Religion on the Mind

In this episode, recurring guest Kristen Tideman and I discuss C.S. Lewis's The Great Divorce, examining how its exploration of hell, isolation, and human flaws speaks to modern issues like political polarization. We also examine Lewis's allegory and its connection to broader questions about existential psychology, spirituality, mortality, and the struggle for honest self-accountability—all of which seem increasingly rare in our culture today.

Highlights

05:20 The Context of The Great Divorce

11:00 The Psychological Richness of The Great Divorce

19:34 Political Polarization and Its Parallels

32:18 Theological Perspectives on Hell

47:16 Cultural Shifts in Conversations about Mortality

01:11:47 Theological Perspectives on Responsibility

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In this episode of "Religion on the Mind," Mason Mennenga joins me to discuss what it’s like to be in Minneapolis right now, amid intense immigration enforcement and community responses. He shares the emotional toll of living in a city under national scrutiny (it happened during the George Floyd protests, too), as well as what he’s personally experiencing with ICE raids and the community's efforts to support one another amid fear and uncertainty. 

Highlights

06:01 Community Responses to ICE Raids

16:53 The Psychological Impact of Current Events

27:27 The Future of Christianity in a Polarized World

44:05 The Disruption of Worship Services

01:02:12 Healthy vs. Pathological Anxiety

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

Or Twitter: ⁠⁠twitter.com/DanKoch⁠⁠

Faith deconstruction resources: ⁠⁠www.soyouredeconstructing.com/⁠⁠

Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: ⁠⁠patreon.com/dankoch⁠⁠

Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

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In this live episode of Religion on the Mind, recorded at Theology Beer Camp in October 2025, I sit down with friend and philosopher Myron A. Penner to explore the naturalness of religion, discussing its philosophical implications, evolutionary origins, and the role of cognitive science in understanding religious behavior. Philip Clayton joins us for a follow-up conversation and audience questions about halfway through.

Myron's Website | Myronapenner.com

Philip's Website | Philipclayton.net

Highlights:

13:47 Evolutionary Origins of Religion

20:02 Cognitive Science of Religion

38:12 Practical Implications for Therapy

43:54 Audience Engagement and Q&A

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

Or Twitter: ⁠twitter.com/DanKoch⁠

Faith deconstruction resources: ⁠www.soyouredeconstructing.com/⁠

Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: ⁠patreon.com/dankoch⁠

Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: ⁠[email protected]⁠

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I sit down with returning guest Bonnie Kristian, deputy editor at Christianity Today, to examine tensions in contemporary evangelicalism in light of her upcoming book, In Defense of Evangelicalism.

First up, we look at James Dobson's complicated legacy and how his parenting advice represented both progress and problems for its time, and why his use of psychology credentials to bypass evidence-based research troubles me as a clinician in the field. 

We then tackle the media's panic over "spiritual warfare" language at Charlie Kirk's funeral, where Bonnie points out that Pope Francis uses the same Ephesians passage about wrestling "not against flesh and blood." We also get into Peter Thiel's bizarre Antichrist lectures, which turn out to be less apocalyptic theology and more libertarian fearmongering dressed in biblical metaphor. 

Throughout, we wrestle with a core question: how do we navigate religious language in public discourse when biblical literacy has collapsed, and when do passionate warnings cross the line into spiritual abuse?

Previous Episodes with Bonnie:

⁠Episode 306 | Dan is Getting Libertarian-Curious⁠

⁠Episode 21 | To Consider Inerrancy, Infallibility & Inspiration⁠

⁠Episode 6 | To Consider ALL the Atonement Theories⁠

___________________________________________

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

Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch

Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/

Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankoch

Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: [email protected]

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I reconnect with my friend Brian Hall to explore his family's move from Portland to rural Oregon—driven by their kids' special needs, exhaustion with sociopolitical polarization, and Brian's ongoing “reconstruction” of his spirituality. We discuss the tension between liberal values and individual family choices as Brian deliberately exposes himself to conservative religious spaces. I push back on his embrace of Trump-supporting communities while acknowledging my own growing interest in center-right perspectives, and we wrestle with questions about schooling, how to teach kids about systemic injustice and related issues, and whether spiritual practice requires suspending judgment. Brian describes finding unexpected vitality in charismatic worship with older Black Pentecostals and why Portland's progressive culture started feeling like a fundamentalist Bible study. We're both tired of performative resistance, yet neither wants to abandon genuine insights. This leaves us in the messy middle, trying to be present for our kids while staying intellectually honest.

In the Patron-only second half of the episode, we discuss the therapeutic wisdom of Brian's approach, his specific reasons for leaving Portland's school system, attempted nuanced takes on gender ideology and trans issues, and Brian’s experience with improvisational worship music services.

Brian's Album | Reconstruction in C Major Spotify Link

Previous Episode with Brian | Still Christian & Spiritual: Brian Hall (#244)

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

Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch

Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/

Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankoch

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