A Thousand Tiny Paper Cuts: Spiritual Abuse And Life on the Other Side (with Katherine Spearing)
The Dismantling Doctrine Podcast
Release Date: 12/03/2025
Pete Hegseth and Doug Wilson: Patriarchy, Power, and Politics (with Peter Bell of the Sons of Patriarchy)
The Dismantling Doctrine Podcast
In this episode, I welcome Peter Bell from the Sons of Patriarchy podcast for a deep dive into the world of Doug Wilson. He's a self-ordained pastor from Moscow, Idaho who has spent decades building a network of Christian nationalist influence. Together we trace Wilson's origins, his controversial "Southern Slavery As It Was" pamphlet, his founding of the CREC denomination and the Association of Classical Christian Schools (ACCS), and how his fringe ideas gradually moved into the mainstream — culminating in his recent sermon at the Pentagon. The conversation then turns to Pete Hegseth, now...
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I Belong To Me: Recovery and Hope After Religious Trauma (with Tia Levings)
The Dismantling Doctrine Podcast
This week, I had the pleasure to interview returning guest Tia Levings about her new book I Belong To Me: A Survivor's Guide to Recovery and Hope After Religious Trauma. Tia explains that while her first memoir A Well-Trained Wife told the story of escaping an abusive marriage rooted in Christian patriarchy--and the teachings of figures like Bill Gothard and James Dobson--this new book is a self-help guide chronicling how she rebuilt herself over a decade of healing. We also explore the broader reach of Christian nationalism, including Doug Wilson's growing political influence through figures...
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Revisiting "The Myth of Good Christian Parenting" (with Marissa Burt & Kelsey McGinnis)
The Dismantling Doctrine Podcast
For those who missed our December 2025 DDP Zoom call, this is it! I was able to reconnect with authors Kelsey McGinnis and Marissa Burt about their book The Myth of Good Christian Parenting. The conversation centers on Doug Wilson, a controversial Moscow, Idaho pastor who promotes Christian nationalism and authoritarian parenting-- including advocating spanking "reigns of terror" to guarantee children's "cheerful obedience." We then extend that out to include the broader ecosystem of figures like Bill Gothard and James Dobson, major Christian influencers who built empires promising that...
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Two Ex-Pastors Deconstructing Christianity Together (with Timmy Joe Gibson)
The Dismantling Doctrine Podcast
This week, I welcome new friend Timmy Joe Gibson for a deep dive into our parallel journeys: from passionate Christian ministry to atheism. Both former pastors, we share our experiences in faith: me as a Bible college teacher and PhD scholar who spent over 20 years in ministry across the US and UK, and Timmy as a charismatic pastor who grew his church from 10 people in his living room to 300 members. We discuss our theological education at institutions like Rhema Bible Training Center and Western Seminary, our involvement in word-of-faith movements and dominion theology, and the gradual "death...
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Part 1: A Conversation with Nick P from The Autistic Pod
The Dismantling Doctrine Podcast
This is a two-part podcast conversation between me and Nick from The Autistic Pod. To hear Part 2--where he interviews me--you'll have to head over to his platform to catch it. Our discussion begins by discussing Nick's experiences with ADHD and autism, exploring how neurodivergence affects relationships, communication, and daily life. Nick shares his journey of self-diagnosis at age 42 after watching "Love on the Spectrum," and discusses the concept of "masking" - the exhausting practice of hiding one's authentic self to fit neurotypical expectations. He opens up about experiencing severe...
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Yes, We WERE Teenage Fundamentalists! (with Brian & Troy from IWATF)
The Dismantling Doctrine Podcast
I had a great opportunity to interview Brian and Troy from the now-retired "I Was a Teenage Fundamentalist" podcast. They discuss why they ended their successful podcast after five years, with both hosts explaining they felt exhausted and had covered what they wanted to say about leaving evangelical Christianity. The conversation explores their personal journeys of deconstructing their faith, including Troy's pivotal moment during a Buddhist meditation retreat and Brian's gradual realization over many years that the beliefs no longer held up. Our discussion delves into several major topics...
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Money, Lies, and God: The Movement to Destroy American Democracy (with Katherine Stewart)
The Dismantling Doctrine Podcast
For the inaugural episode of 2026, I reached out to returning guest Katherine Stewart, author of a 2025 book entitled Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy. Stewart, an investigative journalist who has tracked the religious right for 17 years, argues that Christian nationalism has evolved from a fringe movement into a powerful political force waging war against democracy itself—targeting rational governance, the rule of law, and constitutional checks and balances. She traces its rise through decades of infrastructure building, massive dark money from...
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Weaponizing Christian Zionism and Christian Nationalism (with Brandt Burleson)
The Dismantling Doctrine Podcast
The final episode of The Dismantling Doctrine Podcast features a conversation with Brandt Burleson out of Houston, TX, who tells a wild story...as an employee of the Israeli Consulate in Houston a few years ago, Brandt was tasked with being an "interfaith liaison" between the State of Israel and Christians. Sounds innocuous enough, doesn't it? But what Brandt discovered as he settled into the job was that essentially, the Consulate was running what amounted to a sophisticated psy-op targeting Christians of all theological stripes and traditions. By weaponizing both Christian Zionism and...
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A Thousand Tiny Paper Cuts: Spiritual Abuse And Life on the Other Side (with Katherine Spearing)
The Dismantling Doctrine Podcast
If you've been the victim of spiritual abuse--experienced in a wide variety of forms--it is imperative for you to gain the language, or vocabulary, to be able to describe what exactly happened to you. Moreover, education is one of the most critical aspects on the recovery journey. Author Katherine Spearing, with her new book A Thousand Tiny Paper Cuts: The Subtle, Insidious Nature of Spiritual Abuse and Life on the Other Side, empowers those of us who have suffered at the hands of controlling, patriarchal religious figures. Katherine illuminates the path to spiritual healing and wholeness for...
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Restart and Restore: Surviving Manipulative Cults and Relationships (with Rachel Bernstein)
The Dismantling Doctrine Podcast
This week I'm joined by my friend Rachel Bernstein, host of the IndoctriNation Podcast and author of a brand-new book entitled Restart and Restore: A Journal for Survivors of Manipulation. Rachel's book, along with a companion notebook for journaling and self-reflection, are super helpful resources for those of us who come out of high-control religious groups, cults, or any sort of manipulative relationship. Choosing to leave these groups or destructive narcissistic relationships, as she reminds us, is one of the most difficult choices an individual can make--and it is far from easy. Or it may...
info_outlineIf you've been the victim of spiritual abuse--experienced in a wide variety of forms--it is imperative for you to gain the language, or vocabulary, to be able to describe what exactly happened to you. Moreover, education is one of the most critical aspects on the recovery journey.
Author Katherine Spearing, with her new book A Thousand Tiny Paper Cuts: The Subtle, Insidious Nature of Spiritual Abuse and Life on the Other Side, empowers those of us who have suffered at the hands of controlling, patriarchal religious figures. Katherine illuminates the path to spiritual healing and wholeness for those who are trying to reclaim their lives from the effects of coercive control--whatever it may have looked like.
In addition to defining such terms as "spiritual abuse" and "spiritual gaslighting," Katherine provides hope, help, and healing in terms of recovering their life--on the other side of controlling, and often abusive, forms of religion.
Find out more on Katherine's website here!
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Email me: dismantlingdoctrine@gmail.com