For this special holiday episode, host Jake Doberenz sets aside the usual Christian ethics debates for something more festive (and chaotic): a Christmas movie trivia game show featuring returning guest Joseph Holmes, film critic and host of The Overthinkers Podcast, and first-time guest Kenny Doberenz, film and media teacher and voice actor. The three dive into obscure facts about The Santa Clause trilogy, animated Christmas Carol adaptations, Die Hard villains, and really old Christmas movies no one has seen. It's fun.

Merry Christmas, and good luck knowing when Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July actually came out.

Important Links:

• The Overthinkers Podcast — Joseph Holmes' show on faith and pop culture
• "Why Are We So Obsessed With Identity" - The Overthinkers podcast episode with Jake
• Jim vs. the Future — Joseph Holmes' sci-fi movie
• The Dead Sea Squirrels — Animated kids’ show featuring Kenny Doberenz
• "How Movies Can Shape Faith More Than Sermons" - Joseph's previous episode on the show

Joseph Holmes is a New York-based film and culture critic who writes for publications like Christianity Today, Religion Unplugged, and World Magazine. He co-hosts The Overthinkers Podcast and recently released his first feature film Jim vs. the Future.

Kenny Doberenz is a film and media teacher at Oklahoma Christian Academy, where he teaches high school and middle school students about movie production and storytelling. He has voice acting credits in The Dead Sea Squirrels, an animated show created by VeggieTales co-creator Mike Nawrocki.

Follow this show and Jake Doberenz’s writings at jakedoberenz.substack.com.

Christians are still telling people to “just pray more” in response to depression.

Trey Hayman, pastor of New City Church in Nashville, is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss how Christian faith and mental health need not be at odds. Drawing from both personal experience and theological training, Trey unpacks how the stigma around emotions and diagnoses developed in church spaces—and why it’s time to dismantle it. Together, Jake and Trey explore the false divide between “spiritual” and “emotional” life, the way Christian platitudes do more harm than good, and what a healthier theology of the mind could look like. Whether you’re a struggling believer or a church leader wondering how to help, this episode is for you.

Important Links:

• Trey's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/treyhayman/
• Trey's Substack - https://substack.com/@treyhayman
• Trey's Threads - https://www.threads.com/@treyhayman
• Classical Pastoral Care: Pastoral Counsel (Vol. 3) by Thomas C. Oden - https://amzn.to/3XNAv8y (affiliate)
• Classical Pastoral Care: Crisis Ministries (Vol. 4) by Thomas C. Oden - https://amzn.to/4rUSQy4 (affiliate)

Recommend Episodes:

• "Why Hate Won’t Stop Christian Nationalism - Caleb E. Campbell" - https://christianitywithoutcompromise.transistor.fm/51
• "Does God Want Me to be Happy? - Jon Adams" - https://christianitywithoutcompromise.transistor.fm/26

Trey Hayman is the pastor of New City Church, a young church plant in Nashville, Tennessee. He holds degrees in Psychology and Christian Leadership from Belmont University and a Master of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary. His work centers on integrating emotional health, theology, and community, and he regularly shares about mental health, faith, and authenticity online.

Follow this show and Jake Doberenz’s writings at jakedoberenz.substack.com.

If Christian community can be so toxic, should we just leave it all behind?

Loren Richmond Jr., pastor, chaplain, and host of the Future Christian Podcast, is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss why the Christian faith still calls us to show up in community—even when church institutions fail. They talk candidly about disillusionment, spiritual exhaustion, and the cultural appeal of individualism, yet also uncover what’s lost when Christians opt out of the local church. Loren brings practical insight from both sociology and theology to show why Christian identity depends on more than podcasts and personal devotion. Together, they explore how church forms us, how it’s supposed to testify to God’s way of being in the world, and how to evaluate a church community without expecting perfection.

Important Links:

• “Jake Doberenz on working for a church that doesn’t fit your theology” Future Christian Podcast — https://futurechristian.podbean.com/e/jake-doberenz-on-working-for-a-church-that-doesn-t-fit-your-theology/
• “Why Religion Went Obsolete: The Demise of Traditional Faith in America” by Christian Smith — https://amzn.to/3KgYBFG (affiliate)
• “How the Anglican Tradition Forms a Moral Ecology” by Loren Richmond Jr. — https://lorenrichmondjr.substack.com/p/how-the-anglican-tradition-forms
• “Sustaining While Disrupting: The Challenge of Congregational Innovation” by F. Douglas Powe Jr. and Levett H. Weems Jr. — https://amzn.to/4iGWRC6 (affiliate)
• Loren’s Substack The Church Nerd - https://open.substack.com/pub/lorenrichmondjr

Recommend Episodes:

• "Can Churches Do Business Without Losing Their Soul? - Loren Richmond, Jr." - https://christianitywithoutcompromise.transistor.fm/4
• "Cultivating a Church's Culture - Spencer Shaw" - https://christianitywithoutcompromise.transistor.fm/1

Loren Richmond Jr. is a pastor, chaplain, nonprofit leader, and the host of the Future Christian Podcast. He holds an MDiv from Phillips Theological Seminary and an MBA with a nonprofit focus from Hope International University. His wide-ranging ministry background includes roles from food pantry director to founding pastor, giving him a grounded and practical perspective on the evolving role of the church in society.

Follow this show and Jake Doberenz’s writings at jakedoberenz.substack.com.

American Christianity has often baptized destroying the planet in the name of dominion, capitalism, or end-times theology. Dillon Naber Cruz, author and theologian trained in permaculture design, is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss why true Christian ethics require care for the earth. The conversation explores how the golden rule applies to land use, how permaculture challenges consumerism, and how churches can tangibly resist the destruction of God’s world.

Important Links:

• "Go Golden" by Dillon Naber Cruz — https://amzn.to/4rwyfA5 (affiliate)
• "Theological Musings Vol. 1" by Dillon Naber Cruz — https://amzn.to/3KjZsFu (affiliate)
• "Theological Musings Vol. 2" by Dillon Naber Cruz — https://amzn.to/4p4KuCi (affiliate)
• The Tattooed Theologian Blog — https://tattooed-theologian.com/
• God Squad Pod — https://tattooed-theologian.com/the-god-squad-podcast/

Recommended Episodes:

• Episode 20 with Dr. Malcolm Foley on Greed and Capitalism

Dillon Naber Cruz is a writer, permaculture designer, and public theologian who blogs under the name The Tattooed Theologian. He is the author of Go Golden and other theological works exploring social permaculture, ethics, and ecological justice. He co-hosts The God Squad Pod and frequently appears on SiriusXM’s Tell Me Everything.

Follow this show and Jake Doberenz’s writings at jakedoberenz.substack.com.

The Culture War claims to be Christian, yet misses everything about faith. In this solo episode, Jake Doberenz, host of Christianity Without Compromise, shares three reasons he has renounced the culture war mindset. Drawing from personal experience as a former participant, Jake explores how the culture war makes Christians worse people, replaces the gospel with ideology, and elevates fringe issues while ignoring core teachings of Jesus. This honest and incisive reflection offers a crucial critique of culture war Christianity and invites listeners into a more faithful way of following Jesus.

Important Links:

• "Why I'm Not a Creationist Anymore" episode
• "Why 'Crotch Christianity' Misses the Gospel" episode
• "The Sermon on the Mount is Serious" episode
• The King Jesus Gospel by Scot McKnight

Jake Doberenz is the founder of the podcast production company Theophany Media and host of Christianity Without Compromise. He holds multiple degrees in Bible and communication studies and is passionate about Christians finding Jesus outside of the Culture Wars.

Behind the praise for caregivers in church spaces is a deeper failure to actually support them. Sunita Theiss, a neurodivergent writer and workshop leader, is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to to expose how the church often celebrates caregiving in theory while neglecting caregivers in practice. She discuss the unseen burdens caregivers carry and how Christian faith has often equated holiness with endless output. Drawing from her own experience with chronic illness and parenting neurodivergent children, Sunita challenges the way churches praise caregivers without offering real help. They unpack the idol of productivity, how churches can stop overburdening caregivers, and why a theology of limits is essential for true spiritual growth.

Important Links:

• Sunita Theiss’s Website
• Sunita on Instagram
• The 80/80 Marriage: A New Model for a Happier, Stronger Relationship by Dr. Nate Klemp and Kaley Klemp
• Biblical Truths for Neurodivergent Kids – Free Resource
• PDA and the Church – Workshop Replay

Recommended Episodes:

• Episode 40 with Michael Clemens on Church Attendance
• Episode 45 with Kate Boyd on Exclusion in Church Structures
• Episode 23 with Luke Dockery on Intergenerational Church

Guest Bio:

Sunita Theiss is a writer, workshop facilitator, and neurodivergent parent advocate working at the intersection of parenting, neurodiversity, and Christian faith. After leaving a 15-year marketing career to care for her children, she discovered that both she and her kids are neurodivergent. She now helps create trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming spaces in churches, schools, and homes.

Follow this show and Jake Doberenz’s writings at jakedoberenz.substack.com.

The Bible isn’t exactly a Christian parenting book, despite what some popular books might suggest. Kelsey Kramer McGinnis, musicologist and journalist, and Marissa Franks Burt, novelist and theological educator, are on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to dissect the common myths behind Christian parenting advice. They explore how evangelical parenting books sold a prosperity gospel-like promise—if you parent “biblically,” your kids will follow Jesus. They trace the rise of this parenting empire, unpack key influences like James Dobson and Chuck Swindoll, and explain how poor theology has led to confusion, fear, and broken relationships across generations.

Important Links:

• The Myth of Good Christian Parenting by Kelsey McGinnis and Marissa Burt - https://amzn.to/3JUUsH0
• In the Church Library Podcast (co-hosted by Kelsey and Marissa) - https://www.buzzsprout.com/2463181
• Marissa Franks Burt’s Substack - https://substack.com/@mburtwrites
• Kelsey Kramer McGinnis’s Substack - https://substack.com/@kelseykramermcginnis

Recommended episode: “How Faith Deconstruction Can Lead Back to Jesus” with Scot McKnight

Kelsey McGinnis is a musicologist, educator, and journalist who writes about worship, Christian subculture, and church media. She holds a PhD from the University of Iowa and teaches as an adjunct professor at Grand View University. She is also a correspondent for Christianity Today.

Marissa Burt is a novelist, editor, and theological educator with an MA in Theological Studies from Columbia International University. She co-hosts the At Home with the Lectionary podcast and is raising six children with her husband, a longtime pastor.

Follow this show and Jake Doberenz’s writings at jakedoberenz.substack.com.

Short-form sermon clips, podcasts, and documentaries are more accessible than ever—but what happens when Christians consume media about the Bible instead of the Bible itself? Craig Dehut, cinematographer, editor, and co-founder of Appian Media, is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss how digital content should supplement—not replace—scripture. This episode confronts the growing reliance on Christian media and explores how it can unintentionally derail spiritual growth. If you care about Christian faith, discipleship, and resisting the pull of technology in the digital age, this conversation is for you.

Important Links:

• Appian Media YouTube Channel
• Appian Media Website
• "How Movies Can Shape Faith More Than Sermons" - Joseph Holmes
• "Spiritually Distracted by Technology" - Andrew Noble
• "The Bible is Not Just an Information Book" - Joseph Dea

Craig Dehut is a filmmaker, editor, and co-founder of Appian Media, a nonprofit producing biblically accurate, high-quality video content designed to deepen engagement with scripture. With a background in film production and storytelling, Craig blends visual creativity with biblical conviction. His work includes immersive documentaries filmed in the Holy Lands, educational series, and podcasts—all freely available to help people read the Bible with fresh eyes.

Follow this show and Jake Doberenz’s writings at jakedoberenz.substack.com.