Almost Heretical – Deconstructing Christian Finds His Way Back –  Nate Hanson’s Story | Ep. 155

For years, Nate Hanson was deeply committed to Christianity. Influenced by voices like Francis Chan and immersed in ministry, he devoted his life to radical discipleship and church planting. But after years of burnout, disappointment, and difficult questions, cracks began to appear in the faith he had always known. What followed was nearly a decade of public deconstruction through his podcast Almost Heretical, where he wrestled honestly with doubt, theology, and whether Christianity could withstand serious scrutiny.

Yet what Nate expected to be the end of faith became the beginning of a new search for truth.

In this episode, Nate shares how engaging skeptical arguments, historical scholarship, and the evidence surrounding Jesus led him to reconsider the very faith he thought he had left behind.

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Guest Bio:

Nate Hanson is the co-host of Faith Lab, a podcast dedicated to exploring thoughtful Christianity and helping people wrestle honestly with questions of faith. For nearly a decade, he hosted the popular podcast Almost Heretical, where he openly chronicled his own journey through deconstruction and engaged in conversations surrounding doubt, theology, and spirituality.

Today, Nate seeks to create space for gracious conversations and to help skeptics, doubters, and seekers thoughtfully engage the truth claims of Christianity.

Nate is also a tech professional, specializing in AI and coding. He lives in Oregon with his wife and children.

Resources Mentioned:

eX-skeptic Guides: https://exskeptic.org/bookstore/

Nate’s Resources:

Podcast Website: Faith Lab Show www.faithlabshow.com; He recently shared his personal journey back to Christianity in the episode Deconstruction Led Me Back to Christianity.

Nate’s Recommended Resources:

Tim Mackie, The Bible Project: https://bibleproject.com

Tim Keller, Questioning Christianity video series: https://qcpodcast.gospelinlife.com

Tim Keller, Reasons for God

Richard Bauckham, Jesus and the Eye Witnesses

Lydia McGrew, https://lydiamcgrew.com

Peter J. Williams, https://www.divinity.cam.ac.uk/directory/peter-williams

Shane Rosenthal, The Humble Skeptic podcast

NT Wright, The Resurrection of the Son of God

James D. G. Dunn, New Testament Scholar

John Lennox, https://johnlennox.org

Stephen C. Meyer, The God Hypothesis, https://www.discovery.org/p/meyer/

Justin Brierley, Uncommon Ground, https://justinbrierley.com

John Dickson, Undeceptions Podcast, https://undeceptions.com/podcast/

Chapters

00:00 Why Nate Returned to Christianity 00:26 Introduction to Nate Hanson's Story 02:54 What Is Christian Deconstruction? 06:25 Growing Up in a Christian Family 09:13 Church was Life 12:09 Francis Chan and Radical Faith 17:10 Pursuing Full-Time Christian Ministry 21:49 Ministry in San Francisco's Toughest Neighborhoods 28:07 Gunfire and a Crisis of Faith 31:44 When Blind Faith Began to Unravel 33:14 Exploring Different Christian Traditions 36:30 The Almost Heretical Podcast and Deconstruction 41:32 The Dominoes Falling 42:40 Giving Christianity One Last Chance 45:20 Investigating the Historical Evidence for Jesus 49:48 Can Christianity Stand Up to Skepticism? 52:43 The Resurrection and 1 Corinthians 15 55:32 Questioning God, Science, and Alternative Worldviews 58:00 Why Nate Became a Christian Again 01:01:55 Rebuilding Faith After Deconstruction 01:06:02 Advice for Parents of Children Who Leave Christianity 01:11:49 Advice for Anyone Questioning Their Faith 01:18:31 Closing

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eX-skeptic Transcript