This week's guest features author Karen Unrue, whose book Blue Jellyfish Syndrome: How To Break Free From Stigma and Maintain Hope While Living With a Mental Illness is a great resource for those who have left either controlling religion or abusive relationships behind. But simply escaping is far from the end of the story. We can still be triggered by intrusive thoughts from our past that are debilitating and can blindside us. Unpicking the layers of conditioning is also extremely difficult,...

In this special election special bonus episode, I reached out to returning guest Matthew D Taylor, who has just come out with a brand-new book called The Violent Take it by Force: The Christian Movement that is Threatening Our Democracy.  For those who are still undecided about their vote in the upcoming election, this is a must-listen. Given the fact that so much of the Trump MAGA support is generated by not just Christian nationalists, but extremists who are part of the New Apostolic...

This week's episode takes an in-depth look at the tragic murder/suicide that took place in Jonestown, Guyana, in 1978. Cult leader Jim Jones was responsible for not only controlling and manipulating his numerous dedicated followers, in the end, he forced nearly 1000 of them to commit suicide or be murdered. In the wake of this tragedy that occurred decades ago, Annie Dawid's book--a work of historical fiction--takes a fresh look at the lives of the followers of Jones. Not much is said about...

If you've been following the storyline of what's happening to Project 2025, The Heritage Foundation, and Trump's presidential campaign, then you'll be familiar with some of what Chris Shelton and I discuss in this episode. There have been a number of important developments in this ongoing narrative, as Project 2025 began to be increasingly exposed by shows just like this one as well as on the mainstream media. Since then, not only has Trump attempted to deny and distance himself from it--as...

How many of us have left religious beliefs behind, but have not entertained the idea that we might be able to find an aspect of spirituality that is truly meaningful? For those of us who've left controlling religions, it can be incredibly difficult even to entertain the notion that there might even be any aspect of spirituality that is appealing to us. But we might be closing ourselves off to deeper meaning and exploration if we refuse to acknowledge that there just might be something out...

For the first time ever, my show has been hijacked! My very good friend Tim Sledge, who is the editor and publisher of my new book, Not So Shiny Not So Happy People: How Bill Gothard, Church, and Family Taught Me Christianity Doesn't Work interviewed me recently about my book. Aside from me, there is nobody else on Earth who knows more about my book, as we have been working closely on it for about a year now. Tim is not only intimately connected with the book, as a former evangelical pastor...

I'm excited to announce that my new book, Not So Shiny Not So Happy People: How Bill Gothard, Church, and Family Taught Me Christianity Doesn't Work is now available as of today!! The book is available as a paperback, Kindle EBook, and Audible Virtual Voice versions now. In this special episode, I'm reading the Preface chapter to the book, which is called "The Terror of an Empty House." I hope that not only do you enjoy this chapter, but that it prompts you to go out and buy the book. ...

For those of us who came out of fundamentalist Christianity, what happens when things go badly wrong in our lives? Do you have the temptation to pray, read the Bible, seek out a wise Christian counselor to discover answers for why this is happening to you? Within evangelicalism, the problem of suffering is a huge issue. There always has to be "an answer" as to why God allows--or even causes--bad things to happen to us. There must be a reason! My good friend Dean Krosecz and I break down...

A few months ago I caught up with author Tia Levings to discuss her new book, A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy. Tia is perhaps best known for her viral TikTok video, "Fundy Baby Voice"--and she knows what she's talking about. A product of the Bill Gothard "cult without walls," Tia was raised in the "modesty culture" and taught what it meant to be a "well-trained wife"--the so-called tradwife tradition so familiar to the Christian patriarchy and Quiverfull cultures. ...

Months ago I had a great conversation with author and adrenaline junkie, Ryan George. Following on in the trend of interviewing more progressive Christians--after chatting with Keith Giles recently--this seemed like a great time to drop this episode. Although he's been able to reclaim a version of Christianity for himself, Ryan and I found that we have a lot in common when comparing our upbringings within Christianity. Ryan grew up in an IFB (Independent Fundamental Baptist) tradition with a...

This week's conversation features author, podcaster, and "freelance theologian" Keith Giles, who--although definitely no evangelical Christian--has moved past even being a progressive Christian. What does that make him? I don't know exactly, but it does make for a fascinating conversation with someone who has deconstructed his former fundamentalist beliefs. Keith is also a scholar, which makes the conversation about his new book The Quantum Sayings of Jesus a fascinating one. Which Jesus?...

This week's episode features a fascinating conversation with Marissa Hackett, who grew up in a right-wing cult started by controversial radio host, Roy Masters. Originally starting out in the early 1960s, Masters spread his message nationwide through his radio show, tapes, and book sales. Based originally out of Los Angeles, Masters bought a ranch near Grants Pass, Oregon, in 1979--and urged his followers to move there. Along with connections to survivalists, conspiracy theories, and...

In this conversation with journalist and author Sarah McCammon, we discuss her book that just came out in March, called The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church. Not only does Sarah do a masterful job of explaining why so many "exvangelicals" have left the white evangelical church behind, she shares her own story of growing up evangelical, deconstructing, and ultimately walking away from her childhood faith. Along the way, Sarah's work blends diligent...

In this special bonus episode, I caught up with returning guest, Dr Sheri Pallas, as we discussed her brand-new book that just dropped on the 2nd of May, 2024. It's titled We Have Ruined God: My Journey Out of Religion and Into Unconditional Love, and from the conversation we had, it sounds like a fascinating and intriguing book. Why should people contemplate leaving religion, and their harmful dogmas and teachings, behind? Sheri takes a look at this issue and concludes that it is largely...

I truly hope that you enjoy this great collaborative episode I recently did with Anna and Kari Jo, hosts of the fantastic Heretical Hippies podcast! We covered a lot of ground about their backstory, deconstruction of their former faith, and what they are doing--and believing--currently. I believe this will be a helpful discussion for all those who have questioned their inherited beliefs and are wondering what lies ahead. Part 2, their interview of me, is available on their platform--here's...

Once again I'm joined by investigative journalist Jenny Cohn, who does a lot of writing for the Bucks County Beacon. Jenny has been on the show before and in this instance, I reached out to her because she's done a lot of work exposing and unmasking the agenda behind Project 2025. What if Donald Trump were to win the presidential election in November? Aside from casting an authoritarian vision for his administration going forward, perhaps the biggest concern is that this time, he and the GOP...

This week's episode features a wide-ranging discussing with Jonathan Davis, an ex-evangelical former pastor and seminary professor who deconstructed his former faith, questioned everything, and is on the journey. Ironically, it was closely studying his Bible that started Jonathan on this path of unpacking all his inherited beliefs and discovering his own identity in the process. Raised fundamentalist and homeschooled also, Jonathan served for a decade as a youth pastor, did another ten as a...

Welcome to a riveting Patreon-only episode of the MindShift Podcast, where we delve into the obscure but influential Project 2025. Explored through extensive research and interviews with high-profile figures such as Jenny Cohn and Andra Watkins, this episode unveils startling details about the project believed to have major implications for the future of American politics. The episode showcases a detailed analysis of Project 2025, a well-funded initiative with solid links to conservative and...

  Recently I reached out to my good friend--and returning guest--Frank Schaeffer, who has a very unique perspective on what's happening in the Trump/Christian Right world. As a former player himself in the late 1970s and early 80s, along with his famous father Francis, they helped to kickstart the evangelical anti-abortion movement. They were also instrumental in helping get the early Christian Right off the ground in their efforts to mobilize Christians to take political action. ...

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...

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. This content and more are...

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...

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...

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...