451: A Changing Society is Starving for Religious Systems to Meet them Where they Are

Series Title: Torn: Why People We Love are Leaving the Church & What We Can Learn from Them [Part II of III]

In this fascinating episode, guest author Jeff Strong & Valerie tackle several key points that Jeff courageously and gently addresses in his bestselling book Torn: Why People We Love are Leaving the Church & What We can Learn from Them.

Today, Jeff & Val lay out several culture issues that are pressuring the need for churches to adapt-not because people are becoming less and less "spiritual"...but because evolution is an upward spiral and human beings entering new stages of faith development have different needs. If these needs are not acknowledged; or if they are vilified, shamed, or pathologized- they will go away. We are seeing this at record rates in the LDS church. 

Listen in as Jeff and Valerie clarify not only why so many lifelong multi-generational Latter Day Saints are leaving--but also share how spiritual growth/ differientiation & community belonging need not be mutually exclusive.

Jeff's book Torn linked HERE

Timestamps:

00:00 Welcome and Book Setup

01:38 Recap and Survey Numbers

03:13 Seeing and Humility

10:12 Culture as Soil Metaphor

15:44 Acceptance and Faith Stages

25:19 Fear to Hope and Growth

29:18 Four Storms Shaping Belief

37:19 Culture Change and Margins

45:44 Diversity and Balanced Energy

51:05 Next Episode Preview and Closing