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This episode features returning guest, Rebekah Drumsta, author of a brand-new book entitled When Family Hurts: 30 Days to Finding Healing and Clarity. Have you had to cut off relationships with family or friends because they were simply too toxic, abusive or hurtful? Maybe the “family secrets” came out and left you devastated, or abuses from the past became too painful to bear. Or perhaps cutting off relationships wasn’t your choice–it was made for you by someone else who decided to cut you off. Whatever your situation, the simple fact is: sometimes family hurts us the worst. So what can you do to find healing and clarity? Rebekah’s 30-day guide book will help you to walk the path to find wholeness and healing. Join the MindShift Patreon Community! Contact Details Rebekah Drumsta’s Website Follow Rebekah on Twitter @DrumstaRebekah Follow me on Twitter @MindShift2018 Tweet

This inaugural episode of 2022 features a fascinating conversation with Australian-born author and investigative journalist, Elle Hardy. She’s the author of a brand-new book entitled Beyond Belief: How Global Pentecostalism is Taking Over the World. In addition to researching the history and the various sociological aspects of global Pentecostalism, Elle was able to conduct amazing field research worldwide, studying the movement in a number of countries. In addition to that, she also delves into the more political aspirations of the movement, tracing the so-called “7 Mountains Mandate” dominion theology particular to more of the charismatic movement. I think you’ll find this episode both challenging as well as potentially alarming, as we uncover the rise of global Pentecostalism. Join the MindShift Podcast Patreon Community! Contact Information Follow Elle Hardy on Twitter @ellehardy Follow me on Twitter @MindShift2018 Tweet

This final episode of 2021 features another returning guest and good friend from Canada–David Hayward, “The Naked Pastor.” A former evangelical pastor like me, David and I go way back and share a lot in common since we both left both our ministries and our former faiths behind. I wanted to reconnect with him after we were on a panel last year’s CORT 2020 conference on religious trauma.  In addition to some live deconstructing, we get into the subject of David’s artwork–the messages and themes that are so prevalent in his work. I think you will find this final episode of the year both insightful and helpful along your journey. Join the MindShift Podcast Patreon Community! Contact Information Follow David on Twitter @nakedpastor Follow me on Twitter @MindShift2018 Tweet

This week’s guest is another returning friend–Dr Josie McSkimming from Sydney, Australia.  I reached out to her recently because I was interested in speaking with her about not only her backstory in Christian fundamentalism, and how she got out of that system, but also about her work as a psychotherapist who specializes in helping clients recover from such afflictions as religious trauma syndrome. As she views it, our authentic or preferred self is the one we need to recover, rebuild and reconstruct after leaving religion or a cult group behind. How do we do it? Listen in to find out more information and helpful resources. Join the MindShift Podcast Patreon Community! Contact Information Follow Josie on Twitter @josiemcskimming Follow me @MindShift2018 Tweet

This episode is something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time–a re-release of an old recording I did with my sister Valerie way back in 2017 when she came to visit me in North Wales. We sat down and shared stories of what it was like to grow up in not just a fundamentalist home, but actually a cult–the Bill Gothard Bible cult. Hearing Valerie’s story will move you…perhaps even to tears.  I hope you get a lot out of this re-released episode. Join the MindShift Podcast Patreon Community! Contact Details Follow me on Twitter @MindShift2018 Tweet

This week’s episode couldn’t be more timely–discussing the draconian and hugely controversial Texas abortion law, Senate Bill 8 (SB8). Now that it is finally being argued at the Supreme Court, we have to ask: will the Christian  dominionists who have played the long game in terms of appointing conservative and anti-abortion judges finally succeed in overturning Roe v Wade? This has been their strategy and they have been working at this for literally decades. That Texas even attempted to pass this law in 2021 is merely testament to not only the 3 conservative judges appointed during the Trump era–with the assistance of the Christian Right–it is a landmark case that is highly unconstitutional and threatens the rights of not just women, but the LGBTQ community also. Join the MindShift Podcast Patreon Community! Contact Information Follow Peter on Twitter @PeteMont Follow me on Twitter @MindShift2018 Tweet

This special bonus episode features a conversation with my very good friend, Religious Recovery Consultant Janice Selbie! Starting the 7th of November, she is running another one of her amazing “Divorcing Religion” workshops. We’ve talked about this before, but I wanted to touch base with Janice to give her a chance not only to promote the workshop, but to explain why such a thing is so needed for those of us who have left religion or high-control groups behind. In addition to this chat, we also get into CORT 2022–the Conference on Religious Trauma she is putting together for next year. Stay tuned for more information about this excellent conference as well!   For more information about the Divorcing Religion, click https://www.divorcing-religion.com/   Follow Janice on Twitter @Wise_Counsellor Follow me on Twitter @MindShift2018   Join the MindShift Podcast Patreon Community! Tweet

This bonus episode is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time–compare evangelicalism with cult psychology and tactics. I’ve done a lot of research and reading on this subject, and have reflected on both my own experiences as a former evangelical, as well as that of a great many others.  In this episode, I draw primarily on the work of Dr Robert Jay Lifton’s seminal 1961 work, Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism. I also make use of his 1991 article entitled “Cult Formation” to go through not only his 8 markers of cults, but to compare them both to evangelical churches as well as more well-established cults.  As part of your recovery and rebuilding, post-cult or post-religion, it is my hope that this bonus episode will assist you in terms of education as well as unpacking the psychology behind it all. Join the MindShift Podcast Patreon Community! Contact Information Follow me on Twitter @MindShift2018 Tweet

This week’s guest is Jonathan Larsen, managing editor over at The Young Turks (TYT) Network.  Ever since he and his colleagues obtained the formerly-secret invitation list to the yearly National Prayer Breakfast that The Family–otherwise known as “The Fellowship Foundation”–wanted desperately to keep a secret, Jonathan has been doing some great investigative reporting on this uber-secretive, dominionist Christian organization. First reported on by Jeff Sharlet in his book, and later Netflix series “The Family,” this clandestine evangelical organization has been actively working the corridors of power worldwide for decades, building relationships and seeking out “key men” to win to Christ–in the hopes that they will influence their nations and spheres of influence for the Kingdom of God.  Find out more by listening in! Join the MindShift Podcast Patreon Community! Contact Details Follow Jonathan on Twitter @jtlarsen Follow me at MindShift2018 Tweet

In this special bonus episode, which I’ve long been promising is indeed coming, I was able to interview therapist Rachel Bernstein of the IndoctriNation Podcast. This is actually Part 2 of two episodes we did–for the first half of the chat, you’ll have to head over to the IndoctriNation podcast to catch Part 1. There, we discussed my backstory in evangelicalism, my deconstruction, and the journey to rebuild since leaving Christianity behind. In this episode, we focus specifically on the important question: how does religion affect people’s mental health? What resources are available for those of us who have left it behind, and now need to reconstruct our lives from the ground up? I hope you will find this conversation with Rachel both enlightening and educational. Join the MindShift Podcast Patreon Community Contact Details Follow Rachel on Twitter @RBernsteinLMFT Follow Me on Twitter @MindShift2018 Tweet

This week’s show features returning guest: journalist and author Katherine Stewart, who wrote the recent book The Power Worshippers. In this episode, we’ll be talking about Katherine’s 2012 book, The Good News Club: The Christian Right’s Stealth Assault on America’s Children. She uncovers  not only the agenda behind the sectarian, fundamentalist organization known as “The Good News Club”–which targets kids with their gospel message as young as 4 years old and uses public schools to do it–she also demonstrates how a crucial 2001 Supreme Court ruling has literally kicked the doors open for a whole host of other “missional” ministries to make use of public school buildings. Ultimately, not only is the Christian Right targeting vulnerable schoolchildren in the “4-14 window,” they are essentially declaring war on public schools, viewing them as “mission fields” filled with students to be proselytized. Help Support MindShift Podcast on Patreon! Contact Information Follow Katherine on Twitter @kathsstewart Follow me on Twitter @MindShift2018 Tweet

This week’s guest is Julie Anne Smith, known primarily for her blogging and activism through the Spiritual Sounding Board blog.  Julie Anne not only works hard to expose church abuses of all kinds–sexual as well as spiritual–she is herself a survivor, having come through the ranks as a former Christian homeschooling mom. She subsequently began to deconstruct and question a lot of the indoctrination she received through Christian homeschooling curriculum and conferences. In this wide-ranging and informative chat, we cover everything from Bill Gothard, RJ Rushdoony, Michael Farris of the HSLDA, and how the whole movement somehow…is all linked together under the concept of “Christian dominionism.” Help Support Independent Media Like MindShift Podcast on Patreon! Contact Details Follow Julie Anne on Twitter @DefendTheSheep Follow me on Twitter @MindShift2018 Tweet

This special bonus episode features a conversation with journalist and author Angela Denker, whose recent book Red State Christians: Understanding the Voters who Elected Donald Trump takes a much more personal look at Trump Christian voters in America. Beyond being a journalist and author, Angela is also a Lutheran pastor–and after seeing the disruptive effect of the Trump vote in 2016 on her own church members, and watching it nationwide for the last 3+ years, she’s concerned for the future of Christianity in light of the widespread evangelical Trump support.  Thus her book seeks to understand what motivated many Trump-supporting Christians in America who often don’t receive a lot of media coverage. While you may not entirely share her concern, perhaps her book will open up dialogue between Trump-supporting Christians and those who don’t–which can only be a good thing, given the incredibly polarized state of America today. Help Support MindShift Podcast on Patreon! Contact Information Follow Angela on Twitter @Angela_Denker Follow me on Twitter @MindShift2018 Tweet

This week’s guest is Rob Boston, senior editor of Church and State and long-time prolific writer for the organization Americans United for the Separation of Church & State. Rob has been with AU for more than 30 years, and in that time he’s written extensively on not only church and state, but on exposing–and debunking, in some cases–many of the key leaders of the Christian Right and Christian nationalist movements. In this episode, Rob and I cover a wide range of topics related to the importance of maintaining the separation of church and state, which a great number of Christian nationalists have been working to batter down for decades now. Why should you be concerned, or for that matter, care about this topic? I think you will after listening in! Support Independent Media like MindShift Podcast on Patreon Contact Information Follow Rob on Twitter @RobBoston1 Find his articles on the AU Website Follow me on Twitter @MindShift2018 Tweet

In this special bonus episode, I’m happy to share my interview of Kristin Kobes Du Mez, author of an outstanding book released on Tuesday, the 23rd of June 2020, and timed to coincide with its release. Titled Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation, the book explores the legacy of “evangelical masculinity”–and chronicles how, in the last century or so, white evangelicals have been on a quest to “reclaim their lost manhood.” We’ll cover not only how this movement came about and how it developed most clearly over the last 40 years, but also discuss the legacy of this movement–biblical patriarchy, along with its numerous abuses and scandals. This is also the legacy that led to that infamous 81% of white evangelicals voting for Trump in 2016. Find out more about the book on Amazon Follow Kristin on Twitter @kkdumez Follow me on Twitter @MindShift2018 Support Independent Media Like MindShift Podcast on Patreon Tweet

This week’s episode features an information-packed chat with Dr Milton Gaither, widely considered one of America’s foremost leading experts on the subject of Christian homeschooling. Dr Gaither wrote the book on the subject–literally. His 2008 book Homeschool: An American History (revised in 2017) contains a wealth of information not just on the development of homeschooling in general, but specifically Christian homeschooling. This is the subject we spend the most time unpacking and exploring. Why does this topic matter? Generally speaking, much of the Christian homeschool movement today has been influenced by the work of RJ Rushdoony, “the father of Christian Reconstructionism.” Why does that matter? Listen in to find out why! Support Independent Media like MindShift Podcast on Patreon Dr Gaither’s Homeschooling Research Notes site Contact Information Follow me on Twitter @MindShift2018 Tweet

This week we are taking another break from talking about dominion theology and Christian nationalism to focus on a topic I’ve dealt with a lot in the past–how to reconstruct your life, and rebuild, after leaving one’s faith or religious beliefs behind.   My guest this week is David host of “The Graceful Atheist” podcast. We have a fantastic discussion comparing notes both as ex-pastors who walked away from our former Christian beliefs, but are still doing a lot of “pastoral” work–helping others who have deconstructed, or are thinking about starting the process.   You’ll find this a helpful and informative episode that covers a lot of ground!   Help Support the Show on Patreon Contact Details Follow David on Twitter @GracefulAtheist Follow me on Twitter @MindShift2018   Like the MindShift Podcast Facebook Page Tweet

In this special episode, I’m chatting with author, ex-evangelical and now atheist, John Loftus.   John is the author of the recent book The Case Against Miracles, an anthology that aims to discuss miracles from a scholarly point of view. Along with several other noted academics, John takes aim at this topic, seeking not only to define miracles–and to ask whether or not there is even evidence to believe that such a thing exists.   Support MindShift Podcast on Patreon   John Loftus’s Website Debunking Christianity Contact Details Follow John on Twitter @loftusjohnw Follow me on Twitter @MindShift2018   Tweet

I apologize in advance for the long title, but when you hear this show, I promise it will be worth the listen! This week’s guests are the legendary returning guests, Conway & Siegelman. They wrote the hugely important and influential books Snapping in 1978 and then, just a few years later, came out with Holy Terror.  With their incredible, on-the-ground field research, they were among the first to track and study in depth the “cult phenomenon” of the 1970s, and then later the rise of the Christian Right in the late 1970s-80s.  In this episode we’ll cover a lot of ground, so strap yourself in and hold on! Support MindShift Podcast on Patreon http://patreon.com/mindshiftpodcast Contact Conway & Siegelman http://stillpointpress.net Follow Me on Twitter @MindShift2018 Tweet

Off the back of a recent Medium article I recently wrote on this subject, I decided to riff on this topic and so turn it into a podcast episode on its own.In this episode, I describe what life was like for me, growing up as a loyal foot soldier in “The Lord’s Army.” Thoroughly indoctrinated by my church and Christian school experiences alike, I had never heard the names of influencers like RJ Rushdoony and others who later came along and helped spread his Christian Reconstructionist and dominion agenda.If you grew up in church, or attended a Christian school–then you’ll resonate with this bonus episode. Follow me on Twitter @MindShift2018 Tweet