How One Abuse Story Changed a Reporter

How One Abuse Story Changed a Reporter

Author: Institute of Religion Politics and Culture, Amanda Henderson, Iliff School of Theology December 8, 2025 Duration: 18:55
Sometimes a story breaks you open. While reporting on abuse and accountability inside the Southern Baptist Convention, RNS journalist Bob Smietana reached out to someone he’d interviewed many times before — publisher and whistleblower Jen Lyell. What followed was not another update for a news story, but a devastating turn that forced Bob to confront the human weight behind the reporting. In this episode, Bob joins Amanda Henderson for an unusually intimate conversation about Jen’s life, her courage, the institutional failures that shaped her final years, and what it means for a journalist when a story becomes personal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Complexified is a conversation that starts from a simple, uncomfortable truth: the forces of faith and power are woven into the fabric of our everyday existence, from kitchen tables to courtrooms. Hosted by Amanda Henderson of the Iliff School of Theology and presented by the Institute of Religion Politics and Culture, this podcast deliberately steps into the tangled intersections where belief systems meet policy, cultural norms, and social strife. We move beyond superficial debates to examine how these deep structures actually function, why certain problems feel so immovable, and where the possibilities for genuine movement might lie. Each episode is an effort to untangle a specific, knotty issue, listening for the underlying narratives and historical currents that often go unspoken. The goal isn't to provide easy answers but to foster a more nuanced comprehension, the kind required for meaningful engagement rather than repeated conflict. Tuning into this podcast means joining a rigorous yet accessible exploration of our shared life, acknowledging the complexity so often glossed over in public discourse. It’s an invitation to think more deeply about the roots of our divisions and the potential pathways forward, grounded in the conviction that clearer understanding is a necessary first step toward any durable change.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 97

Complexified
Podcast Episodes
Sowing Seeds, Reaping Freedom [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:18
Did you know that for some enslaved Africans, small plots of land became ways to maintain culture and heritage- and even pathways to freedom? Soul Food Scholar, Adrian Miller joins us to share stories that tie land to be…
Stealing Land in the Name of God [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:34
Amanda Henderson and Steven Newcomb discuss the Doctrine of Discovery and the ways in which religion has impacted the social and political frameworks amongst Native nations and the United States government. In this conve…
The Bible is a Book about Land [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:57
Amanda and Amy dive into the complex relationship between land ownership and belonging in the US, drawing on biblical interpretations. Amanda emphasized the significance of land in shaping political and religious beliefs…
BONUS Episode: LIVE! Why Ban Drag? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:25
Last month, we had our first live audience recording of Complexified! Amanda Henderson and Lex Dunbar welcomed Denver Drag Performers Juiccy Misdemeanor and Dixie Krystals for a provocative conversation confronting the e…
Ownership, Belonging & Dreaming America: Ben Sanders [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:13
Why is homeownership such an integral part of the American Dream? Why have some been systematically excluded from homeownership while others have been incentivized and subsidized to own their home? In this episode, Dr. B…