What The Faith

This week on the podcast we talk with Alden Sproull about contemplative Christianity, spiritual direction, silence and the (often) lost art of spiritual direction. 

Alden Sproull is an experienced retreat leader, and has offered Spiritual Direction for the last 25 years. He has worked for 45 years as a clinical chaplain including serving 24 years on the Chaplaincy Advisory Committee advising the Executive Leadership regarding the Endorsement of Chaplains for all areas of chaplaincy in the US and abroad. Through each of his assignments he has worked with patients, families, staff and physicians dealing with the growing ethical dilemmas in end of life care. He holds an advanced degree in Christian Spirituality with studies in Spiritual Formation, Feminist Spirituality and the Arts. He is also an author and poet having several articles and poems published. 

Connect with Alden: 

https://www.charlottespiritualitycenter.org/spiritual-direction

Email: al.sproull@gmail.com

About What The Faith:

What The Faith is a space to embrace the spiritual misfits. In the time of organized religion's mass exodus and the ever-growing post-religion/deconstruction movement, many are finding themselves somewhere in the middle of all the noise. The misfit might be skeptical of religion but they aren’t anti-spirituality. They’re looking for more and most importantly, they’re yearning for dialogue that will help them enter into that reconstruction process, wherever it may lead them.

You can connect with us further at:

https://www.whatthefaith.space/

https://www.instagram.com/whatthefaithspace/

https://www.facebook.com/whatthefaithspace/

On today's episode of What the Faith, we talk with Wil Carlos about his background in Christianity, the world of energy healing, what even is energy healing and ways to apply it to everyday life.

Wil is an energy healer who practices with Reiki, Access Consciousness, Vortex Healing, and EFT. He is also trained in guiding NLP, hypnotherapy, and guided meditation. We learned a TON of todays episode and really dove into a realm of spirituality neither of us have thought about or experienced. Today's episode is a fun one. 

Connect with Will: 

https://www.myspiritualclarity.com

https://www.facebook.com/myspiritualclarity

About What The Faith: 

What The Faith is a space to embrace the spiritual misfits. In the time of organized religion's mass exodus and the ever-growing post-religion/deconstruction movement, many are finding themselves somewhere in the middle of all the noise. The misfit might be skeptical of religion but they aren’t anti-spirituality. They’re looking for more and most importantly, they’re yearning for dialogue that will help them enter into that reconstruction process, wherever it may lead them. 

You can connect with us further at: 

https://www.whatthefaith.space/

https://www.instagram.com/whatthefaithspace/

https://www.facebook.com/whatthefaithspace/

And liked what you heard? Be sure to subscribe to the podcast, leave us a review, or send us an email with your topic/guest suggestions at: whatthefaithspace@gmail.com

Is there truly a science to spirituality? In today's episode we talk with Chris Niebauer all about mediation, the ego and how neuroscience is catching up to what Buddhists have taught for thousands of years. 

While in grad school in the early 1990s, Chris began to notice striking parallels between the latest discoveries in psychology, neuroscience, and the teachings of Buddhism, Taoism, and other schools of Eastern thought. When he presented his findings to a professor, his ideas were quickly dismissed as “pure coincidence, nothing more.” 

Fast-forward 20 years later and Niebauer is a PhD and a tenured professor, and the Buddhist-neuroscience connection he found as a student is practically its own genre in the bookstore. But according to Niebauer, we are just beginning to understand the link between Eastern philosophy and the latest findings in psychology and neuroscience and what these assimilated ideas mean for the human experience.

Chris earned his Ph.D. in cognitive neuropsychology at the University of Toledo, specializing in the differences between the left and right sides of the human brain. He is currently a professor at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania, where he teaches courses on consciousness, mindfulness, left- and right-brain differences, and artificial intelligence.

Connect with Chris: 

https://chrisniebauerphd.com/

https://chrisniebauerphd.com/the-book/

Like what you've heard? Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review! 

On today's episode we talk with Justin Brierley all about navigating Christianity in a secular leaning UK, embracing spiritual questions and the importance of critical thinking.  

Justin is the host of the Unbelievable? radio show and podcast on Premier Christian Radio, as well as the Ask NT Wright Anything podcast. He is passionate about creating conversations around faith, science, theology and culture and has interviewed some of the greatest minds of our time - including Sam Harris, Jordan Peterson and Richard Dawkins. Through the Unbelievable? show and his book Unbelievable? Why After Ten Years of Talking with Atheists, I'm Still a Christian - Justin promotes healthy religious dialogue, challenging Christians to ask hard questions about their faith. 

On today's episode we talk with Susan Katz Miller, an interfaith child and an interfaith parent. 

Susan is considered the top expert on interfaith families celebrating more than one religion, and has spoken across the country and abroad. In 2013, Beacon Press published her book Being Both: Embracing Two Religions in One Interfaith Family. In addition, she founded the first blog devoted to interfaith family communities and interfaith identity, onbeingboth.com, and also blogged at Huffington Post Religion. 

Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, Time, Slate, Utne Reader, Discover, Science, National Wildlife, Health, Moment, Jewcy.com, interfaithfamily.com, and many other publications. Her work on interfaith families has been featured on The Today Show (NBC), CBS, NPR (All Things Considered, Here & Now, and The Diane Rehm Show), on the PBS program Religion & Ethics Newsweekly, on HuffPost Live, and in dozens of other media outlets. 

On today's episode we dive into the topic of embracing doubt and finding grace with Katie Langston. 

We learn more about her journey as Katie converted to orthodox (little “o”) Christianity after spending several years trying to make Mormon teaching fit a grace-based worldview, only to discover they weren’t particularly compatible. 

Now, Katie is a writer, preacher, evangelist, and digital communications specialist. She’s the Director of Digital Strategy for Luther Seminary’s innovation department, where she oversees digital projects aimed a cultivating vibrant Christian spirituality in a post-modern, post-Christian cultural context. She writes and speaks to Christian audiences about Mormonism and to Mormon audiences about Christianity, and is a popular blogger, podcast guest, and presenter. She is a pastoral intern at a redevelopment congregation in the greater Twin Cities metro and is preparing for ordination in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

On today's episode, we talk with Lodro Rinzler about the power of mediation, how to establish a strong meditation routine and his latest book "Take Back Your Mind: Buddhist Advice for Anxious Times" and how the book can play a positive role for those that are feeling anxious and alone after the last 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Named one of 50 Innovators Shaping the Future of Wellness by SONIMA, Lodro's work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Good Morning America, CBS, and NBC. He is the author of seven meditation books including The Buddha Walks into a Bar and the brand-new Take Back Your Mind: Buddhist Advice for Anxious Times and the co-founder of MNDFL meditation studios in New York City.

Lodro has taught meditation for 20 years in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and travels frequently for his books, having spoken across the world at conferences, universities, and businesses as diverse as Google, Harvard University and the White House.

In part 2 of our conversation with Geoffrey Wallis we dive into the topic of captive organizations and mental illness within captive organizations. 

Geoffrey shares more about his personal experience with depression as a P.I.M.O within the Jehovah's Witness Organization, why the process of "disfellowshipping" is so emotionally, mentally and spiritually damaging and how we can better understand Religious Trauma Syndrome, PTSD and many other symptoms those currently in the organization and ex-JW's are facing. Be sure to check out Geoffrey's new book "A Voice From Inside - Notes on Religious Trauma In a Captive Organization" at the links below:

https://www.wallisbooks.com/a-voice-from-inside-religious-trauma-in-a-captive-organization

https://www.amazon.com/Voice-Inside-Religious-Captive-Organization/dp/B097XFM94Z

Spiritual growth only happens when we create space for true connection and accepted vulnerability.

On today's episode, we talk with Elizabeth Hagan, author of "Brave Church: Tackling Tough Topics Together".  Elizabeth is a graduate of Duke Divinity School and has been a pastor for 15 years most recently at the Palisades Community Church in Washington, DC. She saw and personally experienced the isolation, loneliness, and shame that remains unspoken when Christians shy away from difficult conversations. She knew that the church could do better to foster a sense of acceptance and belonging. So, she wrote Brave Church to open the door to the presence of God in difficult conversations.

NOTE: This podcast covers topics of sexual abuse, suicide, and other topics that might be triggering for some. 

Religious abuse is no walk in the park. And we know many of our listeners are currently in their recovery journey or want to know more about what's really going on in the body of someone who has experienced religious abuse. So for today's episode we wanted to bring in Connie A. Baker.  

Connie is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Trauma recovery specialist, Trained Life Coach and focuses her practice on those who are recovering from religious abuse and trauma. In this episode, we dive into Connie's own story of shifting faith, what lead her to starting her own practice and some of the ways we can begin to better understand what is going on in the brain, body and soul for those who are currently struggling with PTSD after leaving a religious structure. 

If you would like to check out any of Connie's work, her recent book or connect with her you can do so at: https://connieabaker.com/

What does it look like to reconstruct your faith? For Bonnie, that journey is one she knows quite well. 

On today's episode we talk with Bonnie Lang Rambob. Bonnie grew up a 4th generation Seventh-day Adventist. She started her own family in the faith, taught in the SDA parochial school system, and dreamed of changing her church for the better. Then, little by little, faith and God began to unravel until it was all dust. After a period of profound depression, Bonnie found the light of a new day. These days, she's a pastor, activist, student of theology, and mom of young adult sons. She loves climbing trees, knitting, and hiking while conversing with friends about smashing the patriarchy. We dive into the entire process of deconstruction, reconstruction and finding freedom in leaving a little room for the "mystery" of faith. 

This episode is the audio version of our April "Why Multi Faith Matters" event.

If you missed it or would like to rehear the discussion, here's your chance! And be sure to stay up to date on all of our upcoming events. They are always interactive panel discussions and a great opportunity for you to learn, ask questions and connect with others in the WTF community. 

Be sure to join our email list at: www.whatthefaith.space 

We've yet to cover Scientology on the podcast and this week we change that. 

On today's episode we talk with Chris Shelton, a former Scientologist and Sea Org member.

Born and raised in California, Chris grew up in a Scientology household and learned about its principles at a young age. While he was exposed to some children’s courses and materials at a young age, he started formally doing services at 15 years old while still attending high school. Upon graduation, he was recruited to join Scientology staff at the Santa Barbara Church of Scientology. He worked there for eight years and then joined the Sea Organization, Scientology’s elite core group of dedicated and fanatical followers who work 24/7 to forward Scientology’s ends under the leadership of David Miscavige.

We dive into the core beliefs of Scientology, the experience of a Sea Org member and how Chris has moved on since leaving Scientology. 

We're back! On today's episode we talk with Amy Logan. 

Amy is the host of the Exmormonology Podcast and a Certified Life Coach. Amy left the Mormon faith after 37 years of devout membership. Her faith crisis began in 2006. After a few of years of study and soul searching, Amy walked away from it all.

Amy knows that churches can be wrong, outcasts can be right and life is rarely black and white. She offers soft landings for those falling wide awake. Through inspiring podcasts, provocative questions, and one on one coaching, she opens space for healing conversations to take place with "been there, survived that" truisms to soften the fall. We hope you enjoy the conversation. 

We live in a melting pot of spiritual beliefs. So how the hell do we begin to navigate and learn about all types of faiths, beliefs and practices? 

How do we engage with our neighbors that don't think like us? How do followers of various faiths build meaningful relationships while staying true to their own beliefs? How can we respect one another and learn from other spiritual practices? In this episode, we talk with Chris, a Christian pastor who loves his multi faith neighbors. We dive into his best friendship with an Atheist, how multi faith dialogue impacts his own faith and some of the key steps followers of faiths can take to begin navigating multi faith dialogue. 

Does suffering go beyond just our experience of grief and death? Or are we actually experiencing the truth of suffering all around us? 

In this episode we dive into the First Noble Truth of Buddhism and how we might better understand suffering within our world. We also explore how we can understand concepts of spirituality beyond just our written and verbal communication. Could spiritual language be something bigger than our verbage? Something bigger than anything we can even conceptualize? 

For Rajeev, becoming an ex-Adventist, leaving the Adventist church, was hard but thanks to time and persistence Rajeev has maintained some close friendships with folx who are still SDA. Rajeev often says "I love Adventist people and lots about Adventist culture; it's the theology that's the problem." 

So, what does it look like to leave the SDA church? What's it like to parent as you're navigating a shift in faith? How can you find faith after loosing so much? On today's episode we dive into that and so much more with Rajeev Rambob!

He is a proud feminist, womanist, anti-colonialist, process theology fan and founder of Multivalent Masculinity.  He is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and currently serves as Co-Pastor at Parkside Community Church in Sacramento, CA and is a host of the podcast, Irenicast.com , a podcast run by ex-Christian fundamentalists. In addition, Rajeev is co-host of "Haystacks",  a podcast for fringe & former Seventh-day Adventists.

In this highlight clip, Rajeev Rambob explains his return to a personal faith (rooted in curiosity) after leaving the SDA Church.

Listen the full episode at: 

Happy New Year and welcome back to the podcast! We're starting 2021 off with one of our favorite guests we've had on the show, Bethany Allen.

Bethany is the Pastor of Spiritual Formation and Leadership Development at Bridgetown Church, in Portland, Oregon. She has a deep passion to see people defined, not by what they do, but who they are created to be: image bearers of God. Compelled by her deep affection for the Scriptures and her genuine desire to be an effective learner in order to be an effective teacher, Bethany works hard counseling individuals, developing curriculum and planning alongside Bridgetown's pastoral team. A southern belle by birth, Bethany left the Bible belt for the Pacific Northwest in 2007.

In this episode we dive into the topic of female pastors, finding middle ground in the midst of the patriarchy and new wave feminism and what it means to seek true equality. This episode seeks to answer the question, how can we find balance while moving forward? 

Connect with us: 

www.whatthefaith.space

whatthefaithspace@gmail.com

Music By:

Justin Kiatvongcharoen

Whether you come from a Bible religion or not, it's safe to assume we've all heard of the "Greatest Commandment". 

In today's episode we talk with Kristian Smith, a pastor at The Faith Community in Atlanta, Georgia.  We dive into Kristian's firm beliefs around what he refers to as "Greatest Commandment Theology", his latest book "Breaking All The Rules: An Ancient Framework for Modern Theology", how his hyper-focus on the teaching of love impacts his ability to engage in multi faith dialogue and ultimately we unpack the current culture shift as many people are leaning towards a new form of progressive Christianity. 

Don't be turned off by the title . . .  there's something for everyone in this one!

Be sure to check out the faith community and Kristians new book at the links below:

https://thefaithcommunity.org/home1

https://www.kristianasmith.com/book-order

What happens when your faith views begin to clash with your authentic self? And what happens when you use your own conservative theological framework as a defense mechanism against yourself? 

In today's episode we talk with Drake Moore, a Christian who grew up mostly in rural Northwest Ohio centered around a large nondenominational church. He eventually landed at Cedarville University for Biblical Studies. bouncing around in the name of ministry. But ultimately Drake left Cedarville after coming out and faced the process of deconstructing how he viewed his faith and identity. Ultimately realizing how they're impossible to separate. 

Happy late-Halloween! So, in the spirit of the season we have some questions . . .  what do Pagans believe? Is magic real? Are there really witches? 

On this episode we're learning all about Pagans, Magic and Witches! Reverend Cassie Gendlek, our guest for today, is a Pagan priestess and minister, as well a talented graphic design and mixed media artists. She is a professional spiritual counselor, a skilled ritualist, and brings many talents to the table as a compassionate teacher, administrator and as a director of religious ceremonies and events. She is also a retired elder in the Eleusinian Priesthood, and takes much pride in her experience as the former Executive Director of two of the longest running NW Wiccan festivals, Hekate's Sickle Festival and Spring Mysteries Festival. 

What do Mormon's believe? Who's Joseph Smith? And what is the Book of Mormon all about? 

We were curious to learn more about the LDS church and so we invited our friends Hayden and Haley to come answer our questions! We unpack a LOT in this episode. So, if you're curious to learn more about the history of the faith and some of the topics we address in the episode check out the links below: 

https://www.pbs.org/americanprophet/joseph-smith.html

https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/site/the-pearl-of-great-price

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/mormons-polygamy/

What does it look like to go from conservative to progressive Christianity? 

Colby Martin knows first hand and we talk all about his journey on today's episode! Colby shares his faith upbringing, his ultimate shift to progressive Christianity and the work he's doing now to help others in the same situation. 

You can check out more of his work at: https://www.colbymartinonline.com

How can faith help us in times of uncertainty and deep pain? 

Today we talk with Layla Abdullah-Poulos, founder of NbA Muslims as well as a speaker on racism, gender oppression, and identity. Layla shares her faith journey, how Muslims are navigating their faith practices in the midst of COVID-19 and how followers of all faiths can navigate loss. 

Is love the greatest force? 

Today we talk with Frank Strasburger, a guy who has devoted most of his 50-year career as a teacher and priest to young people. From growing up Jewish to accidentally becoming a priest, Frank shares his wisdom when it comes to life and faith.

What’s it like living in the most conservative evangelical area of the nation? And what do you do when you’re now an ex-pastor turned atheist living in the midst of it?

This week we talk with Neil Carter all about it!

WTF is all about having open dialogue. 

So, now that we've released 10 interviews, we figured it was time to let you know what we've loved and most importantly, unpack the topics that have challenged us the most.

What would it feel like to be in touch with the spiritual throughout each day? In the little moments? In the difficult moments?

This week we chat with Steve Wiens, a Christian teacher, author and pastor helping people ask deeper questions when it comes to our humanity and to a higher being. 

We dive into the topic of mindfulness, the main focus of his latest book "Shining like the Sun".  The book offers seven mindful practices--attentiveness, ordinariness, simplicity, rhythms, conversation, delight, and restoration--that guide readers to wake up to God as a living reality and to come alive in their bodies, minds, hearts, and deep in their souls. 

We hear a lot about them . . .  but what do Satanists ACTUALLY believe? 

This week on the podcast we sit down with Thomasin, an active member of The Satanic Temple. We dive into misconceptions around the Satanic Temple, the organizations core tenets, how the temple acts like any other community, their community outreach and much more.

This week we talk with Ameera Khan, a Bengali-American transgender Muslim whose Islam is informed by personal experience, theological training in the completion of her Hifz, or memorization of the Quran, and progressive Muslim perspectives on commonly cited Islamic excuses for homophobia and transphobia (such as the story of the people of Lot). 

She joined the Muslim Youth Leadership Council as a Youth activist in 2018 to learn how empowered queer Muslims are reclaiming their narrative across the country. 

On this week's episode we talk with Courtney Sams, an ex-mormon now living life (and thriving) in the Big Apple. 

For one of the first times publicly, Courtney shares her journey into and out of the LDS church along with how the church played a role throughout  her relationship, marriage and ultimately her divorce. 

We're in the midst of a global pandemic and a national crisis. Yet, how do we respond? As followers of many faiths and beliefs, how does faith guide us during these times? Do we protest? Do we pray? And how do we grieve? How do we look towards a better future for our country and for our fellow neighbors? We asked people of all faiths and backgrounds to let us know what they think.

What role does religion play in racial politics? 

On this week's episode we talk with Mandisa Thomas, the founder and President of Black Nonbelievers Inc. about her experience as a black atheist living in the Bible Belt.

Black Nonbelievers, is a non-profit, secular fellowship. Its goals include eliminating stigma, increasing visibility, and providing support and networking opportunities around non-belief in the African-American community. Through her work with Black Nonbelievers, Mandisa has had a number of major media appearances to her credit, including Playboy, CBS Sunday Morning, and CNN.

What do you know about Buddhism? 

On this week's episode we talk with Darren Littlejohn, a best selling author, retreat leader, Certified Yoga Teacher, Reiki healing practitioner, a recovering addict and a practitioner of Zen and Tibetan Buddhism. Darren shared how the teachings of Buddhism played a pivotal role in his recovery and dives deeper into the core of Buddhist teachings. 

What makes someone a mother? On this week's episode of the podcast we interview Erin S. Lane about the influence American Christianity has on women who don't have, want, or center children of their own. Erin shares her personal journey, the origin of Mother's Day, her definition of Off-Script Mothering and much more.

In addition to her upcoming book on the topic of Off-Script Mothering, Erin is also the author of Lessons in Belonging from a Church-Going Commitment Phobe and co-editor of Talking Taboo: American Christian Women Get Frank About Faith. Raised Catholic, former Evangelical, trained Quaker, and married to a Methodist, Erin lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with her improbable kin. 

Often times we think there is a direct correlation between race and faith in an American context. But what if that's not necessarily true? What if majority of religions are actually very diverse with different ethnicities, backgrounds and perspectives? On this episode we have an amazing conversation with Shekhiynah Larks about her experience navigating faith as a black Jewish convert. 

Shekhiynah is the program coordinator and a diversity trainer at Be’chol Lashon, an organization advocating for a paradigm shift in how Jews see themselves and are seen by others. She holds a BA in politics from the University of San Francisco, is a native of Oakland and is very involved in Jewish life in the Bay Area.

On this episode we talk with Dale McGowan about his personal journey being an Atheist, navigating a multi-faith relationship and what he thinks Atheists often get wrong about religion. Dale is the editor and author of several books on nonreligious life, including Parenting Beyond Belief, Raising Freethinkers, Atheism for Dummies, and In Faith and In Doubt. He was named Harvard Humanist of the Year for his work in support of nonreligious parents.

Fasting is an important spiritual traditional across many different religions. On today's episode we talk with Amanda Martinez Beck about her personal journey with food and faith and get a better look at the relationship between the two. Amanda is a fat activist and storyteller. Her first book, “Lovely: How I Learned to Embrace The Body God Gave Me”, is her journey of accepting her body as it is today—good and fat at the same time. 

Welcome to What The Faith! In our first ever episode we share our individual faith journeys, the motivation to start the podcast and why we're ultimately choosing curiosity over certainty.  

A little taste of what's to come.