I was a Teenage Fundamentalist. An Exvangelical podcast.

We engage in a deep conversation with Luke Wilson, a Canadian scholar, about his experiences growing up in a fundamentalist environment and the impact of conversion therapy on LGBTQ+ individuals. Luke shares his journey from being a teenage fundamentalist to confronting his sexuality, his time at Liberty University, and the harrowing experiences of conversion therapy. The discussion highlights the psychological and emotional toll of these practices, the importance of community support, and the need for awareness and advocacy against conversion therapy. Luke's book, 'Shame Sex Attraction: Survivor Stories of Conversion Therapy,' serves as a powerful testament to the resilience of survivors and the continuing but urgent need for change in church attitudes towards LGBTQ+ individuals.

Where to get Shame-Sex Attraction

• In Australia
• In the U.S.
• In the U.K. 

Luke on social media:

• Instagram: @lukeslamdunkwilson
• Threads: @lukeslamdunkwilson
• Bluesky: @lukeslamdunkwilson.bsky.social
• Twitter/X: @wilson_fw
• LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucas-wilson-2a0753b1/
• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/luke.wilson.96

List of Books/Resources

• Brandan Robertson's Queer & Christian: Reclaiming the Bible, Our Faith, and Our Place at the Table
• Matthew Vines' God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships
• Justin Lee's Torn: Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays-vs.-Christians DebateLinks:

Takeaways

• Luke was raised in a Fellowship Evangelical Baptist environment.
• He became involved in the church during high school.
• His family had a mix of religious beliefs, influencing his journey.
• Luke's youth group experience was shaped by his desire for acceptance.
• He felt pressure to conform to religious expectations regarding his sexuality.
• Luke attended Liberty University, a prominent evangelical institution.
• He was heavily involved in campus activities and leadership roles.
• The church provided a way for Luke to mask his sexuality.
• He reflects on the challenges of reconciling faith and identity.
• Luke's academic work focuses on the harms of conversion therapy. Luke studied English, French, and history at Liberty University.
• Liberty University is heavily involved in conservative politics.
• Conversion therapy is framed as pastoral counseling at Liberty.
• Luke's plan was to pray the gay away through conversion therapy.
• He felt he had one foot in and one foot out of the church.
• Luke experienced a flirty advance from his spiritual life director.
• He wrote poetry to cope with his feelings of shame.
• Conversion therapy aimed to change sexual orientation and gender identity.
• The aftermath of conversion therapy led to self-hatred and shame.
• Deprogramming from conversion therapy takes significant mental energy. Showering became a sign of anxiety for many in conversion therapy.
• Shame is a common consequence of conversion therapy experiences.
• There are diverse yet unifying factors in conversion therapy stories.
• Some stories from conversion therapy are shocking and visceral.
• Conversion practices are often motivated by genocidal intentions.
• The impact of conversion therapy extends to identity and community.
• Community support is crucial for those affected by conversion therapy.
• The book aims to affirm survivors and raise awareness about conversion practices.
• Intervening against conversion therapy involves unconditional love and support.
• Finding community as ex-Christians can be a healing process.

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Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone, and Recovering from Religion is here to help.

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In this episode, Troy welcomes Ryan James, and together they tell the story of his brother Jonas James and his struggles with identity, music, drugs and Christianity. They explore the complexities of family dynamics, childhood trauma, and the impact of mental health on Jonas' journey. The conversation explores a complex individual who navigated various phases of spirituality, community, and personal struggles. Ultimately, it reflects on Jonas, his journey, the lessons learned, and the legacy he almost left behind.

Links:

• Jonas James on YouTube
• Photos of Jonas

---

We're on YouTube here.

Want more? Check out our exclusive Patreon episodes here.

Our blog is here.

Join the conversation and connect with others here.

The transcript of this episode is here.

All our other links are here. 

Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone, and Recovering from Religion is here to help.

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In this episode, Troy and Brian welcome Josie McSkimming, and discuss her new memoir, 'Gutsy Girls: Love, Poetry and Sisterhood.' The conversation delves into Josie's experiences growing up in a volatile family environment, her journey through fundamentalism, and the influence of her sister, renowned poet Dorothy Porter. They explore themes of resistance, creativity, and the complexities of family dynamics, particularly in the context of trauma and fundamentalist Christianity. Josie shares insights on the importance of self-acceptance and offers advice for women navigating their own paths after leaving fundamentalist backgrounds.

Links:

• Gutsy Girls | UQP
• Gutsy Girls | Amazon
• Leaving Christian Fundamentalism and the Reconstruction of Identity
• Josie McSkimming | Sydney Eastern Suburbs Counselling Services
• Josie on Ep 25 of this podcast in 2021
• Josie on a Patreon Live call in 2023
• The Fiery Maze - Album by Tim Finn | Spotify

---

We're on YouTube here.

Want more? Check out our exclusive Patreon episodes here.

Our blog is here.

Join the conversation and connect with others here.

The transcript of this episode is here.

All our other links are here. 

Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone, and Recovering from Religion is here to help.

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In this episode, Troy and Brian engage with Sarah Bacaller, editor of the book, 'Apostate: Stories of Deconversion'. They explore Sarah's background in fundamentalism, her academic pursuits in philosophy, and her reflections on the ethical implications of church authority. The discussion delves into personal narratives of deconversion, the impact of evangelical theology on mental health, and the importance of critical thinking in faith contexts. Sarah shares her complex relationship with faith, shaped by her upbringing in a minister's family and the trauma associated with it. She reflects on her journey through academia, transitioning to a secular environment, and the motivations behind her book 'Apostate,' which collects diverse stories of deconversion. 

Links

• Sarah Bacaller's website
• Apostate: Stories of Deconversion - Apocryphile Press

---

We're on YouTube here.

Want more? Check out our exclusive Patreon episodes here.

Our blog is here.

Join the conversation and connect with others here.

The transcript of this episode is here.

All our other links are here. 

Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone, and Recovering from Religion is here to help.

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Dr. Cath McKinney is the Professional Supervision Program Director at the University of Divinity in Australia. Her background includes extensive experience as a group relations consultant, a prison chaplain and inner-city minister. In this episode, Cath shares her journey from a complex religious upbringing to her experiences in church leadership, motherhood, and academia. She discusses the challenges her expulsion from a church community aligned with the God Squad Christian Motorcycle Club due to her advocacy for inclusivity. Through her experiences, she highlights the need for compassion and understanding in the face of religious trauma and the ongoing struggle for social justice within faith communities.

---

We're on YouTube here.

Want more? Check out our exclusive Patreon episodes here.

Our blog is here.

Join the conversation and connect with others here.

The transcript of this episode is here.

All our other links are here. 

Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone, and Recovering from Religion is here to help.

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Kicking off the first episode of 2025, Troy and Brian revisit their conversion stories...after four years of Exvangelical podcasting. They explore their early lives, the vulnerabilities that led them to embrace fundamentalist Christianity, and the roles of community and belonging in their experiences. The conversation delves into the impact of identity, and the emotional manipulation often present in Christian environments. They reflect on the long-term effects of their conversions, emphasising the importance of vulnerability and belonging at the very beginning of their Christian journeys.

Links

• Brian's first conversion story episode is here.
• Troy's first conversion story episode is here.

---

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Want more? Check out our exclusive Patreon episodes here.

Our blog is here.

Join the conversation and connect with others here.

The transcript of this episode is here.

All our other links are here. 

Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone, and Recovering from Religion is here to help.

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In our second episode back in 2021, troy talked a little about his pre-conversion home life and his experience of two Christian camps. It was at the second camp where he found himself speaking in tongues and started to wear the label, 'born-again'.

 As part of our 2025 Down Under Summer Series, we're replaying our best episodes. We hope you enjoy them as much as we did. 

---

We're on YouTube here.

Want more? Check out our exclusive Patreon episodes here.

Our blog is here.

Join the conversation and connect with others here.

The transcript of this episode is here.

All our other links are here. 

Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone, and Recovering from Religion is here to help.

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Let's go right back to the beginning. In Season 1 Episode 1, Brian recounted his conversion story. "No bibles, no preaching, no god-bothering!" These were the conditions he put upon his two brothers, who had recently converted to Pentecostal Christianity, if he were to visit them while on holidays. What happened next would change the course of his life and still continues to impact who he is today.

As part of our 2025 Down Under Summer Series, we're replaying out best episodes. We hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

---

We're on YouTube here.

Want more? Check out our exclusive Patreon episodes here.

Our blog is here.

Join the conversation and connect with others here.

The transcript of this episode is here.

All our other links are here. 

Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone, and Recovering from Religion is here to help.

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In 2023, we talked with Clare Heath-McIvor, an exvangelical blogger and podcaster who has been operating under the pseudonym 'Kit Kennedy' since a dramatic and shunning-esque exit from her pastor father's church in 2016. In 2022, she and her ex-husband (a gay conversion therapy survivor) became whistleblowers for a 60 Minutes Australia political and religious expose on her father's City Builders Church and its tactics in Australian conservative politics. 

Trigger warning: This episode touches on issues concerning depression and suicide. If you are in Australia and require support, please reach out to 1800RESPECT by phone or online at www.1800respect.org.au/ or Lifeline on 13 11 14.

You can connect with Clare at www.unchurchablepodcast.com. If you want to explore her whistleblowing story, then see the links below:

• 60 Minutes Australia - Praying For Power: Caring church or crazy cult
• The Age Newspaper #1 - Liberal Party Candidate Agent for Ultra-Conservative Church, Family Says
• #2 - Speaking in Tongues, Exorcisms and Control: Life in City Builders
• #3 - Inside City Builders, the Pentecostal Sect with Lofty Political Goals
• #4 - Ultra-Conservative Candidate won’t sit in the party room if elected
• #5 - Shame on you: Liberal Party figure caught using fake 007 pics and fake identity for dirty tricks

As part of our 2025 Down Under Summer Series, we're replaying out best episodes. We hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

---

We're now on video on YouTube here.

Want more? Check out our exclusive Patreon episodes here.

Join the conversation and connect with others here.

All our links are here. 

Transcript of this episode is here.

Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone, and Recovering from Religion is here to help.

We came out of the gate swinging for this first episode of Season 4, and unpacked some of the most problematic and ridiculous aspects of the doctrine of eternal torment, aka Hell. We also gave some suggestions on how to overcome the fear of Hell.

The resources suggested in this episode are:

Christian

• That All Shall Be Saved: Heaven, Hell, and Universal Salvation: Hart, David Bentley
• Grace Saves All: Christianity and Universal Salvation Podcast
• Love Wins: At the Heart of Life’s Big Questions : Bell, Rob

Post-Christian

• Heaven and Hell: A History of the Afterlife : Ehrman, Bart D
• Bart Ehrman on the Humanize Me Podcast
• Am I Going to Hell?: Bart Ehrman

As part of our 2025 Down Under Summer Series, we're replaying out best episodes. We hope you enjoy them as much as we did. 

---

We're now on video on YouTube here.

Want more? Check out our exclusive Patreon episodes here.

Join the conversation and connect with others here.

All our links are here. 

Transcript of this episode is here.

Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone, and Recovering from Religion is here to help.