Sued by her pastor! Tactics of spiritual abusers. How women are most vulnerable. Julie Anne Smith shares with Michael how she got slapped with a $500,000 lawsuit, uncovered abuse in her church and among evangelicals, and how patriarchal theology harms women. Hear this lively conversation as they discuss the prevalence and roots of spiritual abuse, including:

• Tactics and teachings that cause religious abuse

Learn about Michael's journey at: www.spiritualbrewpub.com  

If you have experienced an evolution in your faith, whether you're going through a faith shift now, or went through one in the past, this interview will encourage you. It will help you learn why you’re not crazy, what stages you go through, and how to come to terms with your change. You are not alone! 

Kathy has really hit on something in her book by the same title of this podcast. This topic is important because today in America, Christianity and spirituality are going through a radical faith shift. People are questioning religious doctrines and practices, rethinking their faith, and leaving the church in droves. The Christian Post cited a study done in 2014, that says 3,500 people leave church per day, 1.2 million a year. Even though some churches still thrive, more and more are becoming revolving doors. 

Particularly if they come out of fundamentalist and evangelical churches, people face fierce opposition from those inside and often struggle to adjust and find a new, more inclusive way. If you feel like a spiritual refugee, a church burnout, or a freedom seeker, this podcast is for you! 

Also visit www.spiritualbrewpub.com to learn more. 

Author, speaker, and biblical/historical scholar Michael Hardin joins Michael over some virtual craft brews for a lively conversation about the late Rene Girard, a former Stanford professor who is considered “the Darwin of the social sciences.”

Join the two Michaels as they talk about how to unravel the Bible, the evangelical two-faced God, and Girard’s and Jesus’ call to abandon societal violence and war and extend unconditional peace. Learn how Mimetic Theory plays out in modern society and politics and how these historical ways of looking at revelation can lead to social progress, such as prison reform.

Coming out of evangelicalism years ago, I always struggled with how to reconcile parts of the Bible. When I started to study history, however, there were several mysteries I solved about the Bible that totally blew me away and helped me finally make sense of most of it. I’m going to share those with you on today’s podcast.

• Why the Bible can't be inerrant and an altogether true record of history and God's character

Also, Michael shares plans and hopes of forthcoming interviews. Grab a brew and enjoy responsibly! Be sure to ask questions and make comments, pro or con, at www.spiritualbrewpub.com.

Author of "Escaping Christianity-Finding Christ," Barbara Symons joins Michael for a lively conversation on her journey out of evangelical/charismatic/fundamentalist Christianity into a mystic awareness of Jesus. Learn how she was indoctrinated over decades into a "schizophrenic Christianity" and ultimately went through a sometimes painful, but an incredibly freeing deprogramming process. 

Hear how Barbara came to recognize the Spirit behind her past experiences is cross cultural and not limited to one religious sect. She shares how she uncovered and discovered the metaphorical messages in scripture and how they advanced her understanding of Spiritual truth as it pertains to who we are, why we are here, and where we are going. Barbara helps us "embrace the Divine" outside debilitating and abusive religious systems. 

What if we turned the concept of "fake news" on politics to examining fake claims about religion? What would we discover? 

We'd find the DNA of ancient Christianity (i.e., Jesus’ teaching and peace movement) has suffered grave mutations that the Western Reformation never completely corrected, and in some cases, made worse. How can we know this? Through careful historical, biblical, and linguistic study. And how can the Jesus of history be authentic and much of this religion called Christianity be a scam? By an historical sleight of hand.

In this episode (Part 2), we discuss the remaining 7-12 major fake claims or scams that have been fostered by Western Christianity and ignorant or unsuspecting adherents about popular views of the meaning of the cross, the end times, women in the church, morality for the LGBT community, spiritual exchange, and justifying violence and war. (For fake claims #1-6, see Part 1). 

Authors cited or quoted include, James Bernstein, Mark Heim, Marcus Borg, N.T. Wright, Josephus (first century), Ann Nyland, Jacque Ellul, Michael Hardin, Rene Girard, and Robin Meyers. 

What if we turned the concept of "fake news" on politics to examining fake claims about religion? What would we discover? 

Welcome to The Spiritual Brewpub Podcast, a safe haven for ex-evangelicals or anyone restless about their faith or religion in general. In Episode 2, the topic is: Contrasting the Original Jesus Movement with Christianity - or The Difference Between Jesus and Christianity. 

How it will help you: This episode will help you understand logical reasons you may have rejected evangelicalism, fundamentalism, church, and/or parts of the Bible, even though you still see the wisdom of Jesus. It will give you ideas on how to reconcile it all. Understand how the positive things you saw/see in Jesus got you into a religious system that turned out to be abusive. Then learn to differentiate the historical Jesus movement from the corruption found in modern religion and many churches so you can decide how to reconstruct or come to terms with your faith and experience. 

Welcome to The Spiritual Brewpub Podcast, a safe haven for ex-evangelicals or anyone restless about their faith or religion in general. Today’s topic is: Why Understanding Good History Matters in One’s Spiritual Life – A Former Evangelical’s Discovery. Learn about the big idea that a sound study of history is critical to helping one form a spiritual worldview. 

Most Christians, and I suspect most people in any religion, tend to forget or never really know their own religion’s history. As Diane Butler Bass says, we get spiritual amnesia. Only by remembering one’s history – whether that’s history of the church, the Bible, its compilation, or the history of the cultures of antiquity, can one get grounded.

By forgetting its history (or never really learning it or just having a biased or selective history), religion comes up with some really, wacky and wild ideas that need to be debunked. This podcast will focus on using good, comprehensive history to debunk some of these crazy ideas. But also show how good historical study not only leads to debunking things, but also leads to a more authentic spirituality. Grab your brew of choice and join us.