Through the Kaleidoscope

Roy and I sit down to discuss the Roman Catholic faith of his childhood, the pain of having his identity excluded and suppressed within this environment, and his ongoing quest for inspiration. Theme music is provided by Nathan Williams. Stream Nathan’s music on Soundcloud.

Nathan Rosswog grew up a committed evangelical Christian. He followed the ideal prescribed path for evangelical kids, attending a Christian college and spending time as a missionary abroad. This experience, however, led him to question the fundamentalist beliefs he’d been taught and today he embraces a more expansive, progressive faith than he ever imagined as an evangelical kid. You’re already familiar with Nathan’s music from the theme song of this podcast, and much of his music explores the struggles, questions and doubts he’s experienced as his faith has transformed. Stream Nathan’s music on Soundcloud.

The Christian church is a powerful place of healing for many of us, but can also be a place where shame, guilt and pain are perpetuated. Autumn Brownlee, my guest in this episode is deeply familiar with this complex reality. She works as a therapist within the church, helping those who have been hurt by the church to find freedom. Autumn works through the Pittsburgh Pastoral Institute. Theme music is provided by Nathan Williams. Stream Nathan’s music on Soundcloud.

As my faith transformed and I left fundamentalist evangelical Christianity, it was my embrace of exploration that allowed me to navigate the world. When I no longer had theological certainty, I began to see the world as a landscape full of opportunity and possibility. For me, there was no longer was there one single straight-and-narrow path.Bethany Zabiegalski, my guest in this episode, is an expert in exploration. She leads groups of various ages in outdoor experiences through Outdoor Adventure and has an infectious love of nature. Follow along on her blog, The Heart Wants Adventure and her Instagram @theheartwantsadventure. Theme music is provided by Nathan Williams. Stream Nathan’s music on Soundcloud.

For Maggie Smith, the Christian faith has never been an exclusive, limiting faith, but is a religion built on love and grace. From a young age, Maggie saw the true potential of the Christian faith and this passion led her to attend Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and become an ordained minister within the PCUSA denomination. Today, Maggie works as a chaplain in the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System. Theme music is provided by Nathan Williams. Stream Nathan’s music on Soundcloud.

Jeff Eddings is the pastor of Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community, an inclusive, community-oriented congregation in the South Side of Pittsburgh, PA. Jeff is also a coach through 1001 New Worshiping Communities, a ministry of the PCUSA Presbyterian Mission. Listen as Jeff shares his own spiritual journey, as a pastor with a transforming and progressive faith. Music in this episode is provided by Nathan Williams. Stream Nathan’s music on Soundcloud!

As Elizabeth Jeffries deconstructed her conservative evangelical Christian faith, she found herself searching for a way to find meaning in her life, even in the absence of theological certainty. This podcast is the conversational component of that search. Elizabeth explores this question alongside pastors, therapists, travel bloggers, musicians and more. In her upcoming book, Through the Kaleidoscope: How Exploring Cell Biology Transforms My Relationship With God, Elizabeth explores how her laboratory experience in cell biology has formed the foundation of the new sense of meaning she has come to find in life, after the deconstruction of her conservative evangelical Christian faith. Find out more at elizabethjeffrieswrites.com and subscribe to receive the first chapter free.