Tiffany Yecke Brooks (link) shares her story of deconstruction and the cracks she started seeing in her fundamentalist evangelical upbringing. She discusses the concept of being gaslighted by God and the pressure to conform to a specific formula of faith. Tiffany emphasizes the importance of separating spiritual anxiety from the Holy Spirit and recognizing it as a trauma response. She reinterprets biblical stories, such as Nadab and Abihu and the Good Samaritan, through different lenses to challenge traditional interpretations. Tiffany also explores the need for boundaries and the value of orthopraxy and orthopathy in addition to orthodoxy.

In this conversation, Tiffany Yecke Brooks discusses the control and manipulation tactics used in religious communities, the importance of trusting oneself, and the power of language in shaping our beliefs. She emphasizes the need for open dialogue and understanding in order to break free from harmful ideologies. The conversation also touches on the dangers of authoritarian leadership in both conservative and progressive churches. Tiffany’s book, ‘Holy Ghosted: Spiritual Anxiety, Religious Trauma, and the Language of Abuse,’ explores these topics in depth.

Takeaways

• Recognize the cracks in your faith and don’t be afraid to question and deconstruct
• Separate spiritual anxiety from the Holy Spirit and understand it as a trauma response
• Reinterpret biblical stories through different lenses to challenge traditional interpretations
• Embrace boundaries and prioritize orthopraxy (right action) and orthopathy (right feeling and motivation) alongside orthodoxy (right belief) Religious communities often use control and manipulation tactics to assert authority and maintain power.
• Trusting oneself and listening to intuition is essential for personal growth and breaking free from harmful ideologies.
• Language plays a significant role in shaping our beliefs and can be used to manipulate and control.
• Open dialogue and understanding are crucial for fostering healthy conversations and challenging harmful ideologies.
• Both conservative and progressive churches can be susceptible to authoritarian leadership and the dangers of control and manipulation.

After Show