In the Shift
Michael Frost
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Top 10 In the Shift Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best In the Shift episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to In the Shift for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite In the Shift episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
04/21/25 • 59 min
Episode 101: This is the first in a series of 4 episodes exploring the intersection of spirituality and a response to the climate crisis. This reflection explores how Christians have often thought about the 'end of the world' and how this so often shapes behaviours and attitudes toward our ecological systems and how we treat them. Some theological views of the future claim that things will get dark before the end, and Christians will be whisked away to heaven to escape the destruction of this planet. Other views suggest a kind of triumphant domination of the earth. In both cases, caring for creation is not really on the agenda. Even in theologies that suggest God will renew this earth, there remains a belief that God will ultimately act to make it all better one day. But what if God isn't going to disruptively intervene at some time in the future in the way people might imagine? What if divine presence and action - if it is to be anything - is always in collaboration with our own, and what could this mean for how we think about creation care, here and now?
02/18/21 • 56 min
[**Content Warning** This episode includes conversations that deal with abuse, trauma, sexual assault and self-harm. Specifically from 7min to 27mins]
Episode 41: In this conversation with Paul Young (The Shack) and Brad Jersak (A More Christlike Way) we discuss the themes found in their jointly written novella - The Pastor: A Crisis. We talk about the cyclical impact of abuse, understanding (and misunderstanding) forgiveness, the need for control that often drives fundamentalism, the dangers of hierarchy and power in the church, along with the possibilities of healing and of living into a more hopeful and liberating form of faith.
The multiple paths of ”deconstruction”
In the Shift
09/11/21 • 41 min
Episode 48: This episode explores various paths of deconstruction and their sometimes overlapping, sometimes divergent, directions. In particular, we look at 4 of these trajectories - the liturgical, the mystical, the political and the agnostic. Faith deconstruction is a complex and often difficult/painful experience and sometimes, though we might discover a great sense of camaraderie and community in connecting with others about what we “aren’t” anymore, we can find ourselves drifting apart as we go in different directions. This can be, in itself, another difficult and isolating part of the process. Exploring and naming these 4 trajectories are an attempt to give space for some language, understanding and empathy toward the journey we (and others) find ourselves on.
Shift Happens
In the Shift
12/15/21 • 43 min
Episode 52: In this episode we look at what happens when faith and belief get stuck in concrete, when they get locked in and locked down, and we’re unable to adapt, change, innovate, rethink, deconstruct and reimagine. And this concrete kind of faith often stems from a very concrete view of God, and can lead us to narrow and suffocating ways of seeing ourselves and the world, which in turn leads us to ethical approaches that can be very harmful for people. And then we talk about dynamism, relationality, innovation and fluidity. Faith and belief that is connected to the past but is also able to embrace the shift, it is dynamic and responsive in the present, and open to the future.
What the hell?!
In the Shift
03/14/19 • 37 min
Episode 10: This if the first in a 3-part series on the traditional Christian idea of hell. We begin by asking that if our ideas about God are supposedly centred around notions of goodness, reconciliation and love for the 'other', then isn't this at odds with the idea of a God who eternally punishes people for not being in the right religious club? Isn’t this the ultimate act of violence?
In light of these questions, we take another look at the terms used in the Christian bible that are translated as "hell" and why they might not mean what you think.
The Impact of Purity Culture - with Meg Cowan
In the Shift
10/09/22 • 55 min
Episode 70: Meg Cowan is a sex and relationships coach who specialises in helping people process through the impact of purity culture. In this conversation we talk about how purity culture (understood as the cultural movement in Evangelical/Pentecostal Christianity that emerges in reaction to the rapid social and moral changes that took place in the 1960s and 1970s) has impacted views on and experiences of sex, embodiment and relationships in the church. We discuss the ways in which men and women have experienced this differently, and the disproportionate impact of purity culture on women in particular. We dive into the detail on gender norms, sexual desire, the nature of arousal, power imbalances between men and women, the orgasm gap, and debunk some of the myths of purity culture. This is the first part of two conversations with Meg - and in an upcoming episode we talk about how to heal and move forward from purity culture and its impact on sex and relationships. [see below for some resource recommendations from Meg]
Get in touch via email: [email protected]
You can find Meg at: https://www.megcowan.com/ including info about her 'Shame Free Sex' course.
Recommended Resources from Meg:
Debunking the myth that men are more visual than women with regards to sex. Meta Analysis: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1904975116
BOOK MENTIONS
> Pure, by Linda Kay Klein
Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement that Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free
https://lindakayklein.com/pure/
> The Great Sex Rescue, by Sheila Wray Gregorie.
If you identify as a Christian, this is one of the better books out there on changing the narrative about sex and christian marriage.
https://baremarriage.com/great-sex-rescue/
> Come as you are, by Emily Nagowski
Essential reading on how desire and arousal actually work.
https://www.emilynagoski.com/home
Love and Respect (on the Do NOT read list!) A lot of the teaching around these concepts of Love and Respect is spread in church, due to the bestselling (but truly terrible) book on Christian Marriage called ‘Love and Respect’ by Emerson Eggerich. Read more about why it’s so awful on Sheila Wray Gregoire’s platforms: https://baremarriage.com/2019/01/love-and-respect-why-unconditional-respect-cant-work/
Why Jesus' death wasn't (and was) a sacrifice
In the Shift
05/09/19 • 31 min
Episode 14: Does God require the blood of an innocent man in order to forgive us? But if not, then what does the death of Jesus mean in the Christian tradition? In this episode, we examine the emergence of sacrificial rituals in ancient societies, the connection to violence and scapegoating, and how the death of Jesus can be understood as a rejection of sacrificial systems as the means to peace.
In the Flesh: Believing with our bodies
In the Shift
12/19/19 • 34 min
Episode 30: This is the final episode of the In the Flesh series, and we talk about where and how we store memory, what it means to 'know' something, how our bodies can surprise us about what we believe, and about the intersections between mysticism and revolution.
Moving Beyond Purity Culture - with Meg Cowan
In the Shift
10/17/22 • 55 min
Episode 71: This is the 2nd part of a conversation with Meg Cowan - sex and relationships coach. In this episode we talk about understanding our own sexuality, and how to find healthy ways of moving forward beyond the binaries of purity culture. We discuss the five circles of sexuality - intimacy, identity, sensuality, health & reproduction, and sexualisation. And we talk through some of the big issues in processing through and healing from purity culture, including attachments and soul ties, finding agency, cultivating a new sexual ethic, getting connected to our embodiment, somatics as a pathway to healing, and finding health in our relationships.
You can find Meg's work at www.megcowan.com or follow her on instagram.
Get in touch with In the Shift: [email protected]
Support In the Shift: www.patreon.com/intheshift
06/05/22 • 99 min
Episode 61: In this episode Michael has a conversation with narrative therapist Nicole Conner and megachurch survivor Jess Holdaway. Jess speaks of her journey through the megachurch, the impact on her body and her experience of trauma, as we weave in and out of a wider discussion on religious trauma, abuse of power and burn-out. They share reflections on institutional and religious gaslighting, how to know if you're in an abusive or toxic community, the signs of trauma, and some ways forward for those processing their experiences.
As always, get in touch at: [email protected]
For those looking for a little grounding after listening to this episode, you may find this meditation helpful. https://sanctuarymentalhealth.org/2020/03/17/meditation-and-self-care-during-covid-19/
Nicole Conner Nicole was born in Hamburg, Germany, and grew up in apartheid South Africa. This created an awareness of how religion can influence and serve a political ideology, and vice versa. Something to keep in mind when discussing religious trauma. Nicole’s formative years were not shaped by any strong religious ideas. As a teenager she joined a Pentecostal church in South Africa and was part of Pentecostalism for 3 decades. In Melbourne, Nicole was an Associate Minister at a large Pentecostal church that was led by her husband. She stepped down from her role and leadership in 2010. Since then, Nicole retrained in narrative practice that informs the therapy, supervision and organisational consulting she offers as director of her business, Defining Stories. https://definingstories.com.au A growing percentage of Nicole’s clients are people reclaiming their lives from religious ideologies and practices that had a negative and/or traumatic impact on their lives. Jess Holdaway Born in South Africa, Jess immigrated to Aotearoa with her family when she was 10 years old. Keen to find a community, Jess entered the megachurch scene as a 13 year old and spent 9 years volunteering and eventually working for the church. Since leaving church, she trained as a graphic designer and has spent most of her career working on projects that have a positive impact in Aotearoa. She has also birthed two beautiful human beings and relocated with her husband and children to the beachside town of Mangawhai. Always curious, always keen for deep conversations and passionate about creating a more collaborative future where people thrive, Jess is here for this conversation!Show more best episodes
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FAQ
How many episodes does In the Shift have?
In the Shift currently has 101 episodes available.
What topics does In the Shift cover?
The podcast is about Christianity, Religion & Spirituality and Podcasts.
What is the most popular episode on In the Shift?
The episode title 'Divine Intervention: "God Can't" with Dr Thomas Jay Oord' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on In the Shift?
The average episode length on In the Shift is 57 minutes.
How often are episodes of In the Shift released?
Episodes of In the Shift are typically released every 14 days, 4 hours.
When was the first episode of In the Shift?
The first episode of In the Shift was released on Oct 30, 2018.
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