Religion on the Mind

Black Americans and other people of color are understandably exhausted right now, so what better time to pull something out of the vault that speaks to our current moment? In 2017, on my old Depolarize! Podcast, I interviewed 5 Christians of color about their experience growing up non-white in America, as well as a number of issues related to Evangelicalism and politics. I’m happy to say that the idea that a largely white audience should spend time simply listening to stories like this *feels* more widely accepted today than it did in 2017. Nonetheless, there is always more listening to be done, and these are some powerful stories.https://8cantwait.org/http://theandcampaign.comhttps://thewitnessbcc.com/Pass the Mic Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pass-the-mic/id1435500798Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochEmail about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: [email protected] Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

*This was recorded before I knew the proper pronunciation of Ta-Nehisi Coates and Jonathan Haidt's names*Back in 2017, my history buff good friend Ryan Downs and I recorded a short reaction to watching the James Baldwin documentary I Am Not Your Negro. It is a timely if incomplete discussion given recent events. I recommend watching the film first -- it is available for free on Prime Video if you have that subscription, and rentable else -- then listening to our brief discussion.https://www.amazon.com/I-Am-Not-Your-Negro/dp/B01MR52U7T Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dan is joined by author and podcaster Matthias Roberts to talk about his new book Beyond Shame and the topic of sexual shame more broadly. His own story sheds interesting light on this topic because, as a gay person, Matthias found himself feeling sexual shame over heterosexual images and potential activities that he did not find sexually alluring at all. If sexual shame can be produced without actual sexual desire as an ingredient, what does that tell us about it? Also, Dan reveals more about his own sexuality and sex life than he planned to because that is just how warm and engaging Matthias is!Beyond Shame: https://smile.amazon.com/Beyond-Shame-Creating-Healthy-Terms/dp/1506455662/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=beyond+shame&qid=1590953881&sr=8-1Queerology Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/queerology-a-podcast-on-belief-and-being/id1241721675Follow Dan on IG: https://www.instagram.com/dancoke/Edited by Josh Gilbert ([email protected] -- he is accepting more work!)Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochEmail about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: [email protected] Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do younger Americans (18-30 year olds) think about science, faith, and the relationship between them? Which issues “count” as “science/faith” issues? You might be surprised at some of the answers to these questions. This episode is for listeners who have enjoyed getting a “peak behind the curtain” of this massive culture change/wave that we seem to be caught up in right now. Dr. Greg Cootsona is a religion researcher out of Chico State in California and is involved in a big research program about this topic.Greg’s HuffPo piece: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/four-surprising-things-em_b_8453820Negotiating Science and Religion in America: https://smile.amazon.com/Negotiating-Science-Religion-America-Present-ebook/dp/B082BHC8Z5/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=greg+cootsona&qid=1590348732&sr=8-3Mere Science and Christian Faith: https://smile.amazon.com/Mere-Science-Christian-Faith-Bridging-ebook/dp/B07CP42VBD/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=greg+cootsona&qid=1590348732&sr=8-1Science for the Church - https://scienceforthechurch.org/Follow Dan on IG: https://www.instagram.com/dancoke/Edited by Josh Gilbert ([email protected] -- he is accepting more work!)Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochEmail about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: [email protected] Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, I speak with two sociologists of religion, Joseph Leman and Stephen Cranney, about the Hell Anxiety Scale that they developed, as well as the academic study of the overlap of psychology and religion more broadly, what other research around this topic has revealed, how they pursue this work as people of faith themselves, and whether it’s possible to be confident BOTH that there is a Hell AND that you yourself are heading there.Hell Anxiety Paper: https://www.dropbox.com/s/3liw0xh7gb1zu1i/Hell%20Anxiety%20Scale.pdf?dl=0Joseph Leman’s site: https://www.baylor.edu/BIC/index.php?id=961526Stephen Cranney’s site: https://stephencranney.github.io/Follow Dan on IG: https://www.instagram.com/dancoke/Edited by Josh Gilbert ([email protected] -- he is accepting more work!)Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochEmail about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: [email protected] Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I talk a lot about religious pluralism on this podcast, and therefore really appreciated this opportunity to talk with the Rev. Dr. Charles Kimball about his book Truth Over Fear and his lifetime of interreligious work. We cover Islamaphobia, fear-mongering, Sharia Law, religious liberty, and more.Truth Over Fear: https://smile.amazon.com/Truth-Over-Fear-Combating-About/dp/066426462X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=truth+over+fear&qid=1588557139&sr=8-1Follow Dan on IG: https://www.instagram.com/dancoke/Edited by Scott CangemiJoin the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochEmail about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: [email protected] Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest Jessica Knippel is a PhD student in Women & Religion at Claremont Graduate School, and has been researching the Exvangelical / Post-Evangelical world. I was curious to talk with her about what she and other colleagues have learned about this massive exodus of mostly young people out of the American Evangelical movement, as well as figuring out where I myself and where this podcast stands among that contingent.Follow Dan on IG: https://www.instagram.com/dancoke/Jessi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jessiknippelCentral Ave Church: https://centralavenuechurch.org/Church Clarity: https://www.churchclarity.org/Lonnie Frisbee documentary *RECOMMENDED*: https://smile.amazon.com/Frisbee-Life-Death-Hippie-Preacher/dp/B00L40IW1Y/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=frisbee+documentary&qid=1587941809&sr=8-1Edited by Josh Gilbert ([email protected] -- he is accepting more work!)Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochEmail about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: [email protected] Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dan is joined by Methodist minister and astrophysicist David Wilkinson, professor of theology at Durham University and member of the Royal Astronomical Society. They talk about the so-called “fine-tuning” of our universe, the “anthropic principle” / “goldilocks enigma,” and multiverse theory as a common non-theist rejoinder for theistic arguments for God’s existence based on this fine-tuning. Whether or not the multiverse can be “proven,” does it even work as a counterargument, or does it “kick the can down the road” in some way? This issue is one of the ones that pushes me toward theism and away from atheism and agnosticism, but even if it doesn’t do that for you, it seems very much worth thinking about.See photos of Dan's new son (and very little else) on Instagram: @dancokeTwitter: @dankochEdited by Laura KondourajianJoin the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: [email protected]: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’m joined by my dear friend Ben Bishop, who is both a fantastic interviewer in his own right and a former patron-only episode guest. I asked Ben to interview me on the topic of why I am (still) a Christian. No one ever asks me, “Why are you a Christian?” Or very rarely, anyway. But pretty regularly, in the context of conversations about deconstruction or Biblical inerrancy or something similar, people will ask, “Why are you *still* a Christian?” I thought it might be helpful to answer that and give one more data point for listeners as they figure out their own faith allegiances, theologies, etc. We talk about religious/Christian pluralism a good bit, as that is particularly interesting to Ben, and toward the end is when I give probably my most succinct answer to the question, drawing on the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord’s Prayer, and other basics I don’t think I could live without. Feel free to skip forward to 1:15:00 or so if you want to hear that concise answer before going into the weeds with us.Follow Dan on IG: https://www.instagram.com/dancoke/Edited by Josh Gilbert ([email protected] -- he is accepting more work!)Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochEmail about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: [email protected] Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dan is joined by philosopher Myron Penner (Trinity Western University) and theologian Sarah Lane Ritchie (University of Edinburgh) to talk through all things Coronavirus and the Problem of Evil (mostly the “Natural Problem of Evil” but not exclusively). They discuss some interesting angles on this discussion, as well as numerous “solutions” on offer by Christian thinkers. Myron brings in some cognitive science and Sarah brings a focus on the lived experience of suffering. Soul-making, “life is a gift,” “it’s because of the Fall,” and more approaches are discussed. The conversation is long, but it moves briskly!Biologos article: https://biologos.org/post/coronavirus-and-the-problem-of-evil?fbclid=IwAR3WoLwVdX7uIdP3pOqFIOEOjuzDiOa2nn5QyVsKlxHeMzV2W6AqtAc00MENT Wright article: https://time.com/5808495/coronavirus-christianity/?fbclid=IwAR0bWp5te66J2b0xIx_zmLi4HZXIWDyWjm3WN1LVTQ9AoDgye5gkrE7wo94Tom Oord’s response to Wright: http://thomasjayoord.com/index.php/blog/archives/we-can-lament-and-explain?fbclid=IwAR0xlA8Cygv6q_H--JIU-qr67zE1S5iFbItcVVnMadAGzVzicKRKwd4BDKcWildman article: https://www.dropbox.com/s/0aesf9qr3rq2vaq/Wildman_2007_Incongruous_Goodness.pdf?dl=0Clayton book: https://www.amazon.com/Predicament-Belief-Science-Philosophy-Faith/dp/019969527XFollow Dan on IG: https://www.instagram.com/dancoke/Edited by Josh Gilbert ([email protected])Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochEmail about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: [email protected] Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This somewhat winding conversation with Dr. Tripp Fuller (Homebrewed Christianity Podcast) swirls around the concept of the Cosmic Christ, also known as the Universal Christ. Tripp and I attempt to answer four questions: Why attach the name Christ to Jesus in the first place? Why use the term "Cosmic" Christ? (What is that supposed to mean or signify?) How has the phrase "Cosmic" changed given evolution, the age of the universe, and modern science? Finally, how has the concept "Christ" changed as a result of what humanity has learned since the days of early Christianity? We also try out a few definitions of the term along the way.Ilia Delio on Homebrewed Christianity: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/entangled-god-my-heart-ilia-delio-cosmiccampfire/id276269040?i=1000421870802Ilia’s books: https://smile.amazon.com/Ilia-Delio/e/B001JS2T2E?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_3&qid=1584839597&sr=8-3Follow Dan on IG: https://www.instagram.com/dancoke/Edited by Josh Gilbert ([email protected])Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochEmail about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: [email protected] Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I took a break from my every-other-week break with our newborn to have a conversation with one of the smartest people I know, Robbie Evans, a strategic director at a medical diagnostics company in Silicon Valley. He put together a Google Doc (linked below -- read first if you can) about some real and scary possibilities and likely projections for the US and COVID-19. This is not a time for (arbitrary) theological platitudes and claims about God and global diseases; rather, it is a time for a science-informed faith that helps us to best love our neighbors as ourselves. Consequently, most of this episode is spent on what we know from the best and most current data and projections. Stay safe, and stay home as much as you possibly can!Robbie’s full document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1n-IaCZ7jSu_usI3f4gw5CZIQXcM4AGMdfEUtLZKfj4M/edit?fbclid=IwAR1V2mhT4gM_JwGEoeowr7uCQmIss3uYDCtCdzrVItqTEhP9Aps_WDiznHI#heading=h.3lszibyotnnyCDC COVID-19 All Categories: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.htmlIf you’re sick: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/steps-when-sick.htmlBasic prevention/protection: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/prevention.htmlUPDATE RE: UK: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/03/coronavirus-pandemic-herd-immunity-uk-boris-johnson/608065/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We often think of our doubts as counting *against* our faith: if we have enough reasons to believe in the “faith” column, then that will be enough to discount all the problems in the “doubts” column. But what if true modern faith will always include doubts? What if the presence of certain kinds of doubt actually shows that we are doing things right? Dan interviews Philip Clayton (Claremont School of Theology) on this and related questions.The Predicament of Belief: https://smile.amazon.com/Predicament-Belief-Science-Philosophy-Faith/dp/0199677964/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=predicament+of+belief&qid=1583550080&sr=8-2Follow Dan on IG: https://www.instagram.com/dancoke/Edited by Josh Gilbert ([email protected])Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochEmail about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: [email protected] Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

it isn't as nerdy as it sounds, but... I spoke with Reverend Doctor Catherine Kelsey about the beginnings of what today we would call liberal Christianity, through the work of the theologian Friedrich Schleiermacher. His way of thinking about the experience of faith has really been resonating with me lately, and Cathie wrote a great simple book about that topic. She is also quite pastoral, and I was surprised how healing and challenging our conversation ended up being.Will and Spirit: https://www.amazon.com/Will-Spirit-Contemplative-Gerald-May/dp/0062505823/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=Thinking about Christ with Schleiermacher: https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Christ-Schleiermacher-Catherine-Kelsey/dp/0664225942/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=thinking+about+christ+with+schleiermacher&qid=1582070228&s=books&sr=1-1Instagram: @dancokeTwitter: @dankochEdited by Laura KondourajianJoin the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since the baby has not arrived yet, I was able to put a little something together in between formal episodes! This originally aired as a patron-exclusive episode, and was received so well that I thought it might be worth sharing with everyone on an off-week like this. Fellow Seattle Jim becker and I discuss his own story, why he now considers himself an atheist, what kind of God it is exactly that he does not believe in, and how our own views overlap and diverge. It was a really great conversation, and I believe will be the first in a “I Don’t Believe In That God” series, split up between the patron-only feed and the main podcast feed. To become a patron, head to patreon.com/dankoch. If you can’t afford $5/mo, take advantage of our sliding scale by emailing me at [email protected]: @dancokeTwitter: @dankochJoin the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dan sits down with friend and philosopher Matthew Benton (Seattle Pacific University) to talk through five common questions that come up commonly with undergraduate students at his Christian university:- How could a loving God send anyone to Hell?- Why is there so much religious diversity if one religion is (most) true?- If there is a loving God, why is there so much evil and suffering in the world?- Why isn't there stronger evidence for God's existence?- What are the right ways to interpret the Bible? (On which issues?)“Hell & the God of Justice:” https://www.dropbox.com/s/54aaammsvsn28hx/MMAdams1975.pdf?dl=0Matt’s faculty page: https://spu.edu/academics/college-of-arts-sciences/philosophy/faculty-staff/benton-matthewEdited by Scott CangemiJoin the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The final chapter of our 4-part series on the End Times and mental health concerns. Today, we hear three shorter stories that each circle around the issue of family, and how family relationships and differences intersect with the rest of what we’ve been hearing these past few weeks. If you're just joining us, it's recommended to start with Part 1, three weeks back.Children’s Bibles and reading list:Children of God Storybook Bible (Desmond Tutu): https://smile.amazon.com/Children-Storybook-Bible-Archbishop-Desmond/dp/0310719127/ref=sr_1_3?crid=214JAYK9LUTA6&keywords=children+of+god+storybook+bible&qid=1580609979&sprefix=children+of+god+sto%2Caps%2C217&sr=8-3Spark Story Bible: https://smile.amazon.com/Spark-Story-Bible-Thisted-Arthur/dp/0806670495/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=spark+story+bible&qid=1580610296&sr=8-2Jesus Showed Us (Brad Jersak): https://smile.amazon.com/Jesus-Showed-Us-Bradley-Jersak/dp/1927512069/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=jesus+showed+us&qid=1580610157&sr=8-1When God Made You: https://smile.amazon.com/When-Made-Matthew-Paul-Turner/dp/1601429185/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=matthew+paul+turner&qid=1580610101&sr=8-3When God made Light: https://smile.amazon.com/When-Made-Light-Matthew-Turner/dp/1601429207/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=matthew+paul+turner&qid=1580610101&sr=8-4Children, Can You Hear Me?: https://smile.amazon.com/Children-Can-You-Hear-Me/dp/1490405771/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=jesus+showed+us&qid=1580610157&sr=8-3Maybe God is Like That Too: https://smile.amazon.com/Maybe-God-Like-That-Too/dp/150642189X/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=maybe+god+is+like+that+too&qid=1580610225&sr=8-3It’s Not the Stork!: https://smile.amazon.com/Its-Not-Stork-Families-Friends/dp/0763633313/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=it%27s+not+the+stork&qid=1580610023&sr=8-2Edited by Scott CangemiJoin the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After being personally wrecked by the series finale of The Good Place, I needed to process this with some friends. Those friends are D.L. (Danielle) Mayfield and her husband Krispin. This is the result of that processing. Spoiler talk continues until the 23:00 mark, so head there if you don't want the ending of the series spoiled. We talk about death, the afterlife, finitude, attachment, healing, neuroplasticity, stories that are good for people who suffer and are marginalized, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Part 3 of 4 (it is very much recommended to start with Part 1!) of a series on the so-called End Times and mental health issues. Today, we hear from 15 of the 20 interviews I conducted in August of 2019: more about mental health symptoms and seeking help, whether or not they still consider themselves Christian, advice they have for people with similar struggles, and much more. Come back for Part 4 next week.Edited by Scott CangemiJoin the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Part 2 of 4 (it is very much recommended to start with Part 1!) of a series on the so-called End Times and mental health issues. Today, we hear two longer stories: Samantha, who followed a self-proclaimed prophetess in 2015 and began prepping for the apocalypse, and Steve, who hoped that Jesus’s imminent return would keep him from having to come of age as a gay man. Come back from parts 3 & 4 over the next two weeks.Edited by Scott CangemiJoin the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What better way to celebrate 50 episodes of YHP than to kick off a 4-part series on so-called “End Times” teaching/theology and mental health? As part of early research toward my doctoral dissertation in psychology, I conducted 20 interviews in August of 2019, collecting personal stories about how popular Christian notions of the End Times, like the Rapture, Tribulation, and the Left Behind series, affected people’s faith, theology, life trajectories, and overall mental health. This is Part 1 of 4, and it focuses on the basics, including what most Evangelicals understood would happen in the End Times, some of the ways that fear, anxiety and depression were tied up with it for many people, the connection between the end times, Hell, and salvation, a sense of a robbed childhood, mental health predispositions, family conflicts, and more. Come back for parts 2-4 in the coming weeks.Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: a working definition of “Process Theology and “Robust Christian Pluralism." Dr. Wm. Andrew Schwartz (Claremont School of Theology) walks us through four possible answers to the question of whether all monotheistic Abrahamic believers are actually worshipping the same God, including arguments for and against and various consequences of each view.- The book: https://smile.amazon.com/Christians-Muslims-Jews-Worship-Same/dp/0310538033/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=four+views+christians+muslims+same+god&qid=1578264136&sr=8-1- Andrew’s site - wmandrewschwartz.comEdited by Josh Gilbert ([email protected])Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the holiday break, I'm choosing two lesser-downloaded or well-timed episodes for re-airing. Many of us are still, or have just been, spending time with family members who are fundamentalists, or lean that way, and that can be really hard sometimes. Original show notes:“Fundamentalist” has become a theological swear word. But how does it work psychologically? Why hasn’t it “gone away”? How do religious fundamentalists make sense of their world and find meaning in their lives? And what might this tell us about non-religious fundamentalists? Psychologist Peter Hill joins Dan to talk through the model he and his co-authors developed in their book The Psychology of Religious Fundamentalism (link below). Visual Aids:Fundamentalist - Intratextual Structure: https://www.dropbox.com/s/5io539nbf6oteve/Fundamentalism%20-%20Intratextuality.jpg?dl=0Non-fundamentalist - Intertextual Structure: https://www.dropbox.com/s/u87g2auitlro9wm/Non-Fundamentalist%20-%20Intertextuality.jpg?dl=0Pete’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Psychology-Religious-Fundamentalism-Ralph-Hood/dp/1593851502Edited by Josh Gilbert ([email protected])Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the holiday break, I'm choosing two lesser-downloaded episodes for re-airing. This conversation with Philip Clayton about Panentheism (and a few other things) was fantastic, but I think maybe the thick theological terminology might have turned some would-be listeners away. Also, Phil is coming back on the podcast in the coming month or two to talk about doubt, and this is a nice precursor to that upcoming conversations.Original post:Our guest today is Dr. Philip Clayton (Claremont School of Theology), giving us his personal faith story from a secular household, through conservative Evangelicalism, and ultimately into Quakerism. We also talk about Panentheism, for which he is a major Christian advocate. Most of the nerdy stuff occurs after the ad break, starting around 54:00, so feel free to skip that stuff if you are less into the true nerdery."how i found GOD in everyone and everywhere" (great essay collection including Phil's story): https://smile.amazon.com/How-Found-God-Everyone-Everywhere/dp/193968188X/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=how+i+found+god+in+everywhere&qid=1552328138&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnullhttp://philipclayton.net/Join the Patreon for bonus episodes every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comEmail Dan: [email protected] by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dan discusses the all-time most famous passage in western philosophy, Plato’s Cave Analogy, with Catholic philosopher Patrick McDonald (Seattle Pacific University). The Cave is a gift that keeps on giving (holiday-appropriate!), through various stages of growth, deconstruction, reconstruction, and on and on. Dan and Patrick discuss implications for Christians thinking through hard questions, and a lot more.Edited by Scott CangemiJoin the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As it turns out, both conservatives AND liberals, depending who you talk to. But is it a valid field of research, and what do we learn about human nature from evolutionary psychology? Dan also talks with Dr. Justin Barrett (Fuller Seminary) about so-called “cultural evolution,” where the evolution of humanity moves at a much more rapid pace, and through the dissemination of information, values, stories, etc, rather than through genetic mutation and selection. And of course, they discuss what implications all of this might have for theology and Christian practice.Fuller Seminary’s Theology & Psychology Initiative: theopsych.comEdited by Laura Kondourajian Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dan is joined by philosopher John Haught (Georgetown University), who argues that many people think we should look to the past, the deep past, for ultimate answers. This includes certain scientists who want to look to the Big Bang for ultimate explanations, or religious teachers focusing on God’s perfect design in the Garden of Eden, before everything got messed up. Others might tend to look to the so-called Eternal Present for God, or for ultimate meaning and answers. Through prayer, we may feel like we can tap directly into a timeless God, letting go of our worldly concerns, and, of course, there is some truth to this. Many philosophers have also preached something similar, that true contemplation of the One, or of capital “T” Truth, can take us out of our mortal, perishing bodies into the realm of the sublime. But Haught wants to point our attention to a third option: the future. What if the truest meaning of the grand story that we are living in right now, which includes a big bang, billions of years of lifeless space, followed by the forming of carbon, then of unicellular life, and biological progression all the way to sentient and self-conscious beings like humans -- what if the meaning of THAT story is not clear to us yet because that story is not over yet? Perhaps we do have some guideposts given to us by God along the way, but rather than looking back, we should be looking AHEAD.Tag Dan and a podcast host who you think should have Dan on as a guest:Dan’s Twitter: @DanKochDan’s FB: https://www.facebook.com/[email protected] John Haught Reader: https://www.amazon.com/John-Haught-Reader-Essential-Writings/dp/1532661029The New Cosmic Story: https://www.amazon.com/New-Cosmic-Story-Awakening-Universe/dp/030021703X/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=john+haught&qid=1574117845&s=books&sr=1-1Edited by Josh Gilbert ([email protected])Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Human beings are primarily intrinsically sinful and evil.”“God’s truth can only be found in the Biblical text.”“The body and its desires are inherently wicked.”“Emotions are not to be honored and listened to; only God’s truth should be valued.”Mark Karris (author, therapist, professor at Point Loma Nazarene University) lists these among a group of claims that he believes are a part of “Toxic Christianity.” Mark and Dan talk through a number of these (false) claims, ask why it is that they get in the way of our relationship to God and our neighbors, and consider alternate options.Mark’s Original Post - https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10162264853155694&set=pb.740175693.-2207520000.1571761815.&type=3&theaterMark’s website: http://markgregorykarris.com/Mark’s Amazon author page: https://smile.amazon.com/Mark-Gregory-Karris/e/B01MZZLNV5?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1573700786&sr=8-1Deconversion Article Mark mentioned: https://www.dropbox.com/s/2v12uksryiwvscz/Breaking%20up%20with%20Jesus-%20a%20phenomenological%20exploration%20of%20the%20experience%20of%20deconversion%20from%20an%20Evangelical%20Christian%20faith%20to%20Atheism.pdf?dl=0Edited by Scott CangemiJoin the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can Christians believe that people are only “physical”? Must we have “souls” in order to be saved, to have relationships with God, to be God’s image-bearers in the world? My two guests today are biologist Kenneth R. Miller (Brown University) and philosopher Rebekah Rice (Seattle Pacific University), and they argue that there are good reasons to accept some kind of Christian Naturalism or Christian Physicalism, and that in fact one can do so and remain within the orthodx Christian tradition.The Human Instinct: https://smile.amazon.com/Human-Instinct-Evolved-Reason-Consciousness/dp/1476790264/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=kenneth+miller&qid=1573441718&sr=8-2Finding Darwin’s God: https://smile.amazon.com/Finding-Darwins-God-Scientists-Evolution/dp/0061233501/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=kenneth+miller&qid=1573441718&sr=8-1Edited by Scott CangemiJoin the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the episode that some of you have been waiting 40-some episodes for. Many of you know that I identify as a universalist, meaning that I believe that everyone will be saved in the end, whatever we mean by the word “saved.” There are a lot of reasons that people believe in Hell, and there are a lot of reasons that people don’t. Many of those reasons, maybe even MOST of the reasons, I would argue have nothing to do with actual arguments or theological reasoning, or even a close reading of the Biblical text. Most reasons, I think, are psychological. Why people ACTUALLY believe in Hell, at a more psychological level, is a very interesting question, but not one that we are spending much time on today. This episode is about the arguments themselves. The most central question is: Does Hell make sense, given the God of Christianity? The next one is - how do we make sense of various sayings of Jesus that seem to teach a painful judgement? My guest today is Brad Jersak. Brad is a Canadian theologian, author, and pastor, and his book “Her Gates Will Never Be Shut” is widely considered one of the best treatments of this question. Our first 15 min or so are spent getting our bearings with the current landscape on this topic, including some term explaining, and introducing David Bentley Hart’s new book as a centerpiece of both our conversation, and the wider theological conversation. If you want to go straight to the arguments themselves, you could skip ahead to about 18:00.Hellbound? -- https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B00D1NE8L0/ref=atv_dl_rdrThe Evangelical Universalist: https://www.amazon.com/Evangelical-Universalist-Second-Gregory-MacDonald/dp/1620322390/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=evangelical+universalist&qid=1572843722&sr=8-1Her Gates Shall Never Be Shut: https://www.amazon.com/gp/slredirect/picassoRedirect.html/ref=pa_sp_atf_aps_sr_pg1_1?ie=UTF8&adId=A09982251H1HAKCB4QUV8&url=%2FHer-Gates-Will-Never-Shut-ebook%2Fdp%2FB00IGGZRJY%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1_sspa%3Fkeywords%3Dbrad%2Bjersak%26qid%3D1572843756%26sr%3D8-1-spons%26psc%3D1&qualifier=1572843755&id=5413906602847107&widgetName=sp_atfIn: https://www.amazon.com/Incarnation-Inclusion-Abba-Lamb/dp/1082461733/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=brad+jersak&qid=1572843756&sr=8-2A More Christlike God: https://www.amazon.com/More-Christlike-God-Beautiful-Gospel/dp/1889973165/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=brad+jersak&qid=1572843756&sr=8-3Athanasius, On the Incarnation: http://www.copticchurch.net/topics/theology/incarnation_st_athanasius.pdfRazing Hell: https://smile.amazon.com/Razing-Hell-Rethinking-Everything-Judgment/dp/0664236545/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=sharon+baker+hell&qid=1572843854&sr=8-1Edited by Josh Gilbert ([email protected])Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just in time for Halloween (not on purpose actually!)... What exactly is the "supernatural"? When God does something in the natural world, is that the same thing as saying that God broke the laws of physics? Theologian Thomas Jay oord helps Dan explore these questions, and whether or not it makes more sense to think of the “natural” and “supernatural” as essentially no different from one another. Or in Tom’s words, “For every event that happens in the world, there are both divine and creaturely causes.” They consider some possible ramifications of this move, including the resurrection of Jesus, miracles, the inspiration of Scripture, the life to come, and more.Tom’s website, including links to his books: http://thomasjayoord.com/Citizens - “Fear” (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/album/0abL7FZysjxpaxEPURpBsl Edited by Laura Kondourajian Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Philosopher Myron Penner (Trinity Western University) helps Dan think through some interesting but complicated and challenging findings from cognitive science (the study of the mind, not the study of the brain -- that's called neuroscience) and what they mean for our understanding of religions beliefs, behaviors and experiences. By explaining religious belief from a cognitive perspective, how does cognitive science of religion not *explain away* religion altogether? Does cognitive science of religion present evidence for God, for atheism, or neither?- “When God Talks Back” - https://smile.amazon.com/When-God-Talks-Back-Understanding/dp/0307277275/ref=sxts_sxwds-bia?keywords=when+god+talks+back&pd_rd_i=0307277275&pd_rd_r=eda4ec56-9673-42b7-bdb8-d6faeaa93daa&pd_rd_w=jfc0X&pd_rd_wg=PM7eF&pf_rd_p=a5491838-6a74-484e-8787-eb44c8f3b7ff&pf_rd_r=GA0N6HXQHCG8MZNJ3RE6&psc=1&qid=1571604451- Citizens - “Fear” (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/album/0abL7FZysjxpaxEPURpBsl - theopsych.com - Fuller Seminary initiativeEdited by Laura Kondourajian Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do we parent our kids after faith deconstruction? What if only one half of a couple is going through faith changes? Can people of different faith traditions have healthy marriages? How do I relate to my family, who haven’t had the same faith changes that I have, and who now think I’m going to Hell? Is this what “unequally yoked” is actually supposed to mean? This is a long, meaty episode, where we get into as many questions like these as possible (asked almost entirely by listeners of the show) with Dr. Doug Shirley, a psychotherapist who teaches at the Seattle School of Theology & Psychology and specializes in questions like these in his own private practice.dougshirleyresearch.comHoly Longing: https://smile.amazon.com/Holy-Longing-Search-Christian-Spirituality-ebook/dp/B004DEPESM/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=holy+longing&qid=1570899882&sr=8-1Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work: https://smile.amazon.com/Seven-Principles-Making-Marriage-Work/dp/0553447718/ref=sr_1_1?crid=9XGS9DL4PJFO&keywords=seven+principles+for+making+marriage+work&qid=1570899898&sprefix=seven+principles%2Caps%2C197&sr=8-1Finite and Infinite Games: https://smile.amazon.com/Finite-Infinite-Games-James-Carse/dp/1476731713/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1N9D2WRINZTQJ&keywords=finite+and+infinite+games+by+james+carse&qid=1570899926&sprefix=finite+and%2Caps%2C195&sr=8-1The Sin of Certainty: https://smile.amazon.com/Sin-Certainty-Desires-Correct-Beliefs/dp/0062272098/ref=sr_1_1?crid=SZU6J7FT9FDZ&keywords=sin+of+certainty&qid=1570899914&sprefix=sin+of+cer%2Caps%2C193&sr=8-1Edited by Josh Gilbert ([email protected])Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why is everyone suddenly talking about psychedelic drugs again? What do we know about them, and what is their relationship to more “ordinary” religious experiences? Is taking a psychedelic as part of a worship service any different than dimming the lights and swaying together to worship music? What can we learn about human brains and religious experience in general from the research on psychedelics? Today we hear from theologian Sarah Lane Ritchie, who both works on these questions from a theological perspective and also has been a participant in a controlled psilocybin trial in the UK. And yes, she tells us about her trip! Later in our chat, she shares her personal struggles with experiencing God as “personal” in the way that so many of her friends and colleagues are able to do (myself included). This was an incredible conversation.Sarah is Lecturer in Theology and Science at the University of Edinburgh. She has a PhD in Science and Religion from the University of Edinburgh, where her doctoral work focused on the question of divine action in the human mind. A Michigander by birth, Sarah also holds a BA in Philosophy and Religion from Spring Arbor University, an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary, and an MSc in Science and Religion from the University of Edinburgh. Her published work focuses on questions arising from the intersection of theology, philosophy, and the various brain-related sciences. Sarah’s Book: https://smile.amazon.com/Divine-Action-Current-Issues-Theology/dp/1108476511/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=sarah+lane+ritchie&qid=1570383111&sr=8-2Sarah has a chapter in this much cheaper collection as well: https://smile.amazon.com/Philosophy-Science-Religion-Everyone-Pritchard/dp/1138234214/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=sarah+lane+ritchie&qid=1570383111&sr=8-1Edited by Laura Kondourajian Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is experience potentially a direct pathway to the God of the universe? Or is it simply “the heart [being] deceitful above all things”? Can we trust our spiritual experience, and if so, which experiences are trustworthy? This topic was recommended by my guest Dustin Kensrue (singer/songwriter of the band Thrice, former worship director at Mars Hill Church in Seattle), and I jumped at it. In today’s episode, we go through Dustin’s own story, from young Christian punk rocker, to prominent Neo-Calvinist, to church scandal whistleblower (sort of), to reconstructed liberal Christian, all the while considering the role of experience in that journey.Check out Dustin's new podcast Carry the Fire wherever you get your podcasts.Edited by Josh Gilbert ([email protected])Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What exactly is “purity culture,” and why is everyone talking about it? Was it really so harmful? Isn’t it pretty straightforward to not have sex until marriage? Today’s guest Linda Key Klein has interviewed hundreds of young women about their experiences in and after purity culture, and she has written a fantastic book about it, “Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free.” But also, what comes AFTER purity culture? Simply an “anything goes” sexual ethic, or something more robust and still identifiably "Christian"? Pure: https://smile.amazon.com/Pure-Inside-Evangelical-Movement-Generation/dp/1501124811/ref=sr_1_1?crid=369666CXFZDKC&keywords=pure+linda+kay+klein&qid=1569189472&s=gateway&sprefix=pure+linda%2Caps%2C211&sr=8-1Linda’s personal site: https://lindakayklein.com/Edited by Scott CangemiJoin the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Darwin’s theory of evolution by common descent is so widely agreed upon by scientists that it is either the best explanation we have for the origins of life on this planet, or else it is a massive conspiracy involving millions of people. It is also, according to some Christians, a dangerous theory that undercuts basic claims of Christianity. Sometimes these Christians, working through organizations that promote Young Earth Creationism or Intelligent Design, spread misconceptions about Darwin’s theory, either mistakenly or on purpose. Jim Stump, philosopher and Vice President of Biologos, counters these misconceptions with data and scientific explanations. After putting these myths to bed, Jim and Dan move on to the perplexing fact that the book of Genesis seems quite cavalierly to suggest that many people lived between 600 and 900 years of age -- what is this about, and what are some possible ways of reading or thinking about it?Later, Jim helps Dan answer a listener question: “How do you understand the Bible as pre-scientific? For example, stories like David and Bathsheba, where the child is born and ‘struck by God’ rather than the child simply fell ill.” (1:13:30)DNA article: https://biologos.org/common-questions/can-evolution-generate-new-information“10 Myths about Evolution” article: https://biologos.org/articles/10-misconceptions-about-evolutionThe Biologos podcast Language of God - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/language-of-god/id1451956029Jim’s author page at biologos.org - https://biologos.org/people/jim-stumpEdited by Josh Gilbert ([email protected])Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest is Peter Wehner -- Vice President and Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, contributing opinion writer for the New York Times, and a contributing editor for The Atlantic magazine. He served in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush Administrations prior to becoming deputy director of speechwriting for President George W. Bush, and is one of the more prominent “NeverTrump Conservatives.” Peter has recently given up his membership in the GOP over their increasing identification with Trump. He and Dan talk about Trump and Evangelicals’ very public romance, and what that might say about the efficacy of Evangelical Christian faith. Peter also makes his case for a politically engaged Christianity, over and against a more Anabaptist-style detachment or principled uninvolvement/pacifism.Later, Dan answers six listener questions, all centering around questions of faith and politics (1:20:00)Pete’s book: https://smile.amazon.com/Death-Politics-Frayed-Republic-After/dp/0062820796/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=peter+wehner&qid=1567988321&s=gateway&sr=8-1His conversation with Jon Ward on the Long Game podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-wehner-on-trump-impeachment-limits-faith-to-overcome/id1248994688?i=1000441130129Alan Jacobs “How to Think”: https://smile.amazon.com/How-Think-Survival-Guide-World/dp/0451499603/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=how+to+think&qid=1567988343&s=gateway&sr=8-2Edited by Scott CangemiJoin the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Fundamentalist” has become a theological swear word. But how does it work psychologically? Why hasn’t it “gone away”? How do religious fundamentalists make sense of their world and find meaning in their lives? And what might this tell us about non-religious fundamentalists? Psychologist Peter Hill joins Dan to talk through the model he and his co-authors developed in their book The Psychology of Religious Fundamentalism (link below). Visual Aids:Fundamentalist - Intratexual Structure: https://www.dropbox.com/s/5io539nbf6oteve/Fundamentalism%20-%20Intratextuality.jpg?dl=0Nonfundamenatlist - Intertectual Structure: https://www.dropbox.com/s/u87g2auitlro9wm/Non-Fundamentalist%20-%20Intertextuality.jpg?dl=0Pete’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Psychology-Religious-Fundamentalism-Ralph-Hood/dp/1593851502Edited by Josh Gilbert ([email protected])Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The question of whether or not Adam and Eve were historical figures is a hotly debated topic in some circles of Christianity -- especially more Reformed and/or conservative circles -- and completely ignored in others. But there are a lot of consequences to this question, no matter where you fall theologically. Physicist and Science & Religion veteran Karl Giberson joins Dan to talk through the issue, and what he learned while working on his book “Saving the Original Sinner.”Karl’s book: https://smile.amazon.com/Saving-Original-Sinner-Christians-Oppress/dp/0807012513/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=saving+the+original+sinner&qid=1566844147&s=gateway&sr=8-1BARNA research mentioned: https://biologos.org/articles/a-survey-of-clergy-and-their-views-on-originsEdited by Joe Diaz-RomeroJoin the Patreon for bonus episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A lot of us have been pretty burned in Reformed Christian communities, which might go by names like Presbyterian, Bible Church, Baptist, and more, all of which stem in one way or another from the teachings of John Calvin. But not all Reformed thinkers read John Piper and R.C. Sproul, or believe that women shouldn’t become preachers, and SOME Reformed thinkers are even Universalists when it comes to salvation! Dan is joined by a very clear thinker who thinks that the Reformed tent needs to be widened: analytic theologian (and Reformed guy himself) Oliver Crisp (University of St. Andrews, Scotland). So let’s give Reformed theology a fair hearing, shall we?Today’s interview was made possible as part of the TheoPsych Project, hosted by Fuller Seminary’s office of Science, Theology, and Religion: Theopsych.comOlivers two books (Saving Calvinism and Deviant Calvinism): https://smile.amazon.com/Saving-Calvinism-Expanding-Reformed-Tradition/dp/0830851755/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=oliver+crisp&qid=1566088780&s=gateway&sr=8-2https://smile.amazon.com/Deviant-Calvinism-Broadening-Reformed-Theology/dp/1451486138/ref=sr_1_10?keywords=oliver+crisp&qid=1566088780&s=gateway&sr=8-10Edited by Laura KondourajianJoin the Patreon for bonus episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can silent meditation be prayer? Is prayer always in some sense bodily and physical, or is it only a spiritual thing? When did prayer first enter the story of humanity — millions of years ago, or only after verbal language? Did Neanderthals pray? Is it worth looking into the prayer practices of other religions, and if we do, what might we learn? These questions and more are explored with Dr. Carol Zaleski (Smith College), co-author of the incredible book “Prayer: A History.” Later, Dan answers a listener question: “What are the mental tricks or ways that you seek to understand or empathize with someone’s viewpoint you disagree with?” (1:32:00)Dan’s 4 mental tricks:Trick 1 -- system 1 or 2 belief? If 1, let it go, and just be kind; show them that people with your opposite belief can be loving; and remind yourself that they will probably only change their mind if they change their tribe. In this case, it’s better to ask general life questions than to drill down on the specific area of disagreement or original interest.Trick 2 -- if system 2, start asking more specific questions, learn their story as it relates to the issue.Trick 3 -- remind yourself that you are also a member of various tribes, so you can let your guard down as you listen to them.Trick 4 -- look for nuance; if you are finding it, you're on the right track; if there is none, you are probably stuck in mostly pointless tribal warfare.Carol’s book "Prayer: A History": William James, “The Varieties of Religious Experience”: Father Giles, “Prayer is the greatest freedom of all” (BBC): https://www.bbc.com/ideas/videos/prayer-is-the-greatest-freedom-of-all/p07b8dq5?playlist=what-is-freedomCS Lewis, “Transposition" sermon: https://gutenberg.ca/ebooks/lewiscs-transposition/lewiscs-transposition-00-h.html#ch01transpositionScott Davison, “Petitionary Prayer: A Philosophical Investigation”: https://www.amazon.com/Petitionary-Prayer-Philosophical-Scott-Davison/dp/0198757743Edited by Josh Gilbert ([email protected])Join the Patreon for bonus episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did God really command the complete slaughter of everyone living in the Promised Land (men, women and children)? Would a loving God ever allow Israelite soldiers to take on additional wives as war widows (if they found them attractive and if they proved themselves to be sexually pleasing)? For 2,000 years, Christian thinkers and Biblical scholars have wrestled with difficult Old Testament passages that seem to show a violent and unloving God, one that seems to contrast sharply with other descriptions of God in the OT. Dr. Eric Seibert joins Dan to talk through this landscape of passages and problems, and to explain 14 distinct approaches that Christians have taken in dealing with them. Later, Dan answers a listener question: “What do you think of the whole #emptythepews movement?” (1:42:00)Eric’s book (The Violence of Scripture): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0800698258/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i1Nuclear Taboo article: https://news.stanford.edu/2017/08/08/americans-weigh-nuclear-war/Edited by Scott CangemiJoin the Patreon for bonus episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most divisive questions in the modern church is whether or not biological sex plays a role in who should be allowed to preach (and there are other issues wrapped up in this one, like whether women should be primary bread-winners, etc). Egalitarians say, “No, let the women preach!” Complementarians say, “Yes, men only; that is how God set things up.” In this episode, we hear from Dan’s Godmother Barb Clark, who is an elder in an Egalitarian church, but has some nagging concerns about the whole thing. Then the bulk of the episode is spent with Rev. Bonnie Lewis, a pastor, teacher and Bible translator, who not only makes her argument for Egalitarianism, but also responds to many of the most common counter arguments from the Contemplentarian side. Finally, we get Barb’s reaction to Dan’s chat with Bonnie. This one is a doozy!BadChristian Podcast Dan/Bonnie episode (#438): http://www.badchristian.com/bc_podcast/bonnie-lewis-at-the-bcxcon/Bonnie’s “Timshel” translation: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1945582321/timshel-an-idiomatic-bible-translationEdited by Josh Gilbert ([email protected])Join the Patreon for bonus episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why is there a (perceived) conflict between science and religion, and has it always been that way? How does science actually get done, and is the scientific method and community set up in such a way as to come up with trustworthy claims? Are young Christians being set up to fail by well-meaning teachers who are skeptical of “mainstream” science? Dan is joined by Adrian Wyard of Counterblance.org to talk through all of this; before that, he hears from his friend Andy, an Evangelical pastor, about what he is and isn’t suspicious of in the world of science.Counterbalance.orgBiologos.orgEdited by Josh Gilbert ([email protected])Join the Patreon for bonus episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is it possible to be certain about anything in one’s Christian faith? Is it possible to be certain about anything at all, like math, science, or the love of a spouse? Why does it often seem moreseo like preachers and Christian authors are peddling certainty than they are encouraging genuine faith? (The same could also be said for the “New Atheists.”) What does genuine faith look like in a world full of baked-in uncertainty? Dan’s guest Mark Schaefer, author of “The Certainty of Uncertainty,” provides some excellent commentary on this society-wide issue.https://www.certaintyofuncertainty.com/Edited by Laura KondourajianJoin the Patreon for bonus episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dan is joined for a long afternoon of somewhat experimental podcasting by Christopher Carter and Seth Schoen, who together have developed a very interesting group/individual practice (and they teach a class together about it), using meditative practices and psychology to talk about, think through, and FEEL their way through racial issues, questions, and personal histories. It is, in fact, as interesting and unique as it sounds! In the middle of the conversation, Dan offers to go through a short "session" with them, which produces some interesting results as well. We all have feelings about racial issues, whether we attend to them or not. Later on, the three of them have a somewhat difficult, honest, and ultimately clarifying conversation about critical race theory, and some concerns surrounding the way that race is talked about in American society.P.U.L.S.E.:Paying AttentionUnderstanding EmpathicallyLoving With ConnectionSensing the SacredEmbodying New LifeF.L.A.G.:FearsLongingsAching WoundsGifts StifledFrank Rogers - Practicing Compassion: https://www.amazon.com/Practicing-Compassion-Frank-Rogers-Jr/dp/1935205250Christopher’s faculty page: https://www.sandiego.edu/cas/theology/faculty-and-staff/biography.php?profile_id=840Join the Patreon for bonus episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While of course there are times when it makes sense to leave one’s religious institution, today Dan and sociologist of religion Dr. Tricia Bruce make the case for staying. What is lost when people leave their churches or denominations? When they leave the church altogether? How much do they unintentionally reduce their potential impact? How have a group of concerned Catholics worked from within the Church to combat sexual abuse? Later, Dan answers a listener question: “In your opinion, what are the requirements for being considered a Christian?” (1:20:00)https://triciabruce.com/“Orthodoxy” patron-only episode with Ben Bishop: https://www.patreon.com/posts/21074279Edited by Josh Gilbert ([email protected])Join the Patreon for bonus episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Should Christians go to "regular" therapists, or is "Biblical Counseling" the only option available to a Christian? Do therapists encourage Christian couples to divorce unnecessarily? Is it shameful to see a therapist? This week, we hear from Howard, a therapy skeptic, and then from Jonathan, whose positive experience with therapy led him ultimately to a master's program to become a psychologist himself.YHP Racial Blindspot Episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/to-acknowledge-evangelicalisms-racial-blindspot-14/id1448000113?i=1000433295257Edited by Josh Gilbert ([email protected])Join the Patreon for bonus episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

...and still love the Bible! Thomas Jay Oord joins Dan to discuss the issue of postmodernism and the Bible (through the lens of a fantastic article by Old Testament scholar Terence Fretheim, which Tom himself edited). How does a postmodern Christian's reading of the Bible differ from a modernist approach? What is modernism and postmodernism? Don't worry -- no ivory tower language here; everything is in regular laymen's terms, and Tom is one of the best at translating these complicated but important issues into regular speech.Later, Dan answers a patron/listener question: Did you receive flack from your evangelical friends and church family when you became decidedly gay affirming? What were the range of responses like? (1:42:00)Terence Fretheim article: https://www.dropbox.com/s/0nwxu3pkplg30so/Fretheim%20for%20Open%20and%20Relational%20Reading%20Group.doc?dl=0*AUDIO VERSION* of Fretheim article: https://www.dropbox.com/s/yqmprg69vdxd29z/Chapter%209%20-%20Terence%20Fretheim.mp3?dl=0http://thomasjayoord.com/http://openandrelationaltheology.com -- reading groupThe Myth of Certainty by Daniel Taylor: https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Certainty-Reflective-Christian-Commitment/dp/0830822372Benefit of the Doubt by Greg Boyd: https://www.amazon.com/Benefit-Doubt-Breaking-Idol-Certainty/dp/0801014921/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=benefit+of+the+doubt&qid=1558999348&s=books&sr=1-1Edited by Scott CangemiJoin the Patreon for bonus episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankochYHP Patron-only FB group: https://tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98Website: youhavepermissionpod.comJoin Dan's email list: dankochwords.comArtwork by http://sprungle.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices