Bent on Deconstruction

Benton shares the highs and lows of his college faith experience. The highs: Speaking in tongues. The lows: Being told it was demonic. Trying to learn the truth sent him into a depressive spiral.

Annie and Benton compare their experiences growing up in very different churches: a traditional Lutheran church and a charismatic “Holy Spirit with no seat belt” church. Also, Chick tracts, demon-possessed jewelry, a Kirk Cameron poster, and what does Ratatouille have to do with the Holy Spirit?

We discuss what the words “doubt” and “certainty” meant to us as Fundamentalist Christians and how we're now learning to welcome doubt, inspired by Brian McLaren's book Faith after Doubt. We talk about fears of being smited (smitten?) for moving away from the fold, and beliefs we held onto that now make us cringe, like young earth Creationism.

We started this podcast to be a space for us, two married ex-fundamentalists, to process our changing beliefs. Our local church has opened back up as the pandemic has eased, and we are faced with not just the question “Do we go back to church?” but also “Are we even Christian anymore?” Benton and Annie describe where they think the other is at in their deconstruction journey.