Guests

Elaine Pagels: Trump and Doubting Thomas

Listen to the renowned religious scholar Elaine Pagels (link). Known for her profound work on the Gnostic Gospels and early Christian history, Pagels brought her...

Peter Rollins: The Philosophy of Deconstruction

How can philosophy help those deconstructing Christianity? Explore the transformative potential of embracing uncertainty in your spiritual journey.

Anna Gazmarian: Religious OCD and Mental Illness

We delve into the complex intersection of faith, mental health, and religious OCD with Anna Gazmarian, author of Devout: A Memoir of Doubt. Anna shares...

Rainn Wilson: Jesus and the Meaning of Life

Rainn Wilson (aka Dwight Schrute) talks about his new book Soul Boom. What does he think of Jesus and Christianity?

Neil deGrasse Tyson: Christianity and the Cosmos

Neil deGrasse Tyson joins us to talk about the science found in the Bible. Should Christians make decision based on a religious text? If we could go back in time, could we prove if Jesus rose from the dead? What would Neil say to a room full of conservative Christians?

Sex, Pleasure, and Purity Culture with Sheila Gregoire

We delve into the orgasm gap, the impact of evangelical teachings on sex, and the harm caused to marriages and women with sex researcher Sheila Gregoire.

Sarah Bessey – Navigating an Evolving Faith

What does it mean to have a faith that evolves, and are there any limits to that change? How did Rachel Held Evans influence Sarah Bessey's own faith journey, and what might we be missing from Rachel's voice today? What challenges do people face when their faith changes and evolves, and how can we navigate those challenges with grace and community?

Worship Music and Deconstructing Christianity

How can you write worship music when you're questioning your faith? What role does doubt play in the creative process of writing worship music? How can you reconcile your doubts and struggles with the lyrics of traditional worship songs? We’re joined by Sam Hedrick - a worship leader and songwriter who has been going through a process of deconstruction while continuing to write music for the church.

William Matthews: The Evolution of Worship

What does worship look like when you're questioning, leaving, or changing your faith? How can we bring everything back to our humanness, and what role does incarnation play in that? And what happens when we stop chasing after revival and focus on the wildness of the Spirit of God? Join us for a conversation with William Matthews.

Teaching Your Kids While Deconstructing Christianity – Sarah Swartzendruber

What if I still want to pass on faith to my children, but I'm not sure what I believe? What do kids need to be learning about Christianity at different stages? What do kids have to teach us about holding uncertainty.

Secrets of Raising Children During a Spiritual Transition – Cindy Wang Brandt

Do formerly fundamentalist parents project their own trauma on their children? What kind of “stability” do kids of deconstructing parents actually need? Is it okay to not ever get community back? Nate and Shelby discuss this all and more with Cindy Wang Brandt.

Exploring Religious Pluralism with Barbara Brown Taylor

Join us for a thought-provoking discussion on religious pluralism as we interview Reverend Barbara Brown Taylor, author of <em>Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others</em>. Explore the possibility of Christianity coexisting with other religions and how we can learn from them to become better humans. We also dive into John 14:6 (“I am the way, the truth and the life) and its implications. Don't miss out on this enlightening conversation!

Audrey Assad: Psilocybin, Christian Music and Parenting

What does it feel like to change your beliefs? What can we teach our children when we're not sure what we believe? Nate talks to Audrey Assad who was part of creating and then leaving the evangelical culture through conservative Christian music.

Dr. Mario Livio: Galileo and science deniers

Why is science denialism more prominent in the Christian church? What are the consequences of suppressing scientific curiosity in the Church? How do we have conversations with friends and family who deny scientific findings and new information? Nate talks with world renowned astrophysicist Dr. Mario Livio about his new book Galileo: And the Science Deniers.

Krispin and D.L. Mayfield: Mister Rogers, Dave Ramsey and Attachment Theory

Why is Mister Rogers' message to children better than Sunday school? How did Dave Ramsey make the accusation of money a christian value? How can Attachment Theory shine a light on shame-filled messages we often hear in the church? Nate sits down with his friends Danielle and Krispin Mayfield to discuss all of this and more.

Julie Anne Smith: Covering up problems in the Church

In light of the scandal involving Ravi Zacharias, Nate talks with Julie Anne Smith about Lori Anne Thompson's survivor story and power structures in the Church that allow for both spiritual and sexual abuse.

John Wayne and Jesus with Kristin Du Mez

How'd we get from John Wayne and Jesus to Trump in Evangelicalism? Learn why Kristin Du Mez thinks so many are deconstructing Christianity.

Hillary McBride: Getting healthy

Many of us are rethinking faith and leaving old beliefs behind, but how do we get healthy? Nate and Tim talk with Dr. Hillary McBride (The Liturgists, Mothers, Daughters, and Body Image, The Wisdom of Your Body: Finding Healing, Wholeness, and Connection Through Embodied Living) about what it actually takes to build new community, how to deal with the trauma our bodies carry, why maintaining relationships with people from our past can be so hard, and much more.

Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg: Forgiveness and Pharisees

On the 1-year anniversary of the Tree of Life Synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh, we sit down with Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg. What constitutes a good apology? How do we appreciate both forgiveness and justice at the same time? And what can we learn from the Jewish tradition about how to disagree, change our minds, and embrace both the old and the new? Also, we get into how Jesus might have actually been a Pharisee.

Christena Cleveland: Getting free

At some point we have to ask ourselves do I really want to be free? Freedom is no longer caring whether we’re crossing the lines that other people are creating for us. Nate and Tim sit down with renowned scholar Dr. Christena Cleveland. They discuss getting free from toxic Christianity, finding sustenance for a life of activism, what the gospel really is and much more.