Author and researcher Ryan Burge joins me to discuss religious trends in America. Ryan's research reveals a surprising plateau in the growth of religious "nones" over the past five years, even through the COVID-19 period. We explored his upcoming book on the "big church sort," discussing the polarization of American religion into conservative churches and liberal non-religious groups, while moderate and mainline churches rapidly decline. Our conversation touched on the challenges facing mainline Protestantism, the use of political symbols in religious spaces, and the importance of exposing ourselves and our children to diverse viewpoints within religious settings. 

Highlights:

08:12 The Plateau of the Religious 'Nones'

35:10 The Big Church Sort: The Decline of Mainline Protestantism

01:02:36 Exposing Children to Different Views

Ryan's Substack

Ryan's Books:

The Great Dechurching

The Nones

YHP Episodes with Ryan:

Episode #25: "Myths about Religion and Politics in America”

YHP Episode with Josh Porter

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Use Code ReturnofYHP for $50 off your ticket!

___________________________________________

Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/

Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch

Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/

Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)

Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: [email protected]

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Returning guest and psychologist of religion Daryl Van Tongeren (Hope College) and I discuss his new book "Done: How to Flourish After Leaving Religion,” a book that is also quite helpful for those remaining in faith communities after changing beliefs/deconstructing, etc. We explore the concept of "religious residue": how religion continues to impact the way we think, feel, and act even after leaving faith. We discussed the complexity of deconversion and why leaving faith can be so challenging and time-consuming, especially when finding community. This was a rich and insightful conversation, and will hopefully be encouraging to anyone navigating the tumultuous waters of religious change.

Highlights:

04:16 Difficulties of Leaving Religion

12:11 The Great Disillusionment: Reasons for Leaving Religion/Deconstruction

26:45 Religious Residue and Crafting a New Identity

36:36 Navigating Isolation

55:40 Finding a New Community

Daryl's Book | Done: How to Flourish After Leaving Religion by Darrell Van Tongren

Daryl's Website

Episodes with Daryl:

Episode 195: “You Are Not Your Beliefs”

Episode 177: “The Good of Religion Without the Bad?"

___________________________________________

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Use Code ReturnofYHP for $50 off your ticket!

___________________________________________

Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/

Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch

Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/

Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)

Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: [email protected]

YHP Patron-only FB group: tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98

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Matt and Max from Milkless are back! We pick up our conversation on belief and the meaning of life that we started in episode #271.

After exploring the potential downsides of belief without proof (i.e. conspiracy theories) and the psychology behind how and why we believe, we chatted about the meaning of life. We grappled with the nature of meaning itself, expressing both panentheistic views of God and naturalistic explanations of existence. We also talked through how finely-tuned the universe is and debated the validity of intelligent design.

We didn't solve any universal mysteries, but enjoyed a respectful, thought-provoking conversation about the biggest questions of our existence. 

Milkless Podcast

Milkless Podcast on IG

Highlights:

02:56 Belief in a higher power

08:07 Our need for meaning

11:56 Conspiracy theories and conservative religion

19:05 Spirituality with or without religion

25:12 The universe and intelligent design

___________________________________________

Get Tickets for Theology Beer Camp 2024

Use Code ReturnofYHP for $50 off your ticket!

___________________________________________

Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/

Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch

Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/

Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)

Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankoch

Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: [email protected]

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I’m kicking off a new series exploring the intersection of comedy, religion, and spirituality!

My first guest is Ryan Erwin, a gay ex-Mormon missionary turned clean comic. We talk about his idyllic Mormon childhood in Utah, his departure from Mormonism and exploration of other faiths, his introduction to comedy, and how he has ultimately found spiritual fulfillment in nature and everyday activities.

I appreciated Ryan’s humor, warmth, and grounded perspective, hearing how he finds meaning outside traditional religious structures, as well as how his comedy can be a vehicle for exploring profound, sometimes uncomfortable truths about faith and identity.

Highlights:

08:37 “Religious Residue”

22:12 The Power of Storytelling

33:18 Leaving Mormonism and Pursuing Comedy

45:03 Finding Spirituality in Nature and the Present Moment

57:06 Living in the Here and Now: Embracing New Experiences

Ryan's Instagram

Ryan's Website

Dry Bar Comedy Specials: Dry Bar Comedy - Ryan Erwin

___________________________________________

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Use Code ReturnofYHP for $50 off your ticket!

___________________________________________

Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/

Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch

Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/

Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)

Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankoch

Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: [email protected]

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When we have spiritual experiences with things like worship music, is that the Holy Spirit moving? Or, as Tim Whitaker (The New Evangelicals) claimed in a viral Instagram meme, is it “just the drums”? Can it be both?

Tim and Sarah Lane Ritchie return to discuss these ideas, Tim’s experiences as a worship drummer, “spiritual technologies” like worship music, the potential harm of conflating these experiences with “God,” the role of such experiences in the life of faith, and more. 

Watch this Episode on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/qMTeohCkEDA

Tim's Viral Drums Reel:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6PhVL6OlDG/?igsh=eDdhZjFoMjI2NjJ1

The New Evangelicals Podcast:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-new-evangelicals-podcast/id1557794865

thenewevangelicals.com

Sarah's Faculty Page:

https://www.templeton.org/team-member/sarah-lane-ritchie-ph-d

Sarah's Twitter:

@slaneritchie

___________________________________________

Get Tickets for Theology Beer Camp 2024

Use Code ReturnofYHP for $50 off your ticket!

___________________________________________

Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/

Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch

Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/

Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)

Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankoch

Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: [email protected]

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Tyson Motsenbocker returns to help Dan answer if he is being followed by a handful of AI-generated bot Instagram accounts. Could they be Russians? Why is Avis so interested in her son Jason and “knitting small bees”? Are we in an “uncanny valley” yet with AI content? 

Tyson on Instagram

Where the Waves Turn Back Book

Tyson's Website

___________________________________________

Get Tickets for Theology Beer Camp 2024

Use Code ReturnofYHP for $50 off your ticket!

___________________________________________

Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/

Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch

Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/

Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)

Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankoch

Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: [email protected]

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This week I’m joined by co-hosts of the excellent fatherhood-focused Milkless Podcast, Max Valverde and Matt Naylor for another listener-favorite “I Don’t Believe in That God” episode. Max leans towards atheism, finding a personal God unlikely, while Matt feels a pull towards spirituality but questions specific religious claims.

This is actually an episode swap -- so today there is both a new Milkless episode featuring yours truly (in which we discuss the benefits and costs of religion/spirituality in raising kids) AND a You Have Permission episode with the two of them.

A major theme that emerged was the difference between specific truth claims about the nature of reality and God vs. poetic or "theopoetic" framings that resonate as meaningful and promote human flourishing, even if not literally true. We didn't see perfectly eye-to-eye on this, with Matt expressing reservations about believing things for the sake of comfort or convenience rather than evidence. (Of course, I pushed back on what counts as evidence, etc.)

This conversation was SO GOOD that Matt and Max are returning for round 2 in a month or so -- keep your eyes out for that one!

Watch this Episode on YouTube

Milkless Podcast

Milkless Podcast on IG

___________________________________________

Get Tickets for Theology Beer Camp 2024

Use Code ReturnofYHP for $50 off your ticket!

___________________________________________

Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/

Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch

Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/

Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)

Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankoch

Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: [email protected]

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Finally, a long chat with indie Christian musician John Mark McMillan! John Mark started out firmly in the mainstream Christian world but has been gradually exploring more complex and nuanced expressions of faith (and doubt!) through his art. 

We discussed his early life on a Christian commune, what it's like to be a recording artist wrestling with deep questions of faith and doubt, and whether a doubting faith is actually more faithful than one laced with certainty. We got into meaning-making, suffering, and the audacity of hope in an imperfect world. In other words, it was great.

Watch this Episode on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/PcWpzObjGK4

John Mark's Website

John Mark McMillan on Spotify

Resources Mentioned:

Hunting the Divine Fox: An Introduction to the Language of Theology

Viktor Frankl's Book: A Man's Search for Meaning

___________________________________________

Get Tickets for Theology Beer Camp 2024

Use Code ReturnofYHP for $50 off your ticket!

___________________________________________

Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/

Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch

Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/

Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)

Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankoch

Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: [email protected]

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How many times has someone told you that you have to watch The Chosen, the smash hit TV series depicting the life of Jesus?

My buddy Jeff Martin and I break down season 1, episode 2 & 3, reacting to all manner of interesting details from my own liberal Christian therapist perspective and Jeff’s more moderate Evangelical lens.

We get into:

• Shabbat and Shabbat dinner
• Conversion experiences and their psychological, social, and spiritual aspects
• depiction of Jesus' interactions with children and his characterization

I’m very curious how much appetite there is for continuing with episodes like this, so please check it out and let me know what you think!

**Watch this episode on YouTube**

https://youtu.be/3ViFnTp7Des

___________________________________________

Get Tickets for Theology Beer Camp 2024

Use Code ReturnofYHP for $50 off your ticket!

___________________________________________

Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/

Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch

Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/

Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)

Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankoch

Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: [email protected]

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Sarah McCammon, NPR journalist and author of "The Exvangelicals," shares her journey out of evangelical Christianity, including her pivotal relationship with her non-religious gay grandfather.

We explore how journalism provided Sarah with a space to question and how my work in therapy also demands openness to evidence. We covered the impact of the Trump era on evangelicalism and the earlier Emergent movement led by figures like Rob Bell and Rachel Held Evans.

We delve into the evangelical subculture's "parallel institutions" and their role in fostering distrust of mainstream institutions. Finally, we reflect on our wariness of echo chambers and the value we now place on viewpoint diversity and factual specificity.

Watch this Episode on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/Kl0cr4MZaBI

Sarah’s Book “The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church”:

https://www.amazon.com/Exvangelicals-Loving-Living-Leaving-Evangelical/dp/1250284473

Sarah’s Substack

Depolarize! Podcast

Reconstruct Podcast

___________________________________________

Get Tickets for Theology Beer Camp 2024

Use Code ReturnofYHP for $50 off your ticket!

___________________________________________

Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/

Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch

Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/

Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)

Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankoch

Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: [email protected]

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After kicking things off with our usual game of "Bar, Bank, Church or Dispensary?” and “Ways we are becoming our dads” segments, I introduced a new segment focused on funny Hard Times headlines.

Tony recalled his recent time in Rome and reflected on the passing of theologian Jurgen Moltmann. This led into a conversation about Israel and the war in Gaza, and all three of us gave our thoughts on the conflict.

Finally, I brought forward the idea of seeing Christianity as a story in which we find ourselves, and we compared it with other meta-narratives competing for our attention and loyalty.

Watch this Episode on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/O27kTZyxVcU

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Tony's Substack on Jürgen Moltmann

Movie: God On Trial

Kristen Ashley's Book: Knight

___________________________________________

Get Tickets for Theology Beer Camp 2024

Use Code ReturnofYHP for $50 off your ticket!

___________________________________________

Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/

Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch

Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/

Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)

Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankoch

Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: [email protected]

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