Interviews with experts, writers, psychologists and more on the intersection between psychology, religion and spirituality… with a little bit of cussing.
dan@religiononthemind.com
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Tripp Fuller: Does Original Sin Need a Comeback? (#352)
Monday, September 29, 2025 • Duration 02:55:30
Friend of the pod Tripp Fuller joins me in full Dodgers gear (the audacity!) to discuss why the doctrine of original sin desperately needs a comeback—not the toxic version that told us we couldn't trust our own emotions or experiences, but a robust theological framework that actually explains the mess we're living in.
We unpack how the concept of original sin operates on three interconnected levels: individual, communal, and structural. We tear apart Augustine's outdated biology while rescuing his psychological insights, trace the snowball effect of violence from Cain's first murder through the Tower of Babel, and discover why progressive Christians who rail against systemic injustice are actually doing theology whether they realize it or not.
Along the way, we somehow manage to argue about Sam Harris, the military-industrial complex, global capitalism, and whether America is an evil empire or just another flawed superpower trying not to blow up the world.
If you've ever wondered why humans keep doing terrible things despite our best intentions, or why your evangelical upbringing left you allergic to the very doctrine that might actually help you understand structural oppression, this conversation is for you.
Come to Theology Beer Camp 2025
Listen to Homebrewed Christianity
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Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/
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Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/
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Powerful Men & Their Terrible Fathers (#351)
Monday, September 22, 2025 • Duration 01:35:01
Attention YHP Listeners: Starting in October, the podcast You Have Permission will change its name to Religion on the Mind. This rebrand will come with new artwork and focus more broadly on the overlap of Psychology, Religion & Spirituality. We look forward to telling you more in the coming days… stay tuned!
I sit down with previous guest Matt Naylor from the Milkless podcast to explore a disturbing pattern he discovered through a simple Google experiment: searching for public figures known for embracing violence and cruelty, then adding "father" to see what emerges. From Elon Musk to Joe Rogan to JD Vance, the batting average for abuse, abandonment, and alcoholism is striking.
We dig into the neuroscience behind early childhood attachment, examining how those first six months of life literally wire our brains for how we perceive safety in the world. Matt shares research on rat mothers who groom their babies differently and how those early experiences shape everything from stress response to longevity—findings that translate directly to human development. We explore the unique roles fathers play in transmitting worldview and values, diving into attachment research that shows father-child relationships are particularly crucial for managing externalizing behaviors like aggression and rule-breaking.
The conversation takes a personal turn as Matt reflects on his own family history and his determination to raise daughters who see the world as an enchanted place full of wonder rather than a threatening landscape requiring constant vigilance. The episode weaves together cutting-edge brain science, attachment theory, and deeply personal reflection on what it means to be a father in an increasingly polarized world.
Take It Offline Question: What things do you find that you feel in your body about the world that don't line up with the way you wish you felt about the world?
Milkless Podcast
Child-father attachment and behavior problems (NIH)
Christian Century interview with Vern Bengston about fathers and religious transmission to children
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Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/
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Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/
Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankoch
Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.com
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GGCH: Liberal Card Holders In Good Standing & Media Habits (#343)
Monday, August 18, 2025 • Duration 01:47:19
Get 42% off a YHP annual Patreon membership, while we celebrate Dan’s 42nd birthday! (Ends Sept 1st)
~Use code “BIRTHDAY”~
It’s time for another Generation Gap Culture Hour (Full Episode Special), where Dan Koch sits down with Tony Jones and Josh Gilbert to peel back some layers about self-reflection, media habits, and big financial decisions, all through their differing generational perspectives.
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Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/
Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch
Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/
Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankoch
Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.com
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A New Queer-Affirming Book & Its Fallout (with The New Evangelicals) (#254)
Thursday, April 18, 2024 • Duration 51:36
In this conversation, Tim Whitaker of The New Evangelicals joins Dan for a dual-feed special episode to discuss the upcoming book by Richard B. Hays, a respected New Testament scholar (Duke), and his son Christopher (Fuller), titled 'The Widening of God's Mercy: A Thoroughly Biblical Account of LGBTQ Affirmation in the Church.' They explore the potential impact of the book and the various reactions it has received. They also discuss the importance of acknowledging the harm caused by previous non-affirming positions and the need for an apology. They consider the strategic implications of the book and its potential to shift the conversation in white Evangelical spaces. They highlight the importance of listening to the voices of queer Christian scholars and the potential for the book to provide validation and support for those navigating their faith and sexuality. Also, they explore the idea of holding contradictory views and the importance of integration and growth, including a little bit of therapy-adjacent ideas about Tim and his dad.
https://www.thenewevangelicals.com/
**Watch this episode on YouTube**
https://youtu.be/bEdcKuNfHg8
Richard Hays’ Book “The Widening of God’s Mercy”:
https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300273427/the-widening-of-gods-mercy/
____________________
Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/
Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch
Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/
Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)
Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankoch
Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.com
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Still Christian & Way Humble About It! (#253)
Monday, April 15, 2024 • Duration 01:12:43
Dan spoke with friend and frequent guest Sarey Martin Concepcion about the intersection of intellectual humility and our Christian faith journeys, attempting to tie this together with his recent set of “Still Christian” episodes. They discussed how Sarey was raised in a fundamentalist evangelical strain of Christianity that valued certainty and correct doctrinal beliefs above all else. This made it challenging to embrace intellectual humility -- acknowledging what one can and cannot be confident about.
While appreciating the research around intellectual humility can create some real tensions within Christianity, it also provides a foundation for extending grace to ourselves and others amid disagreement and uncertainty.
https://www.tidycocreative.com/
Other Intellectual Humility Episodes:
Elizabeth Hall: Doubt, Intellectual Humility & Uncertainty Tolerance (#146)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-have-permission/id1448000113?i=1000553166878
Joshua Hook: Intellectual Humility (#184)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-have-permission/id1448000113?i=1000608179436
Daryl van Tongeren: You Are Not Your Beliefs (#195)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-have-permission/id1448000113?i=1000618349369
Stephen Sandage: What Does a Healthy Spiritual Leader Even Look Like? (#209)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-have-permission/id1448000113?i=1000627460605
____________________
Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/
Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch
Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/
Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)
Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankoch
Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.com
YHP Patron-only FB group: tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98
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Join Dan's email list: www.dankochwords.com/
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GGCH: Richard Hays’ Gay Affirmation, Huberman, and More (#252)
Thursday, April 11, 2024 • Duration 38:13
On this month's Generation Gap Culture Hour, Dan, Josh, and Tony play a round of “Bar, Bank, Church, or Dispensary,” consider ways they are becoming like their dads, discuss the impact of the forthcoming gay-affirming book by New Testament scholar Richard B. Hays, the New York Magazine attempted takedown of Andrew Huberman, and more.
**Watch this episode on YouTube**
https://youtu.be/g5vmzxlRTLI
RESOURCES MENTIONS:
Richard Hays’ Book “The Widening of God’s Mercy”:
https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300273427/the-widening-of-gods-mercy/
Andrew Huberman Article:
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/andrew-huberman-podcast-stanford-joe-rogan.html
CT’s “Why Character Doesn’t Matter Anymore”:
https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2024/march-web-only/ned-flanders-douglas-wilson-russell-moore-character.html
Tony's Website:
https://reverendhunter.com/
____________________
Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/
Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch
Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/
Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)
Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankoch
Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.com
YHP Patron-only FB group: tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98
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Join Dan's email list: www.dankochwords.com/
Artwork by sprungle.co/
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How Do Violent & Unhealthy Men Change? (#251)
Monday, April 8, 2024 • Duration 01:15:22
Dan's guest today is Simon Nixon, a former pastor and licensed counselor in Australia who works predominantly with domestic violence offenders in group therapy settings, helping them understand how to change their behavior and become safe partners and fathers. They discuss the challenges of such work, including the emotional difficulty and the need for a non-judgmental approach to facilitate change.
Simon and Dan explore the concept of toxic and non-toxic masculinities and the importance of helping men identify and process their emotions. Simon outlines the process of working with these men, which includes identifying the kind of man they want to be, challenging unhelpful beliefs, and providing tools and strategies for managing anger and other emotions. They also touch on the evolutionary aspects of masculine traits and how some of these traits, such as protection and provision, may have been adaptive in the past but can be problematic in modern society. Dan offers a framework for re-evaluating some classically masculine traits in a more adaptive way.
Simon's Counsellor Page:
https://www.theaca.net.au/counsellor/Simon-Nixon
**Watch this episode on YouTube**
https://youtu.be/Dou415Dnhow
____________________
Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/
Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch
Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/
Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)
Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankoch
Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.com
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Trump 2024 Anxiety, Part 2 (#250)
Thursday, April 4, 2024 • Duration 22:18
Speaking as much to himself as to listeners, Dan continues this series by recapping Part 1, then discussing two more common thinking errors, known in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as “cognitive distortions,” that he sees in news coverage around the possibility of a Donald Trump victory in 2024. Recognizing these distortions in the media as well as our own thoughts about the election and its results can 1) reduce our anxiety and 2) align our thoughts more fully with the reality that the future is uncertain but unlikely to be as catastrophic as we often assume. More episodes should come and will focus on additional cognitive distortions, as well as acceptance work.
**Watch this episode on YouTube** https://youtu.be/Ixh-be0_l5A
____________________
Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/
Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch
Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/
Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)
Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankoch
Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.com
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A Pastor Walks Out of The Church and Into The Woods (#249)
Monday, April 1, 2024 • Duration 01:12:05
Our very own Tony Jones (Generation Gap Culture Hour episodes, author, theologian, recovering youth ministry wunderkind) joins Dan for a very special conversation about the release of his brand new book, The God of Wild Places. Their conversation follows a three-act structure: Tony's early ministry days, then his escape into hunting while his marriage and life were crumbling, and finally the re-approaching and rethinking of his theology and faith in light of those experiences. Along the way, they also touch on mid-century mainline Protestantism, the spirituality and ritual of indigenous hunting practices, and the costs and benefits of organized religion versus a more "disorganized" spirituality. This is not one you'll want to miss, especially if you enjoy Tony on the GGCH episodes.
Tony's Website:
https://reverendhunter.com/
RESOURCES MENTIONS:
James Dobson’s “Preparing for Adolescence”:
https://www.drjamesdobson.org/broadcasts/preparing-for-adolescence-part-1
**Watch this episode on YouTube**
https://youtu.be/wbAuF3YKj3A
____________________
Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/
Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch
Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/
Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)
Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankoch
Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.com
YHP Patron-only FB group: tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98
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Join Dan's email list: www.dankochwords.com/
Artwork by sprungle.co/
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**Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/FhPSrPr0g9U
In the first of hopefully many "rapid fire" mailbag episodes, Dan answers listener questions on the following topics:
Books to read as you start faith deconstruction
Podcasts he wishes someone else would start
Oppenheimer vs. Dune Part 2
Whether Jesus’ teachings in the Gospels are compatible with other religions being viable paths to God
Albums that changed how he listens to music
What the Eucharist/Lord’s Supper means to him today
To listen to or watch the full episode, join the Patreon community at http://patreon.com/dankoch
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
The Bible Made Impossible
A Flexible Faith
Pure
Bonnie Kristian YHP episodes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-have-permission/id1448000113?i=1000428619214
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-have-permission/id1448000113?i=1000437967133
Linda Kay Klein YHP episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-have-permission/id1448000113?i=1000450839620
Pretty Good Vibrations (Dan's music podcast): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pretty-good-vibrations/id1652779250
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YHP on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@YouHavePermissionPodcast
Follow Dan on IG: www.instagram.com/dancoke/
Or Twitter: twitter.com/DanKoch
Faith deconstruction resources: www.soyouredeconstructing.com/
Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia.com -- he is accepting more work!)
Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: patreon.com/dankoch
Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon:
YHP Patron-only FB group: tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98
Website: www.dankochwords.com/yhp.html
Join Dan's email list: www.dankochwords.com/
Artwork by sprungle.co/
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