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Broken to Beloved Podcast

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Rating
★★★★★
4.9
from
42 reviews
This podcast has
93 episodes
Language
English
Explicit
No
Date created
2024/06/11
Latest episode
2026/09/22
Average duration
40 min.
Release period
22 days

Description

Over 92 million adults in the US have experienced spiritual abuse and religious trauma. Maybe you’re one of them.The Broken to Beloved Podcast is for anyone who’s been affected by spiritual abuse, religious trauma, or church hurt and is looking for practical resources to move toward healing and wholeness. Brian Lee is a pastor, coach, and speaker who survived it in 3 different environments and now works to advocate for others who have been wounded by the church and her leaders, and to provide practical tools for awareness and safeguarding against future abuse.

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Check latest episodes from Broken to Beloved Podcast podcast


096: Measuring Spiritual Safety with Lianna Chong & Abram Kielsmeier-Jones
2026/09/22
What if you could actually measure how unsafe your church was? What if you could know how severe your spiritual abuse was? In this episode, Brian sits down with Lianna and Abram, co-founders of the Spiritual Safety Center, to unpack their newly peer-reviewed Spiritual Safety Survey and the science behind its scoring—plus a first look at their upcoming book, Building a Safer Church, and the training cohorts helping people move from harm to healthy, spiritually safe communities. You’ll hear about: how and why the Center and Survey were createdthe validation process and what it means for using the Surveyhow trauma scores reveal spiritual harmGuest Spotlight ✨   Lianna Chong has over a decade of experience in ministry and consulting around compassion fatigue, resilience, and psychological safety. She brings a systemic lens to organizational assessments. After watching her church divide over questions of spiritual abuse, she developed the Spiritual Safety Scale (forthcoming) to help people recognize signs of healthy and unhealthy environments. She holds a Master's of Theological Studies, an MA in Organizational Psychology, and certification in psychological safety. Abram Kielsmeier-Jones pastors a racially and economically (and personality!) diverse Christian church in the heart of Boston. He has spent more than twenty years in youth and pastoral ministry, working at small, mid-sized, and large churches in Illinois, Virginia, and Massachusetts. He studied philosophy at Wheaton College (IL) and earned his M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, with an emphasis in Urban Ministry, using every last elective to further study Greek and Hebrew biblical texts. Together, they co-founded the Spiritual Safety Center, a nonprofit dedicated to helping church members and leaders build safe places of faith. Links & Resources 🔗  Website | Lianna’s Instagram | Lianna’s Substack | Abram’s Substack preorder Building a Safer Church (coming April 2027) on Amazon | Bookshoptake the Spiritual Safety SurveyApply for a Spiritual Safety Training CohortEpisode 22: Creating and Validating a Spiritual Abuse Assessment with Lianna Chong————— We need your help. Your gift of just $25 will make a big difference and help us continue this work. Donate today. ————— Sign up to receive our weekly Podcast Newsletter with new episodes, updates, exclusive discounts, and more! Subscribe using your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. This all helps us to grow and continue providing quality content for you and our community of listeners. ————— As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
095: Finding a Path Toward Healing and Wholeness
2026/09/11
Have you experienced spiritual harm? Are you looking for a community or resource to help make sense of it and find a path forward? The THROUGH Cohort is designed for you, and applications for our next season are open now! In this special bonus episode, I'll tell you about how the cohort works, what we cover, and what you need to know. If you've been looking for a practical resource and a place to bring your brokenness and ask big questions, this is the group for you. I hope you'll join us! Links & Resources 🔗   Apply for the THROUGH Cohort today! ————— We need your help. Your gift of just $25 will make a big difference and help us continue this work. Donate today. ————— Sign up to receive our weekly Podcast Newsletter with new episodes, updates, exclusive discounts, and more! Subscribe using your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. This all helps us to grow and continue providing quality content for you and our community of listeners. ————— As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
094: Following the Thread from Holiness Theology to Hallmark Movies with Kristin Kobes du Mez
2026/08/18
Can spiritual abuse actually be traced to a system that was centuries in the making? What started as a fun project about mommy blogs and Hallmark movies became a staggering, meticulously researched narrative of how evangelical women's culture was engineered to suppress dissent and punish those who step out of line. Kristin pulls the threads of New Thought philosophy and largely unknown figures like Hannah Whittall Smith and Henrietta Mears to reveal how they led directly to our present reality. It’s an eye-opening and fascinating episode. If you’ve ever questioned how we got where we are today in the church, you won’t want to miss this conversation. You’ll hear about: How hearing and understanding history can help us toHow the “power of positive thinking” became synonymous with evangelical culture and how it keeps women silent, compliant, and loyalHow understanding a long view of history can reveal a direct line from 1800s holiness theology to Hallmark movies, Thomas Kinkade, purity culture, MLMs, and Turning Point.Guest Spotlight ✨   Author of the New York Times bestseller Jesus and John Wayne, Kristin Du Mez is a writer, speaker, and scholar who explores the intersection of religion, gender, and politics. She has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, NBC News, Religion News Service, and Christianity Today, and has been interviewed on NPR, CBS, and the BBC, among other outlets. Her most recent book is Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation. Her next book, Live Laugh Love, is expected in September 2026. An academic by training, Du Mez holds a Ph.D. in U.S. history from the University of Notre Dame, but she writes and speaks for popular audiences in an entertaining style that is equal parts winsome and hard-hitting. Her unflinching examination of the American church, however, is ultimately a call to confession, a call to lament, and a call to greater faithfulness. She teaches at Calvin University and lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with her husband, three kids, and a dog named Paco. Links & Resources 🔗  Website | Instagram | Facebook | Substack | BlueSky Live Laugh Love: The Secret History of White Christian Women and the World They Made by Kristen Kobes du Mez | Amazon | BookshopJesus and John Wayne by Kristen Kobes du Mez | Amazon | Bookshop“For Our Daughters” project and film————— We need your help. Your gift of just $25 will make a big difference and help us continue this work. Donate today. ————— Sign up to receive our weekly Podcast Newsletter with new episodes, updates, exclusive discounts, and more! Subscribe using your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. This all helps us to grow and continue providing quality content for you and our community of listeners. ————— As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
093: Navigating Your Spiritual Nervous System with Kristen LaValley
2026/08/04
Can you love God without losing yourself? If you've ever felt like faith required you to shrink, suppress, or self-loathe your way to holiness, this episode is for you. Writer and storyteller Kristen LaValley joins us to talk about her book Growing Up Saved, offering a refreshing, honest path through spiritual formation gone wrong. From reimagining what belonging looks like after church hurt, to understanding your spiritual nervous system, to discovering the concept of pronoia — the belief that God is conspiring for your good — this conversation is full of hard-won wisdom for anyone navigating faith after pain. You’ll also hear about: how spiritual self-loathing often masquerades as faithfulness, and what it takes to reclaim an identity rooted in being beloved rather than brokenhow Kristen rebuilt her capacity for community by starting outside of church and letting her nervous system slowly relearn what safety feels likethe concept of the "spiritual nervous system" — learning to recognize your faith triggers without turning them into a moral verdict on yourself or others.Guest Spotlight ✨   Kristen LaValley is a writer and storyteller whose words offer a refreshing perspective on faith and spirituality and resonate with those who carry tension in their faith. She offers insights that intersect doubt and belief, hope and suffering, beauty and heartache. With a deep love for the Christian faith and a willingness to explore its complexities, Kristen’s writing offers nuanced conversations that challenge readers to think deeply and wrestle with important questions. Kristen lives in Massachusetts with her husband, Zach, and their five children. Links & Resources 🔗  Website | Instagram | Substack | Facebook Growing Up Saved by Kristen LaValley | Amazon | Bookshop————— We need your help. Your gift of just $25 will make a big difference and help us continue this work. Donate today. ————— Sign up to receive our weekly Podcast Newsletter with new episodes, updates, exclusive discounts, and more! Subscribe using your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. This all helps us to grow and continue providing quality content for you and our community of listeners. ————— As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
092: Slow and Small Steps to Healing Your Shattered Soul with Colleen Ramser
2026/07/21
What if forcing spiritual practices make healing harder — not easier? Therapist and author Colleen Ramser joins the podcast to discuss her debut book, The Shattered Soul: Restoring Wholeness and Rebuilding Your Faith After Spiritual Trauma. Drawing on 15+ years of clinical experience, Colleen offers a compassionate, body-aware path forward for survivors who feel like their faith has been shattered beyond repair — and makes the case for going slow, starting small, and giving yourself permission to set down practices that are doing more harm than good. You’ll also hear about: Unpacking the difference between spiritual abuse and spiritual trauma, and why the distinction matters for how you approach healing.Exploring the "somatic soul" — why addressing the body is often the first step toward reconnecting with your faith.Discerning the difference between persuasion, influence, and coercionGuest Spotlight ✨   Colleen Ramser, M.A., is a licensed therapist, speaker, author, and podcaster specializing in trauma—particularly spiritual abuse, domestic abuse, and complex trauma. An EMDR Certified Therapist trained in somatic and internal family systems therapies, she brings over 15 years of experience in ministry and clinical practice. Colleen frequently trains and consults with faith leaders and mental health clinicians on survivor care and addressing systemic harm. She is the author of The Shattered Soul: Restoring Wholeness and Rebuilding Your Faith After Spiritual Trauma. As a survivor of trauma, Colleen is a compassionate witness on the journey, bringing not only her clinical expertise but also a deep knowing of dark nights and the breath of new mercies. Colleen lives in Louisville, KY, with her husband and two kids. Links & Resources 🔗  Website | Instagram | Facebook Here Not There PodcastThe Shattered Soul by Colleen Ramser | Amazon | BookshopApply for The Shattered Soul Book Cohort————— We need your help. Your gift of just $25 will make a big difference and help us continue this work. Donate today. ————— Sign up to receive our weekly Podcast Newsletter with new episodes, updates, exclusive discounts, and more! Subscribe using your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. This all helps us to grow and continue providing quality content for you and our community of listeners. ————— As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
091: A Survivor's Guide to Recovery and Hope After Religious Trauma with Tia Levings
2026/05/05
What does it mean to own yourself after years of being told your body, voice, and choices belonged to someone else? Join us for a conversation with New York Times bestselling author Tia Levings as she unpacks the concept of autonomy as both a psychological milestone and a direct act of resistance against cult control. We talk about reclaiming autonomy in our minds, hearts, and bodies, how “should” is one of the most dangerous words in the recovery space, and how fundamentalism is a structure of thought that can show up along any spectrum. We explore the tension between silence as both safety and complicity, and how survivors can learn to wield their voice (and their quiet) with intention and autonomy. You’ll also hear about: What fundamentalism actually is at its coreHow to identify when a religious environment has become harmfulHow pressure to share your story can replicate religious coercionHow religious indoctrination interrupts natural psychological developmentWhy belonging should never require surrendering your individualityGuest Spotlight ✨   Tia Levings is the New York Times Bestselling author of A Well-Trained Wife, her memoir of escape from Christian Patriarchy. She writes about the realities of Christian fundamentalism, evangelical patriarchy, and religious trauma. Her work has appeared in Teen Vogue, Salon, the Huffington Post, and Newsweek. She also appeared in the hit Amazon docu-series, Shiny Happy People. Based in North Carolina, she is mom to four incredible adults and likes to travel, hike, paint, and daydream. Links & Resources 🔗  Website | Instagram | Substack I Belong to Me by Tia Levings | Amazon | BookshopA Well-Trained Wife by Tia Levings | Amazon | Bookshop————— We need your help. Your gift of just $25 will make a big difference and help us continue this work. Donate today. ————— Sign up to receive our weekly Podcast Newsletter with new episodes, updates, exclusive discounts, and more! Subscribe using your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. This all helps us to grow and continue providing quality content for you and our community of listeners. ————— As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
090: A Slow Road Toward Faith with AJ Swoboda
2026/04/07
After spiritual abuse, how do you separate the voice of Jesus from the voices that harmed you?  In this conversation with theologian and pastor A.J. Swoboda, we explore why slowing down — not speeding up — is the key to rebuilding a durable, honest faith after spiritual harm. How do you trust truth again when it's been weaponized against you? This conversation explores how we can learn to trust truth again when it's been weaponized. There can be ways to hold strong beliefs without becoming harmful, to understand that belief is not certainty, and that genuine theological knowledge should produce humility, not arrogance. You'll learn: Why treating faith like a commodity does long-term damageHow truth is often used as a power play in religious communitiesHow to hold beliefs with humility rather than certaintyWhy fundamentalism is a mindset that can exist anywhere on the political or theological spectrumHow lament is a legitimate and important part of the faith journey Guest Spotlight ✨   Rev. Dr. A. J. Swoboda (Ph.D., Birmingham) is the lead pastor of Faith Center in Eugene, Oregon and is the associate professor of Bible and Theology at Bushnell University. He is the lead mentor of the Doctor of Ministry program in Christian Formation and Soul Care at Friends University. He is the author of many books, including The Gift of Thorns (Zondervan), After Doubt (Brazos), and the award-winning Subversive Sabbath (Brazos). He hosts the “Slow Theology” podcast (w/ Dr. Nijay Gupta) and writes the widely read “Low-Level Theologian” Substack. A.J. lives and works on an urban farm with his wife and son in Eugene, Oregon. Links & Resources 🔗  Substack | Website | Instagram Slow Theology PodcastSlow Theology by AJ Swoboda & Nijay Gupta | Amazon | Bookshop————— We need your help. Your gift of just $25 will make a big difference and help us continue this work. Donate today. ————— Sign up to receive our weekly Podcast Newsletter with new episodes, updates, exclusive discounts, and more! Subscribe using your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. This all helps us to grow and continue providing quality content for you and our community of listeners. ————— As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
089: Reimagining Faith Through Reconstruction with Tiffany Yecke Brooks
2026/03/31
So I’ve deconstructed. What now? In her latest book, “To Rebehold the Stars,” author and professor Tiffany Yecke Brooks guides us into a hopeful path of reconstruction. Drawing on Dante, psychology, and spiritual formation, she invites us to reimagine faith with wonder, curiosity, and courage after spiritual abuse or disillusionment. Explore how naming experiences creates categories for healing and helps form a new, life-giving spiritual lexicon. Differentiate between discomfort that grows us and pain that harms us—and challenge spiritual teachings that keep us hostage to harm. Learn how to “audit” traditions, discern what aligns with the heart of God, and practice spiritual differentiation: forming your own faith while remaining in relationship if you wish. Guest Spotlight ✨   Tiffany Yecke Brooks is the lead or contributing writer for more than three dozen books, including multiple New York Times bestsellers. She writes about issues facing the modern church in her latest book, To Rebehold the Stars: Reimagining Faith and Formation After Deconstruction. She has also cowritten many books and written numerous articles for publications such as Smithsonian, New York Archives Magazine, and various peer-reviewed journals. Tiffany holds a PhD from Florida State University, an MA in Classics from the University of Bristol (UK) and an MA in Spiritual Formation from Portland Seminary. She has taught literature and writing at Florida State University, Abilene Christian University, McMurry University, and the University of South Carolina-Beaufort and currently teaches nonfiction writing at the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma. Links & Resources 🔗  Website | Instagram | Substack THROUGH Cohort waitlistGaslighted by God: Reconstructing a Disillusioned Faith by Tiffany Yecke Brooks on Amazon | BookshopEpisode 7: Forced Forgiveness: Misinterpreting Matthew 18 with Dr. Scot McKnightEpisode 36: Burning a Path to Renewal with Erin Moon————— We need your help. Your gift of just $25 will make a big difference and help us continue this work. Donate today. ————— Sign up to receive our weekly Podcast Newsletter with new episodes, updates, exclusive discounts, and more! Subscribe using your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. This all helps us to grow and continue providing quality content for you and our community of listeners. ————— As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
088: Carrying the Weight of Hope with Heaviness with Shannan Martin
2026/03/24
In this episode, neighbor and author Shannan Martin shares her “counterweights” practice—how we move forward by carrying life’s heaviness with equal measures of rest, joy, and community. Together, we explore how to navigate the burdens we carry and the importance of community, grief, and hope. Shannan shares why we often can’t set our burdens down (and how privilege shapes who can), how grief is a counterweight to loss, and how naming both our weights and counterweights becomes a path to healing. From jailhouse church to backyard gardens, she shows how neighbors, embodied practices, and hope as a renewable resource keep us upright in a complicated and lopsided world. You’ll hear: How grief functions as a healing counterweight to lossSimple counterweights that aren’t just self care or spiritual bypassingHow being a neighbor can help and serve the vulnerable in your communityWhy curiosity over certainty can be a counterweight in a changing faith—and how to rebuild belongingGuest Spotlight ✨ Shannan Martin is the bestselling author of several books, including Start with Hello, The Ministry of Ordinary Places, and the popular Substack The Soup. Shannan is a wannabe gardener, a news geek, a fighter for justice, and a thrift store stalker. She and her family live as grateful neighbors in Goshen, Indiana, where Shannan is on staff at the local community kitchen. Links & Resources 🔗  Website | Instagram | Substack Counterweights by Shannan Martin | Amazon | BookshopGood Soil by Jeff Chu | Amazon | Bookshop————— We need your help. Your gift of just $25 will make a big difference and help us continue this work. Donate today. ————— Sign up to receive our weekly Podcast Newsletter with new episodes, updates, exclusive discounts, and more! Subscribe using your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. This all helps us to grow and continue providing quality content for you and our community of listeners. ————— As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
087: Identifying, Addressing, and Healing from Misogyny with Dorothy Greco
2026/03/17
Have you ever heard people using a word that sounds important and like something you should already know about? Misogyny can feel like one of those words, and this week, we’re talking with author and journalist Dorothy Greco about her newest book, For the Love of Women. She expands the definition of misogyny beyond “hatred of women,” explores how it permeates everyday life—including the church—while offering a path toward healing and change. We talk about the spectrum of misogyny from subtle bias to overt abuse, how power and theology get misused in spiritual spaces, and practical ways men and communities can become allies, advocates, and interrupters. The conversation closes with hopeful practices for healing, boundaries, and cultivating beauty. You’ll hear: Why power dynamics matter and the difference between patriarchy, complementarianism, and misogynyPractical steps to confront misogyny: ally, advocate, and interruptorHow entitlement fuels harm and how men can begin with grief, empathy, and listeningWhy anger can be a faithful, constructive response to injustice—and how to process itGuest Spotlight ✨   Dorothy Greco has worked as a photojournalist for more than forty years. She is a three-time author and has written for many publications including Christianity Today, Missio Alliance, Christians for Biblical Equality, and The Common Good. She is the mother of three grown men and a wife to one husband.  Links & Resources 🔗  Website | Substack | Instagram For the Love of Women: Uprooting and Healing Misogyny in America by Dorothy Greco | Amazon | BookshopSimilar Episodes You Might Like Episode 42: Safeguarding the Church against Sexism and Abuse with Dr. Andrew BaumanEpisode 41: Ordinary Women of Faith and Ministry with Beth Allison BarrEpisode 21: Deconstructing Deconstruction with Scot McKnight & Tommy Preson Phillips————— We need your help. Your gift of just $25 will make a big difference and help us continue this work. Donate today. ————— Sign up to receive our weekly Podcast Newsletter with new episodes, updates, exclusive discounts, and more! Subscribe using your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. This all helps us to grow and continue providing quality content for you and our community of listeners. ————— As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
086: Season 4 Trailer
2026/03/10
We’re back for Season 4 of the podcast next week! I can’t wait to share these conversations with some of the incredible guests you just heard like Tiffany Brooks, Dorothy Greco, Shannan Martin, and lots more. A huge thank you to our listeners who make this show possible through their financial support. You can support our work by becoming a donor today. Just head to brokentobeloved.org/support or click the link to donate in the show notes. Links & Resources 🔗 Website | Instagram | Substack ————— We need your help. Your gift of just $25 will make a big difference and help us continue this work. Donate today. ————— Sign up to receive our weekly Podcast Newsletter with new episodes, updates, exclusive discounts, and more! Subscribe using your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. This all helps us to grow and continue providing quality content for you and our community of listeners. ————— As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
085: Season 3 Wrap
2025/12/19
That's a wrap on Season 3 of the podcast! We're so grateful for each of you taking the time to listen and engage with our episodes, and I hope you've found these conversations to be helpful and hope-filled. We'll be back next year after the Annual Summit (January 26–29) with new episodes. Until then, it'll be pretty quiet around here as we prepare for the Summit. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss new episodes when they drop. Consider supporting the Podcast by setting up a monthly donation. Just $89 would cover our podcast expenses each month! It also helps us so much when you share these episodes with a friend, and when you leave a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. I'd love to hear from you—did you have a favorite episode this season? What was one thing you found helpful? Thanks again for being here, and I look forward to creating en episodes next year. Here's to moving toward healing and wholeness. Together. See you next time! Links & Resources 🔗  Website | Instagram | Substack ————— We need your help. Your gift of just $25 will make a big difference and help us continue this work. Donate today. ————— Sign up to receive our weekly Podcast Newsletter with new episodes, updates, exclusive discounts, and more! Subscribe using your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. This all helps us to grow and continue providing quality content for you and our community of listeners. ————— As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
084: The Consequences of Christian Parenting "By the Book" with Marissa Burt, Kelsey McGinnis, and Meaghan Hampton
2025/12/09
Were you raised (and maybe harmed) in a Christian household that did parenting "by the book?" Maybe you were a parent who was looking for resources to parent "the right way," Regardless of intent, research and time have shown the harmful impact of Christian parenting books and the myths they perpetuated.  In this conversation, we dive into the very real and lived effects on generations of children and adults, and how we look for more informed and honoring ways to move forward. We'll talk about patriarchy and hierarchy, spanking and discipline, and the ways that these messages set up compliant Christian children for future abuse. Listen in for a compassionate look at at how we can approach parenting (and learning to reconcile with our own stories of how we were raised) with a more informed lens that balances both therapy and theology through a trauma-informed lens. Guest Spotlight ✨  Marissa Franks Burt is a novelist, editor, teacher, and cohost of the At Home with the Lectionary and In the Church Library podcasts. She lives in a small town in Washington's Snoqualmie Valley with her husband, six children, and heaps of books. Kelsey Kramer McGinnis is a musicologist, educator, and correspondent for Christianity Today, writing on worship practices and Christian subculture. She is an adjunct professor at Grand View University in Des Moines and previously worked at the University of Iowa Center for Human Rights. Meaghan Hampton is a Christian therapist, writer, and parenting educator passionate about integrating faith, psychology, and neuroscience to support families on their journey toward healing and wholeness. Links & Resources 🔗  Marissa: Website | Instagram | Substack Kelsey: Website | Instagram | Substack | “In the Church Library” podcast The Myth of Good Christian Parenting by Marissa Burt and Kelsey McGinnis | Amazon | Bookshop————— We need your help. Your gift of just $25 will make a big difference and help us continue this work. Donate today. ————— Sign up to receive our weekly Podcast Newsletter with new episodes, updates, exclusive discounts, and more! Subscribe using your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. This all helps us to grow and continue providing quality content for you and our community of listeners. ————— As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
083: Megachurch Culture and Christian Nationalism with Scott Latta
2025/12/02
Is there a link between the rise of megachurches, Christian Nationalism, and spiritual abuse? In this conversation with journalist and author Scott Latta, he exposes surprising findings from his research on how "successful" evangelical churches are driving much of the Christian Nationalism and abuse reported today. After interviewing survivors of spiritual abuse in America's megachurches, lawyers, and advocates, he reveals systemic gaps that allow misconduct to thrive, the effects on smaller churches, and how money and politics are at play. Tune in to hear numerous stories and examples, including Scott's own reflections from working in churches, discovered in his process of writing Gods of The Smoke Machine. Guest Spotlight ✨  Scott Latta is an award-winning journalist who has spent a decade reporting for humanitarian organizations on conflict, displacement, and climate change around the world. He is the author of the new book, Gods of the Smoke Machine: Power, Pain, and the Rise of Christian Nationalism in the Megachurch, which explores how large churches coalesce power and political influence. He lives in Oregon. Links & Resources 🔗  Website | Substack | BlueSky Gods of the Smoke Machine | Amazon | BookshopPost Evangelical CollectiveRestored Voices Collective————— We need your help. Your gift of just $25 will make a big difference and help us continue this work. Donate today. ————— Sign up to receive our weekly Podcast Newsletter with new episodes, updates, exclusive discounts, and more! Subscribe using your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. This all helps us to grow and continue providing quality content for you and our community of listeners. ————— As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
082: Twelve Steps Toward the Life God Has for You with Ian Morgan Cron
2025/11/25
Do you feel broken beyond repair and just want life to be...better? In this episode with Ian Morgan Cron, we talk about the use of the 12 steps—not just for managing common addictions, but for general well-being. You'll enjoy his perspective as a priest, author, and psychotherapist, as he emphasizes the importance of finding wholeness through making amends, releasing shame, and pursuing post-traumatic growth. Let's dive into his most recent book, The Fix, and explore how working the steps can benefit people who have experienced spiritual trauma. Guest Spotlight ✨  Ian Morgan Cron is a bestselling author, psychotherapist, Enneagram teacher, Episcopal priest, and the host of the wildly popular podcast, "Typology," which has over 20 million downloads. His books include the Enneagram primer The Road Back to You, which has sold over one million copies; as well as Chasing Francis; Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and Me; The Story of You; and his newest book, The Fix: How the Twelve Steps Offer a Surprising Path of Transformation for the Well-Adjusted, the Down-and-Out, and Everyone In Between. Links & Resources 🔗  Website | Instagram | Typology Institute | Typology Podcast The Fix: How the Twelve Steps Offer a Surprising Path of Transformation for the Well-Adjusted, the Down-and-Out, and Everyone In Between | Amazon | Bookshop.orgThe Story of You | Amazon | Bookshop.orgThe Road Back to You | Amazon | Bookshop.org————— We need your help. Your gift of just $25 will make a big difference and help us continue this work. Donate today. ————— Sign up to receive our weekly Podcast Newsletter with new episodes, updates, exclusive discounts, and more! Subscribe using your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. This all helps us to grow and continue providing quality content for you and our community of listeners. ————— As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Podcast reviews

Read Broken to Beloved Podcast podcast reviews


4.9 out of 5
42 reviews
★★★★★
ruthless joy 2026/08/28
Love the truth spoken
I so appreciate Kristin’s wealth of knowledge and insight. She works so hard to shine a light upon an intrinsically abusive system. Jesus is not threa...
★★★★★
MonicaDiCristina 2025/09/11
Helpful and Needed
A thought, helpful, insightful podcast. In a world full of fast, this podcast brings nuance, space, time, and intentionality. Brilliant questions, hig...
★☆☆☆☆
elsie grace D. 2025/04/26
Disappointment
Disappointing that you have a guest that is living a life in opposition to Scrioture.
★★★★★
_texas_listener 2025/03/31
So helpful!
Brian’s and his guests’ words have brought hope and healing!
★★★★★
Dave Wernli 2024/10/04
The Whole Church Needs to Heal This
What an amazing podcast! It is healing just to hear someone acknowledge that spiritual abuse and church harm exists. And it’s tremendously healing tha...
★★★★★
annewoodruff1 2024/07/12
Amazing
This is an amazing podcast. It is so healing, so helpful, so kind, and full of wisdom. Thank you so much, Brian, for creating such a safe space for pe...
★★★★★
Flapjacklc 2024/07/09
Like a hug and a warm mug of truth
This podcast talks about tough things but does so in a way that makes you feel seen, hopeful, and more at peace with your past and present.
★★★★★
Ellie Towe 2024/07/06
Love love love!!!
Only on episode 1 and this is already my fave podcast. I wish I had this content years ago when I was going through leaving a spiritually abusive envi...
★★★★★
Jentil 2024/07/03
Amazing resource for weary souls
Broken to Beloved is a safe space and such a helpful resource to put words to hard experiences and struggles. Be welcomed here and with this communit...
★★★★★
L_Lou16 2024/07/02
Top of the list!
If you are looking for help in awareness, naming, validating, and healing from what you have experienced in various contexts of abuse, harm, and hurt,...
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