<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:psc="http://podlove.org/simple-chapters" xmlns:podcast="https://podcastindex.org/namespace/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Faith after Faith]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p><b>Faith After Faith</b> is a weekly podcast from Pastor Katie Langston exploring the terrain between losing your faith and finding it again. Through honest conversations, theological reflection, and storytelling, Faith After Faith creates space for deconstructors, reconstructors, and spiritual seekers to explore Christian faith in ways that are intellectually curious, scripturally grounded, and rooted in grace. Whether you’re healing from a high-demand religious tradition, rebuilding after doubt, or just looking for something deeper, this podcast meets you where you are—no pressure, no pretense, period.</p>]]></description><link>www.katielangston.com/podcast</link><generator>Riverside.fm (https://riverside.com)</generator><lastBuildDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2026 22:43:15 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://api.riverside.com/hosting/fTk2GfAf.rss" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><author><![CDATA[Katie Langston]]></author><pubDate>Tue, 24 Mar 2026 01:43:42 GMT</pubDate><copyright><![CDATA[2026 Katie Langston]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><ttl>60</ttl><category><![CDATA[Christianity]]></category><itunes:author>Katie Langston</itunes:author><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Faith After Faith&lt;/b&gt; is a weekly podcast from Pastor Katie Langston exploring the terrain between losing your faith and finding it again. Through honest conversations, theological reflection, and storytelling, Faith After Faith creates space for deconstructors, reconstructors, and spiritual seekers to explore Christian faith in ways that are intellectually curious, scripturally grounded, and rooted in grace. Whether you’re healing from a high-demand religious tradition, rebuilding after doubt, or just looking for something deeper, this podcast meets you where you are—no pressure, no pretense, period.&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:type>episodic</itunes:type><itunes:owner><itunes:name>Katie Langston</itunes:name><itunes:email>langston.katie@gmail.com</itunes:email></itunes:owner><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:category text="Religion &amp; Spirituality"><itunes:category text="Christianity"/></itunes:category><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/3f873402-b3bd-4d0a-8184-26f832193859/logos/65c8db55-4f38-4e91-a606-0903cb71cdbf.png"/><item><title><![CDATA[Garments, Sex, and Purity Culture — Nancy Ross]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>Register for All That Remains, a support group for deconstructors and doubters, at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://katielangston.com/all-that-remains" target="_blank"><b>katielangston.com/all-that-remains</b></a></p><p></p><p>For many people leaving high-demand traditions, the sexual shame left by purity culture is one of the most lingering effects. In this conversation, Katie and Nancy Ross use Mormon garments as a lens through which to explore purity culture more broadly.</p><p></p><p>Nancy Ross is an associate professor of interdisciplinary arts and sciences at Utah Tech University and co-author of <i>Mormon Garments: Sacred and Secret</i>, a book built on a survey of more than 4,500 people who wear or used to wear them. She is a former Mormon, now ordained in Community of Christ, and one of Katie's dear friends. </p><p></p><p>The conversation covers what happens in the temple the first time you receive your garments, a survey that went Mormon Facebook viral in 2014, sexual shame, licked cupcakes and chewed gum, a chance encounter with a woman on a plane, and the night Nancy's husband ripped his garments off and jumped into bed.</p><p></p><p>To support Faith After Faith, visit <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://faithafterfaith.com" target="_blank">faithafterfaith.com</a>. A recurring donation of any amount will give you access to exclusive bonus content and full, unedited conversations. </p><p></p><p><b>Chapters</b></p><p>00:00 Introduction to Nancy Ross and the episode's focus</p><p>02:04 What are Mormon garments and their significance</p><p>04:07 The ceremony of receiving garments and their symbolism</p><p>05:47 The history of garments and their connection to purity culture</p><p>09:01 The survey on garments and its viral spread in Mormon communities</p><p>11:58 Personal stories and emotional experiences with garments</p><p>15:02 The role of garments in regulating sexual behavior</p><p>18:00 Overlap between Mormon and evangelical purity teachings</p><p>21:00 Gendered experiences and perceptions of garments</p><p>23:59 The impact of purity culture on body image and sexuality</p><p>26:57 Healing, reclaiming pleasure, and body positivity</p><p>29:58 Leaving garments and the emotional process of detachment</p><p>45:01 Nancy’s personal story of taking off her garments</p><p>51:59 Reflections on faith after leaving Mormonism</p><p>55:03 Final thoughts and resources for healing and growth</p><p></p><p><b>Resources</b></p><ul><li>Nancy Ross, Jessica Finnigan, and Larissa Kanno Kindred, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=c049545" target="_blank"><i>Mormon Garments: Sacred and Secret</i></a> (University of Illinois Press, 2026)</li><li>Katie Langston, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://katielangston.com/all-that-remains/" target="_blank">All That Remains</a></li><li>Faith After Faith, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://katielangston.com/podcast/letting-go-of-shame/" target="_blank">Letting Go of Shame</a></li></ul>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">6ba3b2b4-9614-44ab-9f9c-1ea6e155c901</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Katie Langston]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2026 13:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/c29c4840d66eed3a2a26529118807efc33c4209c4f7c8ce368cff623041edb6a/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiI2YmEzYjJiNC05NjE0LTQ0YWItOWY5Yy0xZWE2ZTE1NWM5MDEiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiIzZjg3MzQwMi1iM2JkLTRkMGEtODE4NC0yNmY4MzIxOTM4NTkiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTkzOGUyZjU3N2Q5ZTNmMWI1NWEwYWIiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmFiMjBmMjA3YTM3NGEwMmE4YTg2MjRiL2thdGllLWxhbmdzdG9ucy1zdHVkaW8tMjAyNi05LTIyX181LTE2LTE2Lm1wMyJ9.mp3" length="109286443" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/3f873402-b3bd-4d0a-8184-26f832193859/episodes/6ba3b2b4-9614-44ab-9f9c-1ea6e155c901/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;Register for All That Remains, a support group for deconstructors and doubters, at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://katielangston.com/all-that-remains&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;katielangston.com/all-that-remains&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For many people leaving high-demand traditions, the sexual shame left by purity culture is one of the most lingering effects. In this conversation, Katie and Nancy Ross use Mormon garments as a lens through which to explore purity culture more broadly.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Nancy Ross is an associate professor of interdisciplinary arts and sciences at Utah Tech University and co-author of &lt;i&gt;Mormon Garments: Sacred and Secret&lt;/i&gt;, a book built on a survey of more than 4,500 people who wear or used to wear them. She is a former Mormon, now ordained in Community of Christ, and one of Katie&apos;s dear friends. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The conversation covers what happens in the temple the first time you receive your garments, a survey that went Mormon Facebook viral in 2014, sexual shame, licked cupcakes and chewed gum, a chance encounter with a woman on a plane, and the night Nancy&apos;s husband ripped his garments off and jumped into bed.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To support Faith After Faith, visit &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;http://faithafterfaith.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;faithafterfaith.com&lt;/a&gt;. A recurring donation of any amount will give you access to exclusive bonus content and full, unedited conversations. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Chapters&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:00 Introduction to Nancy Ross and the episode&apos;s focus&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;02:04 What are Mormon garments and their significance&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;04:07 The ceremony of receiving garments and their symbolism&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;05:47 The history of garments and their connection to purity culture&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;09:01 The survey on garments and its viral spread in Mormon communities&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;11:58 Personal stories and emotional experiences with garments&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;15:02 The role of garments in regulating sexual behavior&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;18:00 Overlap between Mormon and evangelical purity teachings&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;21:00 Gendered experiences and perceptions of garments&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;23:59 The impact of purity culture on body image and sexuality&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;26:57 Healing, reclaiming pleasure, and body positivity&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;29:58 Leaving garments and the emotional process of detachment&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;45:01 Nancy’s personal story of taking off her garments&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;51:59 Reflections on faith after leaving Mormonism&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;55:03 Final thoughts and resources for healing and growth&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Resources&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Nancy Ross, Jessica Finnigan, and Larissa Kanno Kindred, &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=c049545&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;Mormon Garments: Sacred and Secret&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (University of Illinois Press, 2026)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Katie Langston, &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://katielangston.com/all-that-remains/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;All That Remains&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Faith After Faith, &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://katielangston.com/podcast/letting-go-of-shame/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Letting Go of Shame&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:56:55</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/3f873402-b3bd-4d0a-8184-26f832193859/logos/65c8db55-4f38-4e91-a606-0903cb71cdbf.png"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>15</itunes:episode><itunes:title>Garments, Sex, and Purity Culture — Nancy Ross</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[Letting Go of Cosmic Child Abuse]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>On her LDS mission in Bulgaria, Katie taught people that every sin debits a cosmic bank account, that Jesus paid it, and that he set the terms for paying him back. It worked for her for a long time. Until it didn't.</p><p></p><p>In this solo episode she walks through many of the motifs the church has used to describe the atonement. For each one, she reflects on what's lovely about it...and what's less than lovely.</p><p></p><p>Ultimately, the New Testament never explains exactly how it works; you have permission to do the same.</p><p></p><p>To support Faith After Faith, visit <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://faithafterfaith.com/" target="_blank">faithafterfaith.com</a>. A recurring donation of any amount will give you access to exclusive bonus content and full, unedited conversations.</p><p></p><p><b>Chapters</b></p><p>00:00 Introduction</p><p>02:27 Atonement motifs in the New Testament</p><p>05:04 Ransom </p><p>11:56 Christus Victor</p><p>16:20 Satisfaction</p><p>20:21 Moral influence</p><p>23:00 Penal substitution</p><p>36:48 Happy exchange</p><p></p><p><b>Resources</b></p><ul><li>Faith After Faith, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://katielangston.com/podcast/jesus-the-devil-and-hell-sarah-hinlicky-wilson/" target="_blank">Jesus, the Devil, and Hell — Sarah Hinlicky Wilson</a></li><li>Gregory of Nyssa, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/2908.htm" target="_blank"><i>The Great Catechism</i></a>, ch. 24</li><li>Augustine, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://archive.org/details/saint-augustine-sermons" target="_blank"><i>Sermon</i> 263</a> </li><li>Origen, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1016.htm" target="_blank"><i>Commentary on Matthew</i></a></li><li>Gregory of Nazianzus, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/310245.htm" target="_blank"><i>Oration</i> 45</a></li><li>Gustaf Aulén, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://spckpublishing.co.uk/christus-victor-pb" target="_blank"><i>Christus Victor</i></a> </li><li>Anselm of Canterbury, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.ccel.org/ccel/anselm/basic_works" target="_blank"><i>Cur Deus Homo</i></a> </li><li>Peter Abelard, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.cuapress.org/9780813219172/commentary-on-the-epistle-to-the-romans/" target="_blank"><i>Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans</i></a> </li><li>Steve Chalke and Alan Mann, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.christianbook.com/the-lost-message-of-jesus/steve-chalke/9780310248828/pd/48825" target="_blank"><i>The Lost Message of Jesus</i></a> </li><li>Martin Luther, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1911" target="_blank"><i>The Freedom of a Christian</i></a></li></ul>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">be52ea9d-e106-4c7d-b114-c5ac0ccad9cd</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Katie Langston]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 18 Sep 2026 03:38:02 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/65597eaf17ba7d72a5e2d4c5c25297a1652c27d5b87eaef2275e636b3354de5f/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiJiZTUyZWE5ZC1lMTA2LTRjN2QtYjExNC1jNWFjMGNjYWQ5Y2QiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiIzZjg3MzQwMi1iM2JkLTRkMGEtODE4NC0yNmY4MzIxOTM4NTkiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTkzOGUyZjU3N2Q5ZTNmMWI1NWEwYWIiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmFhYzdlM2MzNmFiNWIyMWJlNDQ3Nzc4L2thdGllLWxhbmdzdG9ucy1zdHVkaW8tMjAyNi05LTE3X18yMy01Ni00NC5tcDMifQ==.mp3" length="82150861" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/3f873402-b3bd-4d0a-8184-26f832193859/episodes/be52ea9d-e106-4c7d-b114-c5ac0ccad9cd/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;On her LDS mission in Bulgaria, Katie taught people that every sin debits a cosmic bank account, that Jesus paid it, and that he set the terms for paying him back. It worked for her for a long time. Until it didn&apos;t.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this solo episode she walks through many of the motifs the church has used to describe the atonement. For each one, she reflects on what&apos;s lovely about it...and what&apos;s less than lovely.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately, the New Testament never explains exactly how it works; you have permission to do the same.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To support Faith After Faith, visit &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://faithafterfaith.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;faithafterfaith.com&lt;/a&gt;. A recurring donation of any amount will give you access to exclusive bonus content and full, unedited conversations.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Chapters&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:00 Introduction&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;02:27 Atonement motifs in the New Testament&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;05:04 Ransom &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;11:56 Christus Victor&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;16:20 Satisfaction&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;20:21 Moral influence&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;23:00 Penal substitution&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;36:48 Happy exchange&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Resources&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Faith After Faith, &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://katielangston.com/podcast/jesus-the-devil-and-hell-sarah-hinlicky-wilson/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Jesus, the Devil, and Hell — Sarah Hinlicky Wilson&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Gregory of Nyssa, &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/2908.htm&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;The Great Catechism&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, ch. 24&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Augustine, &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://archive.org/details/saint-augustine-sermons&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;Sermon&lt;/i&gt; 263&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Origen, &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1016.htm&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;Commentary on Matthew&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Gregory of Nazianzus, &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/310245.htm&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;Oration&lt;/i&gt; 45&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Gustaf Aulén, &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://spckpublishing.co.uk/christus-victor-pb&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;Christus Victor&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Anselm of Canterbury, &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.ccel.org/ccel/anselm/basic_works&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;Cur Deus Homo&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Peter Abelard, &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.cuapress.org/9780813219172/commentary-on-the-epistle-to-the-romans/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Steve Chalke and Alan Mann, &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.christianbook.com/the-lost-message-of-jesus/steve-chalke/9780310248828/pd/48825&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;The Lost Message of Jesus&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Martin Luther, &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1911&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;The Freedom of a Christian&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:42:47</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/3f873402-b3bd-4d0a-8184-26f832193859/logos/65c8db55-4f38-4e91-a606-0903cb71cdbf.png"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>14</itunes:episode><itunes:title>Letting Go of Cosmic Child Abuse</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[Jesus, the Devil, and Hell — Sarah Hinlicky Wilson]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>Sarah Hinlicky Wilson has never doubted that God loves her. (She's doubted whether God exists at all—but she's always assumed that if there <i>is</i> a God, God is loving and kind.)</p><p></p><p>So what does she do with the devil and hell? How does she understand what the atonement is all about?</p><p></p><p>Spoiler alert: she says don't start with any of those questions.</p><p></p><p>Sarah is a Lutheran pastor and theologian, founder of <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://thornbushpress.com" target="_blank">Thornbush Press</a>, and co-host of <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.queenofthesciences.com/" target="_blank"><i>Queen of the Sciences</i></a>, a podcast she makes with her dad, theologian Paul Hinlicky. She is also one of Katie's closest friends.</p><p></p><p>The conversation covers "aura salve," why high-demand religion is frivolous about sin, what Paul actually means by justification, how little the Bible says about the afterlife, and a Japanese convert who explained hell better than any theologian.</p><p></p><p>To support Faith After Faith, visit <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="faithafterfaith.com" target="_blank">faithafterfaith.com</a>. A recurring donation of any amount will give you access to exclusive bonus content and full, unedited conversations.</p><p></p><p><b>Chapters</b></p><p>Chapters</p><p>00:00 Introduction to the episode and guest Sarah Wilson</p><p>01:53 The difference between threat-based and grace-based faith</p><p>04:00 Understanding sin, death, and the devil as conditions, not caricatures</p><p>06:52 The evolution of Lutheran beliefs and the center of the gospel</p><p>10:01 The atonement: from cosmic debt to healing and restoration</p><p>18:11 Jesus' life, death, and resurrection as the core of Christian hope</p><p>21:51 Reframing salvation: from getting in to being healed</p><p>29:57 The nature of heaven and the life to come</p><p>34:59 The concept of the devil and evil spirits in scripture</p><p>39:50 Hell: a place of refusal of healing and estrangement from God</p><p>50:13 Trusting in God's love and the sturdiness of the gospel</p><p>56:02 Faith after faith: testing, loss, and renewal</p><p>57:00 Conclusion: God's grip, not ours, sustains faith</p><p></p><p><b>Resources</b></p><ul><li>Sarah Hinlicky Wilson, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://sarahhinlickywilson.com" target="_blank">sarahhinlickywilson.com</a></li><li>Sarah Hinlicky Wilson and Paul R. Hinlicky, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.queenofthesciences.com/" target="_blank"><i>Queen of the Sciences</i></a></li><li>Sarah Hinlicky Wilson, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://thornbushpress.com/product/pearly-gates-parables-from-the-final-threshold/" target="_blank"><i>Pearly Gates: Parables from the Final Threshold</i></a> (Thornbush Press)</li><li>John Milton, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20" target="_blank"><i>Paradise Lost</i></a> (1667)</li></ul>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">7f91d365-ab3b-4b0b-9c68-77422540fc23</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Katie Langston]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 15 Sep 2026 13:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/4dd9eff4ec47d478ab1f82e785b75269ef30e65c729522241a2613655285908d/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiI3ZjkxZDM2NS1hYjNiLTRiMGItOWM2OC03NzQyMjU0MGZjMjMiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiIzZjg3MzQwMi1iM2JkLTRkMGEtODE4NC0yNmY4MzIxOTM4NTkiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTkzOGUyZjU3N2Q5ZTNmMWI1NWEwYWIiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmFhODdjNDYyNDlhMTRmNTBhNTk1YjcyL2thdGllLWxhbmdzdG9ucy1zdHVkaW8tMjAyNi05LTE0X18yMi01OS0xOC5tcDMifQ==.mp3" length="111580203" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/3f873402-b3bd-4d0a-8184-26f832193859/episodes/7f91d365-ab3b-4b0b-9c68-77422540fc23/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;Sarah Hinlicky Wilson has never doubted that God loves her. (She&apos;s doubted whether God exists at all—but she&apos;s always assumed that if there &lt;i&gt;is&lt;/i&gt; a God, God is loving and kind.)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;So what does she do with the devil and hell? How does she understand what the atonement is all about?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Spoiler alert: she says don&apos;t start with any of those questions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sarah is a Lutheran pastor and theologian, founder of &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://thornbushpress.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Thornbush Press&lt;/a&gt;, and co-host of &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.queenofthesciences.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;Queen of the Sciences&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, a podcast she makes with her dad, theologian Paul Hinlicky. She is also one of Katie&apos;s closest friends.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The conversation covers &quot;aura salve,&quot; why high-demand religion is frivolous about sin, what Paul actually means by justification, how little the Bible says about the afterlife, and a Japanese convert who explained hell better than any theologian.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To support Faith After Faith, visit &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;faithafterfaith.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;faithafterfaith.com&lt;/a&gt;. A recurring donation of any amount will give you access to exclusive bonus content and full, unedited conversations.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Chapters&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Chapters&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:00 Introduction to the episode and guest Sarah Wilson&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;01:53 The difference between threat-based and grace-based faith&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;04:00 Understanding sin, death, and the devil as conditions, not caricatures&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;06:52 The evolution of Lutheran beliefs and the center of the gospel&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;10:01 The atonement: from cosmic debt to healing and restoration&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;18:11 Jesus&apos; life, death, and resurrection as the core of Christian hope&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;21:51 Reframing salvation: from getting in to being healed&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;29:57 The nature of heaven and the life to come&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;34:59 The concept of the devil and evil spirits in scripture&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;39:50 Hell: a place of refusal of healing and estrangement from God&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;50:13 Trusting in God&apos;s love and the sturdiness of the gospel&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;56:02 Faith after faith: testing, loss, and renewal&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;57:00 Conclusion: God&apos;s grip, not ours, sustains faith&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Resources&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Sarah Hinlicky Wilson, &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;http://sarahhinlickywilson.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;sarahhinlickywilson.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Sarah Hinlicky Wilson and Paul R. Hinlicky, &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.queenofthesciences.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;Queen of the Sciences&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Sarah Hinlicky Wilson, &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://thornbushpress.com/product/pearly-gates-parables-from-the-final-threshold/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;Pearly Gates: Parables from the Final Threshold&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (Thornbush Press)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;John Milton, &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;Paradise Lost&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (1667)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:58:07</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/3f873402-b3bd-4d0a-8184-26f832193859/logos/65c8db55-4f38-4e91-a606-0903cb71cdbf.png"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>13</itunes:episode><itunes:title>Jesus, the Devil, and Hell — Sarah Hinlicky Wilson</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[Letting Go of Certainty]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>Katie Langston grew up in a tradition where certainty was the point—where a missionary lesson literally stacked paper cups, prophets on the bottom and Jesus on top, and showed you that pulling any one of them brings the whole thing down. </p><p></p><p>In this solo episode, she makes a case that a lot of what people describe as losing their faith is something more specific: a loss of certainty. </p><p></p><p>The episode traces where the demand for certainty came from; why fundamentalism is a modern movement in anti-modern clothes; and why so few people still claim to have it. </p><p></p><p>To support Faith After Faith, visit <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://faithafterfaith.com/support" target="_blank">faithafterfaith.com/support</a>. A recurring donation of any amount will give you access to exclusive bonus content and full, unedited conversations.</p><p></p><p><b>Chapters</b></p><p>00:00 Cold open: fast and testimony meeting <br />02:35 Jenga towers, Christmas lights, and a stack of paper cups <br />04:45 Pope, king, God: where the questions came from <br />06:45 Establishment, association, authenticity <br />08:40 Fundamentalism is a modern movement <br />12:55 Postmodernity in one sentence <br />14:45 A nine-year-old asks the postmodern question <br />17:15 What the Pew numbers actually show <br />18:50 Cross-pressure: Charles Taylor and C. S. Lewis <br />20:25 "I just miss being able to say I know" <br />22:20 Brueggemann: orientation, disorientation, reorientation <br />25:30 Embrace the questions, grieve, find people who can hold them <br />27:15 Scrupulosity, OCD, and accepting the risk <br />31:20 Hope and trust, not knowledge<br /><br /><b>Resources</b></p><ul><li><b>"God Invites Your Questions"</b> — <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://katielangston.com/podcast/god-invites-your-questions-grace-duddy-pomroy" target="_blank">katielangston.com/podcast/god-invites-your-questions-grace-duddy-pomroy</a>. </li><li><b>"Am I Even Allowed to Think This?"</b> — <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://katielangston.com/podcast/am-i-even-allowed-to-think-this-jana-riess" target="_blank">katielangston.com/podcast/am-i-even-allowed-to-think-this-jana-riess</a>. </li><li><b>"Were We Better Off Believing in Charms?"</b> — <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://katielangston.com/podcast/were-we-better-off-believing-in-charms-cristina-gagliano" target="_blank">katielangston.com/podcast/were-we-better-off-believing-in-charms-cristina-gagliano</a>. </li><li><b>"Who Gets to Tell You What's True?"</b> —  <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://katielangston.com/podcast/who-gets-to-tell-you-whats-true" target="_blank">katielangston.com/podcast/who-gets-to-tell-you-whats-true</a>. </li><li><b>"Where Have All the Women Gone?"</b> —  <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://katielangston.com/podcast/where-have-all-the-women-gone" target="_blank">katielangston.com/podcast/where-have-all-the-women-gone</a>.</li><li><i>Charles Taylor, </i>A Secular Age*** (Belknap/Harvard, 2007) </li><li><i>C. S. Lewis, </i>Mere Christianity*** (1952), Book III, ch. 11, "Faith"</li><li><i>Walter Brueggemann (1933–2025), </i>The Message of the Psalms**<i> (Augsburg, 1984) and </i>Spirituality of the Psalms* (Fortress, 2002)</li><li><i>Jean-François Lyotard, </i>The Postmodern Condition*** (1979)</li><li><b>Sealed: An Unexpected Journey into the Heart of Grace — </b>Katie Langston. Second edition, 2026. <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://katielangston.com/books/sealed-an-unexpected-journey-into-the-heart-of-grace" target="_blank">katielangston.com/books/sealed-an-unexpected-journey-into-the-heart-of-grace</a></li><li><i>Thirteen Lives</i> (2022).</li></ul>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">53d94396-9684-4370-b0c2-7248bd2b952d</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Katie Langston]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 12 Sep 2026 02:02:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/85998b5662377ed4948c89d18aed8b12cf29ac819a17a23c1280c5229dcce04a/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiI1M2Q5NDM5Ni05Njg0LTQzNzAtYjBjMi03MjQ4YmQyYjk1MmQiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiIzZjg3MzQwMi1iM2JkLTRkMGEtODE4NC0yNmY4MzIxOTM4NTkiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTkzOGUyZjU3N2Q5ZTNmMWI1NWEwYWIiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmFhNDhiMzI1ZmFkNmQ3MWFmMTM5ZjU2L2thdGllLWxhbmdzdG9ucy1zdHVkaW8tMjAyNi05LTEyX18yLTItMTkubXAzIn0=.mp3" length="66707269" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/3f873402-b3bd-4d0a-8184-26f832193859/episodes/53d94396-9684-4370-b0c2-7248bd2b952d/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;Katie Langston grew up in a tradition where certainty was the point—where a missionary lesson literally stacked paper cups, prophets on the bottom and Jesus on top, and showed you that pulling any one of them brings the whole thing down. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this solo episode, she makes a case that a lot of what people describe as losing their faith is something more specific: a loss of certainty. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The episode traces where the demand for certainty came from; why fundamentalism is a modern movement in anti-modern clothes; and why so few people still claim to have it. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To support Faith After Faith, visit &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;http://faithafterfaith.com/support&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;faithafterfaith.com/support&lt;/a&gt;. A recurring donation of any amount will give you access to exclusive bonus content and full, unedited conversations.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Chapters&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:00 Cold open: fast and testimony meeting &lt;br /&gt;02:35 Jenga towers, Christmas lights, and a stack of paper cups &lt;br /&gt;04:45 Pope, king, God: where the questions came from &lt;br /&gt;06:45 Establishment, association, authenticity &lt;br /&gt;08:40 Fundamentalism is a modern movement &lt;br /&gt;12:55 Postmodernity in one sentence &lt;br /&gt;14:45 A nine-year-old asks the postmodern question &lt;br /&gt;17:15 What the Pew numbers actually show &lt;br /&gt;18:50 Cross-pressure: Charles Taylor and C. S. Lewis &lt;br /&gt;20:25 &quot;I just miss being able to say I know&quot; &lt;br /&gt;22:20 Brueggemann: orientation, disorientation, reorientation &lt;br /&gt;25:30 Embrace the questions, grieve, find people who can hold them &lt;br /&gt;27:15 Scrupulosity, OCD, and accepting the risk &lt;br /&gt;31:20 Hope and trust, not knowledge&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b&gt;Resources&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;&quot;God Invites Your Questions&quot;&lt;/b&gt; — &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;http://katielangston.com/podcast/god-invites-your-questions-grace-duddy-pomroy&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;katielangston.com/podcast/god-invites-your-questions-grace-duddy-pomroy&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;&quot;Am I Even Allowed to Think This?&quot;&lt;/b&gt; — &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;http://katielangston.com/podcast/am-i-even-allowed-to-think-this-jana-riess&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;katielangston.com/podcast/am-i-even-allowed-to-think-this-jana-riess&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;&quot;Were We Better Off Believing in Charms?&quot;&lt;/b&gt; — &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;http://katielangston.com/podcast/were-we-better-off-believing-in-charms-cristina-gagliano&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;katielangston.com/podcast/were-we-better-off-believing-in-charms-cristina-gagliano&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;&quot;Who Gets to Tell You What&apos;s True?&quot;&lt;/b&gt; —  &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;http://katielangston.com/podcast/who-gets-to-tell-you-whats-true&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;katielangston.com/podcast/who-gets-to-tell-you-whats-true&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;&quot;Where Have All the Women Gone?&quot;&lt;/b&gt; —  &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;http://katielangston.com/podcast/where-have-all-the-women-gone&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;katielangston.com/podcast/where-have-all-the-women-gone&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;i&gt;Charles Taylor, &lt;/i&gt;A Secular Age*** (Belknap/Harvard, 2007) &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;i&gt;C. S. Lewis, &lt;/i&gt;Mere Christianity*** (1952), Book III, ch. 11, &quot;Faith&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;i&gt;Walter Brueggemann (1933–2025), &lt;/i&gt;The Message of the Psalms**&lt;i&gt; (Augsburg, 1984) and &lt;/i&gt;Spirituality of the Psalms* (Fortress, 2002)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;i&gt;Jean-François Lyotard, &lt;/i&gt;The Postmodern Condition*** (1979)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sealed: An Unexpected Journey into the Heart of Grace — &lt;/b&gt;Katie Langston. Second edition, 2026. &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;http://katielangston.com/books/sealed-an-unexpected-journey-into-the-heart-of-grace&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;katielangston.com/books/sealed-an-unexpected-journey-into-the-heart-of-grace&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;i&gt;Thirteen Lives&lt;/i&gt; (2022).&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:34:44</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/3f873402-b3bd-4d0a-8184-26f832193859/logos/65c8db55-4f38-4e91-a606-0903cb71cdbf.png"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>12</itunes:episode><itunes:title>Letting Go of Certainty</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[God Invites Your Questions — Grace Duddy Pomroy]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>When Grace Duddy Pomroy was in high school, she asked a Bible-quiz volunteer why two verses seemed to contradict each other. The answer she received: "That's not something we ask here."</p><p></p><p>To her credit, Grace didn't let that stop her from asking hard questions about her faith.</p><p></p><p>This conversation covers competitive Bible quiz, why a pastor's wife kicked Grace out of church over her mom's job history, Luther's word for the things Christians are allowed to disagree about, and how learning to sit with ambiguity can be a powerful spiritual practice.</p><p></p><p>To support Faith After Faith, visit <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://faithafterfaith.com/support" target="_blank">faithafterfaith.com</a>. A recurring donation of any amount will give you access to exclusive bonus content and full, unedited conversations.</p><h2>Chapters</h2><p>00:00 Cold open: "God was right there in the middle of it" <br />00:23 Welcome + the solvent theory of doubt </p><p>02:02 Growing up Assemblies of God </p><p>13:13 St. Olaf, and clinging to her old identity </p><p>13:54 Thrown out by the pastor's wife </p><p>18:08 Get curious, not certain: what Lutheran camp taught her </p><p>19:15 What makes a faith that can hold a question </p><p>21:04 Professors, friends, and no hidden agenda </p><p>25:34 Allowing different answers to live at the same time</p><p>33:17 What does faith after faith look like for you?</p><p></p><h2>Resources</h2><ul><li>Grace Pomroy,<i> Funding Forward: A Pathway to More Sustainable Models for Ministry</i> (Fortress Press, 2024, ISBN 9781506493336).</li></ul>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">7867e098-ce4f-4f2d-8437-6e0ef5e6ae96</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Katie Langston]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2026 20:36:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/1d0ba520817a133448c153cd151510fd5a59b2b316041c6b0cf9bf2434df6ed9/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiI3ODY3ZTA5OC1jZTRmLTRmMmQtODQzNy02ZTBlZjVlNmFlOTYiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiIzZjg3MzQwMi1iM2JkLTRkMGEtODE4NC0yNmY4MzIxOTM4NTkiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTkzOGUyZjU3N2Q5ZTNmMWI1NWEwYWIiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmFhMDZiMmM3ZTgxNzlmY2U2NGUwMzY0L2thdGllLWxhbmdzdG9ucy1zdHVkaW8tMjAyNi05LThfXzIwLTgtMTIubXAzIn0=.mp3" length="70837542" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/3f873402-b3bd-4d0a-8184-26f832193859/episodes/7867e098-ce4f-4f2d-8437-6e0ef5e6ae96/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;When Grace Duddy Pomroy was in high school, she asked a Bible-quiz volunteer why two verses seemed to contradict each other. The answer she received: &quot;That&apos;s not something we ask here.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To her credit, Grace didn&apos;t let that stop her from asking hard questions about her faith.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This conversation covers competitive Bible quiz, why a pastor&apos;s wife kicked Grace out of church over her mom&apos;s job history, Luther&apos;s word for the things Christians are allowed to disagree about, and how learning to sit with ambiguity can be a powerful spiritual practice.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To support Faith After Faith, visit &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;http://faithafterfaith.com/support&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;faithafterfaith.com&lt;/a&gt;. A recurring donation of any amount will give you access to exclusive bonus content and full, unedited conversations.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Chapters&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:00 Cold open: &quot;God was right there in the middle of it&quot; &lt;br /&gt;00:23 Welcome + the solvent theory of doubt &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;02:02 Growing up Assemblies of God &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;13:13 St. Olaf, and clinging to her old identity &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;13:54 Thrown out by the pastor&apos;s wife &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;18:08 Get curious, not certain: what Lutheran camp taught her &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;19:15 What makes a faith that can hold a question &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;21:04 Professors, friends, and no hidden agenda &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;25:34 Allowing different answers to live at the same time&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;33:17 What does faith after faith look like for you?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Resources&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Grace Pomroy,&lt;i&gt; Funding Forward: A Pathway to More Sustainable Models for Ministry&lt;/i&gt; (Fortress Press, 2024, ISBN 9781506493336).&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:36:54</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/3f873402-b3bd-4d0a-8184-26f832193859/logos/65c8db55-4f38-4e91-a606-0903cb71cdbf.png"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>11</itunes:episode><itunes:title>God Invites Your Questions — Grace Duddy Pomroy</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[Letting Go of Shame]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>Shame is a near-universal human experience, but high-demand religious systems can exacerbate it significantly. In this episode with Pastor Katie Langston, explore where shame comes from, why every culture has it even though the things people are ashamed of change from place to place, and three things high-control religious systems do to make it worse.</p><p></p><p>Then she explores something to put in its place—Jesus as the cosmic empathizer.</p><p></p><p><i>To support Faith After Faith, visit </i><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://faithafterfaith.com" target="_blank"><b><i>faithafterfaith.com</i></b></a><i>. A recurring donation of any amount will give you access to exclusive bonus content and full, unedited conversations.</i></p><p></p><p>Chapters</p><p>Chapters</p><p>00:00 Introduction to shame in faith deconstruction</p><p>01:57 Personal story of grace and deconstruction</p><p>04:01 The biblical view of grace and the question of 'all I can do'</p><p>05:57 Shame as a universal human experience and its cultural roots</p><p>07:59 The difference between guilt and shame, and their roles</p><p>10:04 How high-demand religions intensify shame</p><p>12:06 The silence of shame and the power of disclosure</p><p>14:14 Reimagining God as an empathizer rather than a judge</p><p>26:01 Jesus' incarnation and the embodiment of empathy</p><p>28:05 The cross as a symbol of shame and solidarity</p><p>29:49 Jesus' focus on outsiders and the marginalized</p><p>31:03 Closing thoughts and support options</p><p></p>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">3843aae6-0df0-4cb3-92fd-187768e43bd1</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Katie Langston]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:31:35 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/0852cf59a6972bec50d7236ac632f4e93ae72089077420a17ca342c2023daab1/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiIzODQzYWFlNi0wZGYwLTRjYjMtOTJmZC0xODc3NjhlNDNiZDEiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiIzZjg3MzQwMi1iM2JkLTRkMGEtODE4NC0yNmY4MzIxOTM4NTkiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTkzOGUyZjU3N2Q5ZTNmMWI1NWEwYWIiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmE5YjUyYWUyYTkxMGNiZGE0NjFjYzI2L2thdGllLWxhbmdzdG9ucy1zdHVkaW8tMjAyNi05LTRfXzIzLTIyLTIyLm1wMyJ9.mp3" length="60831599" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/3f873402-b3bd-4d0a-8184-26f832193859/episodes/3843aae6-0df0-4cb3-92fd-187768e43bd1/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;Shame is a near-universal human experience, but high-demand religious systems can exacerbate it significantly. In this episode with Pastor Katie Langston, explore where shame comes from, why every culture has it even though the things people are ashamed of change from place to place, and three things high-control religious systems do to make it worse.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Then she explores something to put in its place—Jesus as the cosmic empathizer.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;To support Faith After Faith, visit &lt;/i&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://faithafterfaith.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;faithafterfaith.com&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;i&gt;. A recurring donation of any amount will give you access to exclusive bonus content and full, unedited conversations.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Chapters&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Chapters&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:00 Introduction to shame in faith deconstruction&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;01:57 Personal story of grace and deconstruction&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;04:01 The biblical view of grace and the question of &apos;all I can do&apos;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;05:57 Shame as a universal human experience and its cultural roots&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;07:59 The difference between guilt and shame, and their roles&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;10:04 How high-demand religions intensify shame&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;12:06 The silence of shame and the power of disclosure&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;14:14 Reimagining God as an empathizer rather than a judge&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;26:01 Jesus&apos; incarnation and the embodiment of empathy&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;28:05 The cross as a symbol of shame and solidarity&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;29:49 Jesus&apos; focus on outsiders and the marginalized&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;31:03 Closing thoughts and support options&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:31:41</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/3f873402-b3bd-4d0a-8184-26f832193859/logos/65c8db55-4f38-4e91-a606-0903cb71cdbf.png"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>10</itunes:episode><itunes:title>Letting Go of Shame</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Opposite of Grace Is Shame — Dave Zahl]]></title><description><![CDATA[<h2>Description</h2><p>Dave Zahl has spent twenty years running a ministry devoted to grace. He also attends a church that preaches grace every single week—because by the time Sunday rolls around again, he says, he's already stopped believing it. For a lot of people, that sounds like a paradox, because church is where they learned shame in the first place.</p><p></p><p>But what if it didn't have to be that way?</p><p></p><p>This conversation explores why churches turn into venues for religious performance, why shame survives long after your theology changes, and how to find a place where grace is lived, not just talked about.</p><p></p><p>To support Faith After Faith, visit <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://katielangston.com/support" target="_blank">katielangston.com/support</a>. A recurring donation of any amount will give you access to exclusive bonus content and full, unedited conversations.</p><h2>Chapters</h2><p>0:00 Dave Zahl on religious pressure cookers</p><p>0:45 The opposite of grace is shame</p><p>1:46 Mockingbird, Seculosity, and The Big Relief</p><p>2:26 "David is so hard on himself"</p><p>5:04 Austria, a breakup, and crying uncle</p><p>8:31 Acceleration, and running faster to keep what you have</p><p>12:22 Churches as venues for religious performance</p><p>15:49 The law: Leviticus, your mother, your Fitbit</p><p>16:27 Guilt is what you do; shame is who you are</p><p>20:03 Grace wears off by Sunday</p><p>21:30 Low Anthropology and the shame spiral</p><p>23:53 "You are not enough. But God is."</p><p>26:49 Which God? Zahl says look at Jesus</p><p>29:42 Nobody deconstructs away from Jesus</p><p>32:02 Liturgy, intergenerational, purple: what to look for in a church</p><p>35:12 Non-contingent compassionate alliance</p><p>36:54 What does faith after faith look like for you?</p><p>38:50 Credits and where to find Dave</p><h2>Resources</h2><ul><li>Mockingbird Ministries — <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://mbird.com" target="_blank">https://mbird.com</a></li><li>David Zahl, <i>Seculosity: How Career, Parenting, Technology, Food, Politics, and Romance Became Our New Religion and What to Do about It</i>. Fortress Press, 2019.</li><li>David Zahl, <i>Low Anthropology: The Unlikely Key to a Gracious View of Others (and Yourself)</i>. Brazos Press, 2022.</li><li>David Zahl, <i>The Big Relief: The Urgency of Grace for a Worn-Out World</i>. Brazos Press, 2025.</li><li><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://mbird.com/feed-name/the-mockingcast/" target="_blank"><i>The Mockingcast</i></a> — Mockingbird Ministries</li></ul>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">3e29d0f6-3b55-4c34-9534-294adfbf1769</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Katie Langston]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 01 Sep 2026 13:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/34d4275d5dad857a172ead1b6918387c3056e9631e149ec85dd4251d8bac3a9a/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiIzZTI5ZDBmNi0zYjU1LTRjMzQtOTUzNC0yOTRhZGZiZjE3NjkiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiIzZjg3MzQwMi1iM2JkLTRkMGEtODE4NC0yNmY4MzIxOTM4NTkiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTkzOGUyZjU3N2Q5ZTNmMWI1NWEwYWIiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmE5NWZkYjI3ZjkyMzk4MWQxYjE5NmE5L2thdGllLWxhbmdzdG9ucy1zdHVkaW8tY29tcG9zZXIubXAzIn0=.mp3" length="76173209" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/3f873402-b3bd-4d0a-8184-26f832193859/episodes/3e29d0f6-3b55-4c34-9534-294adfbf1769/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;h2&gt;Description&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;p&gt;Dave Zahl has spent twenty years running a ministry devoted to grace. He also attends a church that preaches grace every single week—because by the time Sunday rolls around again, he says, he&apos;s already stopped believing it. For a lot of people, that sounds like a paradox, because church is where they learned shame in the first place.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But what if it didn&apos;t have to be that way?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This conversation explores why churches turn into venues for religious performance, why shame survives long after your theology changes, and how to find a place where grace is lived, not just talked about.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To support Faith After Faith, visit &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;http://katielangston.com/support&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;katielangston.com/support&lt;/a&gt;. A recurring donation of any amount will give you access to exclusive bonus content and full, unedited conversations.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Chapters&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;p&gt;0:00 Dave Zahl on religious pressure cookers&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;0:45 The opposite of grace is shame&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;1:46 Mockingbird, Seculosity, and The Big Relief&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;2:26 &quot;David is so hard on himself&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;5:04 Austria, a breakup, and crying uncle&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;8:31 Acceleration, and running faster to keep what you have&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;12:22 Churches as venues for religious performance&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;15:49 The law: Leviticus, your mother, your Fitbit&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;16:27 Guilt is what you do; shame is who you are&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;20:03 Grace wears off by Sunday&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;21:30 Low Anthropology and the shame spiral&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;23:53 &quot;You are not enough. But God is.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;26:49 Which God? Zahl says look at Jesus&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;29:42 Nobody deconstructs away from Jesus&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;32:02 Liturgy, intergenerational, purple: what to look for in a church&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;35:12 Non-contingent compassionate alliance&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;36:54 What does faith after faith look like for you?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;38:50 Credits and where to find Dave&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Resources&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Mockingbird Ministries — &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://mbird.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://mbird.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;David Zahl, &lt;i&gt;Seculosity: How Career, Parenting, Technology, Food, Politics, and Romance Became Our New Religion and What to Do about It&lt;/i&gt;. Fortress Press, 2019.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;David Zahl, &lt;i&gt;Low Anthropology: The Unlikely Key to a Gracious View of Others (and Yourself)&lt;/i&gt;. Brazos Press, 2022.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;David Zahl, &lt;i&gt;The Big Relief: The Urgency of Grace for a Worn-Out World&lt;/i&gt;. Brazos Press, 2025.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://mbird.com/feed-name/the-mockingcast/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;The Mockingcast&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt; — Mockingbird Ministries&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:39:40</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/3f873402-b3bd-4d0a-8184-26f832193859/logos/65c8db55-4f38-4e91-a606-0903cb71cdbf.png"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>9</itunes:episode><itunes:title>The Opposite of Grace Is Shame — Dave Zahl</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[Were We Better off Believing in Charms? — Cristina Gagliano]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>Dr. Cristina Gagliano (née Rosetti) was a functional atheist finishing a religion PhD when she walked into St. Peter's Basilica, stood in front of a marble wall listing every pope in order, and thought: I don't think I've ever believed anything more in my whole life. That was ten years ago this Easter.</p><p></p><p>In this wide-ranging conversation about disenchantment—what it means to live in a world without angels and demons, charms and superstitions—Cristina and Katie talk about what the West traded away when we stopped believing the world was full of wonder, why so many people who leave church end up associating with New Age movements, and what it might mean to "re-enchant" your worldview with faith.</p><p></p><p>To support Faith After Faith, visit <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://katielangston.com/support" target="_blank">katielangston.com/support</a>. A recurring donation of any amount will give you access to exclusive bonus content and full, unedited conversations.</p><p></p><p><b>Chapters</b></p><p>00:00 Introduction to Cristina Gagliano's Faith Journey<br />02:23 Cristina's Early Christian Background and Cultural Christianity<br />04:48 Encounter with Pentecostalism and the Charismatic Movement<br />09:16 Crisis of Faith and the Search for Meaning<br />11:14 The Concept of Conscious Annihilation and Existential Dread<br />15:38 Discovering Mormonism and Its Fascination<br />19:36 Visiting St. Peter's Basilica and the Turning Point<br />20:55 Converting to Catholicism and Its Impact on Cristina<br />23:13 The Role of Tradition and Ritual in Faith<br />29:25 Disenchantment, Re-enchantment, and Modern Spirituality<br />34:33 The Search for Deep Myths and Stories in Secular Movements<br />35:21 Why People Turn Away from or Toward Religious Traditions<br />42:31 What Faith After Faith Looks Like for Cristina<br />43:35 Final Reflections: The Human Restlessness and the Search for Rest in God</p><p></p><p><b>Resources</b></p><ul><li>Cristina M. Rosetti, <i>Joseph White Musser: A Mormon Fundamentalist</i>. Introductions to Mormon Thought. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2024.</li><li>Claire Hoffman, <i>Sister, Sinner: The Miraculous Life and Mysterious Disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson</i>. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2025.</li><li>Richard Lyman Bushman with Jed Woodworth, <i>Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling</i>. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005.</li><li>Philip Benedict, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://archive.org/details/christschurchesp0000bene" target="_blank"><i>Christ's Churches Purely Reformed: A Social History of Calvinism</i></a>. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002.</li><li>Émile Durkheim, <i>Suicide: A Study in Sociology</i> (1897). Trans. John A. Spaulding and George Simpson. New York: Free Press, 1951.</li><li>St. John of Damascus, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://gutenberg.org/files/49917/49917-h/49917-h.htm" target="_blank"><i>On Holy Images</i>, First Apology</a>. Trans. Mary H. Allies. London: Thomas Baker, 1898.</li><li><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://usccb.org/catechism/prologue" target="_blank"><i>Catechism of the Catholic Church</i></a>, §1.</li><li>Augustine, <i>Confessions</i>, Book I.1.</li><li>Peter Beinart, "<a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/04/breaking-faith/517785/" target="_blank">Breaking Faith</a>," <i>The Atlantic</i>, April 2017.</li></ul>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">b140c627-54c0-43ad-b086-2da77accf480</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Katie Langston]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 25 Aug 2026 13:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/93ef98a0c190a95fba96481baea5db6d3283d14fee52df31aa590220271dbeac/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiJiMTQwYzYyNy01NGMwLTQzYWQtYjA4Ni0yZGE3N2FjY2Y0ODAiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiIzZjg3MzQwMi1iM2JkLTRkMGEtODE4NC0yNmY4MzIxOTM4NTkiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTkzOGUyZjU3N2Q5ZTNmMWI1NWEwYWIiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmE4ZDEyZDRmOTUwNDZhZWRlOWMzZjg3L2thdGllLWxhbmdzdG9ucy1zdHVkaW8tY29tcG9zZXIubXAzIn0=.mp3" length="85849800" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/3f873402-b3bd-4d0a-8184-26f832193859/episodes/b140c627-54c0-43ad-b086-2da77accf480/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;Dr. Cristina Gagliano (née Rosetti) was a functional atheist finishing a religion PhD when she walked into St. Peter&apos;s Basilica, stood in front of a marble wall listing every pope in order, and thought: I don&apos;t think I&apos;ve ever believed anything more in my whole life. That was ten years ago this Easter.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this wide-ranging conversation about disenchantment—what it means to live in a world without angels and demons, charms and superstitions—Cristina and Katie talk about what the West traded away when we stopped believing the world was full of wonder, why so many people who leave church end up associating with New Age movements, and what it might mean to &quot;re-enchant&quot; your worldview with faith.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To support Faith After Faith, visit &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;http://katielangston.com/support&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;katielangston.com/support&lt;/a&gt;. A recurring donation of any amount will give you access to exclusive bonus content and full, unedited conversations.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Chapters&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:00 Introduction to Cristina Gagliano&apos;s Faith Journey&lt;br /&gt;02:23 Cristina&apos;s Early Christian Background and Cultural Christianity&lt;br /&gt;04:48 Encounter with Pentecostalism and the Charismatic Movement&lt;br /&gt;09:16 Crisis of Faith and the Search for Meaning&lt;br /&gt;11:14 The Concept of Conscious Annihilation and Existential Dread&lt;br /&gt;15:38 Discovering Mormonism and Its Fascination&lt;br /&gt;19:36 Visiting St. Peter&apos;s Basilica and the Turning Point&lt;br /&gt;20:55 Converting to Catholicism and Its Impact on Cristina&lt;br /&gt;23:13 The Role of Tradition and Ritual in Faith&lt;br /&gt;29:25 Disenchantment, Re-enchantment, and Modern Spirituality&lt;br /&gt;34:33 The Search for Deep Myths and Stories in Secular Movements&lt;br /&gt;35:21 Why People Turn Away from or Toward Religious Traditions&lt;br /&gt;42:31 What Faith After Faith Looks Like for Cristina&lt;br /&gt;43:35 Final Reflections: The Human Restlessness and the Search for Rest in God&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Resources&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Cristina M. Rosetti, &lt;i&gt;Joseph White Musser: A Mormon Fundamentalist&lt;/i&gt;. Introductions to Mormon Thought. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2024.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Claire Hoffman, &lt;i&gt;Sister, Sinner: The Miraculous Life and Mysterious Disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson&lt;/i&gt;. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2025.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Richard Lyman Bushman with Jed Woodworth, &lt;i&gt;Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling&lt;/i&gt;. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Philip Benedict, &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://archive.org/details/christschurchesp0000bene&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;Christ&apos;s Churches Purely Reformed: A Social History of Calvinism&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Émile Durkheim, &lt;i&gt;Suicide: A Study in Sociology&lt;/i&gt; (1897). Trans. John A. Spaulding and George Simpson. New York: Free Press, 1951.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;St. John of Damascus, &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;http://gutenberg.org/files/49917/49917-h/49917-h.htm&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;On Holy Images&lt;/i&gt;, First Apology&lt;/a&gt;. Trans. Mary H. Allies. London: Thomas Baker, 1898.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;http://usccb.org/catechism/prologue&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;Catechism of the Catholic Church&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, §1.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Augustine, &lt;i&gt;Confessions&lt;/i&gt;, Book I.1.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Peter Beinart, &quot;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/04/breaking-faith/517785/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Breaking Faith&lt;/a&gt;,&quot; &lt;i&gt;The Atlantic&lt;/i&gt;, April 2017.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:44:43</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/3f873402-b3bd-4d0a-8184-26f832193859/logos/65c8db55-4f38-4e91-a606-0903cb71cdbf.png"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>8</itunes:episode><itunes:title>Were We Better off Believing in Charms? — Cristina Gagliano</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[Where Have All the Women Gone?]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>In the 1980s, sociologist Rodney Stark projected the LDS Church would reach somewhere between 63 and 265 million members by 2080. Today, it has just 17.8 million—and only four in ten Gen Z women raised in the faith still identify with it.</p><p></p><p>Everyone has a theory about why. The culture got worse. The church did this. Jana Riess names three P's—politics, purity culture, powerlessness.</p><p></p><p>This episode proposes a fourth: pressure. Pew's data shows certainty declining far faster than belief, which means a religion that demands certainty is asking for something a whole generation can no longer produce.</p><p></p><p>So what would a community look like with real claims, real expectations, and room to say you don't know? </p><p></p><p>To support Faith After Faith, visit <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://faithafterfaith.com" target="_blank">faithafterfaith.com</a>. A recurring donation of any amount will give you access to exclusive bonus content and full, unedited conversations.</p><p></p><p>Chapters</p><p>00:00 Introduction: Why Women Are Leaving Mormonism</p><p>04:10 Cultural Explanations and Critiques</p><p>06:08 The Three Ps: Politics, Purity Culture, Powerlessness</p><p>13:58 The Fourth P: Pressure</p><p>17:57 Reimagining Faith: Support and Challenge in Communities</p><p>29:55 The Future of Faith Communities and Belief</p><h2>Resources</h2><ul><li>Jana Riess, "<a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2026/08/05/why-are-so-many-young-women/" target="_blank">Why are so many young women leaving the LDS Church?</a>" </li><li>Tamarra Kemsley, "<a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2026/08/18/what-does-falling-retention-say/" target="_blank">For Latter-day Saints, the retention decline is more than a people problem</a>"</li><li>Barbara Morgan Gardner, "<a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.deseret.com/faith/2026/08/07/latter-day-saint-millennial-women/" target="_blank">Why are young Latter-day Saint women struggling?</a>" </li><li>W. Justin Dyer, Jenet Jacob Erickson, Sam A. Hardy, Barbara Morgan Gardner, and David C. Dollahite, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://byustudies.byu.edu/online-book/latter-day-saint-trends-in-the-united-states-religiousness-well-being-and-retention/religious-retention-117" target="_blank"><i>Latter-day Saint Trends in the United States: Religiousness, Well-Being, and Retention</i></a></li><li>Ryan Burge, "<a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.graphsaboutreligion.com/p/belief-isnt-dying-its-just-getting" target="_blank">Belief Isn't Dying, It's Just Getting Less Certain</a>" </li><li>Ryan Burge, "<a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.graphsaboutreligion.com/p/the-lds-church-has-a-retention-problem" target="_blank">The LDS Church Has a Retention Problem</a>" </li><li>Pew Research Center, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/religious-landscape-study/" target="_blank">Religious Landscape Study</a></li><li>Jana Riess, <i>The Next Mormons: How Millennials Are Changing the LDS Church</i>. Oxford University Press, 2019.</li><li>Jana Riess and Benjamin Knoll, <i>Leaving Mormonism: Who Is Exiting The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—and Why</i>. Oxford University Press, forthcoming.</li><li>Rodney Stark, "The Rise of a New World Faith," <i>Review of Religious Research</i> 26, no. 1 (1984): 18–27. </li></ul><ul><li>Dallin H. Oaks, "<a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2005/04/pornography?lang=eng" target="_blank">Pornography</a>"</li><li>Katie L., "<a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.feministmormonhousewives.org/2016/02/breathing-room/" target="_blank">Breathing Room</a>"</li></ul>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">5dc2edf5-9660-4a64-bb84-68406f8750e5</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Katie Langston]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 2026 21:52:54 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/8717aaa544322d5ead0818b0eb957e479f38fba63050bdaba93f469aa95d4d13/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiI1ZGMyZWRmNS05NjYwLTRhNjQtYmI4NC02ODQwNmY4NzUwZTUiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiIzZjg3MzQwMi1iM2JkLTRkMGEtODE4NC0yNmY4MzIxOTM4NTkiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTkzOGUyZjU3N2Q5ZTNmMWI1NWEwYWIiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmE4OGMxZDhkYTM3YzBkMTc4ZmU4NzA1L2thdGllLWxhbmdzdG9ucy1zdHVkaW8tY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi04LTIxX18yMy0yMy0zNi5tcDMifQ==.mp3" length="69156510" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/3f873402-b3bd-4d0a-8184-26f832193859/episodes/5dc2edf5-9660-4a64-bb84-68406f8750e5/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;In the 1980s, sociologist Rodney Stark projected the LDS Church would reach somewhere between 63 and 265 million members by 2080. Today, it has just 17.8 million—and only four in ten Gen Z women raised in the faith still identify with it.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Everyone has a theory about why. The culture got worse. The church did this. Jana Riess names three P&apos;s—politics, purity culture, powerlessness.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This episode proposes a fourth: pressure. Pew&apos;s data shows certainty declining far faster than belief, which means a religion that demands certainty is asking for something a whole generation can no longer produce.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;So what would a community look like with real claims, real expectations, and room to say you don&apos;t know? &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To support Faith After Faith, visit &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://faithafterfaith.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;faithafterfaith.com&lt;/a&gt;. A recurring donation of any amount will give you access to exclusive bonus content and full, unedited conversations.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Chapters&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:00 Introduction: Why Women Are Leaving Mormonism&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;04:10 Cultural Explanations and Critiques&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;06:08 The Three Ps: Politics, Purity Culture, Powerlessness&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;13:58 The Fourth P: Pressure&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;17:57 Reimagining Faith: Support and Challenge in Communities&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;29:55 The Future of Faith Communities and Belief&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Resources&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Jana Riess, &quot;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2026/08/05/why-are-so-many-young-women/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Why are so many young women leaving the LDS Church?&lt;/a&gt;&quot; &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Tamarra Kemsley, &quot;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2026/08/18/what-does-falling-retention-say/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;For Latter-day Saints, the retention decline is more than a people problem&lt;/a&gt;&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Barbara Morgan Gardner, &quot;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.deseret.com/faith/2026/08/07/latter-day-saint-millennial-women/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Why are young Latter-day Saint women struggling?&lt;/a&gt;&quot; &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;W. Justin Dyer, Jenet Jacob Erickson, Sam A. Hardy, Barbara Morgan Gardner, and David C. Dollahite, &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://byustudies.byu.edu/online-book/latter-day-saint-trends-in-the-united-states-religiousness-well-being-and-retention/religious-retention-117&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;Latter-day Saint Trends in the United States: Religiousness, Well-Being, and Retention&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Ryan Burge, &quot;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.graphsaboutreligion.com/p/belief-isnt-dying-its-just-getting&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Belief Isn&apos;t Dying, It&apos;s Just Getting Less Certain&lt;/a&gt;&quot; &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Ryan Burge, &quot;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.graphsaboutreligion.com/p/the-lds-church-has-a-retention-problem&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;The LDS Church Has a Retention Problem&lt;/a&gt;&quot; &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Pew Research Center, &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/religious-landscape-study/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Religious Landscape Study&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Jana Riess, &lt;i&gt;The Next Mormons: How Millennials Are Changing the LDS Church&lt;/i&gt;. Oxford University Press, 2019.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Jana Riess and Benjamin Knoll, &lt;i&gt;Leaving Mormonism: Who Is Exiting The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—and Why&lt;/i&gt;. Oxford University Press, forthcoming.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Rodney Stark, &quot;The Rise of a New World Faith,&quot; &lt;i&gt;Review of Religious Research&lt;/i&gt; 26, no. 1 (1984): 18–27. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Dallin H. Oaks, &quot;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2005/04/pornography?lang=eng&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Pornography&lt;/a&gt;&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Katie L., &quot;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.feministmormonhousewives.org/2016/02/breathing-room/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Breathing Room&lt;/a&gt;&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:36:01</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/3f873402-b3bd-4d0a-8184-26f832193859/logos/65c8db55-4f38-4e91-a606-0903cb71cdbf.png"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>7</itunes:episode><itunes:title>Where Have All the Women Gone?</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[Am I Even Allowed to Think This? — Jana Riess]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>Katie Langston talks with Jana Reiss, senior columnist at Religion News Service and historian of American religion, about spiritual authority after a faith crisis, why so many people leave high-demand traditions, and what healthy reconstruction can actually look like. Jana also shares findings from her research on Latter-day Saints, including generational shifts, women’s religious practice, and the emotional cost of trying to make sense of change inside a tradition that keeps moving.</p><p></p><p>To support Faith After Faith, visit <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://katielangston.com/support" target="_blank">katielangston.com/support</a>. A recurring donation of any amount will give you access to exclusive bonus content and full, unedited conversations.</p><p></p><p>Chapters:</p><p></p><p>(00:30) Opening on high-demand religion and not trusting yourself<br />(03:29) Mormonism as an American religious tradition<br />(05:07) Jana’s research with people who left, stayed, or studied trauma<br />(06:27) External demands versus internal demands<br />(08:48) The scaffolding metaphor for faith shifts<br />(11:55) The Christmas lights analogy and all-or-nothing thinking<br />(12:51) The church as a moving target<br />(17:03) Heather’s story and spiritual bypassing<br />(19:22) Jana on disagreeing publicly while staying active<br />(22:44) How to start trusting your own conscience again<br />(24:39) Hilary McBride, spiritual trauma, and first vs. second-order change<br />(31:59) Why former Latter-day Saints often don’t join another church<br />(34:16) What to look for in a healthy spiritual community<br />(37:09) Loneliness, isolation, and the role of religion<br />(37:53) Holy Week, suffering, and a more realistic Christian message<br />(41:38) Reconstruction as meaning, hope, and resources<br />(43:24) Faith after faith as a series of crises, not one big break<br /></p><p>Resources:</p><ul><li>Jana Riess's RNS column, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="religionnews.com/category/opinion/columns/jana-riess" target="_blank">Flunking Sainthood</a>.</li><li><i>Leaving Mormonism: Who Is Exiting The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — and Why</i>, with Benjamin Knoll (Oxford University Press, forthcoming 2027)</li><li>Melissa Wei-Tsing Inouye, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="religionnews.com/2012/06/18/mormonism-isnt-like-a-string-of-christmas-lights" target="_blank">"Mormonism isn't like a string of Christmas lights,"</a> Religion News Service, June 18, 2012.</li><li>Hillary L. McBride, <i>Holy Hurt: Understanding Spiritual Trauma and the Process of Healing</i> (Brazos Press, 2025)</li><li>Jana Riess, "<a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="religionnews.com/2026/07/16/more-about-jesus-less-about-coffee-seven-lds-church-trends-according-to-data" target="_blank">More about Jesus, less about coffee: Seven LDS Church trends, according to data</a>," Religion News Service, July 16, 2026. </li><li>Kara Stevenson, "<a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="exponentii.org/blog/why-this-white-american-lds-couple-was-civilly-married-then-sealed-in-tijuana-mexico" target="_blank">Why this White, American, LDS Couple was Civilly Married (then Sealed) in Tijuana, Mexico</a>," Exponent II Blog, April 2026: </li><li>Martin E. Marty, <i>A Cry of Absence: Reflections for the Winter of the Heart</i> (Harper &amp; Row, 1983; rev. HarperCollins, 1993)</li></ul>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">9c7f8d1e-6756-47f3-b99b-d5e8f9572a72</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Katie Langston]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 18 Aug 2026 13:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/33be8005ac5654ecd75570ffb6a10fcd72058a3dcc9dcbdefb6ebb18f77aa465/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiI5YzdmOGQxZS02NzU2LTQ3ZjMtYjk5Yi1kNWU4Zjk1NzJhNzIiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiIzZjg3MzQwMi1iM2JkLTRkMGEtODE4NC0yNmY4MzIxOTM4NTkiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTkzOGUyZjU3N2Q5ZTNmMWI1NWEwYWIiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmE1NTRiNWZhMmYwMzFiOTEwNDdjOGM4L2thdGllLWxhbmdzdG9ucy1zdHVkaW8tY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi03LTEzX18yMi0zMi0zMS5tcDMifQ==.mp3" length="88268112" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/3f873402-b3bd-4d0a-8184-26f832193859/episodes/9c7f8d1e-6756-47f3-b99b-d5e8f9572a72/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;Katie Langston talks with Jana Reiss, senior columnist at Religion News Service and historian of American religion, about spiritual authority after a faith crisis, why so many people leave high-demand traditions, and what healthy reconstruction can actually look like. Jana also shares findings from her research on Latter-day Saints, including generational shifts, women’s religious practice, and the emotional cost of trying to make sense of change inside a tradition that keeps moving.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To support Faith After Faith, visit &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;http://katielangston.com/support&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;katielangston.com/support&lt;/a&gt;. A recurring donation of any amount will give you access to exclusive bonus content and full, unedited conversations.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Chapters:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;(00:30) Opening on high-demand religion and not trusting yourself&lt;br /&gt;(03:29) Mormonism as an American religious tradition&lt;br /&gt;(05:07) Jana’s research with people who left, stayed, or studied trauma&lt;br /&gt;(06:27) External demands versus internal demands&lt;br /&gt;(08:48) The scaffolding metaphor for faith shifts&lt;br /&gt;(11:55) The Christmas lights analogy and all-or-nothing thinking&lt;br /&gt;(12:51) The church as a moving target&lt;br /&gt;(17:03) Heather’s story and spiritual bypassing&lt;br /&gt;(19:22) Jana on disagreeing publicly while staying active&lt;br /&gt;(22:44) How to start trusting your own conscience again&lt;br /&gt;(24:39) Hilary McBride, spiritual trauma, and first vs. second-order change&lt;br /&gt;(31:59) Why former Latter-day Saints often don’t join another church&lt;br /&gt;(34:16) What to look for in a healthy spiritual community&lt;br /&gt;(37:09) Loneliness, isolation, and the role of religion&lt;br /&gt;(37:53) Holy Week, suffering, and a more realistic Christian message&lt;br /&gt;(41:38) Reconstruction as meaning, hope, and resources&lt;br /&gt;(43:24) Faith after faith as a series of crises, not one big break&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Resources:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Jana Riess&apos;s RNS column, &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;religionnews.com/category/opinion/columns/jana-riess&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Flunking Sainthood&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;i&gt;Leaving Mormonism: Who Is Exiting The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — and Why&lt;/i&gt;, with Benjamin Knoll (Oxford University Press, forthcoming 2027)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Melissa Wei-Tsing Inouye, &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;religionnews.com/2012/06/18/mormonism-isnt-like-a-string-of-christmas-lights&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&quot;Mormonism isn&apos;t like a string of Christmas lights,&quot;&lt;/a&gt; Religion News Service, June 18, 2012.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Hillary L. McBride, &lt;i&gt;Holy Hurt: Understanding Spiritual Trauma and the Process of Healing&lt;/i&gt; (Brazos Press, 2025)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Jana Riess, &quot;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;religionnews.com/2026/07/16/more-about-jesus-less-about-coffee-seven-lds-church-trends-according-to-data&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;More about Jesus, less about coffee: Seven LDS Church trends, according to data&lt;/a&gt;,&quot; Religion News Service, July 16, 2026. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Kara Stevenson, &quot;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;exponentii.org/blog/why-this-white-american-lds-couple-was-civilly-married-then-sealed-in-tijuana-mexico&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Why this White, American, LDS Couple was Civilly Married (then Sealed) in Tijuana, Mexico&lt;/a&gt;,&quot; Exponent II Blog, April 2026: &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Martin E. Marty, &lt;i&gt;A Cry of Absence: Reflections for the Winter of the Heart&lt;/i&gt; (Harper &amp;amp; Row, 1983; rev. HarperCollins, 1993)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:45:58</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/3f873402-b3bd-4d0a-8184-26f832193859/logos/65c8db55-4f38-4e91-a606-0903cb71cdbf.png"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>6</itunes:episode><itunes:title>Am I Even Allowed to Think This? — Jana Riess</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[Who Gets to Tell You What's True?]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>What happens to your sense of spiritual authority when your worldview crumbles?</p><p></p><p>High-control religions want you to externalize your authority by handing it to them. After a deconstruction, it's healthy to reclaim that authority. Yet total internal control runs you into blind spots—which are, by definition, things you can't see.</p><p></p><p>Is there a middle ground? A way to discern trustworthy sources of authority from untrustworthy sources? To balance individual needs with group demands?</p><p></p><p>This episode works through Chesterton's fence, Tara Isabella Burton's <i>Strange Rites</i>, and a set of questions worth asking of any community before you trust it (including: what happens to the people who leave?)</p><p></p><p>To support Faith After Faith, visit <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://katielangston.com/support" target="_blank">katielangston.com/support</a>. A recurring donation of any amount will give you access to exclusive bonus content and full, unedited conversations.</p><p></p><h2>Chapters</h2><p>00:00 Where does spiritual authority go after a faith crisis? <br />02:03 Before the separation of church and state <br />05:59 The age of association and the age of authenticity <br />07:53 Coercion, idolatry, and the closed loop of high-demand religious<br />09:49 Nauvoo, Nancy Rigdon, and the Happiness Letter <br />12:02 Internal authority, blind spots, and "do your own research" <br />16:02 The gospel critiques both: idolatry and the self curved inward <br />17:48 Chesterton's fence and questions to ask before you trust <br />25:57 Sin boldly, course correct, and your belovedness as bedrock</p><p></p><h2>Resources Cited</h2><ul><li><b>Dwight Zscheile, "From the Age of Association to Authenticity"</b> — Faith+Lead. <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://faithlead.org/blog/from-the-age-of-association-to-authenticity/" target="_blank">https://faithlead.org/blog/from-the-age-of-association-to-authenticity/</a></li><li><b>Ted A. Smith, <i>The End of Theological Education</i></b> — Eerdmans, 2023.</li><li><b>Charles Taylor, <i>A Secular Age</i></b> — Belknap/Harvard, 2007.</li><li><b>Alexis de Tocqueville, <i>Democracy in America</i></b> — 1835 and 1840.</li><li><b>Joseph Smith, letter to Nancy Rigdon ("the Happiness Letter"), circa mid-April 1842</b> — Full text and historical introduction at the Joseph Smith Papers: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/appendix-letter-to-nancy-rigdon-circa-mid-april-1842/1" target="_blank">https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/appendix-letter-to-nancy-rigdon-circa-mid-april-1842/1</a></li><li><b>Tara Isabella Burton, <i>Strange Rites: New Religions for a Godless World</i></b> — PublicAffairs, 2020.</li><li><b>Zoe Alderton, "'Snapewives' and 'Snapeism': A Fiction-Based Religion within the Harry Potter Fandom"</b> — <i>Religions</i> 5, no. 1 (2014): 219–267. Open access, and yes, it's peer-reviewed: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/5/1/219" target="_blank">https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/5/1/219</a></li><li><b>G. K. Chesterton, "The Drift from Domesticity," in <i>The Thing</i></b> — 1929. Full text: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://catholiclibrary.org/library/view?docId=/Contemporary-EN/XCT.165.html&amp;chunk.id=00000011" target="_blank">https://catholiclibrary.org/library/view?docId=/Contemporary-EN/XCT.165.html&amp;chunk.id=00000011</a></li><li><b>Martin Luther, letter to Philip Melanchthon, August 1, 1521</b> — <i>Luther's Works</i> vol. 48, 281–82.</li><li><b>Douglas Adams, <i>The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy</i></b> — 1979. Forty-two. We still don't know the question.</li></ul>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">5c9e8729-3f55-4d3c-8cf8-185223402075</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Katie Langston]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 14 Aug 2026 13:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/a7d60caec788aa102d093a9bf85d57b4a83911b690dd2560d31e374e5b114675/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiI1YzllODcyOS0zZjU1LTRkM2MtOGNmOC0xODUyMjM0MDIwNzUiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiIzZjg3MzQwMi1iM2JkLTRkMGEtODE4NC0yNmY4MzIxOTM4NTkiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTkzOGUyZjU3N2Q5ZTNmMWI1NWEwYWIiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmE3ZTIwZjc0YzI5NjQyZmJmODY5YTViL2thdGllLWxhbmdzdG9ucy1zdHVkaW8tY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi04LTEzX18yMS01NC0zMC5tcDMifQ==.mp3" length="55926430" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/3f873402-b3bd-4d0a-8184-26f832193859/episodes/5c9e8729-3f55-4d3c-8cf8-185223402075/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;What happens to your sense of spiritual authority when your worldview crumbles?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;High-control religions want you to externalize your authority by handing it to them. After a deconstruction, it&apos;s healthy to reclaim that authority. Yet total internal control runs you into blind spots—which are, by definition, things you can&apos;t see.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Is there a middle ground? A way to discern trustworthy sources of authority from untrustworthy sources? To balance individual needs with group demands?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This episode works through Chesterton&apos;s fence, Tara Isabella Burton&apos;s &lt;i&gt;Strange Rites&lt;/i&gt;, and a set of questions worth asking of any community before you trust it (including: what happens to the people who leave?)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To support Faith After Faith, visit &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;http://katielangston.com/support&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;katielangston.com/support&lt;/a&gt;. A recurring donation of any amount will give you access to exclusive bonus content and full, unedited conversations.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Chapters&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:00 Where does spiritual authority go after a faith crisis? &lt;br /&gt;02:03 Before the separation of church and state &lt;br /&gt;05:59 The age of association and the age of authenticity &lt;br /&gt;07:53 Coercion, idolatry, and the closed loop of high-demand religious&lt;br /&gt;09:49 Nauvoo, Nancy Rigdon, and the Happiness Letter &lt;br /&gt;12:02 Internal authority, blind spots, and &quot;do your own research&quot; &lt;br /&gt;16:02 The gospel critiques both: idolatry and the self curved inward &lt;br /&gt;17:48 Chesterton&apos;s fence and questions to ask before you trust &lt;br /&gt;25:57 Sin boldly, course correct, and your belovedness as bedrock&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Resources Cited&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;Dwight Zscheile, &quot;From the Age of Association to Authenticity&quot;&lt;/b&gt; — Faith+Lead. &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://faithlead.org/blog/from-the-age-of-association-to-authenticity/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://faithlead.org/blog/from-the-age-of-association-to-authenticity/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;Ted A. Smith, &lt;i&gt;The End of Theological Education&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; — Eerdmans, 2023.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;Charles Taylor, &lt;i&gt;A Secular Age&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; — Belknap/Harvard, 2007.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;Alexis de Tocqueville, &lt;i&gt;Democracy in America&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; — 1835 and 1840.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;Joseph Smith, letter to Nancy Rigdon (&quot;the Happiness Letter&quot;), circa mid-April 1842&lt;/b&gt; — Full text and historical introduction at the Joseph Smith Papers: &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/appendix-letter-to-nancy-rigdon-circa-mid-april-1842/1&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/appendix-letter-to-nancy-rigdon-circa-mid-april-1842/1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;Tara Isabella Burton, &lt;i&gt;Strange Rites: New Religions for a Godless World&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; — PublicAffairs, 2020.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;Zoe Alderton, &quot;&apos;Snapewives&apos; and &apos;Snapeism&apos;: A Fiction-Based Religion within the Harry Potter Fandom&quot;&lt;/b&gt; — &lt;i&gt;Religions&lt;/i&gt; 5, no. 1 (2014): 219–267. Open access, and yes, it&apos;s peer-reviewed: &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/5/1/219&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/5/1/219&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;G. K. Chesterton, &quot;The Drift from Domesticity,&quot; in &lt;i&gt;The Thing&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; — 1929. Full text: &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://catholiclibrary.org/library/view?docId=/Contemporary-EN/XCT.165.html&amp;amp;chunk.id=00000011&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://catholiclibrary.org/library/view?docId=/Contemporary-EN/XCT.165.html&amp;amp;chunk.id=00000011&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;Martin Luther, letter to Philip Melanchthon, August 1, 1521&lt;/b&gt; — &lt;i&gt;Luther&apos;s Works&lt;/i&gt; vol. 48, 281–82.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;Douglas Adams, &lt;i&gt;The Hitchhiker&apos;s Guide to the Galaxy&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; — 1979. Forty-two. We still don&apos;t know the question.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:29:08</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/3f873402-b3bd-4d0a-8184-26f832193859/logos/65c8db55-4f38-4e91-a606-0903cb71cdbf.png"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>5</itunes:episode><itunes:title>Who Gets to Tell You What&apos;s True?</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[Congratulations, You're a Growth Opportunity for Your Family — Lindsay Hansen Park]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>Katie talks with historian Lindsay Hansen Park—executive director of the Sunstone Education Foundation, host of <i>Year of Polygamy</i>, and a friend since they were both Mormon feminist bloggers in the early 2010s—about why one person's deconstruction sets off so much anxiety in a family and culture.</p><p></p><p>Lindsay's research into Mormon fundamentalism has helped her trace those patterns back to where they come from—from frontier survivalism to deep sexual shame—and explore how they're still operative in people's lives.</p><p></p><p>Whether you come from Mormonism or other high-demand, fundamentalist traditions, Lindsay offers insights that are both compassionate and challenging for everyone whose gone through a faith deconstruction.</p><p></p><p><i>The full unedited conversation with Lindsay is available to subscribers at </i><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://katielangston.com/podcast" target="_blank"><i>katielangston.com/podcast</i></a><i>.</i></p><h2>Resources</h2><p><b>Lindsay Hansen Park</b></p><ul><li>Sunstone Education Foundation — <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://sunstone.org" target="_blank">sunstone.org</a></li><li><i>Year of Polygamy</i> podcast — <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://yearofpolygamy.com" target="_blank">yearofpolygamy.com</a></li><li><i>The Ballad of Juanita Brooks</i> — <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://balladofjuanita.com" target="_blank">balladofjuanita.com</a>. Lindsay's forthcoming biography, on sale December 30, 2026.</li><li>Historical consultant, <i>Under the Banner of Heaven</i> (FX) and <i>American Primeval</i> (Netflix)</li></ul><p></p><p><b>Chapters</b></p><p>00:00 Introduction to Lindsay Hansen Park's journey</p><p>00:28 The influence of rural Mormon communities and fundamentalism</p><p>06:01 The role of shame and control in Mormon culture</p><p>07:59 Disruption of faith and the path to personal growth</p><p>11:52 The similarities between fundamentalist and mainstream Mormonism</p><p>15:05 The use of shame as a control mechanism</p><p>17:52 The impact of purity culture and temple system</p><p>21:07 Leaving Mormonism and the emotional upheaval</p><p>24:57 The importance of boundaries and therapy in healing</p><p>29:59 Reframing shame and embracing personal resilience</p><p>35:01 The future of Mormon culture and language around leaving</p><p>37:15 Final thoughts on growth, resilience, and self-trust</p><p></p>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">96b0ba5b-3677-447d-9e98-6aaf559f8773</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Katie Langston]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2026 19:19:41 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/9d5deb7c52e511be2eca461b58824d5063988d195254a40c063742d2a4bc19be/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiI5NmIwYmE1Yi0zNjc3LTQ0N2QtOWU5OC02YWFmNTU5Zjg3NzMiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiIzZjg3MzQwMi1iM2JkLTRkMGEtODE4NC0yNmY4MzIxOTM4NTkiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTkzOGUyZjU3N2Q5ZTNmMWI1NWEwYWIiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmE3YjVmNDE3Njk4MjdjZjhlN2VjYzc5L2thdGllLWxhbmdzdG9ucy1zdHVkaW8tY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi04LTExX18xOS00My0yOS5tcDMifQ==.mp3" length="78251302" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/3f873402-b3bd-4d0a-8184-26f832193859/episodes/96b0ba5b-3677-447d-9e98-6aaf559f8773/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;Katie talks with historian Lindsay Hansen Park—executive director of the Sunstone Education Foundation, host of &lt;i&gt;Year of Polygamy&lt;/i&gt;, and a friend since they were both Mormon feminist bloggers in the early 2010s—about why one person&apos;s deconstruction sets off so much anxiety in a family and culture.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Lindsay&apos;s research into Mormon fundamentalism has helped her trace those patterns back to where they come from—from frontier survivalism to deep sexual shame—and explore how they&apos;re still operative in people&apos;s lives.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Whether you come from Mormonism or other high-demand, fundamentalist traditions, Lindsay offers insights that are both compassionate and challenging for everyone whose gone through a faith deconstruction.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;The full unedited conversation with Lindsay is available to subscribers at &lt;/i&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;http://katielangston.com/podcast&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;katielangston.com/podcast&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;i&gt;.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Resources&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Lindsay Hansen Park&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Sunstone Education Foundation — &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;http://sunstone.org&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;sunstone.org&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;i&gt;Year of Polygamy&lt;/i&gt; podcast — &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;http://yearofpolygamy.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;yearofpolygamy.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;i&gt;The Ballad of Juanita Brooks&lt;/i&gt; — &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;http://balladofjuanita.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;balladofjuanita.com&lt;/a&gt;. Lindsay&apos;s forthcoming biography, on sale December 30, 2026.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Historical consultant, &lt;i&gt;Under the Banner of Heaven&lt;/i&gt; (FX) and &lt;i&gt;American Primeval&lt;/i&gt; (Netflix)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Chapters&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:00 Introduction to Lindsay Hansen Park&apos;s journey&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:28 The influence of rural Mormon communities and fundamentalism&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;06:01 The role of shame and control in Mormon culture&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;07:59 Disruption of faith and the path to personal growth&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;11:52 The similarities between fundamentalist and mainstream Mormonism&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;15:05 The use of shame as a control mechanism&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;17:52 The impact of purity culture and temple system&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;21:07 Leaving Mormonism and the emotional upheaval&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;24:57 The importance of boundaries and therapy in healing&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;29:59 Reframing shame and embracing personal resilience&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;35:01 The future of Mormon culture and language around leaving&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;37:15 Final thoughts on growth, resilience, and self-trust&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:40:45</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/3f873402-b3bd-4d0a-8184-26f832193859/logos/65c8db55-4f38-4e91-a606-0903cb71cdbf.png"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>4</itunes:episode><itunes:title>Congratulations, You&apos;re a Growth Opportunity for Your Family — Lindsay Hansen Park</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Understory: Deconstruction and Family Conflict]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>Of everything that comes with a faith crisis, the relationships are usually the hardest part. Your mom. Your spouse. The sibling who keeps texting you their testimony at 11pm.</p><p></p><p>In this solo episode, Pastor Katie Langston takes Amanda Ripley's framework from <i>High Conflict</i> and uses it as a lens to examine families in the middle of a faith transition—including the difference between good conflict and high conflict, why a fight is almost never about what it's about, and the four "understories" running underneath just about every conflict.</p><h2>Chapters</h2><ul><li><b>00:00</b> — Welcome</li><li><b>00:19</b> — Why family is the hardest part of a faith crisis</li><li><b>01:46</b> — "It's never about what it's about": Amanda Ripley's <i>High Conflict</i></li><li><b>02:55</b> — Good conflict vs. high conflict</li><li><b>05:02</b> — The paradox: wanting it to end and wanting it to continue</li><li><b>05:53</b> — What's an "understory"?</li><li><b>07:30</b> — Understory one: power and control</li><li><b>08:52</b> — Understory two: respect and recognition</li><li><b>09:50</b> — Understory three: care and concern</li><li><b>10:14</b> — Understory four: stress and overwhelm</li><li><b>12:23</b> — Why faith conflict runs so deep</li><li><b>14:25</b> — Four things that help</li><li><b>16:15</b> — Grace, blame, and the limits of reconciliation</li><li><b>17:42</b> — The deepest understory</li></ul><p></p><h2>Resources</h2><ul><li><b>Amanda Ripley, <i>High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out</i></b> (Simon &amp; Schuster, 2021) — <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://amandaripley.com/high-conflict" target="_blank">amandaripley.com/high-conflict</a></li><li><b>Support the show:</b> <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://katielangston.com/support" target="_blank">katielangston.com/support</a> — bonus content, early releases, and full unedited interviews</li></ul><p></p>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">57bb6894-4d3d-443a-b921-017984f1e9e1</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Katie Langston]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 08 Aug 2026 02:43:07 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/ac5993141235a624a60d46434d0ba52910b5304f6bbe15313f4d81c1fc139241/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiI1N2JiNjg5NC00ZDNkLTQ0M2EtYjkyMS0wMTc5ODRmMWU5ZTEiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiIzZjg3MzQwMi1iM2JkLTRkMGEtODE4NC0yNmY4MzIxOTM4NTkiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTkzOGUyZjU3N2Q5ZTNmMWI1NWEwYWIiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmE3NjY3Y2I1Zjg5ZWVjMzk3OTQ0ZTlmL2thdGllLWxhbmdzdG9ucy1zdHVkaW8tY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi04LThfXzEtMTgtMzUubXAzIn0=.mp3" length="37998489" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/3f873402-b3bd-4d0a-8184-26f832193859/episodes/57bb6894-4d3d-443a-b921-017984f1e9e1/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;Of everything that comes with a faith crisis, the relationships are usually the hardest part. Your mom. Your spouse. The sibling who keeps texting you their testimony at 11pm.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this solo episode, Pastor Katie Langston takes Amanda Ripley&apos;s framework from &lt;i&gt;High Conflict&lt;/i&gt; and uses it as a lens to examine families in the middle of a faith transition—including the difference between good conflict and high conflict, why a fight is almost never about what it&apos;s about, and the four &quot;understories&quot; running underneath just about every conflict.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Chapters&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;00:00&lt;/b&gt; — Welcome&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;00:19&lt;/b&gt; — Why family is the hardest part of a faith crisis&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;01:46&lt;/b&gt; — &quot;It&apos;s never about what it&apos;s about&quot;: Amanda Ripley&apos;s &lt;i&gt;High Conflict&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;02:55&lt;/b&gt; — Good conflict vs. high conflict&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;05:02&lt;/b&gt; — The paradox: wanting it to end and wanting it to continue&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;05:53&lt;/b&gt; — What&apos;s an &quot;understory&quot;?&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;07:30&lt;/b&gt; — Understory one: power and control&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;08:52&lt;/b&gt; — Understory two: respect and recognition&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;09:50&lt;/b&gt; — Understory three: care and concern&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;10:14&lt;/b&gt; — Understory four: stress and overwhelm&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;12:23&lt;/b&gt; — Why faith conflict runs so deep&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;14:25&lt;/b&gt; — Four things that help&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;16:15&lt;/b&gt; — Grace, blame, and the limits of reconciliation&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;17:42&lt;/b&gt; — The deepest understory&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Resources&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;Amanda Ripley, &lt;i&gt;High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; (Simon &amp;amp; Schuster, 2021) — &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;http://amandaripley.com/high-conflict&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;amandaripley.com/high-conflict&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;Support the show:&lt;/b&gt; &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;http://katielangston.com/support&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;katielangston.com/support&lt;/a&gt; — bonus content, early releases, and full unedited interviews&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:19:47</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/3f873402-b3bd-4d0a-8184-26f832193859/logos/65c8db55-4f38-4e91-a606-0903cb71cdbf.png"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>3</itunes:episode><itunes:title>The Understory: Deconstruction and Family Conflict</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Faith Crisis Is a Full Identity Makeover — Natasha Helfer]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>Natasha Helfer says that a faith deconstruction is an entire identity makeover.</p><p></p><p>Which sounds dramatic until you start counting. Who am I. Who am I to my spouse. What kind of parent am I. What do I want in bed. Who are my people now. Natasha breaks identity into five buckets, and a faith crisis kicks over all five at once.</p><p></p><p>Natasha is a licensed marriage and family therapist and a certified sex therapist. She spent decades as a devout Latter-day Saint, started writing publicly about what she was seeing in her clients—teenagers self-harming over masturbation, LGBTQ+ kids dying at higher rates, women drowning in perfectionism—and in 2021 was excommunicated for taking public stands that contradicted church leadership.</p><p></p><p>In this conversation, Natasha and Katie explore identity formation in high-demand religious traditions, what happens when that formation is disrupted, and how to begin to put the pieces back together again (even when it's messy).</p><p></p><p><b>Content note:</b> This episode includes candid discussion of sexuality and sexual shame, and references to teen self-harm and suicidality in the context of purity culture.</p><p></p><p><i>Get full unedited episodes, early releases, bonus episodes, and more by supporting Faith After Faith at </i><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://katielangston.com/support" target="_blank"><i>https://katielangston.com/support</i></a></p><h2>Chapters</h2><ul><li><b>00:00</b> — Welcome, and meet Natasha Helfer</li><li><b>02:05</b> — Converted at five: an identity formed entirely through the LDS lens</li><li><b>09:48</b> — By their fruits: perfectionism, LGBTQ kids, secrecy, sexual shame</li><li><b>14:34</b> — Starting her "Ask a Mormon Therapist" blog</li><li><b>21:40</b> — Off the referral list, and then out of the church</li><li><b>32:23</b> — The five buckets of identity and why a deconstruction is an entire identity makeover</li><li><b>39:06</b> — Pendulum swings, interrupted development, and doing teenager work in your forties</li><li><b>50:04</b> — Rebuilding a worldview: the tension between me and we</li><li><b>57:03</b> — Belovedness, isolation, and what faith after faith looks like</li></ul><h2>About Natasha Helfer</h2><p>Natasha Helfer, LMFT, CST-S, is an AASECT-certified sex therapist and licensed marriage and family therapist who has spent three decades helping people untangle sexuality from shame, silence, and stigma — much of it rooted in religious trauma and purity culture. She sees clients through Symmetry Counseling, trains other clinicians, and hosts <i>The Natasha Helfer Podcast</i>.</p><ul><li>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.natashahelfer.com/" target="_blank">https://www.natashahelfer.com/</a></li></ul><h2>Mentioned in this episode</h2><ul><li><b>"My Official Stance on Masturbation"</b> — the 2012 post at Natasha's Patheos blog <i>The Mormon Therapist</i> (published under Natasha Helfer Parker): <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.patheos.com/blogs/mormontherapist/2012/08/my-official-stance-on-masturbation.html" target="_blank">https://www.patheos.com/blogs/mormontherapist/2012/08/my-official-stance-on-masturbation.html</a></li><li><b>Natasha's Faith Transitions Group</b>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.natashahelfer.com/faith-transitions-group" target="_blank">https://www.natashahelfer.com/faith-transitions-group</a></li></ul>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">69b10a3c-16bb-4d41-b17d-5a9e9cc360db</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Katie Langston]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 05 Aug 2026 05:45:06 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/0276a2d021ea49b0dae77878e39dd2f2d3ab7f002c23adc8f9f1a911a29dcdeb/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiI2OWIxMGEzYy0xNmJiLTRkNDEtYjE3ZC01YTllOWNjMzYwZGIiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiIzZjg3MzQwMi1iM2JkLTRkMGEtODE4NC0yNmY4MzIxOTM4NTkiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTkzOGUyZjU3N2Q5ZTNmMWI1NWEwYWIiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmE2ZDI3ZjU3NWI2NzBlNDRkNDkwODQ4L2thdGllLWxhbmdzdG9ucy1zdHVkaW8tY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi04LTFfXzAtNTUtNDkubXAzIn0=.mp3" length="90255926" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/3f873402-b3bd-4d0a-8184-26f832193859/episodes/69b10a3c-16bb-4d41-b17d-5a9e9cc360db/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;Natasha Helfer says that a faith deconstruction is an entire identity makeover.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Which sounds dramatic until you start counting. Who am I. Who am I to my spouse. What kind of parent am I. What do I want in bed. Who are my people now. Natasha breaks identity into five buckets, and a faith crisis kicks over all five at once.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Natasha is a licensed marriage and family therapist and a certified sex therapist. She spent decades as a devout Latter-day Saint, started writing publicly about what she was seeing in her clients—teenagers self-harming over masturbation, LGBTQ+ kids dying at higher rates, women drowning in perfectionism—and in 2021 was excommunicated for taking public stands that contradicted church leadership.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this conversation, Natasha and Katie explore identity formation in high-demand religious traditions, what happens when that formation is disrupted, and how to begin to put the pieces back together again (even when it&apos;s messy).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Content note:&lt;/b&gt; This episode includes candid discussion of sexuality and sexual shame, and references to teen self-harm and suicidality in the context of purity culture.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;Get full unedited episodes, early releases, bonus episodes, and more by supporting Faith After Faith at &lt;/i&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://katielangston.com/support&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;https://katielangston.com/support&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Chapters&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;00:00&lt;/b&gt; — Welcome, and meet Natasha Helfer&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;02:05&lt;/b&gt; — Converted at five: an identity formed entirely through the LDS lens&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;09:48&lt;/b&gt; — By their fruits: perfectionism, LGBTQ kids, secrecy, sexual shame&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;14:34&lt;/b&gt; — Starting her &quot;Ask a Mormon Therapist&quot; blog&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;21:40&lt;/b&gt; — Off the referral list, and then out of the church&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;32:23&lt;/b&gt; — The five buckets of identity and why a deconstruction is an entire identity makeover&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;39:06&lt;/b&gt; — Pendulum swings, interrupted development, and doing teenager work in your forties&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;50:04&lt;/b&gt; — Rebuilding a worldview: the tension between me and we&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;57:03&lt;/b&gt; — Belovedness, isolation, and what faith after faith looks like&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;h2&gt;About Natasha Helfer&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;p&gt;Natasha Helfer, LMFT, CST-S, is an AASECT-certified sex therapist and licensed marriage and family therapist who has spent three decades helping people untangle sexuality from shame, silence, and stigma — much of it rooted in religious trauma and purity culture. She sees clients through Symmetry Counseling, trains other clinicians, and hosts &lt;i&gt;The Natasha Helfer Podcast&lt;/i&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Website: &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.natashahelfer.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.natashahelfer.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Mentioned in this episode&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;&quot;My Official Stance on Masturbation&quot;&lt;/b&gt; — the 2012 post at Natasha&apos;s Patheos blog &lt;i&gt;The Mormon Therapist&lt;/i&gt; (published under Natasha Helfer Parker): &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.patheos.com/blogs/mormontherapist/2012/08/my-official-stance-on-masturbation.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.patheos.com/blogs/mormontherapist/2012/08/my-official-stance-on-masturbation.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;Natasha&apos;s Faith Transitions Group&lt;/b&gt;: &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.natashahelfer.com/faith-transitions-group&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.natashahelfer.com/faith-transitions-group&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:47:00</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/3f873402-b3bd-4d0a-8184-26f832193859/logos/65c8db55-4f38-4e91-a606-0903cb71cdbf.png"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>2</itunes:episode><itunes:title>A Faith Crisis Is a Full Identity Makeover — Natasha Helfer</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[Faith Crisis or Identity Crisis?]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>This episode with Pastor Katie Langston explores the challenges of faith crisis and deconstruction, the impact on personal identity, and the process of reconstructing a new sense of self. It delves into the concept of vocation and the assurance of belovedness, offering hope and encouragement to those navigating identity exploration.</p><p></p><p>To support this channel, subscribe or become a friend of Promise Studio at katielangston.com/podcast</p><p></p><p>Links mentioned:</p><ul><li><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.ted.com/talks/julian_baggini_is_there_a_real_you" target="_blank">Is there a real you?</a> (TEDXYouth talk by Julian Baggini)</li></ul><p></p><p>Chapters</p><ul><li>00:00 The Crisis of Faith</li><li>02:03 Identity Makeover</li><li>03:02 The Conveyor Belt of Identity</li><li>05:19 The Five Categories of Identity</li><li>13:48 Conforming vs. Performing</li><li>16:38 Exploring Vocation</li><li>21:59 Belovedness and Self-Discovery</li></ul>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">0318aed6-dcdb-46ac-b670-b7fff39c2264</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Katie Langston]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 31 Jul 2026 22:58:25 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/4f5ea0cda646f182c48b875dabedb4495af3e924d4436c1c092a91ba8598c459/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiIwMzE4YWVkNi1kY2RiLTQ2YWMtYjY3MC1iN2ZmZjM5YzIyNjQiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiIzZjg3MzQwMi1iM2JkLTRkMGEtODE4NC0yNmY4MzIxOTM4NTkiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTkzOGUyZjU3N2Q5ZTNmMWI1NWEwYWIiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmE2Y2Y0NDA4MjQ1MTQwZGQ0NTFiODlhL2thdGllLWxhbmdzdG9ucy1zdHVkaW8tY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi03LTMxX18yMS0xNS0xMS5tcDMifQ==.mp3" length="34221810" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/3f873402-b3bd-4d0a-8184-26f832193859/episodes/0318aed6-dcdb-46ac-b670-b7fff39c2264/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;This episode with Pastor Katie Langston explores the challenges of faith crisis and deconstruction, the impact on personal identity, and the process of reconstructing a new sense of self. It delves into the concept of vocation and the assurance of belovedness, offering hope and encouragement to those navigating identity exploration.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To support this channel, subscribe or become a friend of Promise Studio at katielangston.com/podcast&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Links mentioned:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.ted.com/talks/julian_baggini_is_there_a_real_you&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Is there a real you?&lt;/a&gt; (TEDXYouth talk by Julian Baggini)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Chapters&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;00:00 The Crisis of Faith&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;02:03 Identity Makeover&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;03:02 The Conveyor Belt of Identity&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;05:19 The Five Categories of Identity&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;13:48 Conforming vs. Performing&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;16:38 Exploring Vocation&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;21:59 Belovedness and Self-Discovery&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:17:49</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/3f873402-b3bd-4d0a-8184-26f832193859/logos/65c8db55-4f38-4e91-a606-0903cb71cdbf.png"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>1</itunes:episode><itunes:title>Faith Crisis or Identity Crisis?</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item></channel></rss>