What would it take for an atheist to become a Christian? Thirteen years ago, that question led Jana Harmon to study the lives of 50 former atheists. What she discovered were deeply human journeys shaped by relationships, experiences, evidence, and a willingness to reconsider what was true. Six years ago, those stories became the heart of eX-skeptic. In this special anniversary episode, Jana reflects on the beginnings of the podcast, the enduring questions behind every story, and the unexpected ways people have found faith in Jesus Christ. Whether you’ve listened from the beginning or have only recently joined us, thank you for being part of six years of honest questions, surprising discoveries, and unlikely stories of belief. 🎙️ Love the show? Support the mission and explore eX-skeptic merch here: https://ex-skeptic-shop.fourthwall.com/ Resources Mentioned: eX-skeptic Guides — Written resources referenced by Jana: https://exskeptic.org/bookstore eX-skeptic website — Stories, writings, and additional resources: exskeptic.org eX-skeptic YouTube channel and playlists — Additional ways to explore the stories: www.youtube.com/@exskeptic C.S. Lewis Institute: www.cslewisinstitute.org The Podcast Upload: www.thepodcastupload.com Chapters 00:00 – Celebrating Six Years of eX-skeptic 00:22 – Where the Journey Began 01:16 – Why We Started the Podcast 01:44 – The Questions That Still Matter 02:35 – Six Years of Stories and Resources 03:33 – Thank You to Our Guests, Team, and Supporters 04:29 – The Journey Continues Connect with eX-skeptic: Website: https://exskeptic.org/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/exskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/exskeptic Twitter: http://x.com/exskeptic YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@exskeptic Email info: info@exskeptic.org Transcript BONUS 6th Anniversary October 30th, 2026 Celebrating Six Years of eX-skeptic JANA HARMON: Hello and welcome to eX-skeptic, where we hear unlikely stories of belief from people who once rejected God in Christianity but changed their minds. I'm your host, Jana Harmon, and today's episode is a special one because today marks the sixth anniversary of eX-skeptic. So, I wanted to take a few minutes to look back at where this all began, and most of all, to say thank you. Where the Journey Began The journey actually began 13 years ago when I started doctoral research investigating the lives of 50 former atheists who become Christians. I had the question, what would it take for an atheist to become a Christian? I wanted to understand how and why they formed their beliefs against God, what caused those beliefs to change, and ultimately what they found in Christ and how their lives had changed as a result. What I discovered was nothing short of amazing. These were deeply human journeys involving questions of relationships, experiences and evidence, doubts and desires. Each story was different, but I began to notice something. Resistance could give way to curiosity, assumptions long held could be reconsidered, and people who had once dismissed belief in God could become willing to ask again what is actually true. Why We Started the Podcast So, when the C.S. Lewis Institute asked me to begin a podcast in 2020, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. These stories were simply too good to keep to myself. I knew that skeptics and seekers could hear themselves in these stories. Christians could better understand someone they loved who didn't believe, and all of us could learn from people who had been willing to question what they believed and pursued truth wherever it led. And so, six years ago, we began telling their stories. Questions That Still Matter Six years later, what strikes me is that while culture changes, our deepest questions don't. Why are we here? Does my life have meaning? Is there a God? Can I know him? Is there anything true and solid enough to build my life upon? Again and again, we've heard people wrestle honestly with those questions and find something or someone they didn't expect. Augustine famously wrote that our hearts are restless until they find their rest in God, and in many ways, that's what these stories have shown us. We've seen restless hearts finding rest. We've seen searching minds finding truth. We've seen people discovering a story large enough to make sense of the world around them and the longings within them. Six Years of Stories and Resources And that's why eX-skeptic still exists today: to commend faith in Jesus Christ through the stories and advice of those who once rejected it. When I recorded the first episode six years ago, I certainly didn't know where all of this would lead. What began as a podcast has grown into a broader platform of stories and resources through YouTube, our website, and writings such as The eX-skeptic Guides and Playlists. And there's something remarkable to celebrate. Of roughly 1 million podcasts that began in 2020, only about 2.5% of podcasts are still actively publishing today. And thanks to you, eX-skeptic is among them and has remained among the top 1% of all podcasts globally over the past five years. That is according to Listen Notes. Thank You to Our Guests, Team, and Supporters I'm deeply grateful to every guest who has trusted us with their story, and to every one of you who have listened, watched, read, and shared them. I'm also grateful for the people who make it possible. Ashley Kelfer, our producer, Wendy Grounds, and Lori Burleson, the eX-skeptic team. We're thankful to our partners at the CS Lewis Institute Podcast Network, and we're so grateful for Caleb, Isabella, and Sean at The Podcast Upload who make all of the production and promotion possible. And above all, I'm grateful to God because behind each of these stories is the One who knows us and loves us, who meets us in our questions, draws us towards himself, and guides us into knowing what is true and real. A lot has changed in six years, but what matters most has not. The truth has not changed. Jesus hasn't changed, and people are still searching. The Journey Continues So, thank you for being a part of six years of questions, journeys, doubts, discoveries, and unlikely stories of belief. There are still so many stories left to tell, and we hope you'll continue to journey with us. And if eX-skeptic has encouraged you, challenged you, helped you, or someone you love, we'd love to hear from you. Please email us at info@exskeptic.org. Thank you so much for being a part of eX-skeptic, and we look forward to seeing you next time, where we'll hear another unlikely story of belief.
