Confessions of a Recovering Evangelical

Overcoming Fear and Certainty to Find Faith Through Doubt and Questioning

By: Daniel Henderson

Narrated by: Brian Jeffords

The fastest growing religious group in America are the "Nones". They experience alienation and frustration with traditional evangelical Christianity and are leaving the pews in large numbers. Some are traumatized by the transition from a rigid religious worldview to a more humanistic and open one. They seek out others that experience the same frustrations and are willing to share their stories. For many this is an ongoing stress and problem in their lives due to parental and family pressures. Sometimes they are even persecuted and harassed by their former friends and family. Finding a "safe place" to learn and grow in a new expression of faith is important for this group.

Confessions of a Recovering Evangelical highlights this journey in an intimate and personal way that creates that safe place for others to learn, grieve, grow, and emerge into a new, more authentic faith. It is a compassionate, but no-holds barred, conversation about how the Evangelical and Christian Nationalist movement in the U.S. threatens our culture and democracy. It is hopeful, joyful, but also straight-forward in identifying how Evangelical belief and practices harm individuals and society. But ultimately, Confessions of a Recovering Evangelical provides a vision for moving on to a more humanistic and spiritual way of being.

©2022 Daniel Henderson (P)2023 Daniel Henderson

A wonderful journey

I grew up Southern Baptist in the Bible Belt, and came of age in the 80s and 90s. So this book resonates with me. I jumped off the evangelical train in college, while Mr. Henderson went much further down the path, to Bible college, seminary, and then a long career teaching at a Christian secondary school. It’s great to read how his faith has grown since leaving the narrow “straight jacket” of evangelical certainty, as he calls it. I felt the same way.

Mr. Henderson’s passion for research, critical thinking, and history comes through nicely in these pages. He is a gifted writer, and his narrative keeps the reader’s attention. He’s clearly thought long and carefully about issues of race, LGBTQ inclusion, Biblical inerrancy, Christian Nationalism, abortion, and all the hot button topics evangelicals are so involved with.

It’s great to see a Christian who decided to think for himself and abandon the authoritarian, fear-driven theological and political rhetoric that the evangelical leaders present to their flock, demanding strict adherence under threat of eternal punishment. As Henderson shows, God is so much bigger and better than that. Thank you for sharing your story with the world, Mr. Henderson! It’s an inspiration.