Episode 41: The Kid in the Bookstore

Matthew Burkholder joins the podcast to share his experience of growing up immersed in purity culture, starting all the way back as a kid in a Christian bookstore surrounded by the key texts of that ideology. We talk about the lasting damage that can be done by teaching children to hate the natural things that make them human, and the subsequent roadblocks that are created that can get in the way of healthy spirituality. We also chat about his journey into academia, as he's now working on his PhD in Theological Studies through Wycliffe College, how that has affected his faith, and why he's made the decision to step away from the label "evangelical".

Content warnings: self-harm, suicide

Theology Jam, Matthew's podcast with Dr. Jon Korkidakis: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/theology-jam/id1577928391