I finally caught up with author and ex-evangelical Wren Story a few weeks ago. I have long followed her on Facebook and always resonated with much of what she writes about, since we have a lot in common!

In this episode, Wren and I discuss not only her backstory growing up in an evangelical church setting, we'll also get into how she ended up getting out, as well as discovering--or perhaps recovering?--her authentic self.

If like Wren you've left religion behind, but are struggling with your identity, I believe you will get a lot out of this conversation.

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If you have seen the Amazon Prime documentary "Shiny Happy People," then you'll benefit from this Patreon-only exclusive episode. 

I do a deep dive into the background of this toxic and damaging teaching, as well as exploring the Bill Gothard Institutes in Basic Life Principles connection to it all. If like me, you were raised in this movement, then you're most likely suffering from some form of religious trauma syndrome, or have encountered abuses also.

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Recently I reached out to returning guest Katherine Stewart, author of The Power Worshipers and The Good News Club, for a chat about the new Rob Reiner film, "God and Country."   In the movie, Reiner takes a good hard look at Christian nationalism, and how elements of the more extreme side of the movement have affected not just America, but indeed the world.   It turns out that the film is essentially based on Stewart's work--so she is, once again, the perfect person to chat with about these concerning trends in American politics and religion.   Kyle Mantila has an excellent article on this on the Right Wing Watch website.    Join the MindShift Podcast Patreon Community!   Follow me on X @MindShift2018

I recently caught up with Dr Matthew Taylor, senior scholar at the Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS) in Baltimore.   When it comes to the roots of the NAR--the New Apostolic Reformation--7 mountains mandate dominion theology, and more, Taylor is an absolute fount of information on these subjects, as you'll discover in this episode.   Moreover, what's even more concerning is that the new GOP Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, has longstanding affiliations with a number of NAR "prophets" and others in that camp who have long pushed their views that Christians should take dominion over society and politics. That he's also a Trump-supporting evangelical, third in line for the presidency, is yet another major concern.   To find more of Matthew's articles, click this Substack link to read more.   Join the MindShift Podcast Patreon Community!   Follow Matthew on X @TaylorMatthewD Follow me on X @MindShift2018

This week's episode features a conversation with author Sarah Hayward (no relation to David Hayward, "the Naked Pastor!") Sarah's book Giving Up God is all about walking away from organized religion, in this case Christianity, and yet trying to discover a sense of authentic spirituality.   For those of us who left a controlling religion behind, the idea of "spirituality" may be the last thing on our minds. But Sarah has an interesting take on the whole thing...I think you'll enjoy this refreshing conversation!   Find Sarah's Book Here on LakeDrive Books   Join the MindShift Podcast Patreon Community!   Follow me on X @MindShift2018

This episode marks now the second time I've done a crossover episode with Rachel Bernstein, host of the fantastic IndoctriNation podcast.

As a therapist, cult expert, and specialist in dealing with folks who suffer from religious trauma syndrome, Rachel is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to dealing with a wide variety of issues caused by cults, fundamentalist religions, and other high-control groups.

If you suffer from RTS, or have come out of a controlling religious or group background, you'll benefit from this discussion. And don't forget to head over to the IndoctriNation podcast platform to catch Part 1, Rachel's interview of me!

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MindShift Podcast is officially back for 2024!   And what better way to kick off another season of the show than to catch up with an old friend, Peter Montgomery of the Right Wing Watch?   In this first episode, Peter and I conduct a wide-ranging, thorough overview of the end of 2023 and look forward into this year, discussing the agenda of the Christian Right moving forward into 2024, which is a hugely important election year. Backing Trump to the hilt--at least most evangelicals anyway--they are poised to "take dominion" moving forward.   But what exactly does that mean, and more importantly, what does it look like if they win the Presidency again? Listen in to find out more!   Support the Show by Joining the MIndShift Podcast Patreon Community!   Follow Peter on X @PeteMont Follow me on X @MindShift2018

As a recent guest on Joshua's excellent podcast, "The Mediocre Observer," I was happy to return the favor and have Joshua on the show. I hope you enjoy this, the final episode of MindShift Podcast for 2023!

In this wide-ranging discussion, Joshua and I discuss, among other things, why he was terrified to pick the wrong God in his quest for spirituality and enlightenment. So why didn't it work for him? Why did his quest fail, with the result that he's now an atheist speaking out against the dangers of religion and the Christian Right in American politics?

Find out more--and enjoy the episode with me on Josh's show, which can be found on themediocreobserver.com. 

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I've finally managed to catch up with one of my favorite Canadians, David Hayward "The Naked Pastor."   As an ex-pastor and ex-evangelical like me, author and cartoonist David is best known for his irreverent but incredibly poignant cartoons depicting a huge array of theological and churchly issues. They cause people to think, to question, to ponder questions of their faith and church experiences, as well as potentially leading to deconstructing their faith or belief system.   As always, David and I have a wide-ranging conversation about a number of topics, issues, and questions. I hope you enjoy this chat as much as I did!   Join the MindShift Podcast Patreon Community!   Follow me on X @MindShift2018

This week's episode features a great conversation with a returning guest, historian Dr Warren Throckmorton. From our previous conversation a few years ago, he's had a longstanding issue with the Christian nationalist "historian" David Barton of WallBuilders.   Back in 2012, Barton's book The Jefferson Lies was pulled from the bookshelves by its Christian publisher, amid claims by Throckmorton and other evangelical historians that his take on Jefferson was wildly historically inaccurate.   Recently, Throckmorton and his co-author Michael Coulter, have updated their original book Getting Jefferson Right, coming out with a 2nd edition including new information, as well as a look at Stephen  Wolfe's book, The Case for Christian Nationalism. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!   More information on Getting Jefferson Right   Join the MindShift Podcast Patreon Community!   Follow me on X @MindShift2018