Religion on the Mind

Joining me today is Dale C. Allison Jr., Professor of New Testament (Princeton Theological Seminary), to discuss his book "Encountering Mystery: Religious Experience in a Secular Age." We cover materialism, empiricism, and the prevalence of mystical, spiritual, and/or “unitive” experiences. Dale says that “people's experiences are stranger and weirder, more mystical and terrible than we usually th...

Today we're talking all about ritual with psychologist Laird Edman, who researches the cognitive science of religion, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence at Northwestern College. “People have all kinds of physiological experiences when they engage in rituals,” he says. “It taps into our endorphins" and "helps calm and de-stress people." We cover imagistic versus doctrinal ritual, orthopr...

In today's long overdue conversation, I talk with author Chris Green (Professor of Public Theology at Southeastern University - Lakeland, FL). Chris explains being raised in Pentecostalism (the focus of our conversation), discussing the radical embodied aspects of its spiritualized expression of faith. Chris says, "We can't stop making myths and stories about ourselves and assigning meaning."  Dr....

This episode is the final panel from our live event in Seattle featuring "The Big Five" (Sarah Lane Ritchie, Sarey Concepción, Tripp Fuller, Myron Penner, and Dan Koch). ___________________________________________ Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/ Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/ Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia@gmail...

Re-joining me today is author, therapist, and researcher Krispin Mayfield to discuss his book "Attached to God: A Practical Guide to Deeper Spiritual Experience." “Attachment science” applied to our relationship to God is a topic of emerging interest for me personally. We talk through attachment trauma, the latest research findings, and how our nervous systems adapt depending on attachment style....

This is a dual-feed episode, also being released on my music-focused podcast Pretty Good Vibrations. Ever wondered how White Evangelical Protestants got the way they are? The music that generation created played an outsized role in the formation of their subculture, one that would come to dominate a large chunk of American sociopolitics in the coming 6 decades. And you know what? Some of it rules....

This is a dual-feed episode, also being released on my music-focused podcast Pretty Good Vibrations. Part 2 drops tomorrow! Ever wondered how White Evangelical Protestants got the way they are? The music that generation created played an outsized role in the formation of their subculture, one that would come to dominate a large chunk of American sociopolitics in the coming 6 decades. And you know...

Sarah Lane Ritchie joins me in Seattle Live to kick off the YHP mini-con with a conversation about the current state of research into “spiritual technologies” like psychedelic drugs. Sarah also shares new heart-wrenching details about the role of toxic theology in her mother’s final months. ___________________________________________ Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/ Or Twitter: twitter...

I'm joined today by journalist and author Jon Ward (previous YHP & Depolarize guest) to discuss his book "Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Failed a Generation." We cover using language as a weapon, epistemic modesty, and falling under the spell of a charismatic leader. Jon did not grow up "amid corrupt charlatans who use the name of God to amass riches. The leaders in [his] world we...

Today Sarey Concepción and I are joined by Joshua N. Hook, author and Psychologist (University of North Texas in Denton), to discuss his work in "intellectual humility." Josh says, "A lot of times, we are really certain and sure what we believe is right, and that's not always in our best interests." We discuss careful thinking, ideological conformity towards in-group/out-group, valuing relationshi...

Kristen Tideman and Josh Gilbert join Dan to debrief the recent in-person YHP Mini-conference in Seattle. Northwind Seminary: www.northwindseminary.org/center-for-open-relational-theology ___________________________________________ Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/ Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/ Edited by Josh Gilbert (josh...

*Re-broadcast* - I Don't Believe in that God: Joey Holman (Man on Man) (#118)  Another installment of one of my favorite types of episodes, where I chat with people who don't identify as Christian. Oftentimes, I also don't believe in the God that they don't believe in. Joey Holman (ex-Cool Hand Luke) is one half of the Polyvinyl Records duo Man on Man, alongside his boyfriend Roddy Bottum (Faith N...

In an episode topic that should surprise no listeners of this show (ha!), Lore Ferguson Wilbert joins me today to discuss her book "A Curious Faith: The Questions God Asks, We Ask, and We Wish Someone Would Ask Us." Lore (pronounced “Lori”) aims to champion curiosity, especially in faith settings where doubt and asking questions aren't often encouraged or even allowed. She says, “Curiosity is kind...

Co-authors and sisters Elaine Heath (former guest) and Janine Heath McGlynn join me to discuss their co-authored memoir "Loving the Hell Out of Ourselves." They start the book with a statement of purpose, "Our heartfelt hope is that this book helps you, our readers, to know that love, not shame, not fear, not hate, not damnation, love is God's meaning." We cover subjects like poverty & neglect, pa...

Josh Porter (Showbread) joins me today for one of our "Worries About Deconstruction" episodes to talk about his book "Death to Deconstruction: Reclaiming Faithfulness as an act of Rebellion." Despite some agreement, this conversation delves into our fundamental disagreements around objective truth claims, personal doctrines, and Christian orthodoxy. Northwind Open & Relational Theology Center: htt...

*This episode is not about trauma-focused music therapy, but rather the language festival-goers use around trauma and healing* In today's dual-feed release (also on my Pretty Good Vibrations Podcast), ethnomusicologist and author Nathan Myrick (Ph. D., Baylor University) joins me to discuss his research project studying the community surrounding Furnace Fest, a faith-adjacent heavy music festival...

Diana Butler Bass and Tripp Fuller join me today to discuss "Empty Altars," their 6-Week Lenten Exploration of little-known American “saints.” Diana asks, “What spiritual practices, what theological languages, what kinds of stories are motivating people in a multicultural, religiously pluralistic society?” and "How can we find goodness, beauty, and justice?" Through a lens of heroism, we cover how...

Joining me today is author Amy Frykholm to discuss her research on rapture culture and the future of mainline Protestantism. Amy suggests questions like "How do we not get attached to our forms?", "How do we continue to be willing to experiment?" and "How do we focus on what really matters?" We discuss embodied religious expression, the alienation doubt can bring, and the Left Behind Series' effec...

Tony Jones and I are joined by Jeff Green (Virginia Commonwealth University) and Daryl Van Tongeren (Hope College) to ask the vital question, "How can we get the benefits of religion without the potential dangers of religion?" Together we investigate what factors contribute to religion's positive and negative outcomes. Through this lens, we discuss ideological homogeneity, our need for certainty,...

My guests today are Shelby and Nate Hansen, co-hosts of the Almost Heretical Podcast, to talk Biblical canonization. Shelby says, "Scripture is supposed to aid us in making the world better, and it's not an end in and of itself." Driven by canon-specific patron questions, this conversation covers things like inspiration, orthodoxy, the Apocrypha, and more. https://almostheretical.com/ Almost Heret...

Today I'm joined for a rare in-person chat with author and long-time friend Sara Billups to discuss her new book "Orphaned Believers: How a Generation of Christian Exiles Can Find the Way Home." Using the text to structure our conversation, Sara shares about the impact of being raised Evangelical in the 80s and 90s. We cover consumerism, sensationalism, fear, exceptionalism, and more. Sara’s Websi...

My guest today, Meredith Ann Miller, is an author, pastor, and parent with over 20 years of experience in children's ministry and curriculum. Well-steeped in empirical research, Meredith's work offers ideas like "Your faith questions are wonderful and worthy; Nothing needs to be solved today," and "You are connecting your good kid to the God that made them so." We also cover listener questions add...

I am joined today by my friend Zach Bolen, vocalist and songwriter of the band Citizens. As long as he’s writing songs about his faith, Zach feels that he must “write songs that are bringing people to a table, rather than trying to push people further away." We discuss Christian music industry pressure, Zach's experience working at Mars Hill Church, cultivating diverse ideological relationships, a...

Today I'm joined by three friends and collaborators — Sarey Concepción, Myron Penner & Kristen Tideman — to discuss the findings of a survey we conducted for leaders in the Post-Evangelical world. We asked questions like "What is the most helpful thing the post-Evangelical community can do for its own community members?", "What do you see as the top redeeming qualities (if any) of mainstream evang...

*Re-broadcast* - Habit, Virtue, Prayer & Science (#83) Bradley Wright is a Protestant professor of sociology at the University of Connecticut where he studies American Christianity, spirituality, and well-being. Sofia Corozza is a Catholic phd student at Cambridge studying child neurodevelopment. Also, she is Brad’s goddaughter, which makes for a lovely interplay between the two of them. So why ca...