Nightlightr (Leighton Pustejovsky, rap artist)​ cuts loose with Chuck and Brady about leaving Christian Fundamentalism after decades of repressing his homosexuality. The three discuss how they had reframed their sexualities to fit within the faith and how discussions on the "unchanging" characteristics of God didn't fit their experiences.   Leighton masterfully wrote (and produced) a rap album that nails deconstruction and living honestly as gay.   Find Unloose by Nightlightr now on...

Some people don't fit into the boxes. Katelyn Boyles (she/them/he) joins Chuck and Brady to tell their story of self-discovery after living in a home plagued by rigid Fundamentalism. Now married and practicing ethical polyamory, Katelyn encapsulates the importance of living with authenticity.   Connect with the Life After Podcast & Community here: linktr.ee/thelifeafter

Katie and Joe Bauer, married and newly-deconstructing, join Chuck and Brady to discuss campus ministries, speaking in tongues, questioning the faith, critically examining if they were brainwashed, not wanting to lose their faith, doubling down on doubt with service, the complex feelings of realizing Fundamentalism isn't real, and how deconstruction has touched their marriage.   Find Katie and Joe's podcast, Born Again Again, where they discuss their deconversion as it's happening...

Cindy Wang Brandy, author of Parenting Forward, joins the show to discuss how deconstructing parents can pass values to their children without relying on fear and indoctrination. Find out more about Cindy's work, including her book and podcast, on her website, cindywangbrandt.com.   Special Show Note:  We apologize to our friend, Chrissy Stroop, for using the incorrect pronouns in the last episode. Since we had recorded the episode in May, Chrissy has begun transitioning and prefers she/her...

Cass Midgley, former pastor and a host of Everyone's Agnostic Podcast, joins Chuck and Brady to discuss his faith deconstruction, how he found his co-host, blind spots developed from being brought up in Patriarchy, turning from Presbyterian to Baptist, the slippery slopes of allowing yourself to examine doubts, and rebuilding of community."Mark Discroll is the Dan Cook of the Evangelicalism."CW: Brady sings the AWANA theme. And lots of F-bombs.

Doug Demick joins Chuck and Brady to discuss his past with Wycliffe Bible Translators 💬, not wanting to preach the Gospel as a Christian 🙅‍♂️, rapture anxiety 👹, marriage while deconstructing 💍, his brush with missions 🗺️, and how seeking the Holy Spirit and FreeCell Solitaire led to his exit from Fundamentalism 🛑.   Episode begins with Brady explaining why Heaven and Hell would be an absolute administrative nightmare.   ❇️Please rate and review us on iTunes ❇️Support us on Patreon  

Fan favorite Jamie Lee Finch returns to the show! She joins Chuck and Brady to discuss her new book on Religious Trauma Syndrome from Christian Evangelicalism, "You are Your Own."They discuss her experience writing ✍️, the unresolved trauma held by our bodies 👥, instilled fear of hell 🔥, needs they had as Evangelical children 👂, generational responses to Fundamentalism 👪, cycles that keep people locked in the faith 🔒, wanting to die for a cause (thanks, Jesus Freaks!) 💀, healing through...

Guest Nikki Mayeux joins Chuck and Brady to dish on reality house dramas🔥, childhood religious OCD and anxiety😟, intrusive thoughts😵, contact evangelism🏈, inner voice♾️, faith deconstructing while married👫, and intentional communities 🗑️ (Crust Punks for Jesus?)!   Episode begins with a timely message to women from Chuck.   ❇️Please rate and review us on iTunes ❇️Support us on Patreon

Renowned cult deprogrammer and expert Rick Allen Ross joins Chuck, Brady and special guest host Corey Pigg (Season 1, Episode 20, host of Failed Missionary) to discuss the everything related to harmful cult communities. From how to define a cult and how they work, to assessing what is and isn’t a cult, to discussions about the effects of cults on politics and popular culture. Ross is a dynamic thinker, a clear communicator, and a true expert in his field. Rick Allen Ross is the author of...

Dr. Marlene Winell (human development consultant, educator, and writer) joins Chuck and Brady to discuss her life-changing book, "Leaving the Fold," and her ground-breaking research on Religious Trauma Syndrome. They discuss how and why people are often trapped in Christian Fundamentalism and most importantly, how to break free and recover. Visit Marlene's website to learn more about Religious Trauma Syndrome, to purchase your copy of "Leaving the Fold," and to sign up for one of her...

Andrew Jasko (lifeafterdogma.org) joins Chuck and Brady. He tells his story growing up passionate about Christian Fundamentalism and leaving it all behind. They discuss the Charismatic Movement, damage of sexual repression, the mind-blowing origins of Yahweh and El, how humans respond to suffering, and how the Bible seems to have been been pieced together as a response to societal trauma. Andrew ends by talking about the healing he is finding in psychedelics, meditation, and Eastern...

Last season, Chuck and Brady spoke with Curtis, who lived through gay conversion therapy. This season, a former leader of Love in Action (gay conversion therapy) and author, Tim Rymel, tells his experience. TW: This episode can be triggering for those who had to disassociate from their sexuality to survive in Evangelical envirnoments and others. Tim promoted the notorious gay conversion therapy organization he helped organize and led. But over the years, he realized that the organization...

Grammy-nominated songwriter, author, and advocate Jennifer Knapp joins the show to discuss coming out, liberal Christianity, and her music career. Jennifer Knapp runs Inside Out Faith, a non-profit focused on confronting non-affirming churches to encourage more inclusive faith communities. Her memoir, “Facing the Music: My Story,” is available on Amazon, and she is promoting her newest album “Love Comes Around,” which can be found on Spotify, Apple Music, and wherever you stream music. For...

TW: This episode includes mentions of sexual abuse, extreme spiritual abuse, and a suicide attempt. Angie Jay, spiritual abuse survivor and political activist, joins Chuck and Brady to share her horrifying, Evangelical experience when she served as a missions intern at the age of 18. Far from home and family, the missions organization leadership forced her to describe -- in mixed company and with great detail -- the long history of sexual abuse she had experienced, which started when she was...

Blake Chastain of #Exvangelical Podcast joins Chuck and Brady to discuss his life after.   The Life After Podcast and Community | We Hold Space for Those Leaving Their Faith in a Secret Facebook Group and Slack Channel.thelifeafter.org

Here is some bonus content to hold you over until Season 2 premieres! Chuck and Brady were recently invited to present at the Ethical Society Mid Rivers in Saint Peters, MO. They shared the history of the podcast and discussed topics commonly tackled on the show, such as indoctrination, spiritual abuse, religious trauma syndrome, and religious gaslighting.   Season 2 coming soon!

Chuck and Brady interview a new friend they met purely because of the show, Joey Hill. Joey shares his story of overcoming a gauntlet of obstacles after leaving harmful religion. Determined to keep going, Joey found a unique way to shape his future… but it didn’t go as planned. Brady and Joey discuss how hard it is to bounce back from leaving religion, especially for those who built their futures around plans of being in the ministry. But over time, Joey found his footing and kept going and...

On this episode of The Life After, we are talking with our friend, Verdell Wright. Verdell is a theology nerd in the purest sense. Boasting theology degrees from Rutgers, Howard and Wesley Theological Seminary. Verdell is also black, and gay. Put all those things together, along with a very intelligent and well conceived deconstruction and you get a powerful thinker, writer, and advocate. Verdell very recently published a piece for for the Black Youth Project about how he went from being a...

Corey Pigg, currently a project manager and producer for The Liturgists Podcast, joins Brady and Chuck to discuss his experiences as a full-time missionary with YWAM (Youth With A Mission) that made way for his exit from toxic religion. Corey has started his own podcast, which focuses on the dark underbelly of modern missions. He is joined by ex-missionaries to discuss what it means to be “called, not qualified” in an industry full of manipulation, crushed dreams, and abuses of power. Learn...

Have you recovered what oppressive religion took from you? When Kendal came out as a lesbian, her life never could be the same again. She was once heavily involved in her church’s youth group, but she was banned from being alone with teenagers because of prejudice against her sexuality. This rejection and feelings of purposelessness drove her to alcoholism, a common path for LGBT+ people who have to face the shame their faith communities place on them.   Kendal joins Chuck and Brady in...

TW: This episode mentions a suicide attempt, birth trauma   She started off Southern Baptist. Then she was Charismatic. And now, she’s with the Breakfast Church, a weekly group at her house of other people deconstructing their faith (their only doctrine is to eat breakfast, joke about their old lives, and drink mimosas).   On this episode, Chuck and Brady talk to their new friend, Jessie W. She was the “bad girl” at her Christian college before she met her future ex-husband and...

Derek Webb was the lead vocalist for Caemond's Call, a folk/rock band that was wildly popular within Evangelicalism in the early 2000's, before recording solo albums. Known for pushing against the status quo of Christian culture, Derek created a large fanbase of Christians who left like they were on the fringes of their culture. But he had an affair that brought huge life changes. Washington Post, Relevant Magazine, and Huffington Post all wrote articles about his divorce. Also during this...

Indoctrination is one very essential topic that sort of permeates everything we talk about on this show, but so far we haven’t really addressed it directly. It is so pervasive within religious systems that its almost impossible to talk about anything on this show without it looming in the background. That makes it difficult to really define and nail down. OED defines it as “The process of teaching a person or group to accept a set of beliefs uncritically.” What you end up with is a long...

What makes counseling good or bad? What ethical laws are in place to protect people from harmful counselors? Are pastors and “church counselors” held to the same standard? How can you know if you’ve been treated fairly by a pastor, church counselor, or therapist? Ari Holtz, PhD is a licensed psychologist. He joined The *Life After Boyz in the studio to discuss how church counseling often works and derails. Brady and Chuck shared stories of church counseling and spiritual abuse, allowing Ari...

Chris Stroop, PhD created the #EmptyThePews Movement to ask Evangelicals to examine the fruits of their religion and walk away from its grip. Chris joins Brady and Chuck on this episode of The Life After, focusing on the community of ex-evangelicals, bound together through the WWW. Chris discusses the history of how abortion became the foundation of religious right-wing politics, how his degree in Russian history has made him a unique expert in these unpredictable political times, and Chris...