What happens when grief changes not just your life… but your identity?

In part one of this conversation, John sits down with author, grief guide, and speaker Shelby Forsythia to discuss her new book and the complicated, deeply human realities of loss, healing, and personal transformation.

Together, they explore the myths we inherit about grief, why so many people feel pressure to “move on” too quickly, and how grief can quietly reshape our relationships, spirituality, and sense of self. Rather than offering clichés or easy answers, Shelby approaches grief with honesty, compassion, and a willingness to sit with uncertainty — something longtime listeners of The Deconstructionists will likely find familiar.

Topics include:

• Why grief is not a linear process
• The cultural pressure to “get over” loss
• How grief impacts identity and spirituality
• Emotional honesty versus performative healing
• Why many people feel isolated in their pain
• The connection between grief and personal growth
• Learning to live alongside loss rather than “defeating” it

Shelby’s work offers a compassionate alternative to the toxic positivity and oversimplified narratives that often surround grief conversations.

If this conversation resonates with you, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share the episode with someone who may need it.

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What if one of the most influential ideas in modern Christianity… didn’t actually come from Jesus?

In this episode of The Deconstructionists Podcast, we explore the history and impact of dualism — the ancient belief that spirit is good while matter, bodies, and the physical world are somehow lesser, corrupt, or evil.

From Plato and Greek philosophy to Gnosticism and modern evangelical culture, we trace how dualistic thinking quietly shaped theology, sexuality, purity culture, views of the body, the afterlife, politics, and even the way many Christians understand salvation itself.

We ask questions like:

• Why have so many Christians viewed the body with suspicion?
• Did the Bible actually teach a sharp divide between “spiritual” and “physical”?
• How did Greek philosophy influence early Christianity?
• Why do some forms of Christianity focus so heavily on “escaping the world”?
• What happens when faith becomes disconnected from embodiment, justice, and humanity?
• And what might a more holistic, integrated spirituality look like?

Along the way, we discuss:

• Plato and the influence of Greek metaphysics
• Gnosticism and the material/spiritual divide
• The Hebrew understanding of embodied humanity
• Paul’s writings and common misunderstandings about “flesh”
• Heaven, resurrection, and the renewal of creation
• Purity culture and body shame
• The lasting influence of dualism on modern evangelicalism
• Deconstruction, embodiment, and recovering wholeness

This conversation explores how ideas developed historically — and how those ideas still shape people’s lives today, often in ways they don’t even realize.

Whether you come from an evangelical background, are in the middle of deconstruction, or are simply interested in theology, philosophy, and history, this episode offers a deeper look at one of the hidden frameworks underneath modern Christianity.

• Dualism in Christianity
• Plato and Greek philosophy
• Gnosticism
• Embodiment and spirituality
• Resurrection theology
• Purity culture
• Biblical anthropology
• Evangelical theology
• Deconstruction and reconstruction
• Mind/body divide
• Spiritual formation

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In Part 2 of our conversation, Bart Ehrman returns to discuss his latest book, Love Thy Stranger, and the lasting impact Jesus’ teachings had on moral thought in the Western world.

We continue exploring how ideas surrounding compassion, forgiveness, charity, and care for outsiders emerged within early Christianity — while also wrestling with the ways institutions and political movements have often failed to embody those same values.

In this episode we discuss:

• The tension between the teachings of Jesus and modern political Christianity
• Immigration, nationalism, and “loving your neighbor”
• How moral frameworks evolve over time
• The role Christianity played in shaping Western ethics
• Historical misunderstandings about the ancient world
• Why empathy and human dignity remain central themes in Jesus’ message

Be sure to check out Dr. Ehrman’s new book, Love Thy Stranger, available now wherever books are sold.

Bart Ehrman is a New Testament scholar, historian of early Christianity, and the author of numerous bestselling books including Misquoting Jesus, Heaven and Hell, Jesus Interrupted, and How Jesus Became God. He is the James A. Gray Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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