Stuart Delony

Fear is a powerful motivator. It can make us seek certainty, surrender our questions, cling to familiar identities, and turn people who are different from us into threats. Religious systems can amplify those tendencies, especially when fear is presented as faithfulness or when certainty is treated as a virtue.But what happens when we begin to question the stories that taught us to be afraid? How do we make sense of the world after deconstruction without becoming cynical, detached, or consumed by outrage? And how do we keep our humanity and our capacity for connection, compassion, and hope in a culture that seems to profit from our fear?This conversation explores Stuart Delony's experience of religious deconstruction, his perspective on fear and apocalyptic thinking, and the possibility of building a more honest and humane life after certainty.I’m Stuart Delony, a former pastor who walked out of the church but couldn’t shake the ways of Jesus. These days, I host Snarky Faith—a podcast and platform that wrestles with faith, culture, and meaning from the fringe. I’m not here to fix Christianity. I’m here to name what’s broken, find what’s still worth keeping, and hold space for the questions that don’t have clean answers. If you’ve been burned, disillusioned, or just done with the noise—welcome. You’re in good company.Links: www.SnarkyFaith.comBook: https://www.amazon.com/Tribulation-Survival-Guide-Alive-Everything/dp/196425261XColoring Book: https://www.amazon.com/Tribulation-Survival-Guide-Coloring-Book/dp/1964252733/

Explore how high-control religious systems shape our beliefs, identities, relationships, and emotional well-being—and why leaving a harmful religious environment is often only the beginning of the journey. The conversation will focus on the work of unlearning harmful theology, recovering trust in ourselves, and discovering what it means to live with greater freedom, authenticity, and love.Michael Camp is a Non-Religious Spiritual Director certified by the Center for Non-Religious Spirituality. A former missionary to Muslims in Africa, aid worker, and church leader with over 25 years in evangelicalism, he now helps people deconstruct toxic faith and recover from religious trauma through Faith Transitions, LLC. Author of four books, contributor to two more, and host of The Spiritual Brewpub podcast, he's also active in Rotary International and helps facilitate microfinance and water and sanitation projects in Africa. Learn more about his spiritual coaching practice here: https://faithtransitions.comFind his podcast here: https://the-spiritual-brewpub.simplecast.com/ or https://www.youtube.com/@michaelcamp2134Find him on Substack here: https://healreligioustrauma.substack.com/ 

What happens when the faith you built your life around no longer fits?For Jeremy Jernigan, that question wasn't theoretical. After two decades in full-time church ministry, including serving as a lead pastor, Jeremy stepped away from the church world he had known for most of his adult life.But leaving opened up new questions about certainty, doubt, Scripture, power, the church, and what it means when you are no longer sure you can believe everything you once believed.In this episode of Hear It From Me, Jeremy and I talk about what happens when you find yourself at “the edge of the inside.”From the edge, we may be able to see things differently. We may be able to ask questions we couldn't ask before.Jeremy Jernigan spent two decades in full-time church ministry before stepping away from his role as a Lead Pastor. He is the author of The Edge of the Inside and host of the podcast Cabernet and Pray. Jeremy also speaks, teaches as an adjunct professor, and creates experiences through Communion Wine Co.www.Jeremyjernigan.com

Flamy Grant, musician, songwriter, drag artist, storyteller, and “shame-slaying, hip-swaying, singing-songwriting drag queen.”This is a conversation about what happens when we begin unlearning the shame we’ve been given and discovering who we are underneath it.https://www.flamygrant.com/

Poet and theologian, Pádraig Ó Tuama’s work centers around themes of language, power, conflict and religion. Working fluently on the page and in public, he is a compelling poet and skilled speaker, teacher and group worker. He presents Poetry Unbound with On Being Studios. From 2014-2019 he was the leader of the Corrymeela Community, Ireland’s oldest peace and reconciliation community. With undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in theology, multiple professional qualifications in conflict mediation (specializing in groups), he also holds a PhD (Poetry & Theology) from the University of Glasgow. For the Autumn terms of 2024-28, he is a visiting scholar at the center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution at Columbia University. When BBC journalist William Crawley introduced Pádraig on the stage to deliver a TEDx talk on Story, Crawley said, "He's probably the best public speaker I know." Profiling Ó Tuama in The New Yorker, journalist and poet Eliza Grizwold wrote “Poetry, for him, is the language the heart speaks not when it reaches for some externalized divinity but when it seeks to understand itself.”https://www.padraigotuama.com/press

With a 40 year career in teaching history and religion, Daniel Henderson has the grounding of being a life-long mid-westerner, and having traveled extensively. Dan has a passion for history and historic sites. He has published a personal story of his own faith journey called, "Confessions of a Recovering Evangelical."On this episode Dale talks to Dan about his leaving evangelical Christianity and the Christian Nationalism behind it's impending implosion.⁠https://www.danhendersonauthor.com/

Kim Belew is a multifaceted artist and spiritual leader whose powerful message of healing and empowerment resonates deeply with audiences nationwide. A musician, speaker, and survivor, Kim's journey is a testament to the transformative power of self- discovery. After a profound awakening inspired by The Four Agreements, Kim channeled her healing into creating music and inspirational talks. Her courageous work includes a TEDx talk detailing her experience as a child sex trafficking survivor, a testament to her commitment to breaking the silence around this issue. As the Spiritual Leader of New Thought Unity of Cincinnati, Kim provides spiritual guidance and also consults with various communities, including law enforcement and medical professionals, using music and connection to raise awareness and promote love. Kim 's innovative workshops offer authentic and open conversations for growth and transformation. Her original music has garnered numerous awards and nominations, with her recent achievement as a finalist in the 2025 Empower Music and Arts contest further solidifying her position as a leading voice in the field.⁠https://www.kimbelew.com/#/Kim's TEDx talk

With an immense focus on empowering and uplifting marginalized communities; photographer, digital artist, educator, public speaker, and author of The Queer Allies Bible, NV Gay of Mx. Gay’s Creative Direction draws inspiration through their life experiences as a transgender individual. Their work explores topics of the human condition bolstered by the words and lived experiences of NV’s subjects. With intent on treasuring individualistic self-expression, NV exposes the raw wounds of prejudice and abuse, while advocating for the inherent beauty in being human.Pronouns (They/She)Based in Columbus, Ohiowww.mxgay.org

With a 40 year career in teaching history and religion, Daniel Henderson has the grounding of being a life-long mid-westerner, and having traveled extensively. Dan has a passion for history and historic sites. He has published a personal story of his own faith journey called, "Confessions of a Recovering Evangelical."On this episode Dale talks to Dan about his book "The Spiritual Journey to Anti-Racism: A Travel Guide for White People." Dan discusses the white supremist script that is handed down and runs in the background of our society.https://www.danhendersonauthor.com/

David Hayward and his wife Lisa live near Saint John, NB, Canada, and they have three grown children. He has a B.A. in Bible and Theology, a Masters in Theological Studies in New Testament, and a Diploma of Ministry. He was ordained to the ministry and served local churches… teaching and providing pastoral care for about 30 years.• He left the ministry in 2010. People suggest he's now an “online pastor”… a pastor to the pastor-less. He does love helping people find their own way on their own spiritual growth journeys. This means he is an LGBTQ ally, a feminist, and super progressive in his theology.• He's been the NakedPastor since 2005, and like any graffiti artist, he uses his images and words to challenge the status quo of religion and to offer hope for those who struggle and suffer under it.• He believes in spiritual independence and helps people empower themselves to achieve it. The healthiest people are independent, autonomous, self-ruling, and independent people form healthy interdependent relationships rather than codependent ones. Community is important to him, but it requires healthy individuals to form. His online community The Lasting Supper is one. You’re invited!• He makes my art and words available all over the Internet. His cartoons, Sophia drawings, images of Christ, books, The Lasting Supper, and speaking are all a part of his toolkit for helping others.nakedpastor.com