The Dismantling Doctrine Podcast

Part 1 of my conversation with Dr Josie McSkimming from Sydney, Australia, focuses on her own backstory in evangelicalism, and how she escaped the system. Now a clinical social worker who counsels those who have left religion behind, she has since authored the book "Leaving Christian Fundamentalism and the Reconstruction of Identity." Find out more in this fascinating conversation with an ex-funda...

In this Part 2 episode with Cindy Wang Brandt from Taiwan, we get into more specifics around how exactly one might classify raising children within evangelicalism as "predatory." Is it good and right for parents to pass along core values that are important to them? Including their own religion? Or should parents give children the space and autonomy to choose their own path spiritually? Find out mo...

Should raising children in an evangelical Christian environment be considered "predatory" on the part of the parents? My guest today, Cindy Wang Brandt from Taiwan, believes that in certain circumstances it absolutely is predatory. Children may not have the capacity or awareness to filter out teaching that may, in the end, prove to be abusive or harmful to their psychological, sexual, and relation...

In this second episode with David Haward, "the Naked Pastor," we get even more in depth processing the experiences of those who are deconstructing their former faith. David breaks down exactly just how all-pervasive religion can be, as well as the effects on their followers. Thus, leaving such a context--where we formed relationships and our very identities--is extremely difficult. It will likely...

Are you an ex-evangelical who is deconstructing your former evangelical faith? Then you will benefit from this very helpful conversation with Canadian ex-evangelical pastor David Hayward, who is also known as "The Naked Pastor." I learned so much from this very practical conversation--coming from a man who not only walked away from the church (and quite possibly the Christian faith too), but who a...

In this second half of my conversation with self-confessed "exvangelical" and Twitter personality Chris Stroop, we finally get to the conclusion of Chris's story of deconstructing his former beliefs and ultimately walking away from the evangelicalism he grew up with. We also delve into the background of the Religious Right in America, tracing their roots back to the early days of fundamentalism. C...

Part 1 of my conversation with fellow ex-evangelical and "Twitter personality" Chris Stroop features an exploration of his own journey out of evangelicalism. What happened to Chris when, as a student in a Christian high school, had a crisis of faith? Like so many, he sought help from a pastor friend...but was that encounter successful in keeping him in the faith? Find out more about Chris and his...

This week's episode features the second half of my conversation with a buddy with whom I went to a fundamentalist Christian high school back in the mid-1980s. Jeff and I share hilarious and poignant stories of what it was like growing up in such a conservative environment. Is it any wonder that kids raised in such a repressive context tend to rebel against any and all authority? Tune in for Part 2...

While on a recent trip to Seattle, Washington, I met up with a former classmate of mine, and good friend, Jeff Judd. We went to a conservative evangelical Christian high school back in the 1980s, and together, Jeff and I reminisce about the nutty, zany, and just downright insane aspects of...growing up evangelical. You literally could not make this shit up. Come along and laugh with us in this fir...

Timed to coincide with a workshop entitled "Reclaiming Sexuality from Religion" that my guest, Andrew Jasko, is doing in Oakland, CA on the 14th of August, this episode takes a deep dive into religion and its effects. Religion is ultimately disempowering, claims Andrew, because you are taking the word of another person--an authority figure--not only to diagnose your spiritual problems, but also to...

Many stories that come out of evangelicalism and fundamentalism are simply...too bizarre to have been made up! In this episode, I'll delve into some of the craziest church stories you've ever heard, drawn from the great interaction I've been having with Exvangelicals on Twitter. And what does all of this have to do with having dinner with Satan?? Listen in to find out--!

In the second half of my conversation with Twitter personality and ex-evangelical Daniel Hobbs, we get into the future of the ex-evangelical, or exvangelical, movement...whatever it actually is. What's his vision for this movement? Is it merely a reactionary thing that is upset and angry at being hurt by forces within evangelicalism? Where is it going, what's the point, and what does he see for th...

Part 1 of my conversation with ex-evangelical Daniel Hobbs gets into his background in evangelicalism. Growing up evangelical, attending church and Bible college, then later as a youth pastor in a more liberal Presbyterian Church with a supposed value for social justice and community involvement. So what started his deconstruction process?  Seeing the hypocrisy and inconsistencies within the churc...

In Part 2 of my conversation with ex-evangelical Brian Staples, we'll dive further into our views of God, experiences of fundamentalist Christianity, and talk about the impact evangelicalism is having on American politics today. Brian will also offer up advice for those who have left the church behind, but aren't sure where to go next...or maybe those who are still within the church, but are quest...

While on a recent trip to the States from the UK, I met up with an old Bible College buddy, Brian Staples. We had a great conversation about his own journey of deconstruction and discovery of his former Christian faith. In Part 1, we'll delve into Brian's backstory: raised in a narrowly fundamentalist church by a father who subscribed to white supremacist "Christian" views, how did Brian escape th...

In Part 2 of my chat with Steve Stone Sr., the "Starbucks Pastor," we get into the motivations behind Steve's often provocative and (to some for sure), irritating Facebook posts. Steve regularly posts strong statements about Christianity...religion...politics in America...the evangelical support for Donald Trump...and for the inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community within the Christian church. To say th...

In Part 1 with Steve Stone Sr., also known as "the Starbucks Pastor," Steve shares his backstory: growing up in a fundamentalist church in the South...yet at the same time experienced life in the real world that did not match the narrow message they preached. Find out how Steve's journey took him away from fundamentalism, into a life of sex, drugs and rock n' roll, and then later discovering the e...

In Part 2 of my conversation with Canadian Sam Morse from the Out of Eden podcast, we delve further into the question of how (or indeed, why) a person might be able to retain various aspects of his or her Christianity--post-deconstruction. This involves, of necessity, a re-examination of one's views on both God and the Bible--how you approach the text (hermeneutics, or lens through which we read S...

If you've deconstructed your former Christian faith, do you believe there's anything worth salvaging? This week's guest, Sam Morse (host of the  Out of Eden  podcast) and I discuss this very question: can you retain a view of God once you begin to question the whole construct of Christianity? For Sam, the answer is Yes--albeit with a very radically deconstructed and different view of both God and...

What might Martin Luther's "theology of the cross" have to say to a modern-day post-evangelical Christian? This is even more the case when that theology has been filtered through radical theology and the work of Deitrich Boenhoffer. In Part 2 of our conversation, Dutch theologian Josh deKeyzer and I discuss how he came to this position--although sometimes he admits he can be an "angry theist" too....

What do you do when evangelicalism no longer works for you? This involves your views of God...the Bible...and Christianity in general. Are you deconstructing your former faith? If so, where are you on this spiritual journey? This question I've been asking over the last few weeks continues with Dr Josh deKeyzer from The Netherlands. While in seminary in the USA, he began deconstructing his former v...

Deconstruction of the Christian faith looks different for everyone. Some have become angry atheists; angry theists; or agnostic. Some, like Stacie Rae "The Resting Traveller," have not only deconstructed--they've reconstructed their former views of God. In this episode Stacie and I discuss how she overcame crippling anxiety, depression and thoughts of suicide to do just that--combined with a new u...

Where are you along the path of this thing we call "the spiritual journey"? If you're deconstructing your former Christian faith, have you been able to retain a view of God? How do you read the Bible now, if you still do? These are all questions Stacie Rae "The Resting Traveller" and I tackle in this week's episode. Despite a very traumatic upbringing in the church, and questioning her very identi...

Why burn down patriarchy in religion? Sarah Smith, the host of Theosophia podcast, is passionate about promoting women's voices in theology and in religion. She is passionate about bringing out this perspective, since historically patriarchal religions have long silence, oppressed and marginalized women. Sarah opens up about her backstory--yet through all the pain of growing up in a toxic evangeli...

There is no question: religion is incredibly important to humanity. It has permeated every single aspect of human life: music, language, politics, literature, our communities and more. Yet what has been the effect of religion on women? It turns out that religion has not exactly been kind to women, both historically and presently. Karen Garst, "the faithless feminist" and I discuss this issue relat...