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This is a special episode swap with my friend Amy Fritz at the Untangled Faith podcast. This episode was originally released in August 2023.

Dr. Karen Swallow Prior joins Amy Fritz on the Untangled Faith podcast to talk about how Stories, Metaphors, and Images have influenced the Evangelical imagination.

We should always be trying to be aware of cultural influences and think about how they shape us as humans. - Karen Swallow Prior

In this episode we:

• Discuss the cultural forces that drive evangelical norms.
• Learn some context and origin and development of the evangelical faith.
• Contend with sentimentality issues complicating the evangelical landscape.
• Grapple with the issues of incongruence between the message and the messenger.

Episodes you might enjoy:

Untangled Faith Episode 86: Shiny Happy People: The Impact of IBLP and Bill Gothard on the Evangelical Church

Resources:

Find Dr. Karen Swallow Prior on Substack
Buy Karen's book on Amazon | Bookshop
Subscribe to the Untangled Faith Substack

Get the full show notes and links here. 📄

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Broken to Beloved is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that works to provide those wounded by spiritual abuse and religious trauma with practical resources moving toward healing and wholeness, and to provide pastors and church leaders with resources to grow in trauma awareness and implement safeguarding practices. Get more information or give a tax-free donation here.
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This is a special episode swap with my friends at the "Why God Why" podcast. This episode was originally released in February 2024.

In this raw and poignant episode of Why God Why, we delve into the delicate and often painful topic of church harm and the credibility of Christianity. Hosts Amanda D'Angelo and Peter Englert are joined by returning guest Brian Lee, who bravely shares his personal experiences of spiritual abuse and his journey toward healing and advocacy.

Brian, a seasoned voice on the subject and founder of the nonprofit Broken to Beloved, offers a candid look at the darker side of church life, addressing the critical question: "Why does it feel like churches cause more harm than good?" With vulnerability and insight, Brian discusses the power dynamics and control issues that can lead to toxic church environments, and how these experiences have shaped his mission to support others through similar struggles.

Listeners will be invited into a space of reflection and empathy as Amanda, Peter, and Brian navigate the complexities of reconciling faith with the reality of church-induced wounds. This episode is not just an exploration of the problems but also a beacon of hope for those seeking to create healthier, more compassionate faith communities.

For anyone who has felt the sting of spiritual betrayal or is grappling with the imperfections of religious institutions, this conversation offers solace and a reminder that you are not alone. Your story matters, and there are paths to healing and redemption within and beyond the walls of the church.

If you or someone you know has been affected by church harm, visit brokentobeloved.org for resources and support. And remember, your voice is crucial to this ongoing dialogue—reach out with your questions and stories to [email protected]. Your contributions are invaluable as we confront these challenging issues together.

Listen in for a heart-wrenching yet hopeful examination of faith, hurt, and the relentless pursuit of a church that truly embodies the love and grace it preaches.

Get the full show notes and links here. 📄

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Broken to Beloved is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that works to provide those wounded by spiritual abuse and religious trauma with practical resources moving toward healing and wholeness, and to provide pastors and church leaders with resources to grow in trauma awareness and implement safeguarding practices. Get more information or give a tax-free donation here.
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This is the last episode in our series on what we value at Broken to Beloved. You can also listen to our previous values, Curiosity over Certainty, Goodness over Wickedness, and People over Position.

This week, I'm presenting our final three values as a work in progress:

• Connection over Isolation
• Wholeness over Brokenness
• Agency over Prescription

Given the choice, I want to include and welcome people into community and connection. We resist the act of othering and excluding.

We want to live with integrity, bringing our whole selves wherever we go.

We recognize that abuse so often strips us of our voice and choice. We want to equip you to rediscover and reclaim your voice, and to empower you to make your own choices. We want to avoid telling you what to do or how to do it, and prefer to offer options that have worked for us and others. As our friend Aundi Kolber often says, "take what you need."

I'll also provide some updates on the Giving Tuesday campaign (thank you!!), our 2024 Annual Report for donors, a preview of the upcoming 2025 Summit, and wrap up the podcast for this season.

Thank you again for being here. I'll see you again in the new year.

If you’d like to donate to support our work at Broken to Beloved, you can give at our website today.

Get the full show notes and links here. 📄

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Spread the Word. Leave a Rating and Review. It would mean the world if you would leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. They’ll help us share these conversations and resources with more people, and let us know how we can better serve you.
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Broken to Beloved is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that works to provide those wounded by spiritual abuse and religious trauma with practical resources moving toward healing and wholeness, and to provide pastors and church leaders with resources to grow in trauma awareness and implement safeguarding practices. Get more information or give a tax-free donation here.
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Broken to Beloved has been officially operating for just over a year now, and I'm proud of the way we've made a difference for thousands across the world. We've worked with individuals in 49 states and 55 countries. We've heard and held your stories, and offered practical tools to move toward healing and wholeness through our Summit, Cohort, Book Club, Podcast, Conference, and Gathering.

In this week's episode, learn about the vision we set last year, how we did, and what we're looking forward to.

You'll hear a few stories from some of you who have participated in our programs, and a few words from some old and new friends.

This Giving Tuesday, will you help us reach our goal of raising $10,000? We're looking for individuals to join us in monthly, annual, or one-time giving anywhere from $5 up to whatever you're able. We've already received gifts of $5 and $7 up to $500 and $1,000 and more!

I'm humbled and grateful for each of you, and thankful you're part of this community.

If you’d like to donate to support our work, you can give at our website today.

Get the full show notes and links here. 📄

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Spread the Word. Leave a Rating and Review. It would mean the world if you would leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. They’ll help us share these conversations and resources with more people, and let us know how we can better serve you.
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Broken to Beloved is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that works to provide those wounded by spiritual abuse and religious trauma with practical resources moving toward healing and wholeness, and to provide pastors and church leaders with resources to grow in trauma awareness and implement safeguarding practices. Get more information or give a tax-free donation here.
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We're continuing our series on what we value at Broken to Beloved. You can also listen to our previous values, Curiosity over Certainty and Goodness over Wickedness.

This week, I want to talk about how we want to view people.

We believe that all of humanity is created in the image of God, and is therefore crated with intention, purpose, and beauty. Beloved. We believe that we are created for community and for each other. If the Body of Christ is meant to fit together perfectly with each person purposefully made, then none of us can say to the other that we don’t fit or belong.

We will be a community that moves toward others, preferring proximity over polarization. We seek to see and understand others, hearing to listen and not to speak.

We will avoid a posture of othering and affirm and acknowledge our common humanity and the divine diversity. We will work to be good neighbors as the Samaritan was to the Jewish man.

We were made to be different on purpose, and we were made to be together. Community is part of our design, and it does harm to those around us when we dismiss, demean, and diminish anyone else because of something we call faith.

If it comes down to choosing to see and recognize someone’s humanity over what I believe to be true, I’m going to choose to see someone as Beloved, made in the image of God, and designed to be in community with me in some way.

How about you?

If you’d like to donate to support our work at Broken to Beloved, you can give at our website today.

Get the full show notes and links here. 📄

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Spread the Word. Leave a Rating and Review. It would mean the world if you would leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. They’ll help us share these conversations and resources with more people, and let us know how we can better serve you.
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Broken to Beloved is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that works to provide those wounded by spiritual abuse and religious trauma with practical resources moving toward healing and wholeness, and to provide pastors and church leaders with resources to grow in trauma awareness and implement safeguarding practices. Get more information or give a tax-free donation here.
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This the second episode in a short series on our values. You can listen to our first shared value, "Curiosity over Certainty" in Episode 20 here.

By choosing goodness over wickedness, we affirm the original goodness of every human being and reject a theology that shames, demeans, and devalues. We choose a view of humanity rooted in Genesis 1, not Genesis 2. We reject a “worm theology” that declares our wretchedness and depravity, clinging instead to the truth of the gospel, freedom from condemnation in Christ, and our redemption to God.

Your default nature is not sinfulness, wickedness, and depravity. It is created for beauty, co-creation, and goodness.

“Though we are prone to sin and stray from God, it is important to remember that before original sin, we were clothed with original glory. God longs for humankind to experience the full restoration of our original glory, which we enjoyed at the beginning of creation.” (Ken Shigematsu, Now I Become Myself)

“Self-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us the “Beloved.” Being the Beloved constitutes the core truth of our existence.” (Henri Nouwen, Life of the Beloved)

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Spread the Word. Leave a Rating and Review. It would mean the world if you would leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. They’ll help us share these conversations and resources with more people, and let us know how we can better serve you.
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Broken to Beloved is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that works to provide those wounded by spiritual abuse and religious trauma with practical resources moving toward healing and wholeness, and to provide pastors and church leaders with resources to grow in trauma awareness and implement safeguarding practices. Get more information or give a tax-free donation here.
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CW/TW: This episode includes references to some child physical abuse and to overtly Christian language.

How does our story and theology impact our identity? How do the stories we tell ourselves or are reminded of change the way we see ourselves? How much do they keep us from seeing and embracing our inherent belovedness?

In this week’s episode, I speak with Broken to Beloved board member Brett Deal about his own story and journey from brokenness to belovedness. We talk about following the example of Jesus in walking away from situations and relationships, and the significance of understanding our own stories.

When our unexamined stories are carried forward throughout our lives, how can we begin to understand their meaning? What kind of healing can we find when we address deeper wounds that exacerbate current ones?

Healing and wholeness can be found when we find places and people who offer safety, vulnerability, and an opportunity to be heard, believed, and known. We hope you find that here.

If you’d like to donate to support our work at Broken to Beloved, you can give at our website today.

Get the full show notes and links here. 📄

Episode Resources and Links

• Support Broken to Beloved
• Episode 15 with Chuck DeGroat
• When to Walk Away by Gary Thomas on Bookshop | on Amazon
• Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse by Lisa Oakley and Justin Humphreys on Bookshop | on Amazon
• What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo on Bookshop | on Amazon
• Truth and Repair by Judith Herman on Bookshop | on Amazon

Guest Spotlight

Brett serves in Richmond, VA, at Eternity Church. Over the last 20 years, he has pastored churches in America and Africa, teaching and train

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Spread the Word. Leave a Rating and Review. It would mean the world if you would leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. They’ll help us share these conversations and resources with more people, and let us know how we can better serve you.
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Broken to Beloved is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that works to provide those wounded by spiritual abuse and religious trauma with practical resources moving toward healing and wholeness, and to provide pastors and church leaders with resources to grow in trauma awareness and implement safeguarding practices. Get more information or give a tax-free donation here.
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Can you really ever know when you’ve experienced spiritual abuse by church leaders and organizations? Victims and survivors are so often manipulated and gaslit that they question their own memories and experiences.

This is the work Organizational Psychologist Lianna Chong is setting out to complete. Through her work with the Spiritually Abusive Leadership & Climate Survey, she is hoping to have quantifiable and scientifically validated research and hard data.

The survey measures areas like abuse of power, emotional manipulation and abuse, defend and attack (based on DARVO and gaslighting), and psychological safety.

This research will be completed in two rounds, with the first running from Nov–Dec 2024, and a second round in early 2025. The minimum goal is 300 completed surveys, with a full goal of 600.

Would you be willing to complete the survey? It’s all scaled multiple choice (strongly agree – strongly disagree), and takes about 10-15 minutes to complete. It’s fully anonymous (with a few demographic questions), and all online. You can complete it on your phone or computer.

[ take the Spiritually Abusive Leadership & Climate Survey ]

Get the full show notes and links here. 📄

Guest Spotlight 

Lianna is an organizational psychologist with experience in ministry and secular organizations. She is passionate about helping teams and leaders create environments where people can bring their best self to work. She provides training and consultation on compassion fatigue, burnout, organizational change, and psychological safety. Recently, Lianna has pivoted her focus to helping people recognize spiritually abusive leadership and promote healthier church cultures.

Lianna has a Master of Arts in Organizational Psychology, a Master of Theological Studies, and is a Certified Fearless Organization Scan (FOS) practitioner. In addition to consulting, she has served as Adjunct Faculty at William James College teaching quantitative and qualitative assessment.

Website | Substack | Instagram

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Spread the Word. Leave a Rating and Review. It would mean the world if you would leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. They’ll help us share these conversations and resources with more people, and let us know how we can better serve you.
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Broken to Beloved is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that works to provide those wounded by spiritual abuse and religious trauma with practical resources moving toward healing and wholeness, and to provide pastors and church leaders with resources to grow in trauma awareness and implement safeguarding practices. Get more information or give a tax-free donation here.
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Deconstruction has become a polarized term in the past few years. Added to the arsenal of pastors and church leaders, it’s most often used to to dismiss or demean those who have walked away from their church, or to stoke fear into the hearts and spirits of those asking hard questions.

What was once a word meant to invite conversation or to indicate an desire to learn more and grow deeper has been weaponized.

There is little that it sexy about deconstruction. It’s difficult work, and requires courage and humility. And according to research, most who are deconstructing aren’t walking away from their faith, they’re on the way to deepening and strengthening it.

In this conversation with Scot McKnight and Tommy Phillips, we discuss why so many have left the church in search of the Jesus they hear talked about but don’t see in their own churches. We talk about why theology is a cover for leaving, individuating and spiritual formation, and much more.

Get the full show notes and links here. 📄

Guest Spotlight
Scot has been a professor of NT for more than four decades. He is the author of more than 90 books, including the award-winning The Jesus Creed as well as A Church Called TOV.

Tommy Preson Phillips is a pastor at Watermark Church in Tampa, FL. He is also a songwriter and recording artist with his band Preson Phillips. He holds an MA in NT from Northern Seminary. 

Scot: Website | Instagram | Twitter/X | Threads

Tommy: Substack | Instagram | Threads | Preson Phillips band

Get your copy of Invisible Jesus on Amazon | on Bookshop

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Spread the Word. Leave a Rating and Review. It would mean the world if you would leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. They’ll help us share these conversations and resources with more people, and let us know how we can better serve you.
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Broken to Beloved is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that works to provide those wounded by spiritual abuse and religious trauma with practical resources moving toward healing and wholeness, and to provide pastors and church leaders with resources to grow in trauma awareness and implement safeguarding practices. Get more information or give a tax-free donation here.
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Here’s the first in a short series on our core values. They’re a work in progress, but I want to share them so you have an idea of our guiding principles.

This week, I’m starting with our desire to show curiosity over certainty.

How many times have we found ourselves in harm’s way for asking a question? How many times have you been met with absolutes, principles, or fundamental truths with no room for comment? Maybe you’ve felt dismissed or demeaned for questioning the way a doctrine seems out of line with the lived practices of many within the very body that professes it.

At Broken to Beloved, we want to approach faith, relationships, and life with a sense of curiosity over certainty. With awe, wonder, and mystery. Certainty leaves no room for faith, which by its very nature is an un-knowing.

If you have questions about what you believe, why you believe it, or any number of other things, you’re welcome here. And we’re glad you’re here.

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Spread the Word. Leave a Rating and Review. It would mean the world if you would leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. They’ll help us share these conversations and resources with more people, and let us know how we can better serve you.
—————
Broken to Beloved is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that works to provide those wounded by spiritual abuse and religious trauma with practical resources moving toward healing and wholeness, and to provide pastors and church leaders with resources to grow in trauma awareness and implement safeguarding practices. Get more information or give a tax-free donation here.
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As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.