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PODCAST

Religion on the Mind

Interviews with experts, writers, psychologists and more on the intersection between psychology, religion and spirituality… with a little bit of cussing. dan@religiononthemind.com

religion & spirituality religion

All Episodes

82:45

Skillet’s Demonic Cover, AI Gospel Music & Trendy...

Religion on the Mind ·

2025/12/22

Religion on the News is back — (thanks to our patron Samantha for suggesting that series title!) Mason Mennenga joins me to round up the latest stories from faith, culture, and psychology.After acknowledging the tragedy of the mass shooting in Australia, we segue into the absurdity of Skillet—yes, the massive Christian rock band—getting "criticized" for making their Christmas hymn cover sound too demonic (spoiler: the controversy seems manufactured by two Twitter/X accounts with tiny followings)

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33:08

Modern Medicine is Still Religious (#365)

Religion on the Mind ·

2025/12/04

I sit down with Dr. Nathan Carlin, professor of medical humanities and author of The Secularization of Medicine, to explore his fascinating thesis that doctors have become the new priests of secular society. We trace how this shift began—from medieval cathedrals as the highest points in European cities to modern hospital skylines dominating places like Houston's Texas Medical Center, where people now make pilgrimages seeking salvation of the body rather than the soul. Nathan walks me through the

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70:34

AI Will Not Doom Us (Nor Climate Change) (#364)

Religion on the Mind ·

2025/12/01

We ease into today’s topic with a Top of Mind segment on two competing narratives: does having children make the future better? Or worse? From right-leaning fears of population collapse to left-leaning concerns about overpopulation and climate impact, both arguments rely on catastrophizing about opposing dystopian predictions, and I myself have not been immune to them. For our main interview, I’m joined by Kevin Kelly, founding editor of Wired magazine and author of the "thousand true fans" theory

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41:49

What is a ‘Theology of Culture’? (#360)

Religion on the Mind ·

2025/11/13

Matthew Burdette—Episcopal priest, theologian, and editor—joins me for a wide-ranging conversation about theology and culture. We cover a little bit of everything in this one!Matthew begins by telling me about his theology of culture, and how his approach allows God to remain distinct from culture while still being relevant to everything. We look at how both liberal and conservative Christianity can fail when they focus too much on either human goodness or human sinfulness. Matthew also

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27:55

When Fiction Reveals a Deeper Truth (#358)

Religion on the Mind ·

2025/11/06

Today I’m joined by my brother-in-law Cameron Reed and fellow therapist Gabe Cortez to explore fiction through the lens of psychology and spirituality.We’re planning a series of conversations on Religion & Fiction in which we look at literary short stories and make the case for why fiction matters—not as escapism, but as an essential way of understanding ourselves, building empathy, and accessing truths that nonfiction simply can't reach. We start by discussing the benefits of fiction broadly

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91:38

Clergy vs. ICE & Thiel’s Antichrist Lectures...

Religion on the Mind ·

2025/11/03

It’s a Religion News Roundup with podcaster and theologian Mason Mennenga, where we discuss the latest in religion-related current events. In this first episode trying out this new format, we explore why young people seem more open to spirituality than millennials were at their age, discuss clergy getting pepper-sprayed while protesting ICE detention centers, and unpack the wild story of gay billionaire Peter Thiel giving ticketed lectures about the Antichrist in San Francisco. We also chuckle at

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83:33

Why John Mark McMillan Walked Away From The Music...

Religion on the Mind ·

2025/10/27

I sit down with musician John Mark McMillan for an exclusive conversation about something I never thought I'd see—one of contemporary Christian music's most boundary-pushing artists stepping away from the touring life after nearly 20 years on the road. What starts as a discussion about the brutal economics of modern music—the streaming pennies, the oversaturated venue landscape, the mounting tour costs—quickly becomes something richer: a meditation on what music is actually for. John Mark shares

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11:07

Theology Beer Camp Update

Religion on the Mind ·

2025/10/23

Here's a little update after our weekend in St. Paul, MN for Theology Beer Camp 2025. See you on Monday with our regular episode!___________________________________________ Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/ Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/ Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankoch Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.com YHP Patron-only

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111:07

Cognitive Distortions & Religion, Pt 1: Should/Must...

Religion on the Mind ·

2025/10/20

I'm launching a new series diving deep into cognitive distortions—those sneaky thinking errors we all fall into—and exploring how they show up at the intersection of psychology and religion. In this first episode, I tackle "Should/Must statements" with research psychologist Laird Edman. We go way beyond the therapy textbooks to explore how these rigid internal rules can either guide us toward our values or trap us in cycles of shame and perfectionism, examine why our brains evolved to be so

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78:50

Charlie Kirk: Martyr? (#354)

Religion on the Mind ·

2025/10/13

I sit down with John Hawthorne, retired Christian university sociology professor and author of The Fearless Christian University, to unpack the troubling martyrdom narrative emerging around Charlie Kirk's assassination. We explore how Kirk is being weaponized as an icon by Christian nationalist ambassadors while everyday adherents struggle to make sense of senseless violence through familiar theological frameworks. John and I compare the Kirk situation to George Floyd—not as moral equivalents, but

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32:30

You Have Permission is now Religion on the Mind

Religion on the Mind ·

2025/10/02

It’s a new name, new art… and the rest is pretty much the same content you know and love on the overlap of psychology, religion and spirituality.My teammates Josh Gilbert and Joy Vetterlein join me for a quick chat about our rebrand of this podcast (It’s a glow-up, but Dan wants everyone to know those are Joy’s words and not his words). We talk about why the change now, what it represents in the context of the culture at large and share about upcoming series and episodes in the works. Listen in

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175:30

Tripp Fuller: Does Original Sin Need a Comeback? (#352)

Religion on the Mind ·

2025/09/29

Friend of the pod Tripp Fuller joins me in full Dodgers gear (the audacity!) to discuss why the doctrine of original sin desperately needs a comeback—not the toxic version that told us we couldn't trust our own emotions or experiences, but a robust theological framework that actually explains the mess we're living in. We unpack how the concept of original sin operates on three interconnected levels: individual, communal, and structural. We tear apart Augustine's outdated biology while rescuing his

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95:01

Powerful Men & Their Terrible Fathers (#351)

Religion on the Mind ·

2025/09/22

Attention YHP Listeners: Starting in October, the podcast You Have Permission will change its name to Religion on the Mind. This rebrand will come with new artwork and focus more broadly on the overlap of Psychology, Religion & Spirituality. We look forward to telling you more in the coming days… stay tuned!I sit down with previous guest Matt Naylor from the Milkless podcast to explore a disturbing pattern he discovered through a simple Google experiment: searching for public figures known for

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64:23

Charlie Kirk & The Psychology of Evolution (#350)

Religion on the Mind ·

2025/09/18

In this week’s Top of Mind segment, I address the Charlie Kirk assassination through cognitive distortions, calling out the all-or-nothing thinking that's turning him into either a blessed martyr or democracy's destroyer when the reality is more nuanced. I also push back against the dangerous idea that speech equals violence, pointing out that Kirk's murder serves as a stark reminder that actual bullets—not words—constitute real violence.For this week’s main episode, I’m going solo. I start by

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80:02

The Gospel of Self-Optimization (#349)

Religion on the Mind ·

2025/09/15

My fellow Beach Boys fan and returning guest David Zahl is back to discuss his provocative critique of self-optimization culture in his Plough Quarterly piece "Against Self-Optimization.” As someone who has maximized my morning routine to a science, I wrestle with my own efficiency obsession and David's argument that our machine-like language and relentless pursuit of becoming "optimized" versions of ourselves is fundamentally dehumanizing. We look at how Jesus wasn't particularly efficient, how

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36:49

Live Patron Q&A: Audience Capture, IFS & Podcast Hosting

Religion on the Mind ·

2025/08/28

Last week I hosted a live Q&A session for our Patrons—one of the perks that comes with a YHP Patreon membership (now on sale for 42% off an annual subscription with code BIRTHDAY). We spent a good portion of the time talking about the concept of “audience capture” and this podcast in particular, and whether I've been shaped by what my listeners want to hear rather than staying true to my own interests and convictions. I admit I might be constitutionally allergic to giving people what they want and

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36:25

Go to Bed Angry (#344)

Religion on the Mind ·

2025/08/21

My 42nd birthday sale is LIVE! Join as an Annual Member of my Patreon to get 42% off through September 1 and enjoy ad-free access to Patron-exclusive content like this!In today’s bonus episode, team member Joy Vetterlein and I tackle what might be the most commonly given piece of marriage advice at wedding receptions: "don't go to bed angry." After seeing comedian Leanne Morgan flip this conventional wisdom on its head during a Colbert appearance, we dive into why this advice became so

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107:19

GGCH: Liberal Card Holders In Good Standing & Media...

Religion on the Mind ·

2025/08/18

Get 42% off a YHP annual Patreon membership, while we celebrate Dan’s 42nd birthday! (Ends Sept 1st) ~Use code “BIRTHDAY”~ It’s time for another Generation Gap Culture Hour (Full Episode Special), where Dan Koch sits down with Tony Jones and Josh Gilbert to peel back some layers about self-reflection, media habits, and big financial decisions, all through their differing generational perspectives. ___________________________________________ Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/ Or

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144:05

Brian Wilson's Faith & Music (#332)

Religion on the Mind ·

2025/06/30

I'm joined by David Zahl, returning YHP guest and editor-in-chief of Mockingbird's online magazine. David is also a massive Beach Boys/Brian Wilson fan like myself, so I knew he would be perfect to talk with about what we know about Brian Wilson's personal faith and spirituality. We also celebrate what his music has meant to us personally, playing a lot of song clips along the way. This is a dual-feed episode on both the You Have Permission and Pretty Good Vibrations feeds because the content feels

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33:43

Live Patron Q&A: Dan's Creative Process, Clergy Abuse...

Religion on the Mind ·

2025/06/26

Last week I hosted a Q&A session for You Have Permission Patreon subscribers, and we had a great time! Topics included:Christianity's anthropological influence on Western culture How Christian principles have shaped secular humanism and individual rights movements Dan's experience working his first sustained nine-to-five schedule and with college-aged clients How spiritual abuse research specifically affects clergy members rather than just congregants, touching on concepts like "burn

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68 results

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