Sunday School Dropouts
This is our final episode of season one and Andrew and Laura are back to talk about men and bears, lift up John MacArthur in prayer, to quite literally celebrate the United Methodist church’s repeal of their declaration that did not allow LGBTQ+ clergy members and more. We’ll also be reflecting on some of our favorite moments from the season and sharing about our summer episodes because you can’t have Sunday School Dropouts without Vacation Bible School! We’re dropping some hints about what’s to come in those episodes and talking a little bit about Season 2 which will start in the...
info_outline Purity Culture Poster Child to Pastor to Black Sheep w/ Josh HarrisSunday School Dropouts
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. He’s here to share with us about his time inside of high control religion, what opened his eyes...
info_outline How to Heal when You’re the Victim and PerpetratorSunday School Dropouts
How do you heal from religious trauma when you were both the victim and perpetrator of high control religion? Dan Miller joins us today to discuss his work with clients who are healing from religious trauma and adverse religious experiences that were in positions of ministry leadership, including the unpaid labor of volunteers (which many of us called: servants). In this episode we talk about some of the unique aspects of healing that former ministry leaders face, steps to re-build your life after leaving ministry positions, feeling burned out after volunteering, and building...
info_outline Choosing Relationship over DoctrineSunday School Dropouts
We are excited to be talking today with April Ajoy and Beecher Reuning! They are sharing with the Sunday School Dropouts crew their story of growing up in fundamentalism and purity culture, meeting and getting married under those systems and then navigating their way through discarding those doctrines and theology to find their way into the relationship they have today. It’s an episode you won’t want to miss! - use code ELECTIONS for $15 off Guests: April Ajoy can be found on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook @aprilajoy and on X at @aprilajoyr Beecher Reuning can be found...
info_outline …when you don’t get what you’re promised from purity culture…Sunday School Dropouts
Today we are excited to have the Sexvangelicals, that is Julia Postema and Jeremiah Gibson, on our podcast! Julia and Jeremiah are licensed and AASECT certified psychotherapists who use their personal and professional lives and experience to work with relationships where at least one partner has been a part of high control religion, fundamentalism or purity culture. Resources Developmental Model - Ellen Bater AASECT.org - finding a sex therapist Six Steps for a structured question Decide on specific topic - key word SPECIFIC! (Ex: what are my favorite places to be touched, to be...
info_outline Growing Up as a Woman in Purity CultureSunday School Dropouts
We are thrilled today to be talking with Rachel Overvoll! Rachel herself grew up in purity culture and high control religion. We discuss her experiences inside purity culture, the impact of it and her healing journey. We then get into how Rachel has used her personal story to inspire her professional life as a Somatic Sex Coach who works with clients focusing on finding sexual freedom after purity culture. We’ll also be answering a listener question and a special prayer partner guest will be joining us for this episode’s segment of prayer requests! The Religious Trauma + Elections...
info_outline The Impact of Purity Culture on WomenSunday School Dropouts
We are thrilled to have with us today Dr. Tina Schermer Seller who is an author, researcher, professor, and psychotherapist specializing in the impacts of purity culture, shame resilience, gender, and sexuality. In this episode, Dr. Tina shares her research and how she came to realize the psychological and physiological impact of purity culture and how that shaped the direction of her work with clients, students, and her writing. In the episode, Dr. Tina shares an incredible definition of sexual shame (see below) that can help us understand the felt sense experience of purity culture! But...
info_outline Growing Up Male in Purity CultureSunday School Dropouts
We’re back with another episode from our purity culture mini-series! This week’s guest is RC Curtwright (@deconstructing_exjw on Instagram) who grew up in the Jehovah’s Witness organization and was a poster child of purity culture. In our conversation RC shares some of the long term impacts, mental health issues and shame that he and many other men experienced as a result of purity culture. Before we get into our conversation, Laura answers a listener question and shares a little bit about being a church leader and teaching adolescents about purity culture, thereby having a front...
info_outline It’s Time to Talk about Men Healing from Purity CultureSunday School Dropouts
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 “Godly man” and what happens when you don’t measure up to that, as well as the importance of...
info_outline Holiday Q&A Part Two with Cindy Wang BrandtSunday School Dropouts
You better watch out…you better not cry… Celebrating the holidays can be difficult when you’re deconstructing from your faith or healing from religious trauma. That’s why we’re using today’s episode to take your questions about various aspects of religious trauma and the holidays! Today Laura is joined by guest-host, Cindy Wang Brandt, to answer the questions you’ve submitted about parenting, families, creating new traditions and more! Cindy Wang Brandt Facebook and Instagram: @parentingforward X/Twitter: @cindywangbrandt Substack: cindywangbrandt.substack.com...
info_outlineFor our first episode we will be discussing one of the questions we get asked the most: what is religious trauma? But before that, we’ll be taking “prayer requests”, have flannelgraph storytime and Andrew and Laura will share a bit of their own story!
Sunday School Dropouts is brought to you by the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery.
Music is by Benjamin Faye and you can find him on Instagram at @heytherebenji
Editing and production by Kevin Crowe
If you like what you’ve heard today we would love for you to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts
You can find us on Instagram @sundayschooldropoutspod or subscribe to our email list at www.sundayschooldropoutspod.com
If you’re interested in finding a trauma-informed practitioner, go to www.traumaresolutionandrecovery.com to schedule your free inquiry call with a practitioner of your choice or follow us on Instagram at @traumaresolutionandrecovery
You can find Andrew @deconstruct_everything on Instagram and TikTok
And you can find me Laura @drlauraeanderson across all platforms or on my website: www.drlauraeanderson.com