Spiritual Trauma Podcasts

Curated by...

Simon Kent Fung (he/him), host of Dear Alana,Why did you choose this theme?For the past two years, I’ve been revisiting my own experiences of conversion therapy and faith (I spent my twenties trying to change my sexual orientation in my attempt to become a priest). These podcasts helped me better understand the ways in which religion can both heal and harm.

PODCAST PICKS:Click on the podcast art to listen 👂

Part 1: Mom

EarBuds curator Simon Kent Fung created Dear Alana, after learning about the death of 24-year-old Alana Chen in Boulder, Colorado. Her story eerily mirrored his: she secretly pursued conversion therapy in her attempt to become a nun. Simon had to get to the bottom of what happened to her, and finally face what happened to him. 

The Turning: The Sisters Who LeftNo Turning BackThe first-hand accounts of nuns who left Mother Teresa’s community were both poignant and really challenging for EarBuds curator Simon Kent Fung. This episode dives into how complicated our relationships to our heroes can become the closer we get to them, and recognizes the ways in which the pursuit of an ideal can excuse unintended harm. 

The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill

Bonus Episode: Healing and Resurrection After Spiritual TraumaThis sprawling series offers a slow-motion play-by-play of the church built by internet celebrity pastor Mark Driscoll and his fusion of hustle theology and community bonding. The outrageousness of its leader was matched only by the willingness of his enablers. This episode investigates the roots of spiritual trauma.

The LiturgistsSpiritual TraumaIn this episode, trauma therapist Hillary McBride discusses the ways in which spiritual trauma can show up in our bodies and the physiological science behind healing.

Queerology: A Podcast on Belief and BeingJulien Baker is UncertainHost Julien’s eloquent and humble approach to questioning her faith was a balm in the swirl of grief that followed EarBuds curator Simon Kent Fung's reckoning with his past. Her embrace of the limits of certainty offer a path forward.

SPONSOR:

Instagram to follow: Podcast Cover Art

Podcast Cover Art is celebrating the diverse art of podcasts around the world, featuring shows from Brazil, the U.S., the U.K., and Australia.

Follow them on Instagram and submit your cover art to be featured.

Created by a passionate podcast listener and producer in Melbourne, Australia.

COMMUNITY:

🎤This week in Podcast The Newsletter: Lauren Passell writes, "Peabody award-winning producer Lea Thau is an expert storyteller, and her podcast Strangers is a knock-out, curious show that lets us wiggle into some of the most intimate moments of people’s lives, hear whispers of their secrets, and be thrown into their experiences. There hasn’t been an episode for awhile, but if you haven’t listened, set aside some time."🎙️The Honest Talk is Canada's leading podcast for professional women who are looking for more — out of themselves, out of their businesses and elected leaders, and out of the world around them. 

🔍Monash University’s Signal Award-winning podcast, What Happens Next?, returned for its eighth season. Each week, academic and commentator Dr. Susan Carland steps through the sliding doors with global experts to look at some of the biggest issues facing us today, while discovering what could happen if we don’t change, and what the world could look like if we do. 

✨Send your updates for us to include in our Community section. Submit!

CLASSIFIEDS:

🎤Check out the On The Mic Podcast Workshop, hosted by Rebecca Sananés every Tuesday 5pmPT / 8pmET. Meetings are one hour long, and run from September 12, 2023 to October 3, 2023.

Learn more about advertising with us.

PODCAST NEWS from Podnews:

• Fiction podcasters highlighted their efforts to unionize outside Amazon’s offices in New York City. 

• Editing tool Descript has purchased SquadCast, a remote recording service. The announcement says that the two services will continue separately for now, but Descript customers will get remote recording included immediately in their subscriptions for free, and SquadCast customers can choose to switch their subscription to Descript to get its editing capabilities at no additional cost.

• How much do your listeners want to promote your show? A Canadian politics show is paying people to get a tattoo of their podcast artwork. 

SPOTLIGHT:

Armchair Explorer

The Webby Award-nominated travel podcast, Armchair Explorer, is back for a new season.You're in for a treat with this season's new batch of adventures, including searching for snow leopards in the Himalayas, taking a covered wagon 2,000-miles along the Oregon Trail, and the first descent by kayak of the entire Amazon River. 

Advertise with usCurate a listSupport us on Patreon (we currently make $57/month, which almost covers the cost of Mailchimp!)