173: Joey Svendsen: Depression and Fundamentalist Christianity

 

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This week we talk to Joey Svendsen

Joey Svendsen grew up in Charleston, SC and received a degree in Elementary Education from Winthrop University in 1999. After graduation, he taught school for 5 years and served as a youth minister at New Beginnings Church in James Island.

He is now the campus pastor Joey for the James Island Campus of Seacoast Church.

His book is called Fundamentalist and describes his journey of growing up in a fundamentalist church while having OCD and depression.

He is also part of the popular The Bad Christian Podcast

 In This Interview, Joey Svendsen and I Discuss...

• How the rigid do's and don'ts found in Christianity are so contrary to Jesus
• How he found a form of Christianity that worked for him, so much so that he became a pastor
• His podcast, Bad Christian
• How he grew up in a fundamentalist Christian church as a child with OCD and depression
• How we can accept that as humans we're flawed and also move forward with a good life
• Scrupulosity
• That you can train your brain to be consumed with fear, self-loathing and punishment
• How his goal is to be a catalyst to unity and understanding
• That we the people make the country regardless of what's happening in the government
• The stupidity and ignorance of assuming your beliefs are 100% right and the beliefs of the other side is 100% wrong
• His beautiful description of depression
• That it's hard to properly evaluate a situation when your brain is the problem
• How he manages his periods of depression
• The importance of having grace with those suffering from depression
• Thinking of the brain as a physical organ when it comes to depression
• How important it is to give people the benefit of the doubt
• How his view of depression has evolved
• How to be open

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