Episodes

May 15, 2018

Jamie the Very Worst Missionary

Jamie Wright drops by to talk about her new book! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/message Support this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/support</a>
April 20, 2018

Corey Pigg, Failed Missionary

In this episode I talk to Corey Pigg, host of Failed Missionary. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/message Support this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/support</a>
April 10, 2018

(Re-Release): Jamie Lee Finch

Re-Release! Hear about Jamie Lee Finch's story in depth, and listen for her on The Airing of Grief and elsewhere. More on the show notes below! Jamie is a writer and certified integrated health coach. In this wide-ranging conversation, Jamie talks about her experiences growing up in the church (including a formative memory of saying the "Sinner's Prayer" at age 7), expressing her sexuality amidst purity culture, her time in a cult, and her path toward wholeness outside Christianity. Follow Jamie online: @jamieleefinch on Twitter &amp; Instagram jamieleefinch.com Follow Blake on Twitter @brchastain, and follow the show @exvangelicalpod. Support Exvangelical by rating/reviewing the show on iTunes, or via Patreon: patreon.com/exvangelicalpod. Music: Intro: "Night Owl" by Broke for Free Interlude 1: "Bad Believer" by St. Vincent Interlude 2: "Just One Me" by Big Bird Interlude 3: "When You're On Top" by The Wallflowers Outro: "I Want to Be Well" by Sufjan Stevens --- Send in a voice me…
March 23, 2018

Elizabeth Bridges

My guest this week is Prof. Elizabeth Bridges. We talk about her childhood as a PK (pastor's kid), her struggles coming out, and the trouble seeing "how the sausage is made" in any faith community. Follow Elizabeth on Twitter @egbridges, and follow her blog at uncannyvalley.us. Follow Blake on Twitter @brchastain, the show on Twitter @exvangelicalpod, and support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/exvangelicalpod. Thank you, patrons! Intro: "Night Owl" by Broke for Free Interlude 1: "Three's Company Theme Song" Interlude 2 &amp; Outro: "Playground Pigeon" by Broke for Free --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/message Support this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/support</a>
March 16, 2018

No More Hagiography (Blake didn't like The Atlantic piece)

In this minisode, Blake talks somewhat extemporaneously about the hagiography written by Michael Gerson in The Atlantic fighting for the term "evangelical." Which is really hard when we know the biographies of evangelicalism's leaders so well. Intro: "Bloom Key" by Broke for Free. Follow Blake on twitter @brchastain. Support the show: patreon.com/exvangelicalpod. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/message Support this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/support</a>
Feb. 28, 2018

Delisa Perry, Part 2

This week, Delisa Perry returns for part two of her story. This is a shorter, lo-fi episode; when we last spoke, we had some technical issues that interfered with allowing us to fully explore Delisa's story. So we rectified that. Be sure to check out Part 1 as well. Follow Delisa on Twitter @\_DelisaPerry, and follow me @brchastain. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/message Support this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/support</a>
Feb. 14, 2018

Derek Webb

My guest this week is the musician Derek Webb. In this conversation we talk about his experiences as a member of the band Caedmon's Call, his solo work, and his most recent album, \*Fingers Crossed\*. That album led to his development of his new podcast, \*The Airing of Grief\*. Get Derek's music at derekwebb.com. Learn about The Airing of Grief at theairingofgrief.com. Support Exvangelical: patreon.com/exvangelicalpod. Join the Exvangelical FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/332199817139241/ Rate &amp; review the show on iTunes/Apple Podcasts! Follow Blake on Twitter @brchastain, and follow the show on Twitter @exvangelicalpod. Intro, outro, and interludes from \*Fingers Crossed.\* Intro: "Stop Listening" Interlude 1: "Tempest in a Teacup" Interlude 2: "The Spirit Bears the Curse" Outro: "Goodbye for Now" --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/message Support this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/…
Feb. 6, 2018

Tori Glass (Re-Release)

This week I'm happy to re-release this conversation I had last year with Tori Williams Douglass (@ToriGlass on Twitter). She and I discuss her history, as well as how the death of Michael Brown altered her understanding of white evangelicalism. We also discuss her must-read blog post, "The Day I Learned White Christians Hate Me." Read it here: toriglassdotcom.wordpress.com/2017/08/08…s-hate-me/ This a frank discussion about race that centers Tori's experience. Follow her on Twitter @ToriGlass, and read her work at toriglassdotcom.wordpress.com. No pre-roll intros this week - I had a cold and nobody needs to hear that. Join the FB group by searching "Exvangelical" on Facebook and answering the three brief questions. Follow me on Twitter @brchastain. Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/exvangelicalpod. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/message Support this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/exvang…
Jan. 30, 2018

Diana Butler Bass

This week's guest is the author, scholar, and historian Diana Butler Bass. Ms. Bass has written several books on church history and American Christianity. In this conversation, we discuss her life of faith through the lens of her recently re-released memoir \*Strength for the Journey: A Pilgrimage of Faith in Community\*. We also discuss the impact of the 2016 election on evangelicalism, and the state of American Christianity today. To order her memoir, click here: http://amzn.to/2FtuweL (affiliate link) To pre-order her upcoming book \*Grateful: The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks\*, click here: http://amzn.to/2DX79gy (affiliate link) Visit dianabutlerbass.com to learn more about her work and sign up for her twice-monthly newsletter: http://dianabutlerbass.com/ Thanks to my loyal Patreon supporters for helping make this show possible. Support Exvangelical by visiting patreon.com/exvangelicalpod. Join the Exvangelical Facebook community! https://www.facebook.com/groups/332199817…
Jan. 23, 2018

Delisa Perry, Part 1

This week's guest is Delisa Perry. Delisa and I talk about her experience growing up in Chicago, getting involved in a college youth group, and she begins to tell her story of facing racism when our connection dies out. Delisa and I are making plans for Part 2, which will be coming out in the future. Follow Delisa on Twitter @\_DelisaPerry. Follow me on Twitter @brchastain. Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/exvangelicalpod. Join the Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/332199817139241/. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/message Support this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/support</a>
Jan. 16, 2018

(Minisode): Hidden Stories

The first episode of 2018 is small one, with a big question: In what way have our own stories been hidden from us? A short hospital stay got me all philosophical (which isn't too hard to do, but still). Intro/Outro: "Night Owl" by Broke for Free. Available in the Free Music Archive. Support the show by rating and reviewing it on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, or via Patreon at patreon.com/exvangelicalpod. Join the Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/332199817139241/ Follow me on Twitter @brchastain, follow the show on Twitter @exvangelicalpod. Like the show on Facebook at facebook.com/exvangelicalpod. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/message Support this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/support</a>
Dec. 19, 2017

Asha Dahya

This week's guest is the Editor-in-Chief of GirlTalkHQ.com, Asha Dahya. In this conversation we talk about her childhood in Brisbane, Australia, moving to the State, and life in and beyond evangelicalism. In the second part we also talk about reproductive rights and how they are represented in evangelicalism. Follow Asha Dahya on Twitter &amp; Instagram @ashadahya, and check out GirlTalkHQ.com. Follow Blake on Twitter @brchastain, and follow the show @exvangelicalpod. Join the Facebook group! https://goo.gl/ALMtBL Support the show on Patreon: patreon.com/exvangelicalpod. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/message Support this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/support</a>
Dec. 6, 2017

#ChurchToo with Hannah Paasch & Emily Joy

This week's guests are Hannah Paasch (@hannahpaasch) &amp; Emily Joy (@emilyjoypoetry). We talk about the #churchtoo hashtag, what it seeks to address, and the blowback they've received regarding this campaign. CW/TW: This conversation contains discussions of sexual assault and abuse. Follow them on Twitter--check the usernames above--and hire them to come speak to your group! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/message Support this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/support</a>
Nov. 29, 2017

George Mekhail

Ep. 58: George Mekhail, co-founder of Church Clarity. My guest this week is George Mekhail, one of the co-founders of the new organization, Church Clarity, as well as the Director for Strategic Partnerships and Innovation at the Riverside Church in New York City. We talk a lot about his life and experiences, and how much of that has led into his work at Church Clarity. Learn more about Church Clarity at churchclarity.org. Follow George on Twitter @gmekhail. Support the show on Patreon: patreon.com/exvangelicalpod Follow me on Twitter: @brchastain Follow the show on Twitter: @exvangelicalpod Like the show on FB: Facebook.com/exvangelicalpod Join the Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/332199817139241/ Intro: "Night Owl" by Broke for Free Interludes/Outros from the Clarity album by Jimmy Eat World Tracks: "On A Sunday" and "Clarity" --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/message Support this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/support" re…
Nov. 14, 2017

David Bazan

This week's guest is the musician David Bazan. In this conversation, we talk about his Pentecostal upbringing, how he's processed faith and doubt through his music, Trump and evangelicalism, the return of Pedro the Lion, and more. Bazan is on tour right now. Learn more at davidbazan.com/shows. Follow him on Twitter @davidbazan. Bazan &amp; Pedro the Lion songs in this episode: "Hard to Be," from Curse Your Branches [Bazan] "Secrets of the Easy Yoke," from It's Hard to Find a Friend [Pedro] "Harmless Sparks" from Curse Your Branches [Bazan] "People," from Strange Negotiations [Bazan] "Magazine," from Control [Pedro] "Keep Trying," from Care [Bazan] Support the show on Patreon: patreon.com/exvangelicalpod. Follow me on Twitter @brchastain, and follow the show @exvangelicalpod. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/message Support this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/support</a>
Nov. 7, 2017

Sean Reed Re-Release (Rockin' with God)

This one is a re-release of a conversation with my friend Sean Reed, from very early in the feed. We talk a lot about CCM in the 90s, evangelical pop culture scandal (divorce! swears! we were so innocent.), and the youth group scene in the Chicago suburbs. Support the show on Patreon: patreon.com/exvangelicalpod Like the show on Facebook: Facebook.com/exvangelicalpod Follow the show on Twitter: @exvangelicalpod Follow me on Twitter: @brchastain Search Facebook for "Exvangelical" to find the closed group. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/message Support this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/support</a>
Oct. 24, 2017

Laura Jean Truman

My guest this week is Laura Jean Truman. She blogs over at her blog, In/Between, which can be found at laurajeantruman.com. Laura Jean and I talk about her life, how the way we view our past changes over time, her experience being queer in a non-affirming church, and why she remains engaged with Christianity. It's a great conversation. My audio is rougher b/c my mic didn't record properly. Sorry. Read Laura Jean's blog In/Between at laurajeantruman.com, and follow her on Twitter @laurajeantruman. Support the podcast at patreon.com/exvangelicalpod, follow me on Twitter @brchastain &amp; the show @exvangelicalpod, and join the Exvangelical fb group! Intro: "Night Owl" by Broke for Free Interlude 1: "I am here" by P!nk Interlude 2: "Down to the River to Pray" by Alison Krauss Outro: "In Between Days" by The Cure --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/message Support this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/exva…
Oct. 17, 2017

Minisode: Keep Telling Stories

After an unexpected hiatus, the show returns in full force. Our stories are more important than ever. Keep telling them. Share your stories on Twitter with the hashtag #exvangelical. Show Notes: "Steve Bannon Sought To Infiltrate Facebook Hiring" https://www.buzzfeed.com/josephbernstein/steve-bannon-sought-to-infiltrate-facebook-hiring?utm\_term=.lnbvrKnvq#.at0bOZpbr "Trump is dismantling Obama’s religion initiatives" https://thinkprogress.org/trump-dismantling-obamas-religion-initiatives-49d89df9b0e4/ "The Danger of President Pence" https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/10/23/the-danger-of-president-pence Follow me on Twitter @brchastain, and follow the show on Twitter @exvangelicalpod. Join the Exvangelical facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/332199817139241/ Support the show on Patreon: patreon.com/exvangelicalpod Intro: "Night Owl" by Broke for Free Outro: "I Give You Power" by Arcade Fire &amp; Mavis Staples --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/exvangel…
Sept. 12, 2017

Chris Stroop Returns to #EmptyThePews

My guest this week is Chris Stroop. Chris was a guest back on episode 15 of the show, and since that time he has become well-known for his essays on Religion Dispatches (as well as his threads on Twitter, including the trending hashtag #EmptyThePews) about the global Religious Right, particularly in American and Russian politics, as well as Exvangelical experience more broadly. He is also a fellow administrator of the Exvangelical Facebook group. We talk at length about #EmptyThePews and the stories people have told through it, as well as the value of sharing ex-Evangelical stories in private and in public. You can support Chris's work via Patreon at patreon.com/cstroop and follow him on Twitter @C\_Stroop. You can also support this show via Patreon at patreon.com/exvangelicalpod. Join the Exvangelical facebook community here: http://bit.ly/2gZQEql. Follow me on Twitter @brchastain, and follow the show on Twitter @exvangelicalpod. Follow the ephemeral podcast at anchor.fm/exvangelical…
Sept. 1, 2017

Mike James

My guest this week is Mike James. Mike talks about his experiences going to a megachurch youth group, a small Christian college, moving from planting a church to starting a winery, and what his deconstruction has revealed about the "life on rails" he felt he was leading before. We also talk about the privilege afforded to both of us as white straight men, and much more. Follow Mike on Twitter @HyperbolicMike. Intro/Outro: "Night Owl" by Broke for Free. Interludes: "No Phone" by Cake, "BBC Dad" by BBC Dad, and "Ghosts" by The Head &amp; The Heart. Support Exvangelical: patreon.com/exvangelicalpod. Join the Exvangelical Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/332199817139241/ Follow Blake on Twitter @brchastain. Follow the show on Twitter @exvangelicalpod, like the show on Facebook at facebook.com/exvangelicalpod, follow the show on Anchor.fm at anchor.fm/exvangelicalpod. Rate &amp; Review the show on iTunes! End of Show Notes! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.…
Aug. 24, 2017

Tori Williams Douglass (@ToriGlass)

My guest this week is Tori Williams Douglass (@ToriGlass on Twitter). She and I discuss her history, as well as how the death of Michael Brown altered her understanding of white evangelicalism. We also discuss her must-read blog post, "The Day I Learned White Christians Hate Me." Read it here: https://toriglassdotcom.wordpress.com/2017/08/08/the-day-i-learned-white-christians-hate-me/ This a frank discussion about race that centers Tori's experience. Follow her on Twitter @ToriGlass, and read her work at toriglassdotcom.wordpress.com. No pre-roll intros this week - I had a cold and nobody needs to hear that. Join the FB group by searching "Exvangelical" on Facebook and answering the three brief questions. Follow me on Twitter @brchastain. Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/exvangelicalpod. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/message Support this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/sup…
Aug. 15, 2017

Where Do We Go From Here?

Trying to make sense of what just happened in Charlottesville, VA and what it means for the country. Trying to figure out how to address racism and racial systems on the show. I don't know where we go from here, and I need your input. Join the Exvangelical community on Facebook. Discuss on Twitter with the hashtag #wheredowegofromhere. Follow me on Twitter @brchastain. Outro: "Action" by Mavis Staples. Show notes, and stories you need to read: Broderick Greer on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BroderickGreer/status/896560477119164416 Broderick Greer's Theology Live podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-2-blacklivesmatter/id1045300697?i=1000356252307&amp;mt=2 https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-10-whitechurchquiet/id1045300697?i=1000377126018&amp;mt=2 Charlotte Henderson's "Advice for White Allies in the Wake of Charlottesville: https://sisterresistance.wordpress.com/2017/08/14/advice-for-white-allies-in-the-wake-of-charlottesville/ Tori Glass's "The Day I Learned W…
Aug. 9, 2017

Lyndsey Medford

Lyndsey Medford is a post-evangelical writer and blogger. She writes at lyndseymedford.com. Follow her on Twitter @lyndseymedford! The first #exvreads book club book has been chosen! It is \*The Evangelicals: The Struggle to Shape America\* by Frances Fitzgerald. Use this link to buy it! http://amzn.to/2uEthDU More details about the book club discussion will be coming out soon on Twitter and in the Exvangelical Facebook group. The first discussion will happen at the end of August/early September. Follow Blake on Twitter: @brchastain Follow the show on Anchor: anchor.fm/exvangelicalpod Follow the show on Twitter: @exvangelicalpod Like the show on Facebook: facebook.com/exvangelicalpod Support the show via Patreon: patreon.com/exvangelicalpod --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/message Support this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/support</a>
Aug. 2, 2017

(Minisode): Reverence and Wonder

Introducing "Reverence &amp; Wonder," the Patron-only series. Reverence and wonder are at the heart of any sense of spirituality I've ever understood. These twin sentiments keep me going. They are not strictly bound by religion, though they can encompass it. They can reach out and envelope the world. They recast the mundane. For $1/month, you'll gain access to these twice-monthly minisodes. More details in the episode! Support the show: patreon.com/exvangelicalpod. Don't forget to vote on a book for Exv to discuss on Twitter: https://twitter.com/i/moments/892585208184221696 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/message Support this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/exvangelical/support</a>