090: A Slow Road Toward Faith with AJ Swoboda Artwork

Broken to Beloved Podcast

Over 92 million adults in the US have experienced spiritual abuse and religious trauma. Maybe you’re one of them.

The Broken to Beloved Podcast is for anyone who’s been affected by spiritual abuse, religious trauma, or church hurt and is looking for practical resources to move toward healing and wholeness.

Brian Lee is a pastor, coach, and speaker who survived it in 3 different environments and now works to advocate for others who have been wounded by the church and her leaders, and to provide practical tools for awareness and safeguarding against future abuse.

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Broken to Beloved Podcast

090: A Slow Road Toward Faith with AJ Swoboda

April 07, 2026 • Season 4 • Episode 90

0:00 | 46:57

After spiritual abuse, how do you separate the voice of Jesus from the voices that harmed you?

In this conversation with theologian and pastor A.J. Swoboda, we explore why slowing down — not speeding up — is the key to rebuilding a durable, honest faith after spiritual harm.

How do you trust truth again when it's been weaponized against you? This conversation explores how we can learn to trust truth again when it's been weaponized.

There can be ways to hold strong beliefs without becoming harmful, to understand that belief is not certainty, and that genuine theological knowledge should produce humility, not arrogance.

You'll learn:

Why treating faith like a commodity does long-term damage
How truth is often used as a power play in religious communities
How to hold beliefs with humility rather than certainty
Why fundamentalism is a mindset that can exist anywhere on the political or theological spectrum
How lament is a legitimate and important part of the faith journey

Guest Spotlight ✨

Rev. Dr. A. J. Swoboda (Ph.D., Birmingham) is the lead pastor of Faith Center in Eugene, Oregon and is the associate professor of Bible and Theology at Bushnell University. He is the lead mentor of the Doctor of Ministry program in Christian Formation and Soul Care at Friends University. He is the author of many books, including The Gift of Thorns (Zondervan), After Doubt (Brazos), and the award-winning Subversive Sabbath (Brazos). He hosts the “Slow Theology” podcast (w/ Dr. Nijay Gupta) and writes the widely read “Low-Level Theologian” Substack. A.J. lives and works on an urban farm with his wife and son in Eugene, Oregon.

Links & Resources 🔗

Substack | Website | Instagram

Slow Theology Podcast
Slow Theology by AJ Swoboda & Nijay Gupta | Amazon | Bookshop

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