Unholier Than Thou
Unholier Than Thou is for anyone who has ever questioned the beliefs they were told they weren't allowed to question.
We unpack religion, religious trauma, deconstruction, cult dynamics, purity culture, spiritual abuse, and the cultural beliefs that shape how we see ourselves and the world around us.
Through raw conversations, personal stories, and thought provoking interviews, we explore what happens when you stop accepting inherited beliefs as unquestionable truth. We talk to survivors, former believers, therapists, authors, pastors, spiritual seekers, and people who have walked away from the systems that once defined them.
This isn't about telling you what to believe. It's about giving you permission to ask better questions.
Question the narrative. Challenge the paradigm. Expand your perspective.
If you're ready to think for yourself, you're in the right place.
Welcome to the conversations you weren't supposed to have.
#exvangelical
#deconstruction
#religioustrauma
#SpiritualAbuse
#FaithDeconstruction
#MentalHealthMatters
#CrimeAndConsequences
Episodes
82 episodes
The Pastor Was an Addict: What His Wife Couldn't Tell the Church
What happens when the man standing in the pulpit every Sunday is secretly battling alcoholism...and his wife is the one carrying the weight of it behind closed doors?In this powerful conversation, I sit down with Sam, a former pastor’s w...
Their Pastor Controlled Who They Could Talk To | Paul & Toby's Story
How much authority should a pastor have over your life?Paul and Toby spent years inside an Independent Fundamental Baptist church where loyalty, obedience, and spiritual authority were deeply intertwined. What they experienced was not on...
MENTAL HELL: Are You Living in Plato’s Cave? What Deconstruction Reveals | Caitlin
What if the reality you’ve been taught isn’t the whole story?In this episode of Unholier Than Thou, I sit down with Caitlin, an influential voice in the deconstruction community, for a fascinating conversation about what ...
Is Meditation Really a Portal for Demons? | Paul Davis Explains
For years, many Christians have been taught that meditation, certain spiritual practices, and anything outside of traditional Christianity can open the door to demonic influence.But is that actually biblical?Or have fear-based tea...
THE MICA MILLER CASE: The Pastor, the Church & Everything They Didn’t Want You to Know
In this episode of Unholier Than Thou, I’m joined by my husband Ryan -aka Smitty - as we take a deep dive into the history and timeline behind one of the most talked-about and controversial cases in recent true crime.Mica Miller’s...
From Pastor’s Daughter to Deconstruction| Reba’s Journey Out of the IFB
What happens when you grow up believing you have the truth, but start asking questions anyway?In this episode of Unholier Than Thou, I’m joined by Reba, who was raised in an Independent Fundamental Baptist (IFB) church as a past...
You left religion. Now who are you? | Audra Phelps
Leaving a religious system can change far more than what you believe. It can force you to question your identity, your values, your relationships, your role as a parent, and even your understanding of who you are.In this episode of U...
What Happens When We Die? A Conversation on Death, Deconstruction & the Search for Truth | Melissa Farley
What happens when we die? It's one of the oldest questions humanity has ever asked, and in this episode of Unholier Than Thou, Melissa Farley and I explore it through the lens of faith, deconstruction, and curiosity.Melissa, co-...
She Told the Church. They Did Nothing. | Alicia Hall's Story25 YEARS LATER...
She was only 9 years old when she says her pastor's son and piano teacher, Travis Huse, sexually abused her. When she finally told the pastor's wife years later, she says the church failed to act.In this powerful episode, Alicia Hall sh...
How Cults Control Your Mind | Isabella Young on Brainwashing, Trauma & Freedom
How do cults gain control over people's minds...and what does it take to break free?In this powerful episode of Unholier Than Thou, I sit down with Isabella Young, author of Putting on the Armour of God an...
Former Worship Leader Reveals Why She Left Christianity | Church Hurt, Abuse & Deconstruction
What happens when the church that taught you about God also becomes the source of your deepest wounds?In this episode of Unholier Than Thou, I sit down with Nikki, a former worship leader whose journey began in a Pentecostal churc...
Why are so many Christians deconstructing their faith? With Dr. Amanda Udis-Kessler-
In this episode of Unholier Than Thou, I sit down with Dr. Amanda Udis-Kessler- a progressive Christian pastor, sociologist, ethicist, author, and sacred music composer-for a thoughtful conversation about one of the most debated m...
The Grief We Never Prepare For | Grief, Suicide & Healing with Dr. Alyssa
When the Helpers Hurt: Grief, Suicide & Finding Hope | With Dr. AlyssaThe deconstruction and survivor communities are grieving the heartbreaking loss of Ryan Stollar—a respected advocate, writer, and tireless voice for abuse s...
Part 2: Who Really Runs the World? | Tim Kelly
In Part 2 of my conversation with Tim Kelly, we go even deeper into the theories, philosophies, and historical narratives surrounding power, consciousness, centralized control, and humanity's future.This episode explores topics ranging ...
PART 1 | Hidden History, UFOs, Secret Societies & the Truth About Humanity | Tim Kelly
What if the story of humanity is far older - and far stranger - than we've been told?In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, I sit down with researcher Tim Kelly for a deep dive into some of the most controversial and fascinating quest...
Perimenopause, Low Testosterone & The Hormonal Plot Twist No One Warned Us About
Perimenopause, Low Testosterone & The Hormonal Plot Twist No One Warned Us AboutWhy your body feels different, your libido disappears, and what you can do about it.Welcome back to Cocktail...
Sex, Shame & Purity Culture: The Hidden Damage Nobody Talks About | Dr. Alyssa - Licensed Sex Therapist
Purity Culture Changed My Sex Life!What happens when the messages we receive about sex, purity, modesty, and desire become deeply embedded in the way we think about ourselves, our bodies, and our relationships?In this pow...
Ex-Bodyguard Exposes Pat Robertson: The Dark Truth Behind The 700 Club w/ David R. Wilcox
What really happened behind the closed doors of CBN and The 700 Club? Pat Robertson’s former personal bodyguard, David R. Wilcox, joins Unholier to expose the shocking disconnect between a public faith healer and private power broker....
THE RAPTURE FRAUD: Why Church Kept You Trapped in the "Waiting Room" (w/ Shawn Helgerson)
Are you constantly living in fear of the end times? Do you feel like your entire life has been a "waiting room" for heaven while you miss out on actually living?In this explosive episode of The Unholier Podcast, host Jenn...
BONUS EPISODE: Kickin’ It Solo - Single Parents Don’t Need Saving, They Need Support.
In this very first solo bonus episode, I’m opening up about my experience navigating single parenthood — the exhaustion, the survival mode, the judgment, and the strength it took to keep going when life felt impossibly heavy.This episod...
Why Your Church Called Your Anxiety "Demonic" (And Why They Lied) Ann Russo
If you’ve ever been told your depression was a "lack of faith," or that your boundary-setting was "rebellion," this episode is for you.In this powerful episode of the Unholier Podcast, we sit down with therapist and author Ann ...
The Tithing Trap: A Former Pentecostal Minister Exposes Church Control
What happens when a man dedicated to protecting the community and preaching the Word starts to see the cracks in the foundation?In this episode of the Unholier Podcast, we sit down with Shawn Towers, a former police officer...
Unholier Podcast: Cocktails & Confessions 🍹✨
Is it a sin or just a Sunday? Grab a drink and pull up a chair as we deconstruct the "holy" chaos of the Independent Fundamental Baptist (IFB) movement. This week, we’re joined by fellow escapee Kristin Watson for a much-needed palate cleans...
The Truth About "Rapture Practice": Paula Yost on Why You’re Still Stuck in Survival Mode
**Is Your Nervous System Stuck in Survival Mode? | The Trauma of "Rapture Practice" & Purity Culture**Did you grow up "practicing" for the Rapture? Do you still feel a spike of panic when you can’t find your parents, or feel a deep-...
Breaking the Cycle: From IFB Fundamentalism to Healing & Deconstruction: Jenny Smith Pt 3
🚨 SHE’S FINALLY SPEAKING OUT.The system is broken, and Jenny has the receipts to prove it. In the explosive conclusion to our 3-part series, we’re pulling back the curtain on the family court nightmare that almost cost a mother ev...