Neurodivergent Faith

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Neurodivergent Faith

Josh Davis (Autistic Pastor)

25 episodes

1 day ago

Send us a text In this conversation, Josh sits down with researcher and podcast host Jon Machnee (Christianity On The Spectrum) to explore how the autistic experience can widen our understanding of life with God and one another. Together, they reflect on Jon’s personal story and the origins of his work, the gifts autistic people bring to the Body of Christ, and the challenges that arise when church life is built around neurotypical expectations. Jon also begins to unpack the idea of “autistic...

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Personal Journals,

Religion & Spirituality,

Society & Culture,

Health & Fitness,

All content for Neurodivergent Faith is the property of Josh Davis (Autistic Pastor) and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Send us a text In this conversation, Josh sits down with researcher and podcast host Jon Machnee (Christianity On The Spectrum) to explore how the autistic experience can widen our understanding of life with God and one another. Together, they reflect on Jon’s personal story and the origins of his work, the gifts autistic people bring to the Body of Christ, and the challenges that arise when church life is built around neurotypical expectations. Jon also begins to unpack the idea of “autistic...

Show more...

Personal Journals,

Religion & Spirituality,

Society & Culture,

Health & Fitness,

Episodes (20/25)

Neurodivergent Faith

Christianity on the Spectrum (with Jon Machnee) - Part 1

Send us a text In this conversation, Josh sits down with researcher and podcast host Jon Machnee (Christianity On The Spectrum) to explore how the autistic experience can widen our understanding of life with God and one another. Together, they reflect on Jon’s personal story and the origins of his work, the gifts autistic people bring to the Body of Christ, and the challenges that arise when church life is built around neurotypical expectations. Jon also begins to unpack the idea of “autistic...

4 days ago

36 minutes

Neurodivergent Faith

Fatherhood, Faith, and Finding Community (with John Fela)

Send us a text What does it mean to be a parent when the path looks different from what you imagined? In this conversation, special needs dad John Fela shares his journey of raising his autistic son, Christopher—and how fatherhood, in all its changing seasons, has deepened his faith and revealed the essential gift of community. John offers encouragement to parents who feel weary or unseen, reminding us that the journey of parenting—especially when navigating disability—is not meant to be walk...

1 week ago

48 minutes

Neurodivergent Faith

What’s Working (and Not Working) for Me [Fall 2025]

Send us a text In this opening episode of Season 3, Josh returns to a simple but powerful spiritual practice first explored in Season 1, Episode 9: naming what’s working and what’s not. Through listener reflections and his own honest check-in, Josh invites you to pause, breathe, and notice where life and connection are flowing—and where they’re not. This is not a productivity exercise, but a contemplative one: a way of paying attention to the shifting seasons of your own heart, body, and fait...

2 weeks ago

44 minutes

Neurodivergent Faith

Overstimulated, Undeterred: Jordan Rios on Single Motherhood, ADHD, and CPTSD

Send us a text In this season finale, Jordan Rios joins us to share her journey of late diagnosis, deep healing, and resilient faith. As a single mother of seven—navigating ADHD, CPTSD, and a lifetime of misdiagnosis—Jordan speaks with raw honesty about overstimulation, self-care, and the slow work of rewriting harmful messages. Together, we explore what it means to parent through trauma, to care for a dysregulated nervous system with compassion, and to hold on to a faith that doesn’t abandon...

3 months ago

58 minutes

Neurodivergent Faith

Executive Function + Faith (Part 1): Impulse Control, Working Memory & Emotional Regulation

Send us a text In this first episode of a series, we begin a sacred conversation at the intersection of Executive Function and Faith. Together with neurodiverse Christian couples coach Robin Tate, we gently explore three foundational executive function skills—Impulse Control, Working Memory, and Emotional Regulation—and how they might shape the ways we love God, others, and ourselves. What happens when you act impulsively before you've thought something through? When you forget something impo...

3 months ago

52 minutes

Neurodivergent Faith

Neurodivergent and Third Culture: A Conversation with Ananda Bossois

Send us a text In this episode of Neurodivergent Faith, I sit down with Ananda Bossois—a Brazilian, ADHD, third culture woman of deep faith—to explore the intersection of neurodivergence, multicultural identity, and life with God. Together, we reflect on the strengths and challenges of being both neurodivergent and third culture: the masking, the code-switching, and the holy moments of freedom when we’re fully known, trusted, and loved. We talk about belonging, cultural expectations, and how ...

3 months ago

50 minutes

Neurodivergent Faith

The Tyranny of the Normal: Autism + Worship with Léon Van Ommen

Send us a text In this thought-provoking and grace-filled conversation, Josh speaks with theologian Léon Van Ommen about his book Autism and Worship. Together we explore what autistic ways of being offer the spiritual community, the value of embodiment, and the possibility of a Church where all can truly belong. We talk about: – dismantling the “tyranny of the normal” in worship spaces – autistic theology as a gift to the Church – real-life communities reimagining liturgy – hope for those who...

3 months ago

48 minutes

Neurodivergent Faith

When Church Doesn't Feel Safe: A Story of Autistic Shutdown

Send us a text Sometimes the places that are meant to be sanctuary feel like war zones instead—especially for neurodivergent people navigating unspoken expectations, sensory overload, and shifting social norms. In this honest solo episode, Josh shares the story of a recent autistic shutdown: the days of emotional buildup, the weight of masking in church spaces, the crash into silence, and the surprising moments of care that brought glimmers of repair. With poetic words and a pastor's he...

4 months ago

28 minutes

Neurodivergent Faith

Moving From Compliance to Invitation: Demand Avoidance, Faith, and Belonging with Sunita Theiss

Send us a text What if “no” wasn’t seen as rebellion, but a nervous system seeking regulation? What if belonging in the church didn’t hinge on meeting expectations, but on being met with grace? In this rich and poetic conversation, I’m joined by Sunita Theiss—an autistic, ADHD, PDA’er and parent coach—who offers profound insight into demand avoidance and its impact on relationships, parenting, and spiritual formation. We explore the invisible weight of expectations in church spaces, how deman...

4 months ago

39 minutes

Neurodivergent Faith

Tourette Syndrome and the Cost of Suppression – with Joy Martin

Send us a text In this powerful episode, Josh is joined by Joy Martin to explore life, faith, embodiment, and community through the lens of Tourette Syndrome. Together, they name the visible and invisible realities of TS, from daily resilience to misunderstood tics, from spiritual reframing to hard-won grace. They explore the tension between suppression and authenticity, wrestle with the idea of self-control, and reflect on what consideration can look like in faith communities. If you’ve ever...

4 months ago

54 minutes

Neurodivergent Faith

ADHD + Ministry (with John Miller)

Send us a text What happens when the structures and forms held up as faithful or godly don’t make room for your neurotype? When the “right way” to minister, to lead, to show up—was not made with your wiring in mind? In this honest and liberating conversation, I sit down with coach and fellow ADHDer John Miller. Together, we name the ways religious spaces often spiritualize and moralize rigid frames—frames that can bring deep shame when we can’t (and weren’t meant to) fit inside them. We talk ...

4 months ago

42 minutes

Neurodivergent Faith

ADHD + Shame (with Jess Pentsil)

Send us a text Welcome back to Neurodivergent Faith—a space where our whole selves are welcome, where questions are holy, and where the messy, miraculous work of being human meets the mystery of God. We begin Season 2 with a sacred and tender conversation: ADHD + Shame. I’m joined by my friend Jess Pentsil—a therapist and a fellow ADHDer—as we begin to explore the intersection of neurodivergence and shame. Together, we reflect on: The shame scripts ADHDers often carryHow spiritual practices c...

5 months ago

41 minutes

Neurodivergent Faith

When Someone Says, "I'm Autistic": Responses That Harm, Responses That Heal

Send us a text How do you respond when someone tells you they’re autistic? In this tender and truth-telling episode, Josh invites us into a deeper way of responding when someone shares their neurodivergent identity. With grace and gentle clarity, he names some common responses that can harm—even when meant with kindness—and offers alternatives that cultivate connection, dignity, and trust. Whether you’re autistic yourself, in relationship with someone who is, or simply want to be a more compa...

6 months ago

34 minutes

Neurodivergent Faith

What Autistics Want The Church To Know

Send us a text In this heartfelt episode of Neurodivergent Faith, autistic voices rise with clarity, honesty, and hard-won wisdom. When asked what they long for their churches, pastors, and fellow Christians to understand, their answers are rich with vulnerability, nuance, and sacred truth. You’ll hear deep expressions of love, sincere accounts of pain and isolation, and powerful invitations to rethink what it means to welcome, include, and honor autistic people in our churches—not just in th...

6 months ago

33 minutes

Neurodivergent Faith

Autism + The Glory of God [with Harrison Litzell]

Send us a text What if autism isn't a barrier to experiencing God's presence—but a uniquely beautiful lens for beholding God's glory? In this rich and heartfelt conversation, Josh is joined by Harrison Litzell, a late-discovered autistic ordained minister, to explore the question: How do autistic people reflect the glory and character of God—not despite their autistic traits, but in them? Together, they delve into story, theology, and lived experience to illuminate how autistic ways of thinki...

7 months ago

53 minutes

Neurodivergent Faith

Autism + The Church [with autistic author Erin Burnett]

Send us a text How can the church better welcome and support autistic people? In this episode of Neurodivergent Faith, I interview Erin Burnett, an author from Belfast, Northern Ireland, whose latest book, With All Your Mind: Autism and the Church, weaves together biblical teaching, scientific research, and personal stories to explore this question. Together, we discuss the intersections of church, religion, and spirituality, as well as Erin’s own journey of faith and neurodivergence. We talk...

7 months ago

49 minutes

Neurodivergent Faith

Neurodivergent Faith in Practice: What's Working (and What's Not) Right Now

Send us a text In this episode of Neurodivergent Faith, I reflect on what’s working—and what’s not—in my journey of connecting with God, myself, and others in this season of life. From spiritual rhythms to technological supports that help (or hinder) my connection with God, I explore the ongoing process of adapting faith practices to fit my neurodivergent wiring. As you listen, I invite you to reflect on what’s working (and not) in your own spiritual life—and consider what that might mean for...

8 months ago

38 minutes

Neurodivergent Faith

Connecting With God in Neurodivergent Ways (part 3)

Send us a text Some of us connect with God best through structured rhythms—predictable routines that provide safety and grounding. Others experience God in the unplanned, in moments of spontaneity and discovery. And for some neurodivergent people (I see you, fellow AuDHDers!), it’s a delicate dance between the two. In this final episode of our three-part series, we explore the tension between structure and flexibility in spiritual practices. Listeners share their personal experiences—what doe...

8 months ago

38 minutes

Neurodivergent Faith

Connecting with God in Neurodivergent Ways (part 2)

Send us a text In this episode of Neurodivergent Faith, we consider more of the creative and diverse ways neurodivergent people connect with God. We hear from listeners who share honestly about what works for them and what doesn’t, highlighting the beauty of diversity in faith expressions. Traditional spiritual practices like Bible reading don’t work for everyone—and that’s okay! We explore alternative ways of engaging with Scripture beyond just reading. We also talk about engaging crea...

8 months ago

32 minutes

Neurodivergent Faith

Jesus + Neurodivergent Accommodations?

Send us a text When the crowds pressed in, Jesus didn’t just push through—he found creative ways to create space while staying engaged. In this episode of Neurodivergent Faith, we explore Luke 4:42–5:3 and consider how Jesus’ choice to withdraw and even get into a boat might reflect a form of accommodation. Too often, we’re told we must choose between caring for ourselves or serving the community. But what if that’s a false choice? What if Jesus shows us a way to do both—through creative acco...

8 months ago

31 minutes