Honoring the Journey

Leslie Nease
  • 5.0 (1)
  • RELIGION
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Life is a journey, and we’re all walking our own unique path. But every now and then, we get the chance to step onto someone else’s path, to see the world from their perspective, and to learn from their experiences. That’s what we do here on Honoring the Journey. We walk alongside others, explore their stories, and then step back onto our own path—hopefully with new insights, deeper understanding, and a broader perspective for the journey ahead. Honoring the Journey is hosted by Leslie Nease, a former Christian Radio Host, Speaker & Writer and Contestant on Survivor China known as "Sister Christian". Leslie has since deconstructed her Evangelical beliefs, but is still deeply connected to God and is seeking to understand faith from every perspective. Let's journey together!

  1. "What the Hell Did You Expect Me to Do": Honoring the Journey of Chris Kratzer

    11 HRS AGO

    "What the Hell Did You Expect Me to Do": Honoring the Journey of Chris Kratzer

    Today, Leslie speaks with Chris Kratzer, a former Lutheran and Southern Baptist evangelical pastor who spent over 20 years in ministry before undergoing a profound faith deconstruction. Chris shares how ambition and ego initially drove him into the contemporary megachurch world, how a series of personal crises — including a near-suicide — forced him into radical honesty about his faith, and how he eventually became an affirming, progressive voice for those questioning religion. He and Leslie discuss the cult-like control mechanisms of evangelicalism, the cost of leaving (financially, relationally, and emotionally), and how stepping away ultimately felt like resurrection rather than loss. Chris also talks about his two books and his mission as a writer: to expose the harms of conservative evangelicalism and to give voice to those who feel alone in their deconstruction journey. Pick up Chris' books on Amazon. What the Hell Did You Expect Me to Do? by Chris Kratzer Honoring the Journey is hosted, produced and edited by Leslie Nease and the artwork for the show is also created by Leslie Nease. Pick up Leslie's book, Honoring the Journey: The Deconstruction of Sister Christian here. Interested in working with Leslie as your Life/Faith Transitions Coach? Check out her website and learn more about what she offers! https://www.leslieneasecoaching.com If you'd like to be a part of the Honoring the Journey Team on Substack, click here! You can find her work and also support her financially if you desire. Would you like to leave a voicemail for Leslie? Click here! If you are looking for community as you deconstruct or just a place to go and enjoy the company of people who are seekers, learners and who are looking to connect with the Divine without religious baggage, please join the Private Facebook Community!  Leslie is very passionate about connection and community, so if that sounds like you, please come join us!   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    1h 1m
  2. Honoring the Journey: A Deep Dive Into Quantum Theology

    MAY 18

    Honoring the Journey: A Deep Dive Into Quantum Theology

    This special episode of Honoring the Journey is an insightful group conversation between Leslie and five guests — physicist Jenny Nielsen, mathematician-turned-writer Nish Dubashia, theologian John Van de Lair (South Africa), philosopher Eric English, and author/publisher Keith Giles — all contributors to the anthology book Quantum Theology, Volume 1. The discussion begins with playful introductions and embarrassing playlist confessions before diving into the core thesis: that quantum physics — particularly concepts like entanglement, non-locality, and the wave function — may scientifically validate what mystics and early Christians have long taught about the interconnectedness of all things and humanity's inseparability from God. The guests explore how quantum thinking reframes traditional Christian doctrines around sin, salvation, the nature of God, the devil, and prayer, arguing that the illusion of separation from God is the root of spiritual dysfunction, and that concepts like coherence and entanglement map surprisingly well onto the teachings of Jesus and Paul. The conversation closes with each guest sharing their diverse religious backgrounds — Catholic, Hindu, Methodist, Baptist, and non-religious — all of which converged on this same quantum-informed spirituality, and Keith encourages anyone curious to pick up the book on Amazon, with Volume 2 already in progress. Get your copy of Quantum Theology HERE! Honoring the Journey is hosted, produced and edited by Leslie Nease and the artwork for the show is also created by Leslie Nease. Pick up Leslie's book, Honoring the Journey: The Deconstruction of Sister Christian here. Interested in working with Leslie as your Life/Faith Transitions Coach? Check out her website and learn more about what she offers! https://www.leslieneasecoaching.com If you'd like to be a part of the Honoring the Journey Team on Substack, click here! You can find her work and also support her financially if you desire. Would you like to leave a voicemail for Leslie? Click here! If you are looking for community as you deconstruct or just a place to go and enjoy the company of people who are seekers, learners and who are looking to connect with the Divine without religious baggage, please join the Private Facebook Community!  Leslie is very passionate about connection and community, so if that sounds like you, please come join us!   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    1h 11m
  3. From Fear to Freedom: Honoring the Journey of Pastor Joe Smith

    MAY 11

    From Fear to Freedom: Honoring the Journey of Pastor Joe Smith

    Today, Leslie sits down with Pastor Joe Smith, who leads Maison Church in Gainesville, Florida — a progressive, welcoming congregation formed from a merger of two churches. Joe shares his faith deconstruction journey, beginning in the Free Will Baptist tradition, where childhood teachings instilled deep fear of hell and the rapture. He traces his gradual shift away from fundamentalism, sparked by the birth of his daughter in 2002 and questions about gender hierarchy, accelerated by the political climate, and deepened during the COVID-19 shutdown when he had time to deeply study queer inclusion theology through books like Unclobbered and Changing Our Minds. The conversation explores themes of religious trauma, Christian nationalism, HSPs (highly sensitive people) and deconstruction, evolving views on sin and repentance, universalism, and the difference between certainty and faith — with both Leslie and Joe reflecting candidly on their own journeys out of fear-based religion and into a more inclusive, love-centered spirituality. You can find Joe on Instagram! Honoring the Journey is hosted, produced and edited by Leslie Nease and the artwork for the show is also created by Leslie Nease. Pick up Leslie's book, Honoring the Journey: The Deconstruction of Sister Christian here. Interested in working with Leslie as your Life/Faith Transitions Coach? Check out her website and learn more about what she offers! https://www.leslieneasecoaching.com If you'd like to be a part of the Honoring the Journey Team on Substack, click here! You can find her work and also support her financially if you desire. Would you like to leave a voicemail for Leslie? Click here! If you are looking for community as you deconstruct or just a place to go and enjoy the company of people who are seekers, learners and who are looking to connect with the Divine without religious baggage, please join the Private Facebook Community!  Leslie is very passionate about connection and community, so if that sounds like you, please come join us!   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    1h 14m
  4. Faith Funk: Honoring the Journey of Michael Camp

    MAY 4

    Faith Funk: Honoring the Journey of Michael Camp

    In today’s episode, Leslie reunites with returning guest Michael Camp to discuss his new book Faith Funk, which explores how people become trapped in high-control religious systems and the psychological toll — including anxiety, depression, and PTSD — that results from toxic faith experiences. Michael and Leslie dive deep into topics like cognitive dissonance within evangelicalism, the doctrine of original depravity, and how religious communities sometimes exploit vulnerability and suppress independent thinking. Together they examine the often painful but ultimately liberating process of deconstruction, reframing it not as a loss of faith but as a refinement — a shedding of toxic theology to discover a more authentic, love-centered spirituality. Michael shares practical tools from his coaching practice for navigating the stages of deconstruction, and both hosts reflect candidly on their own journeys out of fundamentalism, with Leslie sharing personal experiences from her time on Survivor and her ongoing work to undo deeply ingrained religious conditioning. Pick up Michael's new book, Faith Funk, HERE! Michael's Website: https://www.faithtransitions.com/ Honoring the Journey is hosted, produced and edited by Leslie Nease and the artwork for the show is also created by Leslie Nease. Pick up Leslie's book, Honoring the Journey: The Deconstruction of Sister Christian here. Interested in working with Leslie as your Life/Faith Transitions Coach? Check out her website and learn more about what she offers! https://www.leslieneasecoaching.com If you'd like to be a part of the Honoring the Journey Team on Substack, click here! You can find her work and also support her financially if you desire. Would you like to leave a voicemail for Leslie? Click here! If you are looking for community as you deconstruct or just a place to go and enjoy the company of people who are seekers, learners and who are looking to connect with the Divine without religious baggage, please join the Private Facebook Community!  Leslie is very passionate about connection and community, so if that sounds like you, please come join us!   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    55 min
  5. Leaving Mormonism: Honoring the Journey of Megan Verno

    APR 27

    Leaving Mormonism: Honoring the Journey of Megan Verno

    In this episode of Honoring The Journey, Leslie talks with Megan Verno — a therapist, writer, and founder of Novo Nexus — about their parallel journeys out of high-control religions (Megan from Mormonism/LDS, Leslie from Evangelical Christianity). They explore the striking similarities between their experiences, including the loss of identity, community, and self-trust that comes with religious deconstruction, as well as specific LDS practices like the temple ceremony and excommunication culture. The conversation touches on patriarchy, LGBTQ+ issues as a catalyst for doubt, the concept of religious trauma, learning to trust one's own authority, and finding spiritual freedom beyond organized religion. Megan shares details about Novo Nexus, her support group and coaching program for those rebuilding their identities post-religion, and both women offer encouragement to listeners who may be in the midst of their own deconstruction journey. **I had some audio issues I tried working around in production with Megan's sound. My apologies for the quality! You can still hear her, it's just slightly muffled at times. Thanks! Find out more about NovoNexus here! Honoring the Journey is hosted, produced and edited by Leslie Nease and the artwork for the show is also created by Leslie Nease. Pick up Leslie's book, Honoring the Journey: The Deconstruction of Sister Christian here. Interested in working with Leslie as your Life/Faith Transitions Coach? Check out her website and learn more about what she offers! https://www.leslieneasecoaching.com If you'd like to be a part of the Honoring the Journey Team on Substack, click here! You can find her work and also support her financially if you desire. Would you like to leave a voicemail for Leslie? Click here! If you are looking for community as you deconstruct or just a place to go and enjoy the company of people who are seekers, learners and who are looking to connect with the Divine without religious baggage, please join the Private Facebook Community!  Leslie is very passionate about connection and community, so if that sounds like you, please come join us!   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    51 min
  6. The Wilderness Priest: Honoring the Journey of Father Pete Nunnally

    APR 20

    The Wilderness Priest: Honoring the Journey of Father Pete Nunnally

    In this episode of Honoring the Journey, Leslie chats with Father Pete Nunnally — an Episcopal priest who calls himself "the Wilderness Priest" — about his nature-based church called Water and Wilderness Church near Washington, DC. Pete shares how the church meets outdoors, rain or shine, along the banks of the Potomac River, intentionally lowering the barriers to worship for people who've been hurt by or disconnected from traditional church settings. The conversation weaves through Pete's lifelong love of fishing and how it became a spiritual practice, culminating in his upcoming book Catching Hope: The Hidden Spiritual Wisdom of Fishing (releasing May 12th). Together, Pete and Leslie explore progressive Episcopal theology — including the idea that everyone belongs, that salvation is held by God rather than earned by works, and that faith should always be expanding — while also affirming those who need space away from organized religion to heal and find their own path. Follow Pete on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/fr_pete_the_wilderness_priest/  Pre-order his new book "Catching Hope: The Hidden Spiritual Wisdom of Fishing here.   Honoring the Journey is hosted, produced and edited by Leslie Nease and the artwork for the show is also created by Leslie Nease. Pick up Leslie's book, Honoring the Journey: The Deconstruction of Sister Christian here. Interested in working with Leslie as your Life/Faith Transitions Coach? Check out her website and learn more about what she offers! https://www.leslieneasecoaching.com If you'd like to be a part of the Honoring the Journey Team on Substack, click here! You can find her work and also support her financially if you desire. Would you like to leave a voicemail for Leslie? Click here! If you are looking for community as you deconstruct or just a place to go and enjoy the company of people who are seekers, learners and who are looking to connect with the Divine without religious baggage, please join the Private Facebook Community!  Leslie is very passionate about connection and community, so if that sounds like you, please come join us!   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    48 min
  7. All Those Opposed: Honoring the Journey of Jen Nielsen

    APR 13

    All Those Opposed: Honoring the Journey of Jen Nielsen

    What happens when the questions you’ve been taught to silence refuse to stay quiet? Today on Honoring the Journey, Leslie talks with Jen Nielsen (@allthoseopposed), who shares her powerful journey out of the LDS Church—the doubts that started it, the cost of following them, and why she’s chosen to speak out. This is a story of courage, clarity, and reclaiming your voice.    Honoring the Journey is hosted, produced and edited by Leslie Nease and the artwork for the show is also created by Leslie Nease. Pick up Leslie's book, Honoring the Journey: The Deconstruction of Sister Christian here. Interested in working with Leslie as your Life/Faith Transitions Coach? Check out her website and learn more about what she offers! https://www.leslieneasecoaching.com If you'd like to be a part of the Honoring the Journey Team on Substack, click here! You can find her work and also support her financially if you desire. Would you like to leave a voicemail for Leslie? Click here! If you are looking for community as you deconstruct or just a place to go and enjoy the company of people who are seekers, learners and who are looking to connect with the Divine without religious baggage, please join the Private Facebook Community!  Leslie is very passionate about connection and community, so if that sounds like you, please come join us!   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    1h 3m
  8. The Justice of Jesus: Honoring the Journey of Rev. Joash Thomas

    APR 6

    The Justice of Jesus: Honoring the Journey of Rev. Joash Thomas

    In this episode of Honoring the Journey, I sit down with Rev. Joash Thomas—priest, public theologian, and author of The Justice of Jesus. Joash shares his journey from an Indian Pentecostal upbringing in Mumbai, to political consulting in Georgia, to a powerful awakening that led him into human rights work. We talk about how Western Christianity has been shaped by colonialism, the difference between the “colonizer’s Jesus” and the historical Jesus, and how practices like prayer were meant to form us—not control outcomes. This conversation got personal for me, especially when we talked about the cost of deconstruction—the grief, the loneliness, the loss of community. Joash offers such a grounded, compassionate perspective here, reminding us that love, curiosity, and “holy indifference” can guide us forward. We close with a simple invitation: to look for the face of Jesus in the people around us—especially those on the margins. You can find Joash’s work through his book and his Substack, Masala Chai Theology. Find out more about Joash on his website: https://www.joashpthomas.com/ Honoring the Journey is hosted, produced and edited by Leslie Nease and the artwork for the show is also created by Leslie Nease. Pick up Leslie's book, Honoring the Journey: The Deconstruction of Sister Christian here. Interested in working with Leslie as your Life/Faith Transitions Coach? Check out her website and learn more about what she offers! https://www.leslieneasecoaching.com If you'd like to be a part of the Honoring the Journey Team on Substack, click here! You can find her work and also support her financially if you desire. Would you like to leave a voicemail for Leslie? Click here! If you are looking for community as you deconstruct or just a place to go and enjoy the company of people who are seekers, learners and who are looking to connect with the Divine without religious baggage, please join the Private Facebook Community!  Leslie is very passionate about connection and community, so if that sounds like you, please come join us!   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    58 min
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About

Life is a journey, and we’re all walking our own unique path. But every now and then, we get the chance to step onto someone else’s path, to see the world from their perspective, and to learn from their experiences. That’s what we do here on Honoring the Journey. We walk alongside others, explore their stories, and then step back onto our own path—hopefully with new insights, deeper understanding, and a broader perspective for the journey ahead. Honoring the Journey is hosted by Leslie Nease, a former Christian Radio Host, Speaker & Writer and Contestant on Survivor China known as "Sister Christian". Leslie has since deconstructed her Evangelical beliefs, but is still deeply connected to God and is seeking to understand faith from every perspective. Let's journey together!

Information

  • Creator
    Leslie Nease
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    105
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2024 Honoring the Journey
  • Show Website
    Honoring the Journey

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