges of coming out, and how these experiences shaped his approach to nutrition coaching. The conversation also explores the intersec...

Now more than ever, many of us are having to navigate relationships with family members and friends who are grappling with choosing relationships with people over their belief/doctrines. Perhaps you are wrestling through that too? We are revisiting one of our favorite episodes with guests Beecher and April who share with us their own story of choosing relationship with each other over rigid theolo...

Today we are excited to have Dr. Celeste Holbrook on the podcast! Celeste is a sex educator, author, speaker, and sexologist with her own story of healing after purity culture. She uses her personal experiences to inspire her professional work and helps folks untangle the long-lasting, embodied impacts of the messages they were taught about their bodies, sex, and pleasure. Today we are talking abo...

In this episode of Sunday School Dropouts , Rikki Herbst shares her journey of leaving the Orthodox Jewish community in New York. She reflects on growing up in a tightly knit, insular environment and the emotional challenges of stepping away. Drawing parallels to other religious exits—like evangelicalism—she explores the complexities of reclaiming autonomy and finding support. As a therapist, Rikk...

This week we are excited to be joined by Dr. Eric Sprankle (@drsprankle on Instagram). Dr. Sprankle is a clinical psychologist and professor of human sexuality and author of the recently released: “DIY: The Wonderfully Weird History and Science of Masturbation”. He’s joining us today to talk about what a porn addiction *actually* is (hint, it’s not what religion teaches us!), our innate sexuality,...