Honoring the Journey

Leslie Nease
  • 5.0 (38)
  • 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. 15h ago

    Unbelieve: Honoring the Journey of Marla Taviano

    Today on Honoring the Journey, Leslie interviews Marla Taviano — a former evangelical Christian author who wrote books for conservative Christian wives and later went through a very public deconstruction. Marla shares her journey from being deeply embedded in evangelical Christianity (as a missionary, author, Christian school teacher, and camp counselor) to leaving the faith altogether, driven by growing questions about salvation-focused theology, racism, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and the pro-life movement. The conversation covers the role books like Love Wins by Rob Bell and Rachel Held Evans's work played in her shift, how humor and poetry became her tools for processing and communicating her deconstruction, the personal cost of losing her sister and other relationships, and her belief that true love — not religious obligation — is the guiding principle worth living by. Marla's Website: www.MarlaTaviano.com Honoring the Journey is hosted, produced and edited 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.

    Unbelieve: Honoring the Journey of Marla Taviano

  2. Jul 13

    Shalom and The Un-spun Gospel: Honoring the Journey of Lisa Sharon Harper

    In today’s episode, Leslie talks with theologian and activist Lisa Sharon Harper about her faith deconstruction. Lisa traces her family's centuries-deep American roots, from enslaved ancestors to Indigenous heritage and describes how a 2003 pilgrimage retracing the Trail of Tears forced her to reimagine the evangelical gospel through her great-great-great-grandmother's eyes, sparking a year of depression and ultimately a full "decolonization" of her faith. The conversation weaves through the suppressed history of the Alamo, the "tyranny of certainty" in evangelical culture, marriage equality, and the isolating dynamics of tightly-bound church communities, arriving at the hopeful conviction that humility, pilgrimage, and genuine listening are the path back to shalom, which is the radical relational wholeness at the heart of Jesus's message. Lisa's Website Lisa's Substack and podcast Honoring the Journey is hosted, produced and edited 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.

    Shalom and The Un-spun Gospel: Honoring the Journey of Lisa Sharon Harper

  3. Jul 6

    Let's Talk About Deconstruction: Honoring the Journey of Phil Drysdale

    In this episode, titled “Let’s Talk About Deconstruction”, Leslie interviews Phil Drysdale, a Scotland-based psychotherapist, researcher, and founder of Deconstruction Network, for a wide-ranging conversation about the psychology of deconstruction. Phil shares his own journey from a fundamentalist upbringing through deconstruction while traveling the world as a speaker, and how that led him to spend nearly two decades coaching and now doing therapy with people leaving high-control religious systems. The conversation explores the psychology behind deconstruction… why it happens, why it's terrifying, how values-based thinking can replace black-and-white morality, and why community is the single most important resource for people going through the process. They also touch on the neuroscience of change, the concept of "conditions of worth," the challenge of setting boundaries with people from your past, and Phil's observations on where the deconstruction movement may be headed, including a thought-provoking comparison to post-WWII Europe's mass departure from organized religion. Find Phil on Instagram Phil's Website Deconstruction Network Honoring the Journey is hosted, produced and edited 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.

    Let's Talk About Deconstruction: Honoring the Journey of Phil Drysdale

  4. Jun 29

    Changing Our Mind About LGBTQ: Honoring the Journey of David Gushee

    Today, Leslie sits down with David Gushee, a Pastor and Professor of Christian Ethics who is also a writer of one of the most influential books of Leslie’s deconstruction process—Changing our Mind. Leslie invites David to share his journey with us all trough being a Southern Baptist convert to a progressive Christian Scholar. David openly shares about his gradual theological broadening from accepting women in ministry to ultimately affirming LGBTQ inclusion in 2014, which cost him his standing in the evangelical world. They talk about the problematic clobber passages that are used to alienate and judge the LGBTQ community and the brittle nature of fundamentalist biblical interpretation. You’ll want to take notes on this one, folks! Also - if you are interested in being in the book study with Leslie for “Job in Exile: A Guide for Spiritual Refugees” by David Gushee in September, please send Leslie an email and let her know! leslienease@gmail.com. To check out David's books and pre-order his new book about Job, click here. Honoring the Journey is hosted, produced and edited 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.

    Changing Our Mind About LGBTQ: Honoring the Journey of David Gushee

  5. Jun 22

    Testify to Love: Honoring the Journey of Melissa Greene

    Today, Leslie invites Melissa Green, a former member of the beloved Christian music group Avalon, for a wide-ranging and deeply personal conversation about faith deconstruction, spiritual evolution, and the courage to question inherited beliefs. Melissa traces her journey from growing up in the Southern Baptist church and becoming a member of Avalon, through the pivotal moment when founding member Michael Passons was quietly removed from the group after being outed as gay, to her gradual theological shifts sparked by travel, loss, relationships with LGBTQ friends, and her years at a progressive post-evangelical church. The episode also celebrates the recent re-release of "Testify to Love" — a collaboration between Melissa, Michael, and Ty Herndon — which has unexpectedly become a queer anthem and a message of radical, boundless love. Woven throughout is a tender, raw moment as Melissa shares the grief of walking alongside a beloved family member through the final stages of a terminal illness, reflecting on how joy and sorrow coexist, and how the divine shows up not in miraculous intervention but in the simple, profound act of people showing up for one another. Follow Melissa on Social Media: Instagram TikTok Substack Watch the Testify to Love re-release on YouTube! Honoring the Journey is hosted, produced and edited 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.

    Testify to Love: Honoring the Journey of Melissa Greene

  6. Jun 15

    From the Alter to the Stage: Honoring the Journey of LJR

    Today on Honoring the Journey, Leslie chats with Luke Justin Roberts (LJR) — a recording artist she found on TikTok. Luke was a former worship leader who grew up deeply embedded in evangelical and homeschool culture. They talk about his winding spiritual path from devoted churchgoer to questioning, deconstructing and finding his true path to freedom and now making music that speaks to others who are questioning their inherited beliefs. Luke shares candid stories about his childhood faith, the pressures and identity that came with growing up in ministry, and how he found his way to making music that meets people in their doubt and deconstruction. The conversation is warm, honest, and wide-ranging, touching on TikTok fame, building unexpected friendships across belief systems, and the exciting road ahead for LJR as an independent artist. Learn more about Luke (LJR) and his music on his website, www.lukejustinroberts.com. Honoring the Journey is hosted, produced and edited 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.

    From the Alter to the Stage: Honoring the Journey of LJR

  7. Jun 8

    Rethinking Hell, The Bible & The Nature of God: Honoring the Journey of Brian Zahnd

    Today, we chat with pastor and author Brian Zahnd for a wide-ranging conversation about faith deconstruction, theological reimagining, and the journey of losing — and rediscovering — Jesus. Brian shares how, after 30 years of ministry, he found himself rethinking core evangelical doctrines including hell, the Bible's role as foundation, and the nature of God, ultimately arriving at the conviction that "God is like Jesus." He candidly recounts the painful fallout of losing 1,000 church members through that process, the healing that followed, and why he believes the discomfort of deconstruction is not a crisis of faith but a necessary path to spiritual growth. The episode also touches on his new book Unseen Existences, which is out now! Such a powerful episode. Find Brian’s church HERE. Pick up one of Brian’s books HERE. Read Brian’s Substack HERE. Honoring the Journey is hosted, produced and edited 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.

    Rethinking Hell, The Bible & The Nature of God: Honoring the Journey of Brian Zahnd

  8. Jun 1

    Songs of Peace in Times of War: Honoring the Journey of Savannah Locke

    In this episode of Honoring the Journey, Leslie has a conversation with Savannah Locke — artist, songwriter, and podcaster — for a rich, wide-ranging conversation about faith deconstruction, religious trauma, and spiritual reimagining. Savannah shares her personal journey from confident evangelical Christianity through a crisis of belief, her discovery of the Anabaptist tradition and the transformative phrase "God looks like Jesus," and how that journey inspired her album Songs of Peace in Times of War. The two explore themes of trust, humility, love, and prophetic witness, discussing how lived experience, creative expression, and community shape the way we understand God — and why asking hard questions, far from being a failure of faith, may be the very heart of it. Listen to Savannah's Album HERE! Follow Savannah on Instagram.  Honoring the Journey is hosted, produced and edited 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.

    Songs of Peace in Times of War: Honoring the Journey of Savannah Locke
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5
out of 5
38 Ratings

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
    113
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2024 Honoring the Journey
  • Show Website
    Honoring the Journey

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