Restorative Faith

In our opening episode of Season 2, we explore the roots of the modern evangelical purity culture. We speak with Linda Kay Klein, the author of Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free, about her experiences growing up in purity culture. We also speak with Rev. TC Anderson, a Presbyterian pastor who is attempting to reform the way youth are taught about sex and sexuality in the church. Finally, we interview Dr. Gregory Sapp, professor of religious studies at Stetson University about the historical background of why the church has traditionally been so fearful of anything having to do with sexuality.

Featured Guests (in order of appearance):

Linda Kay Klein

Rev. TC Anderson

Dr. Gregory Sapp

Each season of Restorative Faith revolves around a specific theme that has caused people to walk away from the Christian faith. This season is about evil and its role in driving people away from the church.

Each episode includes human interest stories, experts in science and psychology and biblical scholars the likes of Reza Aslan. Join me, Alex Lang, as we break down the Christian faith one piece at a time and rebuild it into something that is actually worth believing.

In the final episode of Season 1, after exploring all the various ways that the Christian faith has fallen short when it comes to defining evil, we ask the question: does Christianity still have something to offer when it comes to our understanding of right and wrong as we enter into a future where organized religion is becoming less and less relevant? We begin by speaking with Lori Jones, a friend of my colleague Rebekah Anderson, who describes the events that compelled her to abandon the church.

We also interview Dr. Reza Aslan, the New York Times bestselling author of No God but God and Zealot. Dr. Aslan discusses why the church is in crisis and what the church needs to do in order to survive in our current cultural environment. Finally, we talk with Rich Havard, the founder of the Inclusive Collective, a group that draws on college students from several academic institutions around the city of Chicago, who is in the process of building the church of the future.

Featured Guests (in order of appearance): Lori Jones Dr. Reza Aslan Rich Havard

In episode 5 of Season 1, we discuss the idea of corporate sin. Perhaps the greatest corporate sin in which all humans participate is climate change. We speak with Emily Alford, a member of my congregation, who tells her story of how she came to have a deep passion for promoting proper stewardship of our planet. We also interview Dr. Jenny Dunn, research professor in Chemical Engineering at Northwestern University. Dr. Dunn studies emerging technologies, their energy and environmental impacts, and their potential to shift the tide of climate change. Finally, we caught up with Dr. Dixon Sutherland, professor of religious studies at Stetson University, who has spent his career studying the Christian interplay with environmental ethics. Dr. Dixon helps us to understand the theology behind why the evangelical Christian movement is so committed to the denial of climate change science.

Featured Guests (in order of appearance): Emily Alford Dr. Jenny Dunn Dr. Dixon Sutherland

In episode 4 of Season 1, we discuss what is perhaps the most cited reason for rejecting God and the church—the atrocity of genocide. We speak with Magda Brown, a survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp. We also interview Dr. Peter Lourgos, a forensic psychiatrist who studies criminal behavior, who helps us to delve into the psychological roots of what allowed the Holocaust to transpire. Finally, we hear from Rabbi Lisa Bellows, who explores the Jewish reaction to the Holocaust via post-Holocaust theology.

Featured Guests (in order of appearance): Magda Brown Dr. Peter Lourgos Rabbi Lisa Bellows

In episode 3 of Season 1, we explore the role of generational sin (the idea that God passes a curse from one generation to the next) in how Christians account for evil in the world. We speak with Jane Treppa and Steve Drey, two people who have had to deal with the tragic repercussions of mental illness in their family of origin. We also sat down with Rabbi Rob Jury to learn about the Jewish take on the Old Testament scriptures that claim God curses our families. Finally, we interview psychotherapist, Samantha Bill, about the psychological science that cause parents to pass both positive and negative behaviors down to their children.

Featured Guests (in order of appearance): Jane Treppa Rabbi Rob Jury Samantha Bill Steve Drey

In episode 2 of Season 1, we explore the role of angels and demons in how Christians account for evil in the world. We speak with Dawn Bruce, a member of my congregation, who grew up in a very conservative church. When she unexpectedly became pregnant at the age of 14, the members of her church told her that she was carrying the Devil's child. We also interview Dr. Donald Kaasch about the historical roots of how angels and demons became intertwined in the Christian faith.

Featured Guests (in order of appearance): Dawn Bruce Dr. Donald Kaasch

In our opening episode of Season 1, we explore why the story of Adam and Eve has been such an enduring explanation of the genesis of evil in our world. We speak with Francie Taylor, a member of my congregation who grew up believing that everything written in the Bible was literal, factual history. We also interview Dr. Gregory Sapp, professor of religious studies at Stetson University about the historical roots of why modern Christians are so wedded to a literal reading of the Adam and Eve story.

Featured Guests (in order of appearance): Francie Taylor Dr. Gregory Sapp