Episodes
Episodes



Monday Jan 25, 2021
Monday Jan 25, 2021
I finally got a chance to edit and release my first episode of my new series for 2021, "Profiles of the Christian Right." For this inaugural episode, I reached out to Mark Potok, who worked at the Southern Poverty Law Center for 20 years and is an expert on the radical Right and the Christian Right.
Mark wrote an article for the SPLC in 2004 exposing, perhaps for the first time publicly, Pastor Doug Wilson and his growing cult-like empire located in Moscow, Idaho. In this chat, we not only break down aspects of Wilson's theology and influence of Christian Reconstructionism on his worldview, we look at the expanding influence Wilson has currently even in mainstream evangelical and Christian homeschooling households.
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Monday Jan 18, 2021
Bonus Episode: Inside the Cult Psychology of QAnon
Monday Jan 18, 2021
Monday Jan 18, 2021
In this special bonus episode, given the events of the recent Capitol Riots and the prominence of QAnon-branded diehard Trump loyalists who took part in the insurrection, I figured it was time to take a deep dive into the cult psychology behind this rapidly-spreading online conspiracy theory.
Is it merely a harmless belief system that rational folks can dismiss? I think we all know now that this is no longer an option...we've seen that beliefs in conspiracy theories can drive people to acts of violence, destruction of property, sedition, and even murder.
QAnon played a major role. What is it exactly, and how can we understand it better? Find out more in this bonus episode!
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Friday Jan 15, 2021
Walking Away from Your Former Religion (with Paul James Caiden)
Friday Jan 15, 2021
Friday Jan 15, 2021
This week's episode features Paul James Caiden, host of the Mind's Eye Podcast. I was a recent guest on his show and now I'm returning the favor and having him on the show--from Mind's Eye to MindShift!
In this chat we cover not only Paul's story of his faith deconstruction, we focus on the issues surrounding the various traumas that accompany the decision to walk away from one's former faith. In addition, we finish the chat by discussing the dark side of dominion theology, Trumpism and look ahead in terms of what's in store for the American evangelical movement today.
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Monday Jan 11, 2021
Bonus Episode: Christian Nationalism + Trumpism = The Capitol Riots
Monday Jan 11, 2021
Monday Jan 11, 2021
In this inaugural episode of 2020, I figured something needed to be said about the recent, highly disturbing events in the US Capitol building.
An angry mob of Trumpists laid waste to the building, resulting in 5 deaths and the widespread destruction of property. But beyond the headlines, I wanted to explore two additional aspects of the story: one, the draw of conspiracy theories, and two, the Christian nationalist piece to the whole story.
Let's take a deep dive into this topic and see what we can uncover!
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Friday Jan 01, 2021
Racism + Church Hurt = Deconstruction (with Seven)
Friday Jan 01, 2021
Friday Jan 01, 2021
This final episode of 2020 features an eye-opening and informative interview with Seven, a rapper and former megachurch pastoral staff member from Jacksonville, Florida.
Seven and his wife experienced not just church hurt during their time as part of the congregation, the situation became much worse as he transitioned into a position on the church staff. Turns out that the only reason the church wanted him on staff was for him to be the "face of diversity" at what was actually an organization with deep and systemic racism at its core. How can this all be reconciled with both a supposedly loving God, and a loving church?
As a result of his experiences, Seven walked away from it all...and is now speaking out.
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Follow Seven on Twitter @SevenJ_SJM
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Monday Dec 21, 2020
Monday Dec 21, 2020
In this special bonus episode, I'm bringing back recent guest Frank Schaeffer, son of the hugely famous and influential Francis and Edith Schaeffer.
As we discussed in our last episode, we'd return to talk about two of his books: Crazy for God and Why I'm an Atheist who Believes in God. I read them both (highly recommended, by the way), and that gave me ample content to fire questions at Frank.
As always, Frank is knowledgeable, informed, up-to-date and above all, passionate about this subject. Enjoy this special episode as an early Christmas present!
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Friday Dec 18, 2020
Surviving a Fundamentalist Bible Cult Upbringing (with Rebekah Drumsta)
Friday Dec 18, 2020
Friday Dec 18, 2020
This episode will be of great value to anyone who grew up in a fundamentalist or evangelical Bible cult background, like this week's guest--life coach Rebekah Drumsta.
Beyond talking about her incredible life's journey out of fundamentalism, and then rebuilding, we get into Rebekah's amazing work as a life coach, helping people recover from the oftentimes harmful, traumatic and toxic effects of fundamentalist or high-control religious groups.
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Follow Rebekah on Twitter @DrumstaRebekah
Visit Rebekah's Blog
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Wednesday Dec 16, 2020
MindShift Deconversion! (with Clint, Karen and Bonnie)
Wednesday Dec 16, 2020
Wednesday Dec 16, 2020
Thanks to the wonderful Karen & Bonnie from the Deconversion Therapy Podcast, we are happy to bring the full episode of our conversation from the other day.
We had a great chat, talking about our own backstories growing up in evangelicalism, Trump politics and the Christian Right, and which evangelical leaders we'd like to punch in the throat right now.
Enjoy!
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Follow Deconversion Therapy on Twitter @The_DeConverted
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Monday Dec 14, 2020
Monday Dec 14, 2020
In this special bonus episode, I'm chatting with Jared Yates Sexton, who is the co-host of the Muckrake Podcast along with Nick Hauselman.
An associate professor at Georgia Southern University, Jared is also the author of the 2020 book American Rule: How a Nation Conquered the World but Failed Its People.
As both an author and political analyst, Jared is perfectly positioned to comment on the developments within Trumpism currently, but also to discuss the historic elements that have led us to where we're at today...with a strongman president, Christian nationalism, American exceptionalism, and the cult of Trumpism that is based on conspiracy theories.
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Monday Dec 07, 2020
Monday Dec 07, 2020
In this fourth bonus episode, I'm taking a slightly different direction away from the charismatic "apostles and prophets" who failed in their predictions of a Trump landslide.
This time, I'm looking at the issue of why voices on the Christian Right--who might possibly disavow their more charismatic brothers and sisters--are amplifying and promoting the same conspiracy theories Trump is touting?
Let's take a deep dive into this and look at what some are saying, and why it's a vert important subject to break down right now.
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