Religion on the Mind

In this brief solo episode, Dan shares some quick anxiety-relieving thoughts about the way that the unfolding Israel-Palestine conflict will inevitably, but falsely, be linked to predictions about the “End Times.” End Times Anxiety: Part 1: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-have-permission/id1448000113?i=1000462348895 End Times Anxiety: Part 2: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-hav...

Matthias Roberts joins me again! Previously we talked about healing from sexual shame; this week, he builds a bridge from that conversation to his new book Holy Runaways. After coming to terms (more or less) with sexuality issues, Matthias found that he and many of his friends were still unsure what to do with the whole “faith” thing. What was salvageable, and what were the stakes of ignoring this...

*Full episode on the Patreon feed* Psychotherapist Pamela Cooper-White shares about her book “The Psychology of Christian Nationalism." We talk about white supremacy, conscious and unconscious needs, motivating via fear, “crisis merchants,” and when to ask yourself questions like, "Am I the right person to have this convo?" or "Is this the right setting for this convo"? Pamela’s Book “The Psycholo...

Dan and Tripp Fuller get themselves psyched for their upcoming online pop-up learning community on existentialism by sharing songs that remind them of death, isolation, freedom, meaning/meaninglessness, and courage.  Learn more or sign up for their class, “Live Before You Die: Existentialism in Theology & Psychology”: exploringexistentialism.com _____________ Register for Theology Beer Camp: Theol...

On the most recent "I Don't Believe in That God," Dan talks with former Christian missionary and current minister in The Satanic Temple Stephen Bradford Long. Stephen defines Satanism as he and Dan discuss three or four options for what people imagine when they hear the term "Satanist." Stephen shares his story from Charismatic Presbyterianism, through mainline Protestantism, to atheism, and event...

Kristen’s back with Dan to ask some of your burning Q’s and get some A’s! After talking about the need or value of religion after believing no one goes to Hell, Kristen also asks: If you could have a beer with one character from a Sci-Fi or Superhero or Fantasy genre who would it be and why? What are you going to teach your kid about sex? What are some meta-narratives in pop-culture that you enjoy...

Earlier this summer, some mild controversy around a video released by Pete Enns (Bible/Faith for Normal People) brought up some interesting questions. First, if someone has experienced a particularly “toxic” version of Christianity, how equipped are they to speak about the larger Christian tradition? Second, is all Christianity inherently “toxic” (and how do we define “toxic”)? In a dual-feed epis...

*To update your Patreon giving, head to patreon.com/dankoch. Thanks for your support!* Dr. Steven Sandage (Boston University) joins Sarey Concepcion and myself for a fairly wide-ranging conversation about his own story and some of the topics he has focused on during his research career, including: -Healthy Spiritual Leadership -Spirituality as a way to maintain healthy relationships  -Attachment &...

*To update your Patreon giving, head to patreon.com/dankoch. Thanks for your support!* Ex-pastor Brandon Flanery joins Dan to talk through his own research as to why people are currently leaving Christianity for non-Christian or non-religious waters. His sample skews young and LGBTQ-heavy, which is helpful for understanding the experience of sexual and gender minorities around this topic. Check ou...

From a postmodern perspective, there is no entirely objective “view from nowhere.” The Evangelical tradition, however, presents itself as ahistorical and objective. Trans ordained priest Shannon Kearns reminds us that actively working to understand the history that has shaped current theological perspectives can help us see in what ways it has influenced how we live, vote, and interact with those...

What makes a conspiracy theory? How does it differ from healthy skepticism? Mike Austin and Greg Bock, editors of QAnon, Chaos, and the Cross, join Dan to discuss everything from the “deep state” to why biblical literalism and Christian nationalism predict conspiratorial thinking. Insights into the psychology behind conspiratorial thinking can provide strategies for meaningful dialogue in today's...

How does music contribute to forming a community identity? Dan welcomes guest Matt Knight to talk about how “End Times” songs helped shape the cultural understanding of the Jesus Movement in the early ‘70s and beyond. Much like Billy Graham’s “Crusades,” powerful emotional experiences and songs played into the plausibility structures of this specific subculture, reinforcing the idea that Jesus was...

**This is a deluxe rebroadcast of the "To Be Gay Affirming" episode** In this “deluxe edition” of our original episode #10 (“To Be Gay Affirming”), Samantha Perez joins Dan for a special introduction on affirming churches, what progress is being made in Christian communities around LGBTQ issues, and changes in ethical plausibility structures — that is, what ethical approaches seem reasonable given...

In this last episode reviewing Shiny Happy People, Dan and Mark talk about their overall impressions of the series as well as the heavy-hitting episode topics. They discuss the surprising research on content/trigger warnings, the series’s insinuation that Josh Duggar’s sexual repression led to his eventual acting out, the Joshua Generation Project, and overall assumptions regarding the motives of...

Even Jesus had anxiety in his life, so why are we so set on avoiding it? Theologian, author, and host of the Good Faith podcast Curtis Chang joins Dan to discuss his new book, The Anxiety Opportunity, and how we can navigate the (sometimes frightening) inevitability of loss and change. Instead of seeing anxiety as a problem to be solved by “praying” or “prescribing” it away, Curtis shows us how ou...

In episode three of the Shiny Happy People series, the story turns from the general teachings of the Institute for Basic Life Principles to more specific instances of power and abuse, such as unpaid labor from the Duggar children and Bill Gothard's grooming of sexual assault victims. Dan and Mark offer their own PSAs on cults, “brainwashing,” and the difficulty of accurately assuming individual mo...

Dan’s "infinity hangover", climate change, and the difference between psychiatrists and therapists: these are just some of the topics Kristen and Dan dig into in this Q&A ep! What options for those looking for new spiritual homes? How did Dan meet Tony? Would Dan remain a Christian even if religion didn’t end up being a net positive for wellbeing? Step into the realm of experimental inquiry as we...

Episode 2 of Shiny Happy People depicts Gothard's obedience teaching and child discipline, including spanking and the “break their will” approach. Paired with a deep fear of God’s punishment, Dan and Mark discuss how violent approaches like spanking confuse children and can even cross the line into spiritual abuse. Part 2 (Patreon feed–subscribe to access) dives deeper into the “umbrellas of autho...

The link between science and Christianity is frequently misunderstood, or understood as being "in conflict." This doesn’t have to be! Greg Cootsona, returning guest and author of Science and Religions in America: A New Look (Rutledge, 2023), nuances our understanding of how Christianity and other religions interact with scientific developments, both in the present day and throughout history. Where...

Welcome to Part 1 of this highly-requested series of response episodes to the Amazon docuseries Shiny Happy People. For these response episodes, Dan is joined by former Bill Gothard-ite Mark Scandrette. Much like the Duggar family of TLC reality series fame (“16 and Counting”), Mark was raised in the homeschool culture described in the SHP series and began his family life under Gothard’s teachings...

It’s natural to try to protect ourselves from perceived threats. Historically, this instinct has helped us survive and navigate risk. But sometimes, creating the feeling of safety, specifically in the midst of faith changes, can come at the cost of ignoring valuable parts of ourselves. Using the model of Internal Family Systems, author and therapist Molly LaCroix helps us learn to look at all part...

Joining me today is author, professor (Toronto School of Theology), and theologian Natalie Wigg-Stevenson to discuss her book "Transgressive Devotion.” Natalie asks, "What theological claims are we making, and how are they contributing to how we keep producing theological knowledge?" Her free online “devotional” is made up of three modules, each of which we discuss: going from abandonment toward p...

We continue our occasional "intellectual humility" series, and this one went DEEP. Joining me were Sarey Martin Concepción and Dr. Daryl Van Tongeren (Hope College), who says that humility “is about being the right size in a situation” and “starts with psychological security." We touch on cognitive limitations and what the research says about intellectual humility and spiritual leaders.  Daryl's F...

Joining us for another WAPC episode is author, songwriter, and dynamic Instagram presence Andy Squyres (that’s the best term I can think of!). Andy says, "We live in an age where nothing can be said without it being contested," and "I see many people not finding the answers within deconstruction that deconstructionism promises." We talk about worries around pop-culture mental health work, a someti...

Returning for a 3rd time is author and therapist Dr. Mark Karris to discuss his book "The Diabolical Trinity: Healing From a Wrathful God, Tormenting Hell, and a Sinful Self." Mark's work fleshes out the damaging effects of certain doctrines of hell and his research offers several approaches to healing from theologically-tinged mental health issues. We discuss different therapeutic modalities that...