Filthy Hope | Faith. No Filter.

Filthy Hope
  • 5.0 (14)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

The Podcast that talks Faith. No Filter. Got questions about God you don’t feel like you can ask in church? Drawn to Jesus, but disconnected from the polished, clean-cut side of religion? You’re not alone, and you’re in the right place. This is Filthy Hope. A safe space for conversations about Jesus, life, and the grey areas in-between. Join Rev. Ness, Rev. Jon, and our guests as we explore tough and taboo topics, like doubt, hardship, trauma, shame, and finding hope through it all.

  1. 2 days ago

    Is religion good or bad?: hope, harm & the dangers of blind faith

    Has religion done more harm than good? 0:00 – Intro: Faith. No Filter. 1:34 – The cringe of being a minister 4:30 – Redefining religion beyond institutional rules 7:13 – When extreme orthodoxy weaponises faith 10:02 – The dangers of blind faith 12:26 – Splitting into tribes: Internal Church Conflict 15:15 – The isolation of the Religious Boys Club 20:34 – Facing the harsh reality of religious abuse 23:01 – True Ministry and sacrificial community outreach 25:47 – Good religion, bad religion & why you're allowed to say both In this episode of Filthy Hope, hosts Rev Ness Williams-Henke and Rev Jon Humphries lean straight into one of the most polarising questions of our time: Is religion fundamentally good or bad? Together, they break down the structural barriers, the social isolation, and the historical traumas embedded in organised religion, while refusing to throw out the baby with the holy water. They examine how faith turns toxic when it silences critical thinking, enforces rigid hierarchies, or subjects people to spiritual abuse. Yet, shifting from grit to grace, they uncover the profound, unconditional beauty of community-driven faith: global charities, historical learning institutions, and localised trauma support services that offer healing with absolutely no strings attached. This conversation offers a raw, radically honest look at the worst failures of institutional faith alongside its most redemptive elements, providing a safe space to navigate the complex grey areas of modern spirituality. #FilthyHope #ChristianPodcast #Deconstruction #SpiritualAbuse #GritWithGrace #FaithNoFilter #ReligiousTrauma #MessyFaith #UnconditionalLove

    Is religion good or bad?: hope, harm & the dangers of blind faith

  2. 30 Aug

    Human nature: beyond the binary of good vs evil

    Are we fundamentally broken, or just missing the mark? 0:00 – Intro: Faith. No Filter. 3:41 – Redefining the concept of sin 7:07 – Selfishness and human early development 10:43 – Realities of modern family chaos 14:09 – The complex sliding scale of morality 16:46 – Statistics: almost every prisoner was abused as a child 21:11 – Survival instincts vs. internal compass 24:46 – Finding true holy spirit connection 28:18 – Navigating codes of social ethics 31:55 – True restoration over immediate judgment In this episode of Filthy Hope, hosts Rev Ness Williams-Henke and Rev Jon Humphries take an unflinching look into the muddy waters of human morality. Stepping far outside generic platitudes, they dissect the concept of sin from its traditional constraints, analyzing how initial biological development, childhood environments, and severe trauma deeply script human actions. From intense domestic flashpoints to staggering statistics regarding institutional incarceration, they question the validity of dividing society into absolute binaries of good versus evil. By sharing heavy personal history alongside community insights, the conversation explores how our inner directions can be intentionally re-evaluated and fundamentally altered. They transition away from black-and-white judgment toward a dynamic alignment, centered on radical understanding, grace, and redemption. #FilthyHope #ChristianPodcast #FaithNoFilter #GritAndGrace #OriginalSin #GoodvsEvil #Deconstruction #HumanNature #TraumaInformed #EmpathyOverJudgment

    Human nature: beyond the binary of good vs evil

  3. 24 Aug

    The power of rituals: why endings & beginnings matter

    When did we decide that milestones are too expensive, too religious, or just too much damn effort?0:00 – Intro: Faith. No Filter.2:15 – The modern death of funerals4:33 – Ritual is the punctuation in a sentence6:48 – Paralysed by an unmarked death9:03 – Burying Blacky the goldfish11:18 – Baptism: the capital letter that starts a life13:33 – "This is dumb": trying to skip my own graduation16:55 – Ritual changes nothing, but it changes everything18:03 – Friday night ritual fatigue20:18 – Making the silent universe give a tossIn this episode of Filthy Hope, hosts Rev Ness Williams-Henke and Rev Jon Humphries discuss the big C’s of human ritual: commemoration, commiseration and celebration. Spurred by a chilling trend of families skipping funerals to save cash or cut corners, they dissect the spiritual and psychological fallout of living without "full stops." From the lingering agony of a sibling who never got to say goodbye, to the absolute absurdity of hosting an immediate, wet funeral for a kid's pet goldfish, this conversation exposes our desperate, deep-seated need to mark our endings out loud.Ness opens up with radical vulnerability about her own cynical attempt to boycott her Master's degree graduation, only to find herself sobbing uncontrollably the second the academic robe hit her shoulders. It is an unflinching look at how structure, community presence, and intentional focus wrap our hearts around realities we try desperately to ignore. Whether you are mourning a saint, cutting ties with a scumbag, or celebrating a win you don't think you deserve, this episode proves that rituals change absolutely nothing out in the physical world, but they change absolutely everything inside of us.#FilthyHope #GritWithGrace #FaithNoFilter #GriefJourney #ThePowerOfRitual #HonestConversations #UnresolvedGrief #Funerals #SayingGoodbye #CommunityConnection

    The power of rituals: why endings & beginnings matter

  4. 17 Aug

    The art of saying goodbye: lessons from a lifetime of funerals

    CONTENT WARNING: This episode discusses death, dying, funerals. Please take care listening. For support, you can reach out to: Lifeline 13 11 14 or Griefline 1300 845 745. Why do funerals bring out the best and the worst in us? 0:00 – Content warning 2:13 – Intro: Faith. No filter. 2:36 – Two clergy, a lifetime of funeral stories 4:47 – Jon's "year of death" 7:35 – An open casket with nothing to view 8:46 – A mother jumps on the coffin 10:30 – Behind the curtain at the crematorium 15:54 – A party in the palliative care room 21:32 – A fight breaks out mid-eulogy 24:41 – Glitter, bubbles and sticky notes 29:31 – The cost of avoiding grief In this episode of Filthy Hope, hosts Rev Ness Williams-Henke and Rev Jon Humphries take off the pastoral filters to have a radically honest conversation about death, dying, and their wildest experiences presiding over funerals. From family fights erupting at the lectern to grieving mothers throwing themselves onto lower caskets, they expose the raw grit of human pain when modern life breaks down completely. But it's not just shock value and dark humor. Ness and Jon dig deep into the sociological and spiritual costs of our sanitized, fast-paced death culture, calling out the tragedy of modern "McFunerals" that rush families through their pain. By exploring bizarre, beautiful, and deeply personal celebrations—featuring bubble machines, sticky notes, and heavy metal bling—they map out how reclaiming authentic rituals is the only way to slow down, process raw trauma, and discover real, enduring hope in the trenches of grief. #FilthyHope #GriefAndLoss #RadicalHonesty #FuneralDisasters #MessyFaith #LifeAndDeath #PastoralCare #McFunerals #HopeInTheDark

    The art of saying goodbye: lessons from a lifetime of funerals

  5. 10 Aug

    Faith through cancer: stories of grief, hope & unanswered prayers

    CONTENT WARNING: This episode discusses cancer, terminal illness, death and dying, including a detailed description of a death at home. Please take care listening. For support, you can reach out to: Lifeline 13 11 14, Cancer Council 13 11 20, or Griefline 1300 845 745. Do you pray expecting a miracle, or expecting reality? 0:00 – Trigger warning: cancer, death & dying 1:04 – Intro: Faith. No filter. 3:23 – Ness’s father: terminal diagnosis with 3 months to live 6:45 – Rejecting polite religious rituals 10:08 – Unexplained shrinking of tumors 13:30 – Mindset and the biology of wellness 16:53 – Jon’s father: a rapid and aggressive decline 20:15 – Dark humor at the deathbed 23:38 – Dismantling the myth of peaceful passing 27:00 – The isolation of public everyday grief 31:15 – Redefining the true anatomy of miracles In this episode of Filthy Hope, hosts Reverend Ness Williams-Henke and Reverend Jon Humphries lay down their guards to have a raw, unfiltered conversation about cancer, death, and the limits of human control. Sharing two radically opposing stories about their own fathers' battles with disease, they explore the dizzying space between a miraculous, decades-long survival and a swift, agonized passing. The hosts pull no punches as they wrestle with their own internal theological friction, debating whether we should pray with aggressive supernatural expectancy or with grounded, clear-eyed reality. Moving past sanitised church platitudes, this discussion provides a gritty, deeply empathetic look at how to find genuine grace, operational peace, and deep human connection right in the middle of active loss. #FilthyHope #FaithNoFilter #ChristianPodcast #GritWithGrace #GriefAndLoss #CancerSucks #CancerJourney #FaithUnfiltered #Miracles #DeathAndDying #TerminalDiagnosis #TheologyOfSuffering

    Faith through cancer: stories of grief, hope & unanswered prayers

  6. 3 Aug

    Are miracles real?: faith, suffering & why some prayers go answered

    What happens when you pray your heart out, but the miracle never comes? 0:00 – Intro: Faith. No filter. 0:39 – Ness’s heart block miracle 2:09 – Sitting with the team who don't get healed 6:00 – Challenging rigid religious systems 9:00 – The guilt of selective healing 15:00 – The exhaustion of unanswered prayers 17:22 – “God is not Oprah” 21:00 – The mystery of divine timing 24:00 – Validating anger toward God 26:41 – Finding hope in permanent loss In this episode of Filthy Hope, hosts Rev Ness Williams-Henke and Rev Jon Humphries sit on opposite sides of the same question: Are miracles real? In this raw, unfiltered conversation, our hosts dive into the spectrum of miracles and the painful realities of faith. Balancing Ness's shocking cardiac recovery with Jon’s lived experience of losing his father to cancer, they dissect why the church's traditional vocabulary around divine healing often leaves grieving people out in the cold. Instead of hiding behind generic platitudes, the hosts track the messy journey through physical agony, survivor's guilt, and the mystery of a God who sometimes provides logistics while leaving the disease untouched. Ultimately, this conversation reframes the ultimate miracle: not as a magical exit from human suffering, but as the stubborn ability to find joy, connection, and grace right in the middle of our harshest realities. #FilthyHope #FaithNoFilter #ChristianPodcast #GritAndGrace #Miracles #UnansweredPrayer #GriefAndLoss #FaithAndDoubt #DivineHealing #UnitingChurch

    Are miracles real?: faith, suffering & why some prayers go answered

  7. 27 July

    Questioning God: neurodivergent, queer & keeping faith

    Content Warning: this episode references suicidal ideation and psychiatric hospitalisation. If you need support, reach out to Lifeline on 13 11 14.What happens when your church says your neurodivergence “makes people uncomfortable”? 0:00 – Intro: Faith. No Filter.1:39 – Doubting the “miracle stuff”3:22 – The discomfort of church culture6:30 – Embracing religious doubts and questions9:47 – The bible's core message10:57 – Kicked out of church for being "too much"15:04 – Jesus answers questions with more questions19:42 – Rejecting absolute certainty in faith23:01 – Finding your community26:03 – Everything she swore she'd never become28:13 – Discovering hard-won Joy in dark placesIn this episode of Filthy Hope, hosts Rev Ness Williams-Henke and Rev Jon Humphries welcome back Rachel for a radically transparent discussion on the intersection of autism, asexuality, and faith deconstruction. Rachel shares her journey of walking out on exclusionary church groups, recovering from a severe mental health crisis, and rediscovering her musical voice within a safe, authentic environment. The conversation strips away corporate religious jargon to explore what it means to live out grace when traditional ideas of instant miracles fall short.Together, they challenge the idea that faith requires absolute certainty, highlighting instead how asking hard questions opens the door to genuine personal growth. From humorous reflections on the absolute simplest summary of scripture to the raw reality of leaning on lifelines during survival moments, this episode offers a grounded blueprint for sitting with the messy elements of life while actively manufacturing joy.#FilthyHope #FaithDeconstruction #FaithNoFilter #QueerChristian #NeurodiversityInChurch #MentalHealthSurvival #RadicalGrace #ModernMiracles #AutismAndFaith #ADHDAndFaith

    Questioning God: neurodivergent, queer & keeping faith

  8. 20 July

    The chaplain's daughter: from psychiatric ward to finding your purpose

    ⚠️ CONTENT WARNING: This episode discusses depression, panic attacks, hospitalisation and a disclosed low point involving suicidal thoughts. If any of this affects you, Lifeline is available 24/7 on 13 11 14. What does faith look like from a psych ward bed?0:00 – Trigger warning0:30 – Intro: Faith. No filter.1:26 – Meet Rachel. 25-year-old musician raised in the church4:18 – Diagnosed with ADHD at age 1117:27 – A senior school rejection breaks her spirit22:13 – A panic attack derails the stage she once loved24:37 – Hospitalised in a psych ward26:44 – Coming to terms with being asexual and queer31:26 – Finding her way back to music and worshipIn this episode of Filthy Hope, hosts Rev Ness Williams-Henke and Rev Jon Humphries sit down with Rachel Humphries (Jon's own daughter) for the first of a two-part conversation. Raised as a Chaplain’s kid inside the school he worked in, Rachel grew up believing music was her calling, until a private-school culture that prized "excellence" over commitment told her otherwise. What followed were years of depression and PTSD, a panic attack that took her off a stage she'd never feared, and a night she told her mum she wasn't "good”, words that landed her in a psych ward.Together they wrestle with the harder questions: how do you hold onto faith when the place that raised you also broke you? What does healing look like when you're queer, asexual and self-sacrificing to a fault? Rachel doesn't offer easy answers: she calls herself "a terrible Christian" in the same breath she talks about leading worship every week. But she's back on stage, fronting a band, and figuring out grace one gig, one Sunday, and one honest conversation at a time.#FilthyHope #ChristianPodcast #GritWithGrace #FaithNoFilter #ChaplainsKid #PsychWard #MentalHealthAndFaith #AsexualAndChristian #QueerAndChristian #WorshipLeader

    The chaplain's daughter: from psychiatric ward to finding your purpose
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5
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The Podcast that talks Faith. No Filter. Got questions about God you don’t feel like you can ask in church? Drawn to Jesus, but disconnected from the polished, clean-cut side of religion? You’re not alone, and you’re in the right place. This is Filthy Hope. A safe space for conversations about Jesus, life, and the grey areas in-between. Join Rev. Ness, Rev. Jon, and our guests as we explore tough and taboo topics, like doubt, hardship, trauma, shame, and finding hope through it all.

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