Trans-Christian: A conversation with Natalie Drew about following God as a trans woman (Rebroadcast for Transgender Day of Visibility)

March 31st, 2022  |  1 hr 31 mins

Today we’re talking to Natalie Drew. Natalie is a devout Christian, pacifist, and kind of a theology nerd who also happens to be a trans woman. She shares her story with us of struggling with life before beginning her transition after having a wife and 2 kids, how her marriage weathered the storm, and she gives some great advice to other LGBTQ people in the church, as well as for the rest of the church. I do want to let you know that suicide does come up a few times in this episode.

Book Club Announcement - "Flying, Falling, Catching" by Henri Nouwen & Carolyn Whitney-Brown

March 30th, 2022  |  1 min 6 secs

47: Data > Dogma: A conversation with biblical scholar Dan McClellan

March 23rd, 2022  |  1 hr 14 mins

Bible nerds unite! Nathan & Steve got to have a wonderful conversation with TikTok-famous Bible scholar Dan McClellan. Topics include the cognitive science of religion, the problem with univocality, the development of inerrancy, and… does God look like a cow?

46: The In-Between: How Daniel Wheat's music is entwined with his faith

March 16th, 2022  |  1 hr 43 mins

Daniel Wheat has been the official Following the Fire troubadour since day one. He's working on a new album and talks to Nathan and Steve about how the progression of his music and the development of his faith are so closely bound together.

45: Book Club: Heavy Burdens - Bridget Eileen Rivera

March 9th, 2022  |  57 mins 33 secs

Author Bridget Eileen Rivera joins us to talk about her new book "Heavy Burdens: Seven Ways LGBTQ Christians Experience Harm in the Church"

44: Not a White Man: Discussion Group Q&R pt2

March 2nd, 2022  |  1 hr 5 mins

In which Nathan & Steve discuss Gen Z lingo and more questions posed in the Following the Fire Facebook discussion group. Topics include: Why does God allow us to relive trauma? Can we get rid of institutional racism? Where's the Mother in all this!? Is it "XKCD" or "SMBC"? And more!

43: Twist Ending: Discussion Group Q&R pt1

February 23rd, 2022  |  1 hr 3 mins

In which Nathan & Steve respond to (because actual "Answers" are lacking) questions posed in the Following the Fire Facebook discussion group. Topics include: the goal of deconstruction, God’s role in it, untangling culture and faith, and more.

42: J. Crum: the man, his music, his faith, and his journey

February 16th, 2022  |  1 hr 6 mins

J. Crum is a legend. His song "Clarity" struck a nerve last year with so many people going through deconstruction, and his path has taken him to some unexpected places. We were honored to get to spend time talking with J. Crum about his music, his faith, how they intersect, and where he's going from here.

41: Deconstruction Everywhere: Disney+ shows and films with themes of deconstruction

February 12th, 2022  |  49 mins 43 secs

Nathan and Steve catch up after a month off and they discuss the theme of deconstruction in tons of shows and movies (mostly) on Disney+. Seems like it's absolutely everywhere!

Rebroadcast: "Why We Can't Wait" by Martin Luther King, Jr.

January 17th, 2022  |  1 hr 27 mins

We're joined by Nicole Magliore to discuss the book "Why We Can't Wait" by Martin Luther King, Jr. – Not only do we discuss the book, but what white Christians can do to make a difference in a country that is still so stuck in white supremacy and systemic racism. This, my friends, is a fantastic episode.

Bonus Episode: 2021 in Books - Happy New Year!

December 29th, 2021  |  24 mins 58 secs

The Problem: Nathan is judgmental but hopes the books help...

40: Book Club: Faith After Doubt - by Brian McLaren

December 22nd, 2021  |  1 hr 34 mins

39: Spiritual Nomads: When deconstruction leads to wandering, where do we find comfort and safety?

December 15th, 2021  |  1 hr 20 mins

Rethinking your faith often leads to leaving your faith community to look for something else. Something more. Something real. And while that move was probably for the best, there’s still a loss of the comfort that the old group gave you, and a loss of certainty that came with it. Either way, it doesn’t make wandering the spiritual wilderness any easier. So, among the questions we won’t properly answer today: Should we try to replace the comfort we lost? Should we go back to the certainty group we left? And, how can gratitude help us find something more ultimate than certainty?

38: Embracing Discomfort: How cognitive biases contribute to church problems and deconstruction

December 8th, 2021  |  1 hr 44 mins

37: Hidden Gems: How deconstruction can help us find deeper meaning

November 17th, 2021  |  1 hr 17 mins

For most churches these days, the Old Testament is a collection of exciting and shocking stories for kids’ Bible class. When we’re older, we assume we’ve learned what the stories have to teach us and we hardly ever revisit them from an adult perspective! An unexpected upside of deconstruction can be that, when we DO re-think these OT stories, there are layers upon layers of meaning.

36: Breaking the Belief Box: How the protective walls we’ve built can hurt more than help

November 10th, 2021  |  1 hr 20 mins