The Life After Leaving Podcast: An Ex-Christadelphian Podcast

Ep. 5 Harbingers of Destruction! Talking with Amy about Women in Christadelphia

Today we're chatting with Amy! She has a master's degree in Religious Studies, and wrote her thesis using the Christadelphians as a test case for theories of conservative women.
There's no need to don a skirt or headcovering this Sunday morning! Join us as we delve into the reason why nothing ever changes in Christadelphia; talk about the limited roles for women in the ecclesia; reminisce on the dramas of headcoverings and pants-wearing (that's trousers for the Brits); and much, much more.
Resources:
Amy’s thesis is not publicly available, but if you're interested, email lifeafterleavingpodcast@gmail.com to request a digital copy
Christadelphian Moms Survey Results, May 2024
https://tidings.org/articles/the-moms-survey/
Tidings magazine, May 2024 Issue
https://tidings.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/2024-05-May.pdf
Tidings magazine, article on race from August 2020
https://tidings.org/articles/an-exploration-of-christadelphians-racism-and-activism/
The Ecclesial Guide by Robert Roberts
https://gs-cd.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/the-ecclesial-guide.pdf
Esme Louie Tradwife Video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8JOQkfvLGr/?igsh=MTZyZnFrcG9oenFnaw==
 
Books referenced:
The Psychology of Religious Doubt by Philip Helfaer
Educated by Tara Westover
The Holy Bible by Vanessa Russell (an ex-christadelphian!)
Leaving the Fold by Marlene Winell

Ep. 4 Fellowship with Rob

Today we’re chatting with Rob! Rob had reached the pinnacle of success as an international Christadelphian lecturer and prominent leader in his ecclesia before his journey to explore the root of his faith took him on an unexpected “reverse road to Damascus” and to leaving religion for good. This episode is the perfect accompaniment to a leisurely Sunday morning spent sleeping in, enjoying a fresh cup of coffee, and savoring not having to rush to the Sunday morning meeting anymore. Pull on your most colorful underwear for this episode and enjoy! 
Resources:
Unbelievable: A journey from faith via evidence. Why a university professor gave up religion and became an unbeliever by Rob Hyndman
Available for free at: https://robjhyndman.com/unbelievable/
Or print copies are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Unbelievable-Rob-J-Hyndman/dp/1517363195
 
The bibliography from his book: https://robjhyndman.com/unbelievable/bibliography.html
The Tidings article on being seekers of truth:
https://tidings.org/articles/seeking-truth/ 
Book: Good without God by Greg Epstein
https://www.amazon.com/Good-Without-God-Billion-Nonreligious/dp/006167012X
Book: The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion By Jonathan Haidt
https://www.amazon.com/Righteous-Mind-Divided-Politics-Religion/dp/0307455777
 

Ep. 3 Fellowship with Keturah

Today we're chatting with Keturah! There are some heavy topics in today's episode but this was still so much fun! We wonder, why do Christadelphians love one room schoolhouses so much? What is the proper gender neutral term for a baptized Christadelphian? Why did tights have such a chokehold on Christadelphian women for so long? The world may never know but we can laugh about it anyway!
 
TW: domestic violence, child abuse, incest, depression
 
Resources:
The youtuber that Keturah mentions in this episode is linked below:
https://www.youtube.com/@jezebelvibes
 

Ep. 2 John Thomas: The Man, the Myth, the Founder of the Christadelphians

Today we're diving into the origin of the Christadelphians and taking a look at their founder/rediscover-er Doctor John Thomas! Let's count how many times he got baptized and see what lengths he went to in order to get away from the priest-ridden society of England. This story is probably a little different than the Christadelphian origin story you thought you knew...
Works Cited:
Appletons' Cyclopedia of American Biography, 1600-1889- Dr. Thomas entry on page 84
Dr. Thomas: His Life & Work By Robert Roberts 1873
https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-joseph-dispenza-seduced-america-with-pseudoscience/
John Thomas and his Rediscovery of Bible Truth by Norman Fadelle, 2004
https://www.christadelphianbooks.com/detail/1488
https://christadelphia.net/history.htm
 John Thomas His Friends and His Faith by Peter Hemingray, 2003
 
Ancestry.com, John Thomas
in the England & Wales, Non-Conformist and Non-Parochial Registers, 1567-1936, Page 46
https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/143843:2972?tid=&pid=&queryid=9a44aaa7-e1d6-4b10-b0a1-bf26672955d8&_phsrc=oGi9&_phstart=success
Alexander Campbell Shipwreck and Journey to Glasgow, Scotland
Memoirs of Alexander Campbell, by Robert Richardson, Volume 1, Chapters 7 & 8, pages 104-128.https://www.therestorationmovement.com/_international/scotland/glasgow.htm
History of the Restoration Movement
Christadelphian Standards by H.P. Mansfield in 1961
Page 104 “Brother Mansfield’s remarks here were primarily with regard to the Pioneer works, although we acknowledge that there are other very good works available which have been written by other brethren. However, we would sound a note of caution. During the years since Brother Mansfield penned the above words, many works have been offered to us by an ever-increasing number of writers. Experience has shown us that many of these works are of doubtful value; others, paraded as Christadelphian literature, will prove quite dangerous to the unwary. Exercise care in this regard.”
 
“My Days and My Ways” by Robert Roberts, 1894
Eureka volume III
 
The preface of Eureka Vol III
 

Welcome, Start Here!

Welcome to the Life After Leaving Podcast! Check out this episode to learn about who we are, what we plan to do, and get some background on who the Christadelphians are before listening to our full episodes.