Sunday 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 C...

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 o...

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 intere...

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 Souffra...

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 a...

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...

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 impact...

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. I...

In this episode of Sunday School Dropouts, Andrew Pledger opens up about his journey growing up in the Independent Fundamental Baptist (IFB) movement and the lasting effects of religious trauma on his mental health, sexuality, and sense of identity. He shares his experiences navigating legalism, spiritual abuse, and the pressure to conform, including his time at Bob Jones University and the emotional toll of leaving such a high-con...

Today we are joined by Andrew Pledger to talk about the financial burden that going to a religious college/university can cause. We get into not only the cost of these institutions but the extended control they have over all aspects of someone’s life, even when it’s the time in life where you’re developmentally ready to have more freedom. Andrew shares his story with us about how he chose to go to Bob Jones University, what was req...

In this conversation, Zach Anderson shares his journey of growing up in the Mormon Church, navigating his identity as a gay man, and the impact of high control religions on mental health and body image. He discusses his process of resigning from the church, the challenges of coming out, and how these experiences shaped his approach to nutrition coaching.

The conversation also explores the intersections of purity culture, diet cultur...

Now more than ever, many of us are having to navigate relationships with family members and friends who are grappling with choosing relationships with people over their belief/doctrines. Perhaps you are wrestling through that too? We are revisiting one of our favorite episodes with guests Beecher and April who share with us their own story of choosing relationship with each other over rigid theology and doctrine. 

Also, the Center f...

Today we are excited to have Dr. Celeste Holbrook on the podcast! Celeste is a sex educator, author, speaker, and sexologist with her own story of healing after purity culture. She uses her personal experiences to inspire her professional work and helps folks untangle the long-lasting, embodied impacts of the messages they were taught about their bodies, sex, and pleasure. Today we are talking about all the sex education your Sunda...

In this episode of Sunday School Dropouts, Rikki Herbst shares her journey of leaving the Orthodox Jewish community in New York. She reflects on growing up in a tightly knit, insular environment and the emotional challenges of stepping away. Drawing parallels to other religious exits—like evangelicalism—she explores the complexities of reclaiming autonomy and finding support. As a therapist, Rikki offers insights on religious traum...

This week we are excited to be joined by Dr. Eric Sprankle (@drsprankle on Instagram). Dr. Sprankle is a clinical psychologist and professor of human sexuality and author of the recently released: “DIY: The Wonderfully Weird History and Science of Masturbation”. He’s joining us today to talk about what a porn addiction *actually* is (hint, it’s not what religion teaches us!), our innate sexuality, and how it’s the messages around s...

In this episode, Melissa Duge Spiers shares her journey of growing up in a Seventh-day Adventist family, her experiences of rebellion, and the challenges she faced when leaving the church. She discusses the unique aspects of Adventism, the impact it had on her identity, and the process of deconstructing her beliefs. Melissa emphasizes the importance of finding joy and freedom after leaving a high-control environment and the need fo...

Who else had the verse “children, obey your parents unto the Lord” said to them? Maybe as a way to justify behavior? Or assert control? Or maybe you still feel the need to obey your parents even if you are an adult (and with your own children!) On today’s episode of Sunday School Dropouts we’ll be talking about the parent-child dynamic within high control religion–the way it impacts a child and how that impact lingers on into adult...

We are excited to be joined by author and adventurer, Ryan George! Ryan recently wrote and published the book “Hurt and Healed by the Church” which details his life as a pastor’s kid whose father was a pastor in the Independent Fundamental Baptist (IFB) church. Ryan’s story is unique in that his father engaged of multiple acts of clergy sexual abuse with children. But instead of keeping that story ‘in the dark’, Ryan has supported ...

The Sunday School Dropouts are joined today by Dr. Hillary McBride! Hillary is here to help us wrap up our touchstone topics episodes with an amazing conversation about spiritual abuse and trauma. Is it the same as religious abuse? Better or worse? What are the impacts and how do you heal? We talk about all that and more with Hillary. Also, you won’t want to miss Laura and Andrew’s “ins” and “outs” for the year and their reflection...