Episodes

  • Rebecca McLaughlin: Confronting Christianity in 2026

    Rebecca McLaughlin: Confronting Christianity in 2026
    Jan 21 2026
    Rebecca McLaughlin joins Faith Lab to confront Christianity’s hardest objections and ask whether Christian faith can actually stand up to serious scrutiny. In this conversation, Nate and Shelby talk with Rebecca about the historical reliability of the Gospels, eyewitness testimony, women in the early Christian movement, moral critiques of Christianity, and the problem of suffering. Rather than treating faith as a blind leap, Rebecca explains why Christianity has always made public and testable claims about reality, claims that invite investigation rather than shut it down. They explore why Jesus continues to provoke resistance, how modern skepticism often relies on values Christianity helped introduce, and why deconstruction so often happens when questions are postponed rather than engaged. From the resurrection accounts and the presence of embarrassing details in the Gospels to the role of women as primary witnesses, this episode walks through why the Christian story may be far more historically and intellectually resilient than many assume. This episode is for skeptics, deconstructing Christians, and anyone wondering whether Christianity can survive honest doubt in a pluralistic world by facing hard questions directly rather than avoiding them. Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email hi@faithlabshow.com Become a member and get: 1. Bonus episodes 2. Ad-free episodes 3. Early release episodes 4. Access to the private Faith Lab Facebook Group (350+ listeners) Become a member: faithlabshow.com/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    58 mins
  • Is Faith Supposed to Be Blind? with Shane Rosenthal

    Is Faith Supposed to Be Blind? with Shane Rosenthal
    Jan 7 2026
    For most people, faith means believing without evidence. A leap. A feeling. Something you are told to accept rather than question. But what if that is not what faith meant at all? In this conversation, Nate and Shelby sit down with Shane Rosenthal to explore why the New Testament idea of faith was rooted in trust, eyewitness testimony, and public events rather than blind belief. They unpack how faith slowly became detached from evidence, why that shift matters, and how it helps explain why so many people deconstruct today. This is not about winning arguments or turning Christianity into an academic exercise. It is about recovering a version of faith that expects questions, invites investigation, and gives real reasons to believe. You can find Shane’s work at humbleskeptic.com, and be sure to check out this recent video he released on whether archaeologists have discovered biblical Bethsaida⁠. If you have ever wondered why doubt feels inevitable, or why you were never taught this side of the story, this conversation is for you. Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email hi@faithlabshow.com Become a member and get: 1. Bonus episodes 2. All full-length, ad-free episodes 3. Access to our private community of 350+ listeners Become a member: faithlabshow.com/premium Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 15 mins
  • My Deconstruction Led Me Back to Christianity (After 10 Years of Doubt)

    My Deconstruction Led Me Back to Christianity (After 10 Years of Doubt)
    Dec 30 2025
    Nate Hanson reflects on his journey with the podcast Almost Heretical, discussing the process of deconstruction and how it led him to a deeper understanding of Christianity. He shares his experiences of doubt, the search for evidence, and the transition to a new show called Faith Lab, which aims to explore the historical and philosophical foundations of the Christian faith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    20 mins
  • #163 – Jeremiah Johnston: The Shroud of Turin Proves the Resurrection

    #163 – Jeremiah Johnston: The Shroud of Turin Proves the Resurrection
    Jul 16 2025
    Could one ancient cloth change how we see the resurrection? Dr. Jeremiah Johnston joins us to unpack the Shroud of Turin, its baffling science, strange history, and the image that no one can explain. Does this relic prove Jesus physically rose from the dead, or is it just a misunderstood artifact? We explore what happens when modern science collides with first-century faith. Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email contact@almostheretical.com Become a member and get: 1. Bonus episodes and aftershows 2. All full-length, ad-free episodes 3. Access to Heretical Together (our private community of 350+ listeners) Become a member: almostheretical.com/premium Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • #162 – Why Didn't Jesus Write Anything Down?

    #162 – Why Didn't Jesus Write Anything Down?
    Jul 2 2025
    Shelby and Nate explore the intriguing question of why Jesus did not write anything down during his lifetime. They discuss the implications of this question on our understanding of faith and scripture, emphasizing the oral tradition of the time and the significance of Jesus' teachings in a present-tense context. The conversation also touches on the historical perspective of Jesus as a local rabbi and the lack of immediate written records from his followers, suggesting that the movement was seen as urgent and relevant to their time rather than a long-term religious institution. Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email contact@almostheretical.com Become a member and get: 1. Bonus episodes and aftershows 2. All full-length, ad-free episodes 3. Access to Heretical Together (our private community of 350+ listeners) Become a member: almostheretical.com/premium Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    29 mins
  • #161 – 6 Genesis Stories Read Politically

    #161 – 6 Genesis Stories Read Politically
    May 28 2025
    What if the stories at the end of Genesis weren’t just family drama—but political storytelling? In this episode, Nate and Shelby revisit six key moments from Genesis 27 to 50—including Jacob stealing Esau’s blessing, Dinah and Shechem, Judah and Tamar, and Joseph’s rise in Egypt—to explore how these stories may have been written to explain Israel’s political identity, tribal dynamics, and national origin. We talk about: Why Jacob and Esau’s rivalry reflects Israel vs. Edom What Jacob’s wrestling match really says about the name "Israel" How the story of Dinah might not be about justice at all The subversive role of Tamar and why she’s called righteous Why Joseph marrying an Egyptian priest’s daughter created tension later And how Genesis closes by blessing tribes that already existed These aren’t just ancient stories—they’re layered political texts that reveal how Israel saw itself and its neighbors. Join us as we read Genesis a little more historically, and a little more honestly. Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email contact@almostheretical.com Become a member and get: 1. Bonus episodes and aftershows 2. All full-length, ad-free episodes 3. Access to Heretical Together (our private community of 350+ listeners) Become a member: almostheretical.com/premium Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    41 mins
  • #160 – 5 Ways to Follow Jesus Without Paul

    #160 – 5 Ways to Follow Jesus Without Paul
    May 7 2025
    → Download the Practice Christianity Without Paul reflection booklet here (https://www.patreon.com/posts/jesus-faith-and-128319083) → Access the Paul-Free Church Statement of Faith (https://www.patreon.com/posts/church-statement-128321301) What does it mean to be a Christian without Paul? In this series finale, we walk through five alternate paths the Jesus movement could have taken—and still can—without relying on Paul’s theology. From mystical wisdom to Jewish observance to political resistance, we explore practical ways to follow Jesus that aren’t rooted in Pauline doctrine. Nate and Shelby also unveil a brand new “Paul-Free” Statement of Faith and share a reflection booklet for premium members. Paul Series:Part 1 (https://www.patreon.com/posts/123045409)Part 2 (https://www.patreon.com/posts/124165907)Part 3 (https://www.patreon.com/posts/125186503)Part 4 (https://www.patreon.com/posts/126248455)Part 5 (https://www.patreon.com/posts/128318250) Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email contact@almostheretical.com Chapters 00:00 Exploring the Existence of Paul and His Influence 12:06 Imagining Christianity Without Paul 22:28 The Ebionites and Early Christian Movements 23:26 Exploring Early Christian Beliefs 28:35 Potential Paths of Early Christianity 30:05 Modern Reflections on Following Jesus 37:36 Paths of Justice and Action 41:31 Reimagining Faith Without Paul Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    51 mins
  • #159 – Paul Made Christianity

    #159 – Paul Made Christianity
    Apr 9 2025
    Bonus ep 1 - https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-what-is-123011688 Bonus ep 2 - https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-did-paul-125106095 Why does Paul’s voice dominate the New Testament? How did his letters become so central to Christian theology, and what happens when we begin to question that authority? Are all the Pauline epistles actually written by Paul? What if the Paul we know today is a constructed figure—reshaped by the church over time to fit emerging doctrines? And what about the voices that didn’t get amplified—texts like James or the Didache that present a very different version of the Jesus movement? Nate and Shel explore how canon formation, authorship debates, and theological evolution all intersect in the story of Paul, and why rethinking his role might change how we read the entire Bible. (Paul Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email contact@almostheretical.com Become a member and get: 1. Bonus episodes and aftershows 2. All full-length, ad-free episodes 3. Access to Heretical Together (our private community of 350+ listeners) Become a member: almostheretical.com/premium Chapters 00:00 The Battle of the Texts 04:08 Paul's Authentic Letters 07:22 The Gospels and Their Influence 12:40 The Book of Acts: A Retrospective 28:25 The Jerusalem Movement's Legacy 29:19 The Jesus Movement vs. The Christ Movement 35:11 Understanding the Oral Tradition and Textual Limitations 41:23 The Impact of the Jewish-Roman War on Early Christianity 45:36 Exploring Alternative Early Christian Texts 48:20 The Canonization Process and Its Implications 53:31 Paul's Dominance in Early Christianity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr