Religion on the Mind

Latest Episodes:

The Apostle's Creed (#282) Aug 26, 2024

Show notes

In this first part of our discussion, Thomas Jay Oord and I take a deep dive into the Apostle’s Creed, exploring its origins, language, and theology through a progressive Christian lens. We examine foundational beliefs about God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, questioning traditional interpretations and considering how our experiences and backgrounds influence our understanding of these core tenets of faith. As we navigate the historical significance of the Creed, we also grapple with the challenge of applying these ancient declarations to a modern, evolving faith context. Our conversation reflects the ongoing tension between honoring theological tradition and pursuing a faith that resonates with contemporary concerns. Ultimately, we emphasize the importance of critically engaging with our religious heritage to cultivate a faith that is both deeply rooted in history and responsive to the realities of today’s world.

Highlights:

03:15 Discussion on the Apostles Creed

13:06 Challenges and Personal Responses to the Creeds

23:47 Interpreting the Phrase 'Believe in Jesus Christ'

28:02 Understanding the Uniqueness of Jesus

34:20 Exploring the Concepts of 'Descended to the Dead' and 'Resurrection'

40:33 The Significance of the Resurrection in Christianity

52:26 Exploring the Possibility of Mass Experiences

56:45 Continuation of Subjective Experience Beyond Death

Tom's Previous Episode list:

#7 | To Change Your Mind: Healing Prayer

#23 | To Be a Postmodern Christian

#42 | Is the "Supernatural" Actually Just Natural?

Matthew Novenson Episode on "Pneuma:

#163 | Apocalyptic Expectations, the Resurrection & More

Dan's new Substack | Religion on the Mind

___________________________________________

Get Tickets for the PREGAME EVENT before Theology Beer Camp!

Get Tickets for Theology Beer Camp 2024

Use Code ReturnofYHP for $50 off your ticket!

___________________________________________

Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/

Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch

Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/

Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)

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

Introducing “God Songs” (with Tyson Motsenbocker) (#281) Aug 19, 2024

Show notes

In this inaugural episode of the new "God Songs AKA Songs in the Key of G-O-D" series, Dan Koch and fellow musician (and returning guest) Tyson Motsenbocker explore spiritually significant songs that aren't overtly religious. Dan shares his encounter with Jim James of My Morning Jacket and delves into James' song "Believe (Nobody Knows)," examining how it expresses belief amidst uncertainty. The conversation weaves through topics like evangelical "friendship evangelism," the psychological impact of absolutist beliefs, and the concept of "infinity withdrawal." Dan and Tyson discuss connections between James' music and Transcendental Meditation, touching on TM-inspired songs by The Beatles, Donovan, and the Beach Boys. This wide-ranging discussion explores the intersection of spirituality, culture, and art, grappling with deep questions about belief, community, and the human need for meaning, while contrasting ascetic traditions with worldly expressions of spirituality.

Highlights:

06:44 Analyzing 'Believe (Nobody Knows)' by My Morning Jacket

23:11 The Nuances And Limits Of Faith And Belief

33:26 The Influence of Transcendental Meditation on Popular Music

Tyson on Instagram

Where the Waves Turn Back Book

Tyson's Website

Dan's new Substack | Religion on the Mind

___________________________________________

Get Tickets for the PREGAME EVENT before Theology Beer Camp!

Get Tickets for Theology Beer Camp 2024

Use Code ReturnofYHP for $50 off your ticket!

___________________________________________

Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/

Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch

Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/

Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)

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

Why Are Christians so Bad with Queer People? (#280) Aug 12, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, I sit down with previous-guest-turned-colleague Joy Vetterlein to explore the intricate relationship between disgust psychology, Christian faith, and attitudes towards LGBTQ+ individuals. We discuss how evolutionary disgust mechanisms influence reactions to sexuality, and the challenge of balancing intuitive responses with consciously held values. The conversation delves into personal experiences of conservative Christian upbringing, the importance of integrating mind and intuition, and finding a middle ground through discernment. We examine how disgust psychology affects Christian interactions with LGBTQ+ individuals, questioning whether such reactions are divine guidance or natural responses requiring examination. The episode emphasizes the crucial role of critical thinking and self-reflection in navigating complex moral and social issues, regardless of one's religious beliefs.

Highlights

07:20 The Importance of Discernment in Navigating Beliefs

12:14 Exploring the Psychology of Disgust

21:03 Controversy and Perspectives: The Opening Ceremony of the Olympics

31:28 Disgust as a Physical Reaction

48:08 The Culture War and Disgust Psychology

Dan's new Substack | Religion on the Mind

___________________________________________

Get Tickets for the PREGAME EVENT before Theology Beer Camp!

Get Tickets for Theology Beer Camp 2024

Use Code ReturnofYHP for $50 off your ticket!

___________________________________________

Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/

Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch

Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/

Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)

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

Russell Moore on Cynicism in the Trump Age (#279) Aug 05, 2024

Show notes

Russell Moore, editor-in-chief of Christianity Today, sat down with me to explore the current state of American Christianity, focusing on the challenges of maintaining relationships across ideological divides in an age of deep political cynicism and polarization. He shared insights on navigating family dynamics in a polarized era, emphasizing the importance of preserving relationships even when agreement seems impossible. We discussed the complexities within the Southern Baptist Convention, including how to interpret news from their annual meetings and the challenges of defining doctrinal boundaries. Russell has a nuanced perspective and I appreciate his ability to critically examine both conservative and progressive tendencies in Christianity.

Chapters

10:46 The Importance of Authenticity

26:41 Navigating Relationships and Acceptance

35:07 The Decline of the Southern Baptist Convention

55:17 Ethical Considerations and Regulations in the Age of AI

01:05:27 The Importance of Balancing Perspectives

russellmoore.com

Russel Moore | Christianity Today

The Russel More Show (Podcast)

Russel's Article on AI | A New Era of AI Is Here, and the Church Is Not Ready

___________________________________________

Get Tickets for the PREGAME EVENT before Theology Beer Camp!

Get Tickets for Theology Beer Camp 2024

Use Code ReturnofYHP for $50 off your ticket!

___________________________________________

Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/

Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch

Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/

Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)

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

GGCH: Biden’s Exit & Family Grief (#278) Jul 29, 2024

Show notes

This month’s Generation Gap Culture Hour focuses on recent political events (perhaps against our better judgement!). We also touch on generational differences in political engagement and dynamics within the Democratic Party. The conversation ends with a discussion about Joe Biden's decision to step down, how we are thinking about him/this decision, and potential implications for the election.

___________________________________________

Get Tickets for the PREGAME EVENT before Theology Beer Camp!

Get Tickets for Theology Beer Camp 2024

Use Code ReturnofYHP for $50 off your ticket!

___________________________________________

Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/

Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch

Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/

Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)

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

Is America Really Becoming More Secular? (#277) Jul 22, 2024

Show notes

Author and researcher Ryan Burge joins me to discuss religious trends in America. Ryan's research reveals a surprising plateau in the growth of religious "nones" over the past five years, even through the COVID-19 period. We explored his upcoming book on the "big church sort," discussing the polarization of American religion into conservative churches and liberal non-religious groups, while moderate and mainline churches rapidly decline. Our conversation touched on the challenges facing mainline Protestantism, the use of political symbols in religious spaces, and the importance of exposing ourselves and our children to diverse viewpoints within religious settings.

Highlights:

08:12 The Plateau of the Religious 'Nones'

35:10 The Big Church Sort: The Decline of Mainline Protestantism

01:02:36 Exposing Children to Different Views

Ryan's Substack

Ryan's Books:

The Great Dechurching

The Nones

YHP Episodes with Ryan:

Episode #25: "Myths about Religion and Politics in America”

YHP Episode with Josh Porter

___________________________________________

Get Tickets for Theology Beer Camp 2024

Use Code ReturnofYHP for $50 off your ticket!

___________________________________________

Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/

Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch

Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/

Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)

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

How to Leave Religion (#276) Jul 15, 2024

Show notes

Returning guest and psychologist of religion Daryl Van Tongeren (Hope College) and I discuss his new book "Done: How to Flourish After Leaving Religion,” a book that is also quite helpful for those remaining in faith communities after changing beliefs/deconstructing, etc. We explore the concept of "religious residue": how religion continues to impact the way we think, feel, and act even after leaving faith. We discussed the complexity of deconversion and why leaving faith can be so challenging and time-consuming, especially when finding community. This was a rich and insightful conversation, and will hopefully be encouraging to anyone navigating the tumultuous waters of religious change.

Highlights:

04:16 Difficulties of Leaving Religion

12:11 The Great Disillusionment: Reasons for Leaving Religion/Deconstruction

26:45 Religious Residue and Crafting a New Identity

36:36 Navigating Isolation

55:40 Finding a New Community

Daryl's Book | Done: How to Flourish After Leaving Religion by Darrell Van Tongren

Daryl's Website

Episodes with Daryl:

Episode 195: “You Are Not Your Beliefs”

Episode 177: “The Good of Religion Without the Bad?"

___________________________________________

Get Tickets for Theology Beer Camp 2024

Use Code ReturnofYHP for $50 off your ticket!

___________________________________________

Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/

Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch

Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/

Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)

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

Matt & Max from Milkless 2.0 (#275) Jul 11, 2024

Show notes

Matt and Max from Milkless are back! We pick up our conversation on belief and the meaning of life that we started in episode #271.

After exploring the potential downsides of belief without proof (i.e. conspiracy theories) and the psychology behind how and why we believe, we chatted about the meaning of life. We grappled with the nature of meaning itself, expressing both panentheistic views of God and naturalistic explanations of existence. We also talked through how finely-tuned the universe is and debated the validity of intelligent design.

We didn't solve any universal mysteries, but enjoyed a respectful, thought-provoking conversation about the biggest questions of our existence.

Milkless Podcast

Milkless Podcast on IG

Highlights:

02:56 Belief in a higher power

08:07 Our need for meaning

11:56 Conspiracy theories and conservative religion

19:05 Spirituality with or without religion

25:12 The universe and intelligent design

___________________________________________

Get Tickets for Theology Beer Camp 2024

Use Code ReturnofYHP for $50 off your ticket!

___________________________________________

Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/

Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch

Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/

Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)

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

Gay Ex-Mormon Comedian Ryan Erwin (#274) Jul 08, 2024

Show notes

I’m kicking off a new series exploring the intersection of comedy, religion, and spirituality!

My first guest is Ryan Erwin, a gay ex-Mormon missionary turned clean comic. We talk about his idyllic Mormon childhood in Utah, his departure from Mormonism and exploration of other faiths, his introduction to comedy, and how he has ultimately found spiritual fulfillment in nature and everyday activities.

I appreciated Ryan’s humor, warmth, and grounded perspective, hearing how he finds meaning outside traditional religious structures, as well as how his comedy can be a vehicle for exploring profound, sometimes uncomfortable truths about faith and identity.

Highlights:

08:37 “Religious Residue”

22:12 The Power of Storytelling

33:18 Leaving Mormonism and Pursuing Comedy

45:03 Finding Spirituality in Nature and the Present Moment

57:06 Living in the Here and Now: Embracing New Experiences

Ryan's Instagram

Ryan's Website

Dry Bar Comedy Specials: Dry Bar Comedy - Ryan Erwin

___________________________________________

Get Tickets for Theology Beer Camp 2024

Use Code ReturnofYHP for $50 off your ticket!

___________________________________________

Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/

Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch

Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/

Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)

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

The Holy Spirit? Or "Just the Drums"? (Sarah Lane Ritchie & The New Evangelicals) (#273) Jul 01, 2024

Show notes

When we have spiritual experiences with things like worship music, is that the Holy Spirit moving? Or, as Tim Whitaker (The New Evangelicals) claimed in a viral Instagram meme, is it “just the drums”? Can it be both?

Tim and Sarah Lane Ritchie return to discuss these ideas, Tim’s experiences as a worship drummer, “spiritual technologies” like worship music, the potential harm of conflating these experiences with “God,” the role of such experiences in the life of faith, and more.

Watch this Episode on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/qMTeohCkEDA

Tim's Viral Drums Reel:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6PhVL6OlDG/?igsh=eDdhZjFoMjI2NjJ1

The New Evangelicals Podcast:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-new-evangelicals-podcast/id1557794865

thenewevangelicals.com

Sarah's Faculty Page:

https://www.templeton.org/team-member/sarah-lane-ritchie-ph-d

Sarah's Twitter:

@slaneritchie

___________________________________________