Rebecca McLaughlin joins Faith Lab to confront Christianity’s hardest objections and ask whether Christian faith can actually stand up to serious scrutiny.

In this conversation, Nate and Shelby talk with Rebecca about the historical reliability of the Gospels, eyewitness testimony, women in the early Christian movement, moral critiques of Christianity, and the problem of suffering. Rather than treating faith as a blind leap, Rebecca explains why Christianity has always made public and testable claims about reality, claims that invite investigation rather than shut it down.

They explore why Jesus continues to provoke resistance, how modern skepticism often relies on values Christianity helped introduce, and why deconstruction so often happens when questions are postponed rather than engaged. From the resurrection accounts and the presence of embarrassing details in the Gospels to the role of women as primary witnesses, this episode walks through why the Christian story may be far more historically and intellectually resilient than many assume.

This episode is for skeptics, deconstructing Christians, and anyone wondering whether Christianity can survive honest doubt in a pluralistic world by facing hard questions directly rather than avoiding them.

Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email [email protected]

Become a member and get:

1. Bonus episodes

2. Ad-free episodes

3. Early release episodes

4. Access to the private Faith Lab Facebook Group (350+ listeners)

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This is a preview, listen to the full bonus episode here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/148177291

Faith usually doesn’t disappear all at once. It tends to erode slowly when questions feel unsafe or when certainty is treated as a requirement.

In this bonus episode, Nate reflects on the first two episodes of Faith Lab:

Deconstruction Led Me Back to Christianity.

Faith Isn't Supposed to be Blind with Shane Rosenthal

Nate responds to an idea from Shane Rosenthal that reshaped how he thinks about faith as trust rather than certainty. He shares how that shift helped him make sense of deconstruction, answers a couple listener questions about the direction of the show, and reads a listener story that captures what it feels like to find faith again through honesty and time.

This episode is a quiet reflection on rebuilding trust without pretending and following questions without fear.

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For most people, faith means believing without evidence. A leap. A feeling. Something you are told to accept rather than question.

But what if that is not what faith meant at all?

In this conversation, Nate and Shelby sit down with Shane Rosenthal to explore why the New Testament idea of faith was rooted in trust, eyewitness testimony, and public events rather than blind belief. They unpack how faith slowly became detached from evidence, why that shift matters, and how it helps explain why so many people deconstruct today.

This is not about winning arguments or turning Christianity into an academic exercise. It is about recovering a version of faith that expects questions, invites investigation, and gives real reasons to believe.

You can find Shane’s work at humbleskeptic.com, and be sure to check out this recent video he released on whether archaeologists have discovered biblical Bethsaida⁠.

If you have ever wondered why doubt feels inevitable, or why you were never taught this side of the story, this conversation is for you.

Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email [email protected]

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1. Bonus episodes

2. All full-length, ad-free episodes

3. Access to our private community of 350+ listeners

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Nate Hanson reflects on his journey with the podcast Almost Heretical, discussing the process of deconstruction and how it led him to a deeper understanding of Christianity. He shares his experiences of doubt, the search for evidence, and the transition to a new show called Faith Lab, which aims to explore the historical and philosophical foundations of the Christian faith.

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Could one ancient cloth change how we see the resurrection? Dr. Jeremiah Johnston joins us to unpack the Shroud of Turin, its baffling science, strange history, and the image that no one can explain.

Does this relic prove Jesus physically rose from the dead, or is it just a misunderstood artifact? We explore what happens when modern science collides with first-century faith.

Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email  [email protected]

Become a member and get:

1. Bonus episodes and aftershows

2. All full-length, ad-free episodes

3. Access to Heretical Together (our private community of 350+ listeners)

Become a member: almostheretical.com/premium

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To listen to the full episode, become a premium member here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-did-jesus-133702952

Shelby and Nate tackle your biggest questions about hell, Paul, and the authority of Scripture. Did Jesus really teach eternal torment? What do we do with parts of the Bible that no longer reflect our values? And are we all just picking and choosing?

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Shelby and Nate explore the intriguing question of why Jesus did not write anything down during his lifetime. They discuss the implications of this question on our understanding of faith and scripture, emphasizing the oral tradition of the time and the significance of Jesus' teachings in a present-tense context. The conversation also touches on the historical perspective of Jesus as a local rabbi and the lack of immediate written records from his followers, suggesting that the movement was seen as urgent and relevant to their time rather than a long-term religious institution.

Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email  [email protected]

Become a member and get:

1. Bonus episodes and aftershows

2. All full-length, ad-free episodes

3. Access to Heretical Together (our private community of 350+ listeners)

Become a member: almostheretical.com/premium

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What if the stories at the end of Genesis weren’t just family drama—but political storytelling?

In this episode, Nate and Shelby revisit six key moments from Genesis 27 to 50—including Jacob stealing Esau’s blessing, Dinah and Shechem, Judah and Tamar, and Joseph’s rise in Egypt—to explore how these stories may have been written to explain Israel’s political identity, tribal dynamics, and national origin.

We talk about:

Why Jacob and Esau’s rivalry reflects Israel vs. Edom

What Jacob’s wrestling match really says about the name "Israel"

How the story of Dinah might not be about justice at all

The subversive role of Tamar and why she’s called righteous

Why Joseph marrying an Egyptian priest’s daughter created tension later

And how Genesis closes by blessing tribes that already existed

These aren’t just ancient stories—they’re layered political texts that reveal how Israel saw itself and its neighbors. Join us as we read Genesis a little more historically, and a little more honestly.

Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email  [email protected]

Become a member and get:

1. Bonus episodes and aftershows

2. All full-length, ad-free episodes

3. Access to Heretical Together (our private community of 350+ listeners)

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Listen to the FULL episode here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/128901088

Listeners sent us 49 pages of questions and comments—and in this bonus episode, we tackle some of the best. We explore whether Paul’s theology rewrote the faith, how James and Paul define “salvation” differently, and why First Timothy might not even be Pauline. We also dive into whether Jesus really talked about hell more than heaven, what “saved through childbearing” could mean, and why Acts and Galatians paint two conflicting timelines of Paul’s journey.

Other highlights include:

Did Paul influence the Gospels?

Why doesn’t Paul quote Jesus?

Is Acts trying to legitimize Paul?

What even is Gehenna, and should we rethink hell?

Where do Nate and Shelby land with their own faith?

Plus, an honest conversation about community, politics, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and how to live together with deep differences.

Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email  [email protected]

Become a member and get:

1. Bonus episodes and aftershows

2. All full-length, ad-free episodes

3. Access to Heretical Together (our private community of 350+ listeners)

Become a member: almostheretical.com/premium

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→ Download the Practice Christianity Without Paul reflection booklet here (https://www.patreon.com/posts/jesus-faith-and-128319083)

→ Access the Paul-Free Church Statement of Faith (https://www.patreon.com/posts/church-statement-128321301)

What does it mean to be a Christian without Paul? In this series finale, we walk through five alternate paths the Jesus movement could have taken—and still can—without relying on Paul’s theology. From mystical wisdom to Jewish observance to political resistance, we explore practical ways to follow Jesus that aren’t rooted in Pauline doctrine. Nate and Shelby also unveil a brand new “Paul-Free” Statement of Faith and share a reflection booklet for premium members.

Paul Series:
Part 1 (https://www.patreon.com/posts/123045409)
Part 2 (https://www.patreon.com/posts/124165907)
Part 3 (https://www.patreon.com/posts/125186503)
Part 4 (https://www.patreon.com/posts/126248455)
Part 5 (https://www.patreon.com/posts/128318250)

Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email [email protected]

Chapters

00:00 Exploring the Existence of Paul and His Influence

12:06 Imagining Christianity Without Paul

22:28 The Ebionites and Early Christian Movements

23:26 Exploring Early Christian Beliefs

28:35 Potential Paths of Early Christianity

30:05 Modern Reflections on Following Jesus

37:36 Paths of Justice and Action

41:31 Reimagining Faith Without Paul

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