Wonder As an Antidote to Religious Trauma (#298)

You Have Permission

Writer Sarah Southern joins me to share her deconstruction journey from fundamentalism to freedom. Sarah shares how her initial process was paralyzed by the infinite stakes of questioning faith, until wonder—particularly through Colorado's mountains—offered an unexpected path forward. Drawing on Abraham Heschel's wisdom about wonder as the foundation of religious experience, Sarah found that direct encounters with natural beauty provided a way to remain spiritually engaged while processing religious trauma. Rather than requiring doctrinal certainty, this approach created space for authentic exploration through direct experience of the sacred. For Patrons, our conversation continues with Sarah's travels to Salzburg and Japan, exploring how different cultural and religious traditions can expand our spiritual horizons even further.

Sarah's Instagram | sarahbsouthern

Sarah's Substack | @sarahsouthern

Sarah's Article | Embracing Violence

Highlights:

02:01 Navigating Deconstruction and Crises of Belief

05:50 The Impact of Fear and Violence in Faith

10:05 Cultural Evolution and Human Connection

15:55 Traveling Through Faith and Diversity

22:07 The Balance of Wonder and Fear in Faith

25:58 Finding Beauty in New Landscapes

Dan's New Substack | Religion on the Mind

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Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/

Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)

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