Beyond Harmless

What do you do when a room that once welcomed you suddenly turns cold, and no one will tell you why?

In Episode 3 of Beyond Harmless, we’re talking about what it feels like to be the target of a smear campaign. I share personal experiences of isolation, broken connections, and the painful realization that people you’ve known for years may believe a story without ever asking you about it.

We’ll explore the pressure to defend yourself, the grief of betrayal, and how faith, boundaries, and supportive relationships can help you move forward. We’ll also make an important distinction: truthfully sharing your experience, seeking support, or reporting harm is not a smear campaign.

If you’re exhausted from trying to prove who you are, this conversation is for you. Someone else’s accusations do not have to become your life’s assignment.

Find resources and download my free Shrewd Harmless Bible study on Diotrephes and smear campaigns at taneiseperry.com.

Follow Beyond Harmless for new conversations every Tuesday.

Could a smear campaign begin with a prayer request?

In Episode 2 of Beyond Harmless, we’re examining the smear campaign playbook: why someone might spread lies or distorted stories, how they gain people’s sympathy, and how those stories can turn others against the person being targeted.

I’ll unpack what I call the three C’s: character, credibility, and connections. Through a fictional roommate scenario inspired by behavior I’ve witnessed, we’ll explore how small seeds of doubt can grow into accusations that reach someone’s friends, family, workplace, and church.

We’ll also ask an uncomfortable question: Does being kind, educated, or a person of faith mean we can recognize when we’re being manipulated?

This conversation invites us to examine what we hear before we help spread it, while recognizing that genuine requests for support deserve care.

Next episode, we’ll look at smear campaigns from the perspective of those enduring them.

Explore resources and download my free Shrewd Harmless Bible study on Diotrephes and smear campaigns at taneiseperry.com.

We learned to be harmless. But who taught us to be shrewd?

In this first episode of Beyond Harmless, I’m sharing how a decades-long friendship led me to learn about narcissism, pursue a master’s degree in psychology, and ask some uncomfortable questions about what we’ve been taught to recognize, especially in church.

What happens when harmful behavior comes wrapped in faith? Can we tell the difference between someone having a bad day and someone showing a pattern of manipulation? And why do we sometimes spend more time defending someone from a label than examining the harm they cause?

We’ll talk about discernment, what I call the “doctrine of SELF,” and why I’m beginning this podcast with smear campaigns. I’ll also share my hope for churches that are prepared to recognize abuse and respond with care.

I’m a Christian, but you don’t have to share my faith to learn alongside me. Bring your questions, your willingness to learn, and yes, your sense of humor.

Find the free Shrewd Harmless Bible study on smear campaigns and Diotrephes at taneiseperry.com.

We learned to be harmless. But who taught us to be shrewd?

Meet Taneise Perry, host of Beyond Harmless, a podcast exploring narcissism, manipulation, smear campaigns, and the patterns we wish we had recognized sooner. Through personal experience, lessons from psychology, and lots of biblical reflection, we’ll learn to be discerning without losing the good in us.

The first three episodes arrive November 3. Follow Beyond Harmless and join the conversation.

www.taneiseperry.com