Abuse Episodes

About 10 years ago, the news came out that Joshua Duggar had abused two of his sisters. And then just a few years ago, Josh was arrested and convicted of possessing and distributing CSAM. Fast forward to last month. Josh Duggar's younger brother, Joseph, was arrested on suspicion of molestation. The pattern is horrifying. In today's episode, Amy Fritz shares a conversation she had with Ryan George. Ryan escaped the Independant Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) church world that's adjacent to the c...

Journalist and author Scott Latta joins Amy Fritz to discuss Scott's new book, Gods of the Smoke Machine: Power, Pain, and the Rise of Christian Nationalism in the Megachurch, sharing stories of power, accountability, and the changing landscape of American megachurches. Subscribe to my newsletter: https://untangledfaith.substack.com In this episode we: Explore why megachurches are growing even as overall church attendance in America declines. Examine the evolution from traditional "big box" c...

This episode contains content that may be difficult for those who have experienced violence or who are sensitive to mentions of abuse or intimate partner violence. Please take care when listening. In 2007, Pastor Neil Schori sat down with a woman who had come to him for marriage counseling. You probably recognize her name: Stacy Peterson. Not long after that conversation, Stacy when missing and still has not been found. Her husband, Drew Peterson, is serving time in prison for being convicted...

Have you been told to (or seen others) push through personal pain and trauma while engaging in advocacy for the health of the Church without being given the tools to manage your (or their) own emotional wellness? Are you often feeling overwhelmed and exhausted? Meet Lori Anne Thompson: a compassionate survivor, storyteller, and student. Lori Anne is a devoted wife, mother, and enthusiastic cook who loves to share her passion for sustainable rhythms and healing for those who have survived trauma...

Pete Singer passed away on May 1, 2025. He is missed by his many family and friends. Make a donation to GRACE: https://netgrace.org/donate Pete Singer, executive director of GRACE, shares about grooming, hidden trauma, being "overly" sensitive to abuse, and the importance of third-party investigations. "Perpetrators put a lot of effort into being the kind of person who would never do that." "Being more sensitive may be the product of having more knowledge." Pete Singer is the Executive Dire...

Amy Fritz shares a brief reflection on what it's like to reckon with there being two versions of someone. What would it cost to believe a person could be kind and generous sometimes and cruel and abusive other times? Are you allowed to consider that, and what does it mean if you aren't? Subscribe to my newsletter: https://untangledfaith.substack.com Tell Your Friends! If you loved this episode, leave us a review on your favorite podcast app and share it with a friend. Tag us if you share it ...

Amy Fritz is joined by Melissa J. Hogan on the Untangled Faith podcast to discuss the lawsuit involving Johnny Hunt and the SBC, addressing misconceptions and the importance of the judge's resolution. Subscribe to my newsletter: https://untangledfaith.substack.com In this episode we: Explore the origins and developments of the Johnny Hunt lawsuit against the SBC. Unpack the significance of the Guidepost Report in uncovering abuse within the SBC. Clarify common misconceptions about defamation...

Dr. Diane Langberg joins Amy Fritz on the Untangled Faith podcast to discuss her insights on abuse within the church and her latest book, "When the Church Harms God's People." Subscribe to my newsletter: https://untangledfaith.substack.com In this episode, we: Explore the evolution of understanding abuse and trauma over the past five decades with Dr. Langberg. Discuss the misconceptions surrounding abuse and domestic violence within Christian communities. Examine the bravery required for vic...

Melissa J. Hogan joins Amy to talk about a talk she gave at the Restore conference in Feb 2025. What does it look like to search for safety after abuse? Subscribe to my newsletter: https://untangledfaith.substack.com What we talk about: Finding safe community Establishing stability The cocoon stage Reckoning with imperfect communities The risk of truly living Featured Guest Melissa J. Hogan (1) Res Ipsa with Melissa J. Hogan | Substack Tell Your Friends! If you loved this episode, lea...

Attorney and Institutional Response Specialist Melissa J. Hogan joins Amy Fritz on the Untangled Faith podcast for a candid discussion about how communities and leaders should respond when there is a breakdown of trust in a marriage, especially when issues of abuse or infidelity are involved. What happens when we diagnose an abuse issue as a marriage issue? Subscribe to my newsletter: https://untangledfaith.substack.com In this episode we talk about What communities, leaders, and friends shoul...

This is an episode from the Broken to Beloved podcast with Brian Lee. Brian interviews Scot Mcknight and Tommy Preson Philips about their new book Invisible Jesus: A Book about Leaving the Church and Looking for Christ Episode Resources and Links The Myth of a Christian Nation by Greg Boyd on Bookshop | Amazon Revelation for the Rest of Us by Scot McKnight & Cody Hatchett on Bookshop | on Amazon Guest Spotlight Scot has been a professor of NT for more than four decades. He is the author of mor...

Boz Tchividjian, attorney and advocate for abuse survivors joins Amy Fritz on the Untangled Faith podcast to answer your questions. What's his origin story as an attorney? The origins of GRACE. Thoughts on the Us v Them messaging from many churches. NDAs Who is the Ronan Farrow or Jody Kantor of #churchtoo reporting? Who did Billy Graham vote for? (Just kidding. Boz didn't completely clear this one up for us!) Links: Sexual Abuse Attorney For Victims | Boz Tchividjian Sexual Abuse Lawyer...

Content Note: There is discussion regarding abuse in this episode. Please take care when listening. Author, Ryan George, joins Amy to share his personal experience of leaving a high-control religious community, and what it was like to realize, while listening to a podcast, that his dad was a serial abuser. He also shares what pulled him out of the IFB world and what that means when it comes to helping others. Buy Ryan's book: Hurt and Healed by the Church: Redemption and Reconstruction After Sp...

(If you downloaded this previously, there was a glitch with the audio. Hopefully, it's fixed now!) Just a quick note at the beginning of this episode to let you know that today's content is not safe for young children. We cover some heavy topics and I'm certain a few cuss words survived the final edit. I also wanted to let you know we cover the topic of abuse and understand this could be triggering for some listeners. Please take care while listening. In early June, Shiny Happy People: Duggar F...

Just a quick note at the beginning of this episode to let you know that today's content is not safe for young children. We cover some heavy topics and I'm certain a few cuss words survived the final edit. I also wanted to let you know we cover the topic of abuse and understand this could be triggering for some listeners. Please take care while listening. In early June, Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets debuted on Amazon Prime. It reached more viewers in its first 9 days than any Amazon ...

Neil Schori joins Amy Fritz to talk about how to recognize when someone is in an abusive relationship or you're interacting with an abuser. This is a crucial conversation for pastors and ministry leaders and anyone who cares about being a safe refuge for those who have been harmed. Document The Abuse Subscribe to my newsletter: https://untangledfaith.substack.com Amy and Neil talked about Signs of unhealthy and unsafe relationships and the importance of supporting affected individuals. The i...

Have you been told to (or seen others) push through personal pain and trauma while engaging in advocacy for the health of the Church without being given the tools to manage your (or their) own emotional wellness? Are you often feeling overwhelmed and exhausted? Meet Lori Anne Thompson: a compassionate survivor, storyteller, and student. Lori Anne is a devoted wife, mother, and enthusiastic cook who loves to share her passion for sustainable rhythms and healing for those who have survived trauma...

Pete Singer, executive director of GRACE, shares about grooming, hidden trauma, being "overly" sensitive to abuse, and the importance of third-party investigations. "Perpetrators put a lot of effort into being the kind of person who would never do that." "Being more sensitive may be the product of having more knowledge." Pete Singer is the Executive Director of GRACE: Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment and an expert on third-party investigations, trauma, and trauma-informed ...

Melissa J. Hogan joins Amy to share from Melissa's legal background insights on NDAs, confidentiality agreements, and other forms of silencing techniques that churches or faith-adjacent communities might use. Links: https://melissajhogan.com https://melissajhogan.medium.com https://twitter.com/melissajhogan https://twitter.com/melissajhogan/status/1361716852964151304 Leave a review: https://podcasts.app.com/us/podcast/untangled-faith/id1561001170 Subscribe to my newsletter: https://untangledf...

Boz Tchividjian, attorney and advocate for abuse survivors joins Amy Fritz on the Untangled Faith podcast to answer your questions. What's his origin story as an attorney? The origins of GRACE. Thoughts on the Us v Them messaging from many churches. NDAs Who is the Ronan Farrow or Jody Kantor of #churchtoo reporting? Who did Billy Graham vote for? (Just kidding. Boz didn't completely clear this one up for us!) Links: Sexual Abuse Attorney For Victims | Boz Tchividjian Sexual Abuse Lawyer...

Author, speaker, and professor, Dr. Wade Mullen, joins Amy Fritz for a conversation about impression management. In 2018, Mullen earned a PhD in leadership and did his dissertation on how evangelical organizations use impression management strategies in the wake of an image-threatening event. He specifically focused on Mars Hill Church, Sovereign Grace Ministries (now Sovereign Grace Churches), and Bob Jones University for his dissertation. In this episode Mullen shares the red flags of organiza...

This episode is part 2 of the conversation that Amy Fritz and Melissa Hogan started in the previous episode. Amy shares more of what she was seeing in Ramsey Solutions that felt very similar to news of scandal with other Christian ministries and leaders. In this conversation Melissa and Amy talk about over two dozen resources they found helpful in recognizing and processing abusive and/or unhealthy organizations, understanding the hurdles whistle-blowers have to telling the truth, and the voices...

Amy Fritz is joined by Melissa J. Hogan for a conversation about how they realized they were connected to an unhealthy organization. Melissa is an author of the upcoming book Afraid of the Doctor. She's also a lawyer, rare disease awareness advocate, and she consults on clinical trial design and patient outcome measures. In other words, she's brilliant. Amy and Melissa met when Melissa's husband at the time, and Nathan, Amy's husband, were working at Ramsey Solutions. In this episode they talk a...