My friend Jake takes us through his conservative background that was filled with anxieties and oppressed curiosities. College was the first place and time he was allowed to ask some hard questions, and come to some conclusions he knew would not please his family. Living in LA he has the freedom to live out his own values, but it is something that still presses on his mind and heart.
The year 2019 was absolutely wild for my dear Megan. She fell in love, got engaged, was diagnosed with cancer, got married, and underwent several surgeries...all while still pursuing her doctorate. I am deeply honored to be able to share her story with you all, and cannot thank her enough for her transparency. In this episode Megan shares her own faith background, and beautifully articulates the way it has impacted her relationship to her body (both pre-cancer and now).
My friend Tony has grown up about as classically American Dutch as can be. This episode brings some helpful insights to both the cultural and religious aspects of that life. You'll get a lot of laughs and hopefully some inspiration as he shares some of his growing pains, plans for the future, and his current goal of boosting his instagram following (@tonydykstra).
For this special episode, I sit down with my one and only sister! She and I have been through it all together and I'm so thankful for her wisdom along the way. Soph shares with me her shared and unique burdens having grown up as a "child missionary". She also gives us a peek into her own radicalization and how her love for agriculture influences her current view on the world.
In addition to quoting the great Dr. Brené Brown, Bre also walks us through her life story. From Belize to private schools to churches in SoCal, she has kept her heart, mind, and eyes wide open. Bre's main focus now is keeping grace and understanding at the center of her conversations. I loved hearing that reflected in our chat.
Erin challenged herself to be vulnerable during this interview, and let me tell you I was blown away! She so gracefully expresses the pain and confusion purity culture can cause even inside a healthy marriage. Erin also shares the grief and isolation she and Jason have felt as they wait for God's timing for an addition to their family. You may want to have some tissues handy for this one <3
I really enjoyed chatting with Cait about how traveling the world has changed her perspective on life and religion. She also shares about her fear of Hell despite moving into a universalist stance, and the heartbreak she feels with her queer friends when they are not accepted by their Christian families. Be sure to check out her travel blog for fun stories and great tips!
Dyvon shares about his days protesting the police, strategically circumventing nepotism, and framing economic systems as religions.
Dyvon shares his experience growing up in a white community as a Brown person, questioning religious authority from a very young age, and coming to understand Christianity as a cultural system beyond salvation.
Taylor has dedicated most of her education and career to healthy community & youth development. Here she shares about the role religion and spirituality have played in finding her passions. She also uses her background in social work to lay out some practical changes religious spaces need to be making. So far Taylor is the only mother I've interviewed, so I also appreciated the perspectives she shared on parenting in the 2020s.
I really enjoyed chatting with my friend (and our SD composer) Lex Kohrs about his life. Over the hour we learn about his love for music in religious spaces and how he waited for just the right time to come out as gay. He also has a new book available on Amazon, so be sure to order Now We're Not Strangers Anymore!
This is the final installment in a trilogy of episodes about my life. My partner (Dyvon Melling) interviews me about the year of 2020. Covering the most heartbreaking and definitive year of my life, we discuss my relationship with my parents, interracial dating, civil rights, antidepressants, and so much more.
This is the second in a trilogy of episodes about my life. My partner (Dyvon Melling) interviews me about my college days and moving to LA. In this time of my life, I tested the waters and learned what life could offer outside of fundamentalist Christianity.
This is the first in a trilogy of episodes about my life. My partner (Dyvon Melling) interviews me about my childhood as a missionary in rural Michigan. While there were many joys, we mostly discuss the subtle and traumatic pieces I am now processing in therapy.
This episode is a journey! Listen along as Alyssa walks us through her life. We hit it all: finger guns at first communion, theater god complexes, the quest to lose her virginity, her recent battle to defeat perfectionism, and much more.
My dear friend Emilee and I chat about youth group culture, discerning anxiety from spiritual conviction, deciding to not attend a christian college *gasp*, and how medical school has shaped her view on the world.
Join my conversation with Ryn as she shares about her own struggles with mental health, her experiences in white Christian spaces, and why she prioritizes people who need people.
Join us as Josh shares his story about growing up SUPER CHRISTIAN, learning to give himself and others grace, and recognizing the immense privilege the Christian Church holds in America.