Sunday School Dropouts

EXPLORE

Society & Culture

© 2024 PodJoint

https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts221/v4/07/55/93/07559318-4ce7-002e-083a-58e6d49f148a/mza_18358476360734742449.jpg/600x600bb.jpg

Sunday School Dropouts

Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery

75 episodes

2 weeks ago

The Sunday School Dropouts are back with another episode of answering your questions about religious trauma and the holidays. Many of the questions today centered around finding new traditions post-religion, dealing with family members who don’t understand why you won’t go to church, and how to navigate co-parenting around this time of year when one person has left the church and the other hasn’t. Plus, Andrew and Laura are at it again with another holiday quiz game and sharing some of their ...

Show more...

Religion & Spirituality,

Health & Fitness

All content for Sunday School Dropouts is the property of Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

The Sunday School Dropouts are back with another episode of answering your questions about religious trauma and the holidays. Many of the questions today centered around finding new traditions post-religion, dealing with family members who don’t understand why you won’t go to church, and how to navigate co-parenting around this time of year when one person has left the church and the other hasn’t. Plus, Andrew and Laura are at it again with another holiday quiz game and sharing some of their ...

Show more...

Religion & Spirituality,

Health & Fitness

Episodes (20/75)

Sunday School Dropouts

How do you Celebrate Christmas if you Don’t Believe in Santa (or Jesus)? (Re-Release)

The Sunday School Dropouts are back with another episode of answering your questions about religious trauma and the holidays. Many of the questions today centered around finding new traditions post-religion, dealing with family members who don’t understand why you won’t go to church, and how to navigate co-parenting around this time of year when one person has left the church and the other hasn’t. Plus, Andrew and Laura are at it again with another holiday quiz game and sharing some of their ...

2 weeks ago

58 minutes

Sunday School Dropouts

Religious Trauma and the Holidays (Re-Release)

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…or is it? The Sunday School Dropouts are taking on your questions today about all things having to do with religious trauma and the holidays! How do you set boundaries with your family that is still in church? Can you tell your emotionally immature family members that they are emotionally immature? Is it ok to tell your kids that you don’t trust churches and religious doctrine anymore? All these questions (and more!) will be answered today. And, you’ll...

3 weeks ago

1 hour 1 minute

Sunday School Dropouts

Non-Religious Purity Culture

Laura and Andrew sit down with therapist and healing guide Elizabeth DeVaughn for a powerful conversation about what it really takes to move through trauma and come home to yourself. Elizabeth shares pieces of her own story, including the experiences that led her into this work, and opens up about the practices and principles that help people rebuild self trust after years of shame, fear, or being told to disconnect from their own bodies. They talk about how self awareness and self compassion...

1 month ago

1 hour 26 minutes

Sunday School Dropouts

Men and Purity Culture

Laura turns the tables and interviews her cohost, Andrew Kerbs, for an honest and often tender look at what it was like to grow up male in purity culture. Andrew shares stories from his childhood in both the Mormon church and the Seventh day Adventist tradition, unpacking how ideas about worthiness shaped everything from his family dynamics to his sense of self. Together they explore the quiet pressures boys and men face in high control religions, including secrecy around sexuality, the fear ...

1 month ago

1 hour 20 minutes

Sunday School Dropouts

Exploring Your Body for Healing

Andrew and Laura sit down with Sherah Pettus from the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery for a real, heartfelt look at how purity culture keeps shaping our bodies, sexuality, and sense of worth long after we leave high control religion. Sherah brings her own story and a liberation-focused perspective to the conversation as they unpack everything from shame and sexual identity to raising kids with autonomy and consent instead of fear. The episode is full of listener questions, honest re...

1 month ago

1 hour 28 minutes

Sunday School Dropouts

Rebellious Healing: Using Yoga and Breathwork to Heal from Purity Culture

Andrew and Laura hang out with yoga therapist and somatic practitioner Kim June Johnson for a really grounding and honest conversation about what it actually looks like to heal purity culture wounds through Eastern practices. Kim shares her story of leaving evangelicalism, discovering yoga and breathwork, and slowly learning to trust her body again after years of shame and control. They talk about how Western religion often teaches people that they are broken at the core, while Eastern tradit...

1 month ago

1 hour 37 minutes

Sunday School Dropouts

Purity Culture in the Catholic Church

Andrew and Laura welcome trauma professional and theologian Willow Sipling for an unflinching look at purity culture within the Catholic Church and beyond. Together they dig into how teachings on chastity, celibacy, and confession shape shame, control, and sexuality, especially for LGBTQ+ people navigating doctrines that label desire as “disordered.” The conversation balances honest critique with hope, exploring how survivors of religious trauma can move from rigid rules to pleasure-focused, ...

2 months ago

1 hour 32 minutes

Sunday School Dropouts

Patriarchy and Purity Culture

Andrew and Laura sit down with Dr. Bethany Peake, a trauma-informed counselor and spiritual director at the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery, for a raw, thoughtful, and surprisingly hopeful conversation about what happens when patriarchy shapes your idea of God. They dig into how purity culture, control, and the “male gaze of the divine” mess with people’s sense of self, spirituality, and relationships—and how that damage can be undone. Dr. Peake brings deep expertise and compassion...

2 months ago

1 hour 35 minutes

Sunday School Dropouts

Purity Culture and Intimate Partner Violence

Andrew flips the script and interviews his co-host, Dr. Laura Anderson, for a raw and honest conversation about growing up in purity culture, how it shaped her relationships and self-worth, and what it took to heal after surviving domestic violence. They talk about the messy mix of high-control religion, gender roles, shame, and the long (and sometimes funny) road to finding freedom and feeling at home in your own body again. Share your purity culture stories with us by leaving a voicemail or...

2 months ago

1 hour 14 minutes

Sunday School Dropouts

Purity Culture to Domestic Violence Pipeline

Hosts Laura Anderson and Andrew Kerbs sit down with trauma-informed coach and therapist Terri Allred from the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery to unpack how purity culture fuels domestic violence, particularly during Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Terri draws on decades of experience supporting survivors of sexual and spiritual abuse to explain how purity teachings often spiritualize control, suppress autonomy, and normalize submission—creating fertile ground for abuse to thrive....

2 months ago

1 hour 18 minutes

Sunday School Dropouts

A Thousand Tiny Papercuts: Purity Culture and Spiritual Abuse

This week, Andrew and Laura welcome the brilliant and hilarious Katherine Spearing—author, practitioner, and founder of Tears of Eden—to talk about everyone’s favorite church obsession: purity culture. You know, that special brand of shame that told you your worth was tied to your virginity and your shoulders were a stumbling block. Katherine unpacks how that messaging messed with an entire generation’s view of sex, self-worth, and spirituality—and how she’s helping survivors heal from it. Th...

2 months ago

1 hour 24 minutes

Sunday School Dropouts

Chewed Up Bubblegum - Welcome to Season 3 of Sunday School Dropouts!

Season 3 of Sunday School Dropouts is here, and this time it’s all about purity culture—its origins, its lasting impact, and the process of healing from it. After a summer break, the hosts return ready to unpack one of the most pervasive and misunderstood aspects of modern religion. This season features a range of guests, including therapists, coaches, and individuals from Catholic, Mormon, and evangelical backgrounds, as well as voices from the LGBTQ+ and wellness communities. Together, they...

3 months ago

1 hour 10 minutes

Sunday School Dropouts

Wrapping up Season 2!

In the season two finale of the Sunday School Dropouts podcast, Andrew and Laura recap their experiences and favorite episodes from the past season. They share personal anecdotes about the impact of high control religion on finances, trauma-informed therapy, and purity culture. Laura and Andrew highlight significant episodes such as their conversation with Jo Luehmann about financial trauma and Angela Denker on American boyhood and radicalization. The hosts also discuss their summer plans, wh...

7 months ago

1 hour

Sunday School Dropouts

(Re-Release) Purity Culture Poster Child to Pastor to Black Sheep w/ Josh Harris

This week we will be talking to a notorious former pastor about their experience growing up inside high control religion, becoming a poster child for purity culture, being set up to take over for a large church and ultimately giving it all up, deconstructing his faith and leaving the church. If you grew up in evangelicalism, and likely even if you didn’t, you’re sure to be familiar with Joshua Harris, author of the wildly popular Christian dating, ahem, courting, book, I Kissed Dating Goodbye...

7 months ago

1 hour 18 minutes

Sunday School Dropouts

Spiritual Abuse + Adverse Religious Experiences

What are Adverse Religious Experiences (AREs) and spiritual abuse? Aren’t they the same thing as religious trauma? Join Andrew and Laura on this week’s episode to discuss AREs, spiritual abuse, dynamics of power and control, how this relates to fundamentalism and how all of this…isn’t religious trauma? You heard us correctly! Andrew and Laura discuss all of this AND how these things can result in religious trauma on this episode of Sunday School Dropouts! This podcast is brought to you ...

8 months ago

1 hour 8 minutes

Sunday School Dropouts

Spiritual Meritocracy

In this episode, Laura and Andrew engage in a lively discussion with Janice Lagata about her experiences growing up in evangelicalism, her time at Hillsong College, and the importance of literature and financial therapy. They explore themes of banned books, free speech, and the influence of worship music on personal faith. The conversation is rich with insights and personal anecdotes, making it a compelling listen for anyone interested in the intersections of faith, culture, and personal grow...

8 months ago

1 hour 37 minutes

Sunday School Dropouts

If You're Poor, You Deserve It w/ Jo Luehmann

Jo Luehmann shares her journey from being a pastor to deconstructing her faith, focusing on the financial challenges and mindsets that shaped her path. The episode also explores strategies for overcoming financial anxiety and reclaiming autonomy after leaving high-control religious settings. Resources Mentioned: Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel Your First Million by Arlan Hamilton Your Journey to Financial Freedom by Jamila Souffrant Keeping Finance Personal by Ellyse Fulmore We should al...

8 months ago

1 hour 40 minutes

Sunday School Dropouts

The Radicalization of American Boyhood with Rev. Angela Denker

In this episode of the Sunday School Dropouts podcast, Angela Denker joins Andrew to discuss her new book, 'Disciples of White Jesus: The Radicalization of American Boyhood'. Reverend Denker explores themes of masculinity, gender narratives, and the influence of culture and church on boys and men. Highlighting the shifting political landscape, she emphasizes the impact of figures like Elon Musk and the ways social media algorithms contribute to radicalization. They touch upon the role of comm...

8 months ago

44 minutes

Sunday School Dropouts

Giving Up God with Sarah Henn Hayward

This week on Sunday School Dropouts, we're joined by author Sarah Henn Hayward for an honest, insightful conversation about her journey from devout Christianity to agnostic atheism. Sarah, author of Giving Up God, opens up about her upbringing in the Evangelical Free Church and the slow, freeing path of deconstruction that followed. She reflects on purity culture, youth group experiences, and the internal conflicts that led her to start questioning her faith. We also talk about what it’s like...

9 months ago

59 minutes

Sunday School Dropouts

It’s Time to Talk about Men Healing from Purity Culture (re-release)

The holidays are over and we are back into our purity culture mini-series! This month we are talking about purity culture and it’s impact on individuals who grew up male in this system. We are thrilled to have Dr. Bradley Onishi on the podcast today as our professional who has done research and client-facing work in this area as well as being a purity culture poster boy himself. Join Brad and Laura as they discuss the unique impacts of purity culture on men, shame, the expectations of being a...

9 months ago

1 hour 11 minutes