Ryan Bethea – Faith, Storytelling, and Spiritual Warfare
Ryan Bethea has a gift for taking on the conversations most people shy away from. A producer, writer, and host, he’s behind The Exorcist Files—a chart-topping podcast exploring true stories of demonic deliverance—and the creative agency Assembly 72.
In this wide-ranging conversation with Jake Oswald, Ryan opens up about:
- How The Exorcist Files went from a Facebook post to an iHeartRadio hit
- Why timing and persistence matter in creative projects
- The surprising ways Protestants and Catholics agree on spiritual warfare
- What he’s learned from working with Father Carlos Martins
- His personal wrestling with church history, miracles, and Marian apparitions
- Why humility and perseverance are non-negotiables in media and faith
- Practical advice for anyone starting a podcast today
- The power of confession, forgiveness, and remembering that “you will die one day”
Ryan’s stories move from Vatican offices to mobile podcast studios, from Hollywood pitches to deeply personal lessons of faith. Whether you’re a creator, a skeptic, or a believer wrestling with big questions, this episode will leave you thinking about the unseen world—and the stories worth telling.
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 – Introducing Ryan Bethea
1:00 – The surprising origin of The Exorcist Files
5:00 – Launching Assembly 72 and the art of brand storytelling
10:00 – Rejection, timing, and what makes a producer
13:00 – Why ecumenical conversations resonate today
16:00 – Wrestling with church history and Catholic traditions
21:00 – Miracles, apparitions, and spiritual surprises
28:00 – Relics, reminders, and spiritual warfare stories
34:00 – The rise of occult fascination and cultural warfare
39:00 – How Ryan experiences spiritual opposition personally
41:00 – Lessons learned: patience, skill, and private preparation
45:00 – The challenge of forgiving yourself
48:00 – Is it too late to start a podcast? Ryan’s practical advice
51:00 – Daily guiding principles: mortality, trust, and what the tide may bring
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Cardiac Cowboys
The heart was always off-limits to surgeons. Cutting into it spelled instant death for the patient. That is, until a ragtag group of doctors scattered across the Midwest and Texas decided to throw out the rule book. Working in makeshift laboratories and home garages, using medical devices made from scavenged machine parts and beer tubes, these men and women invented the field of open heart surgery. Odds are, someone you know is alive because of them. So why has history left them behind? Presented by Chris Pine, CARDIAC COWBOYS tells the gripping true story behind the birth of heart surgery, and the young, Greatest Generation doctors who made it happen. For years, they competed and feuded, racing to be the first, the best, and the most prolific. Some appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, operated on kings and advised presidents. Others ended up disgraced, penniless, and convicted of felonies. Together, they ignited a revolution in medicine, and changed the world.