Religion on the Mind

Religion on the Mind

Author: Dan Koch Language: English Episodes: 100
Hosted by Dan Koch, Religion on the Mind digs into the messy, fascinating, and deeply personal space where our inner lives meet our search for meaning. This isn't a sermon or a debate; it's a series of conversations that feel more like late-night talks with curious friends. Each episode brings in a different voice-psychologists, scholars, writers, and other experts-to explore how our beliefs, doubts, rituals, and spiritual yearnings are intertwined with the workings of the human mind. We get into the psychology behind religious experience, the spirituality that emerges outside traditional structures, and the very real ways these forces shape identity, community, and coping. The tone is thoughtful but unvarnished, embracing complexity without pretension. You'll hear genuine curiosity, nuanced perspectives, and, yes, the occasional bit of cussing when the topic calls for it. The goal is to offer a space for reflection on how these fundamental aspects of being human collide and coexist. If you've ever wondered about the psychological roots of faith, the spirituality of non-belief, or just how our brains make sense of the profound, this podcast provides a grounded, accessible entry point to those questions.
Episodes
GGCH: Josh’s 1st Home, Cannabis & Gen Z Religion (#327) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:18
It’s time for another Generation Gap Culture Hour, where I sit down with Josh Gilbert and Tony Jones to unpack everything from personal stories to shifting generational trends. In today’s episode, we kick things off by e…
Finding and Leaving “Exvangelical Ministry” (#326) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:21:50
In this roundtable conversation, I reconnect with Joy Vetterlein and Jon Steingard (former Hawk Nelson frontman) to explore their parallel journeys of leaving Christian ministry contexts, building public platforms around…
How Did Biblical Characters Experience the World? (#325) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:29
My dear friend Ben Bishop, author of The Garden House Substack, joins me to discuss how fiction can help us imagine how people from different times and places experienced the divine, particularly through the novels of Fr…
The First American Pope (#324) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:53
I’m joined by my longtime friend Joe Rose, a partner at the law firm Gibson Dunn, for a wide-ranging and grounded conversation on the selection of Pope Leo XIV, the first ever American pope. We explore his background, re…
Religious Trauma & Worldview Change (#323) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:06
Sara Showalter Van Tongeren is a licensed clinical social worker and therapist (and happens to be the wife of frequent pod guest Darrell Van Tongeren). She joins me to discuss religious trauma, spiritual abuse, and the p…
How College Students Are Finding Meaning (#322) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:27:20
In today's episode, I reconnect with Jim Wellman from the University of Washington to discuss his fascinating undergraduate course, "A Life Worth Living." We explore how Jim guides students through fundamental questions…
Pope Francis & Listener Survey Results (#321) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:07
I grabbed my teammates Josh and Joy for a bonus, impromptu mid-week episode on our real-time reaction to the news of Pope Francis passing, some general updates about the pod, and to talk through the results of our listen…
Still Christian: “Unbelievable” Host Justin Brierly (#320) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:06
In this episode, I sit down with Justin Brierley, former host of the UK-based show Unbelievable to discuss his book Why I'm Still a Christian and explore questions of faith, doubt, and religious identity. I share my stru…
Where Should YHP Go Next? (#319) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:03
I bring in my team members Josh Gilbert and Joy Vetterlein to check in on the state of You Have Permission and brainstorm future content directions. We want your input too… take the YHP poll here to let us know what you…
Narcissism Part 2 with Chuck DeGroat (#318) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:17
I welcome back psychologist Dr. Chuck DeGroat to continue our discussion on narcissism in religious settings that we began in this episode in February. After recapping our previous conversation about the development and…