After taking a moment to give some context to our lengthy hiatus, we do a deep dive into the phenomenon of religious deconstruction: what it is, how it might be approached from a biblical perspective or a mental health perspective, and we wonder together why and how some are threatened by it.

Join us for a discussion about how the beautiful theological concept of forgiveness can get twisted into religious harm by those using it for manipulation, power, control, and spiritual bypass.

Jill and Paula discuss the ways in which the word and concept of "sin" has been theologically twisted and used to harm and marginalize people in the church. Just us for a twisty road where look at what Scripture does and does not say about sin, the mental health effects of sin being used to make people feel less than, the hypocrisy of those who use it to control others, and the mislabeling of identities as sin. Get ready for several nerd alerts and some disagreements between your hosts as you travel this Sacred Intersection with us!

An episode particularly close to our hearts, this month, Paula and Jill discuss women in ministry from a variety of perspectives, which certainly include Jill's own as a Presbyterian pastor. We discuss the Scriptures that raise the question of women serving in ministry leadership positions, both as vocational leaders and in lay leadership, the religious harm done both when women are seeking a vocation in ministry and for those who serve, the road rage of being told we don't take the Bible seriously, and some hopeful u-turns for those who are wrestling with their own journeys around this issue. With thanksgiving for the many people of faith who helped to pave the way for women in ministry leadership positions and shoulders that Jill and other women in ministry stand on, we enthusiastically share our conversation about women in ministry. We are grateful for our Roadies and the opportunity to be on this journey together!

On the anniversary of the insurrection at the Capitol Building, we are re-releasing this episode on the dangers of Christian Nationalism and how that played into the insurrection. One of our missions is to address it when we believe the name of Jesus is used in a harmful manner, so we believe it is appropriate to revisit this topic on this day.

Join us on a journey back through Sacred Intersection's Top 5 Moments of 2021 including Josh Duggar's conviction, gratitude for our guests and guest hosts, and of course, stories about our ROADIES! Then continue listening and journey even further back in time for a rerun of last year's episode about how people may experience religious harm around the holidays.

After years of people erroneously assuming that Paula's research on religious abuse is focused on cults, we finally actually talk about cults! Jill and Paula break down the common characteristics of cults and what distinguishes cults from other religious organizations.

Paula and Jill discuss the complicated theology, religious harm, and mental health issues around suicide. If you are having any thoughts of suicide, please know that, even though it may not feel this way right now, things can get better. Please stick around and give yourself a chance. We love you and believe that you are valuable.

It is an honor to welcome Dr. Craig Cashwell on the road with us this week to discuss the counseling and research he has done on the topic of Spiritual Bypass. Spiritual Bypass involves a focus on the spiritual elements of a situation to the point of excluding the psychological, cognitive, emotional, or other impacts from a situation. Craig, who is Paula's mentor and an expert on the topic of counseling and spirituality, guides a discussion about how Spiritual Bypass can be both a coping mechanism and an avoidance of importance work in the spiritual and mental health realms, as well as helpful strategies for counselors to address Spiritual Bypass in the therapeutic process.

"It's OK to not be OK" is a phrase that seems to be everywhere these days thanks in part to the attention public figures like Simone Biles and Michael Phelps have brought to mental health concerns. In this episode, Paula and Jill discuss the nuance behind the idea of "not being OK," as well as the continued stigma of mental health treatment in some Christian circles.