Religion on the Mind

…In this sociopolitical economy, that is. I’m joined in today’s Generation Gap Culture Hour by regulars Josh Gilbert, Tony Jones, and we hear all about the newest generation to our experiment — Josh’s brand new baby!  A rewatch of Last of the Mohicans has me seriously considering learning a new hobby, and Tony's 6% confidence in me is, frankly, offensive. We close out the first half of the episode sizing up the US-Israel strike on Iran and why the story is far more complicated than your Instagram feed is letting on. In the Patron only second-half, Tony shares a close-to-home run-in with conspiracy rabbit holes that pulls us into the psychology of misinformation and eroding shared reality, before we land on who should and shouldn't be writing books about polyamory or psychedelics.___________________________________________ Follow Dan on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/dancoke/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠twitter.com/DanKoch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Faith deconstruction resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.soyouredeconstructing.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/dankoch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YHP Patron-only FB group: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.dankochwords.com/yhp.html⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join Dan's email list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.dankochwords.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Artwork by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nickryanluevano.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I sit down with Tim Burnette — founder of The Way Collective in Santa Barbara — to explore what it looks like to build a psychologically astute, contemplative Christianity for our fractured moment. We dig into the inner critic, anxiety, and how therapeutic practices like IFS, CBT, and acceptance and commitment therapy share a surprisingly deep resonance with contemplative traditions around the true self and nonviolence. Tim shares his own journey through panic attacks and cancer scares, and we trace how learning to attend to anxious thoughts — rather than fight or flee from them — might just be both good therapy and good spirituality.  If you've ever wondered whether your therapist and your mystic are secretly after the same thing, this one's for you. ___________________________________________ Follow Dan on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/dancoke/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠twitter.com/DanKoch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Faith deconstruction resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.soyouredeconstructing.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/dankoch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YHP Patron-only FB group: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.dankochwords.com/yhp.html⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join Dan's email list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.dankochwords.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Artwork by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nickryanluevano.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this conversation, Ryan Burge joins me to explore the evolving landscape of religion in America, focusing on the concepts of “nones” and “dones”—those who identify as non-religious or have distanced themselves from organized religion—and how we see these concepts playing out across society. Highlights 05:36 The State of American Christianity 11:29 The Impact of Partisanship on Religion 14:28 Self-Worth and Life Satisfaction in Religious Contexts 54:35 The Evolution of Gender Identity Awareness 01:08:51 Navigating the Complexities of Trans Issues ___________________________________________ Follow Dan on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/dancoke/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠twitter.com/DanKoch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Faith deconstruction resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.soyouredeconstructing.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/dankoch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YHP Patron-only FB group: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.dankochwords.com/yhp.html⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join Dan's email list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.dankochwords.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Artwork by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nickryanluevano.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is it — the finale of our four-part series on C.S. Lewis's The Great Divorce, and Kristen Tideman and I go out with a bang. We work through chapters 10-14, where Lewis's portrait of a controlling wife raises questions for us both. We also get into the lizard-turned-stallion scene, Lewis's theology of maternal love (I push back pretty hard), the soul-building argument for suffering, and a Sarah Smith moment I found a little too neat. After the Patreon break, Kristen and I dig into the deeper theological mechanics Lewis is proposing about hell, free will, and post-mortem choice — and land on what I think is our central critique of the whole book: as a psychological metaphor, it's surprisingly rich, but as eschatology, it doesn't quite hold together. ___________________________________________ Follow Dan on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/dancoke/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠twitter.com/DanKoch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Faith deconstruction resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.soyouredeconstructing.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/dankoch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YHP Patron-only FB group: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.dankochwords.com/yhp.html⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join Dan's email list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.dankochwords.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Artwork by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nickryanluevano.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I invite previous guest Heather Patton Griffin back to the pod to discuss biblical counseling—but this time through the lens of AI. After our previous conversation about white evangelicalism's navigation system, I decided to test an AI biblical counseling app and share my findings with Heather. We unpacked what I'm calling "Bible facts"—authoritative claims that function as the foundation of biblical counseling—and examined the sincerity culture that makes the whole system feel so compelling to practitioners and clients alike. If you ever wanted to know what an AI biblical counselor sounds like, this episode’s for you. Previous Episodes with Heather: Church Trauma and Spiritual “Knowledge” (#317) “Bible Truths,” “Sanctified Common Sense,” & “Evangelical Insta-Trust: (#123) Highlights 05:47 Knowledge and Bible Facts in Evangelicalism 17:43 Critiques of Biblical Counseling Practices 19:36 Dan's Experiment with the AI App 35:22 The Connection Between Biblical Counseling and CBT 55:48 The Mind-Emotion Split in Counseling ___________________________________________ Follow Dan on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/dancoke/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠twitter.com/DanKoch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Faith deconstruction resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.soyouredeconstructing.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/dankoch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YHP Patron-only FB group: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.dankochwords.com/yhp.html⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join Dan's email list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.dankochwords.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Artwork by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nickryanluevano.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm back with Kristen Tideman for Part 3 of our conversation about C.S. Lewis's 'The Great Divorce,' and honestly, I wasn't prepared for how much these chapters would make me squirm. We're diving into chapters 6-9, where Lewis introduces us to ghosts who can't stop being their own defense lawyers—and the uncomfortable realization that we're all doing the same thing. Kristen admits she saw herself in the hard-bitten conspiracy theorist ghost (the one who blames "management" for everything), which led us down a rabbit hole about victim mindsets, external locus of control, and why I still can't respond to text messages half the time. The real gut-punch came when we started talking about how good things can feel unbearable when you haven't built up the capacity for them—like trying to read Shakespeare without putting in the work. I share my frustration with how Lewis’ framework is missing the nervous system, childhood trauma, embodied experience—all the things that make human choice far messier than his neat theological categories allow. In the Patron-only second half, we tackle Chapter 9's massive theological exposition by George MacDonald and how this chapter, which felt like liberating good news when we were younger, now just feels like Lewis kicking the moral can down the road. ___________________________________________ Follow Dan on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/dancoke/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠twitter.com/DanKoch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Faith deconstruction resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.soyouredeconstructing.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/dankoch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YHP Patron-only FB group: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.dankochwords.com/yhp.html⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join Dan's email list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.dankochwords.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Artwork by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nickryanluevano.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this conversation, Minnesotan and friend of the pod, Tony Jones, joins me for another look at the complex dynamics happening below the surface in Minnesota right now. We reflect on the recent events surrounding the killing of Alex Pretti, the community's response to political tensions, and the evolving identity of Minnesota as a state that embraces diversity and neighborism.  Tony's Substack | Jonestony.substack.com Highlights 05:38 Minnesota's Unique Identity and Loyalty 16:35 Immigration and Community Dynamics 42:18 Federal Forces and Community Response 56:12 The Role of Religion in Activism 01:18:30 The Future of Minnesota and Community Resilience ___________________________________________ Follow Dan on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/dancoke/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠twitter.com/DanKoch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Faith deconstruction resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.soyouredeconstructing.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/dankoch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YHP Patron-only FB group: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.dankochwords.com/yhp.html⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join Dan's email list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.dankochwords.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Artwork by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nickryanluevano.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kristen Tideman is back for Part 2 of our conversation about C.S. Lewis's 'The Great Divorce,' and we get right into discussing some of the uncomfortable questions Chapter 5 brings up (am I just deceiving myself?). We also wrestle with Lewis's critique of intellectual Christianity and the sense of gaslighting that arises from his assumption that theological doubt stems from sin rather than honest inquiry. Is there a meaningful difference between thoughtful religious evolution and the kind of endless postponement of commitment that Lewis condemns? In the Patron-only second half, we explore how existential therapy's approach to discernment and limits offers a path toward meaningful commitment without requiring blind acceptance. ___________________________________________ Follow Dan on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/dancoke/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠twitter.com/DanKoch⁠⁠⁠⁠ Faith deconstruction resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.soyouredeconstructing.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: ⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/dankoch⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ YHP Patron-only FB group: ⁠⁠⁠⁠tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.dankochwords.com/yhp.html⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join Dan's email list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.dankochwords.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Artwork by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Nickryanluevano.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, recurring guest Kristen Tideman and I discuss C.S. Lewis's The Great Divorce, examining how its exploration of hell, isolation, and human flaws speaks to modern issues like political polarization. We also examine Lewis's allegory and its connection to broader questions about existential psychology, spirituality, mortality, and the struggle for honest self-accountability—all of which seem increasingly rare in our culture today. Highlights 05:20 The Context of The Great Divorce 11:00 The Psychological Richness of The Great Divorce 19:34 Political Polarization and Its Parallels 32:18 Theological Perspectives on Hell 47:16 Cultural Shifts in Conversations about Mortality 01:11:47 Theological Perspectives on Responsibility ___________________________________________ Follow Dan on IG: ⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/dancoke/⁠⁠⁠ Or Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠twitter.com/DanKoch⁠⁠⁠ Faith deconstruction resources: ⁠⁠⁠www.soyouredeconstructing.com/⁠⁠⁠ Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: ⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/dankoch⁠⁠⁠ Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠ YHP Patron-only FB group: ⁠⁠⁠tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠www.dankochwords.com/yhp.html⁠⁠⁠ Join Dan's email list: ⁠⁠⁠www.dankochwords.com/⁠⁠⁠ Artwork by ⁠⁠⁠sprungle.co/⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of "Religion on the Mind," Mason Mennenga joins me to discuss what it’s like to be in Minneapolis right now, amid intense immigration enforcement and community responses. He shares the emotional toll of living in a city under national scrutiny (it happened during the George Floyd protests, too), as well as what he’s personally experiencing with ICE raids and the community's efforts to support one another amid fear and uncertainty.  Highlights 06:01 Community Responses to ICE Raids 16:53 The Psychological Impact of Current Events 27:27 The Future of Christianity in a Polarized World 44:05 The Disruption of Worship Services 01:02:12 Healthy vs. Pathological Anxiety ___________________________________________ Follow Dan on IG: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/dancoke/⁠⁠ Or Twitter: ⁠⁠twitter.com/DanKoch⁠⁠ Faith deconstruction resources: ⁠⁠www.soyouredeconstructing.com/⁠⁠ Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: ⁠⁠patreon.com/dankoch⁠⁠ Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: ⁠⁠youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠ YHP Patron-only FB group: ⁠⁠tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠www.dankochwords.com/yhp.html⁠⁠ Join Dan's email list: ⁠⁠www.dankochwords.com/⁠⁠ Artwork by ⁠⁠sprungle.co/⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this live episode of Religion on the Mind, recorded at Theology Beer Camp in October 2025, I sit down with friend and philosopher Myron A. Penner to explore the naturalness of religion, discussing its philosophical implications, evolutionary origins, and the role of cognitive science in understanding religious behavior. Philip Clayton joins us for a follow-up conversation and audience questions about halfway through. Myron's Website | Myronapenner.com Philip's Website | Philipclayton.net Highlights: 13:47 Evolutionary Origins of Religion 20:02 Cognitive Science of Religion 38:12 Practical Implications for Therapy 43:54 Audience Engagement and Q&A ___________________________________________ Follow Dan on IG: ⁠www.instagram.com/dancoke/⁠ Or Twitter: ⁠twitter.com/DanKoch⁠ Faith deconstruction resources: ⁠www.soyouredeconstructing.com/⁠ Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: ⁠patreon.com/dankoch⁠ Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: ⁠youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.com⁠ YHP Patron-only FB group: ⁠tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98⁠ Website: ⁠www.dankochwords.com/yhp.html⁠ Join Dan's email list: ⁠www.dankochwords.com/⁠ Artwork by ⁠sprungle.co/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I sit down with returning guest Bonnie Kristian, deputy editor at Christianity Today, to examine tensions in contemporary evangelicalism in light of her upcoming book, In Defense of Evangelicalism. First up, we look at James Dobson's complicated legacy and how his parenting advice represented both progress and problems for its time, and why his use of psychology credentials to bypass evidence-based research troubles me as a clinician in the field.  We then tackle the media's panic over "spiritual warfare" language at Charlie Kirk's funeral, where Bonnie points out that Pope Francis uses the same Ephesians passage about wrestling "not against flesh and blood." We also get into Peter Thiel's bizarre Antichrist lectures, which turn out to be less apocalyptic theology and more libertarian fearmongering dressed in biblical metaphor.  Throughout, we wrestle with a core question: how do we navigate religious language in public discourse when biblical literacy has collapsed, and when do passionate warnings cross the line into spiritual abuse? Previous Episodes with Bonnie: ⁠Episode 306 | Dan is Getting Libertarian-Curious⁠ ⁠Episode 21 | To Consider Inerrancy, Infallibility & Inspiration⁠ ⁠Episode 6 | To Consider ALL the Atonement Theories⁠ ___________________________________________ Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/ Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/ Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankoch Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.com YHP Patron-only FB group: tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98 Website: www.dankochwords.com/yhp.html Join Dan's email list: www.dankochwords.com/ Artwork by sprungle.co/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I reconnect with my friend Brian Hall to explore his family's move from Portland to rural Oregon—driven by their kids' special needs, exhaustion with sociopolitical polarization, and Brian's ongoing “reconstruction” of his spirituality. We discuss the tension between liberal values and individual family choices as Brian deliberately exposes himself to conservative religious spaces. I push back on his embrace of Trump-supporting communities while acknowledging my own growing interest in center-right perspectives, and we wrestle with questions about schooling, how to teach kids about systemic injustice and related issues, and whether spiritual practice requires suspending judgment. Brian describes finding unexpected vitality in charismatic worship with older Black Pentecostals and why Portland's progressive culture started feeling like a fundamentalist Bible study. We're both tired of performative resistance, yet neither wants to abandon genuine insights. This leaves us in the messy middle, trying to be present for our kids while staying intellectually honest. In the Patron-only second half of the episode, we discuss the therapeutic wisdom of Brian's approach, his specific reasons for leaving Portland's school system, attempted nuanced takes on gender ideology and trans issues, and Brian’s experience with improvisational worship music services. Brian's Album | Reconstruction in C Major Spotify Link Previous Episode with Brian | Still Christian & Spiritual: Brian Hall (#244) ___________________________________________ Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/ Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/ Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankoch Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.com YHP Patron-only FB group: tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98 Website: www.dankochwords.com/yhp.html Join Dan's email list: www.dankochwords.com/ Artwork by sprungle.co/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

These are the notes I just worked on: I sit down with our friend Kristen Tideman for one of those conversations that starts heavy and somehow leaves you feeling more alive. Kristen recently received a complicated diagnosis just months after becoming a new mom—a gut-punching reminder of mortality. We talk about what I'm calling "dying fast and slow" and how we avoid thinking about death in Western culture, why that avoidance might actually rob us of meaning, and how limitations—whether from illness, mortality, or just being human—can paradoxically give us freedom. Drawing on existential therapy, C.S. Lewis, Sufjan Stevens' darkest song, and even the psychology of Mormon communities, we wrestle with questions I keep coming back to, like: What does it mean to face our finitude honestly? Why does religious art sometimes feel less authentic than secular art? Can we find meaning in this life even when we're unsure what comes after? This one goes to some vulnerable, uncomfortable places, but I promise it's worth the journey. Kristen's Website | Kristentideman.com Tatiana Schlossberg⁠'s Article | Battle with My Blood ___________________________________________ Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/ Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/ Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankoch Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.com YHP Patron-only FB group: tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98 Website: www.dankochwords.com/yhp.html Join Dan's email list: www.dankochwords.com/ Artwork by sprungle.co/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode, I’m joined by licensed professional counselor Monica DiCristina to explore the question that haunts so many people leaving conservative religious environments: What can I trust about myself?  Monica shares her thoughts on navigating the messy reality of learning to trust your own intuition, emotions, and body when you've been taught that authority figures and scripture are the only reliable sources of “knowing.” We swap stories about our own religious upbringings—hers navigating both Spanish Catholicism and 90s evangelicalism—and how anxiety disorders complicated our ability to discern what was "the Holy Spirit" versus our own mental health struggles.  We explore how naming your pain is different from naming yourself, why wisdom feels expansive rather than anxious, and how Jesus's command to "love your neighbor as yourself" actually validates self-trust rather than self-abandonment.  If you've ever wondered whether you can trust a gut feeling or found yourself paralyzed by the epistemological crisis of our current moment, this conversation offers a refreshingly non-anxious path forward.  Monica's Website | Monicadicristina.com ___________________________________________ Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/ Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/ Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankoch Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.com YHP Patron-only FB group: tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98 Website: www.dankochwords.com/yhp.html Join Dan's email list: www.dankochwords.com/ Artwork by sprungle.co/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Religion on the News is back — (thanks to our patron Samantha for suggesting that series title!) Mason Mennenga joins me to round up the latest stories from faith, culture, and psychology. After acknowledging the tragedy of the mass shooting in Australia, we segue into the absurdity of Skillet—yes, the massive Christian rock band—getting "criticized" for making their Christmas hymn cover sound too demonic (spoiler: the controversy seems manufactured by two Twitter/X accounts with tiny followings). But this leads us down a fascinating rabbit hole about evangelicalism's century-long panic over music itself, from jazz's "jungle rhythms" to today's active rock, and why conservative Christians keep mistaking their aesthetic preferences for theological truths.  Speaking of music, AI-generated gospel music hit #1 on iTunes! We reckon with whether the "art vs. artist" divide holds up when there's no actual artist at all—just algorithms and Auto-Tune's logical endpoint.  Finally, we discuss if declining alcohol consumption might actually be terrible news for the American community, drawing on Blue Zones research and my own recent reckoning with using substances to enhance rather than escape. If you've ever wondered whether Process Theology can capitalize on increased cannabis use, why college students don't party anymore, or what it means that we're losing our shared vices without replacing the social functions they served, pour yourself a craft beer (or don't) and listen now. Mason's Website | ⁠Masonmennenga.com ___________________________________________ Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/ Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/ Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankoch Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.com YHP Patron-only FB group: tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98 Website: www.dankochwords.com/yhp.html Join Dan's email list: www.dankochwords.com/ Artwork by sprungle.co/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode, I’m joined by social psychologist Dr. James Pennebaker from UT Austin to explore an uncomfortable truth: we don't use language to tell the truth—we use it to justify ourselves and protect our egos, whether we're explaining to our spouse why we didn't do the dishes or electing presidents based on confidence rather than facts. We dig into why we're suckers for confident, simple speakers (explaining the rise of figures like Trump and Obama), how wisdom traditions manage to preserve truth despite our constant self-deception, why we've all retreated into communities that confirm our existing beliefs, and whether the 90% of values we actually share can compete with the 10% that's tearing us apart. James brings decades of psychological research to help explain several cultural movements, like how politicians have become less logical but more confident over the past century and how evangelical Christian institutions have trained millions of people to tune out challenging information.  We end wrestling with whether AI represents humanity's next great cognitive leap forward or just gives us shinier tools to build more convincing echo chambers—and why the answer might depend entirely on how we choose to use them. James's Faculty Page ___________________________________________ Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/ Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/ Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankoch Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.com YHP Patron-only FB group: tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98 Website: www.dankochwords.com/yhp.html Join Dan's email list: www.dankochwords.com/ Artwork by sprungle.co/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to a special episode of GenDERation Gap Culture Hour with Joy Vetterlein bringing a female perspective to the conversation with me, Josh Gilbert and Tony Jones. We launch in with crystals and why religious nones don’t seem to engage in more spiritual practices before we each share our Spotify Wrapped ages (guess who is the oldest?). Tony shares why Hans Zimmer is at the top of his playlist. In the Patron-only second half, Joy airs her grievances with how we’ve discussed Taylor Swift in the past, Dan shares his new nightly ritual of watching the American Revolution docuseries by Ken Burns, and we debate whether patriotism is a right-leaning tradition. ___________________________________________ Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/ Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/ Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankoch Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.com YHP Patron-only FB group: tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98 Website: www.dankochwords.com/yhp.html Join Dan's email list: www.dankochwords.com/ Artwork by sprungle.co/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode, I’m joined by writer, rabbi, journalist and fellow “weird religious person” Jay Michaelson for a thought-provoking conversation that already has me scheming ways to have him back on the show! We articulate the tension between liberal theology and ecstatic spiritual experience: why do people whose politics we agree with have boring prayer services while the charismatic communities offer genuine transcendence amidst their rigid theology?  Jay opens up about overcoming his own "Christophobia" (yes, he wrote an article called "How I Finally Came to Accept Christ in My Heart"), and we dig into his concept of "small-r religion"—the intentional, piecemeal approach to meaning-making that liberal religious folks practice versus capital-R traditional religion. It gets juicy as we wrestle with whether this progressive, open-minded approach can actually compete with conservative religion's appeal in our current moment of nihilism and meaning crisis. Can pluralistic spirituality be effective at fighting back against the wide road of AI slop, economic despair, and rising authoritarianism?? I push back on Jay's darker assessments while he challenges my therapeutic optimism, and we land somewhere fascinating between acceptance, the narrow road, and what we can actually control. This one covers everything from Buddhist meditation to Trump to whether my hypothetical gay Christian clients need liberal churches. I hope you enjoy. Jay's Substack | Both/And with Jay Michaelson Jay's Book "God vs. Gay? The Reli­gious Case for Equality" Jay's Website | Jaymichaelson.net ___________________________________________ Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/ Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/ Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankoch Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.com YHP Patron-only FB group: tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98 Website: www.dankochwords.com/yhp.html Join Dan's email list: www.dankochwords.com/ Artwork by sprungle.co/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I sit down with Dr. Nathan Carlin, professor of medical humanities and author of The Secularization of Medicine, to explore his fascinating thesis that doctors have become the new priests of secular society. We trace how this shift began—from medieval cathedrals as the highest points in European cities to modern hospital skylines dominating places like Houston's Texas Medical Center, where people now make pilgrimages seeking salvation of the body rather than the soul. Nathan walks me through the historical intertwining of religion and medicine, from the original Hippocratic Oath invoking Apollo to the 1850s when the American Medical Association's code explicitly grounded medical ethics in religion, and how the 1960s-70s brought radical secularization alongside movements for patient rights and autonomy. We explore the moral complexities of medical decision-making through the haunting case of Dax, a burn victim who consistently demanded to die but was kept alive by doctors who believed they knew best, and examine Canada's controversial Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) program, which now accounts for one in twenty deaths. Our conversation explores the tension between patient autonomy and other moral values, the vulnerability inherent in the doctor-patient relationship that mirrors the confessional booth, and why psychedelic research needs the institutional prestige of places like Johns Hopkins to gain legitimacy—a perfect example of medicine functioning as the new church. In the Patron-only second half, we discuss cases of medical fraud, vaccine skepticism and institutional trust, and why medicine needs practices of confession and forgiveness to repair the mistrust that plagues healthcare today. Dr. Carlin's Book | The Secularization of Medicine: Ritual, Salvation, and Prophecy Dr. Carlin's Faculty Page | Med.uth.edu/oep/nathan-carlin-ph-d ___________________________________________ Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/ Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/ Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankoch Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.com YHP Patron-only FB group: tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98 Website: www.dankochwords.com/yhp.html Join Dan's email list: www.dankochwords.com/ Artwork by sprungle.co/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices