I had a great opportunity to interview Brian and Troy from the now-retired "I Was a Teenage Fundamentalist" podcast. They discuss why they ended their successful podcast after five years, with both hosts explaining they felt exhausted and had covered what they wanted to say about leaving evangelical Christianity.

The conversation explores their personal journeys of deconstructing their faith, including Troy's pivotal moment during a Buddhist meditation retreat and Brian's gradual realization over many years that the beliefs no longer held up.

Our discussion delves into several major topics including the Hillsong Church scandals in Australia, particularly Brian Houston's cover-up of his father Frank Houston's pedophilia, and the broader issues of abuse within patriarchal religious structures.

They also discuss their eye-opening episode about Keith Green and Last Days Ministries, which revealed cult-like practices that shattered their last remaining positive associations with evangelical Christianity.

The conversation concludes with reflections on rebuilding life after leaving religion, emphasizing the importance of finding new communities, being patient with yourself, and accepting that life after faith won't have the same certainty that religion once provided.

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For the inaugural episode of 2026, I reached out to returning guest Katherine Stewart, author of a 2025 book entitled Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy.

Stewart, an investigative journalist who has tracked the religious right for 17 years, argues that Christian nationalism has evolved from a fringe movement into a powerful political force waging war against democracy itself—targeting rational governance, the rule of law, and constitutional checks and balances. She traces its rise through decades of infrastructure building, massive dark money from billionaires, and the growing influence of charismatic Christianity and New Apostolic Reformation theology, which has enabled Trump's unprecedented corruption and authoritarian actions.

In her book, Stewart explores critical dimensions of this threat, including the split within the Catholic Church between progressive voices and ultra-wealthy conservatives funding hard-right messaging, groups like Moms for Liberty working to dismantle public education, and the disturbing connections between current Christian nationalist rhetoric and pro-slavery theology. She warns that while the movement claims to champion religious liberty, it actually seeks privilege for itself and suppression of dissent, threatening not only American democracy but exporting illiberalism globally.

You can reach Katherine Stewart through her website at katherinestewart.me or via email at goodnewskatherine@gmail.com.

Find a copy of Money, Lies, and God at this link on Amazon!

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The final episode of The Dismantling Doctrine Podcast features a conversation with Brandt Burleson out of Houston, TX, who tells a wild story...as an employee of the Israeli Consulate in Houston a few years ago, Brandt was tasked with being an "interfaith liaison" between the State of Israel and Christians.

Sounds innocuous enough, doesn't it?

But what Brandt discovered as he settled into the job was that essentially, the Consulate was running what amounted to a sophisticated psy-op targeting Christians of all theological stripes and traditions.

By weaponizing both Christian Zionism and Christian nationalism, appealing to the deeply baked-in nature of both within Christianity, the sophisticated operation began...and I'll let Brandt tell you the rest of the story in this episode!

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