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60. Raised Pentecostal vs. United Methodist | Deconstruction, Doubt & Finding God Again with Colten Barnaby & Rev. Dr. S.C. Williams
What happens when two Christians grow up in almost completely different versions of Christianity?
Colten Barnaby grew up in a strict Oneness Holiness Pentecostal world, speaking in tongues at five years old and believing other Christians still needed to be saved.
Rev. Dr. S.C. Williams grew up United Methodist, where he was encouraged to question, evolution wasn’t controversial, hell was rarely discussed, and faith was rooted more in grace than fear.
Same Christianity?
That question opens a fascinating conversation about Pentecostalism, United Methodism, deconstruction, religious trauma, progressive Christianity, evolution, scripture, doubt, Christian nationalism—and whether questioning your faith can actually bring you closer to God.
Colten shares how studying theology and church history at Oral Roberts University complicated the certainty he grew up with. Instead of atheist professors destroying his faith, he encountered serious Christians who accepted evolution, disagreed theologically, and still respected one another.
Today, Colten sometimes describes himself with a sentence that would have terrified his younger self:
“I’m a Christian who doesn’t believe in God.”
What does that even mean?
Together, Colten and S.C. explore what remains when certainty disappears—and why seeking truth may matter more than protecting the theological system you inherited.
They also discuss religious trauma, LGBTQ+ inclusion, harmful theology, the Wesleyan Quadrilateral, Christian nationalism, debating Doug Wilson, progressive Christianity, and one of the hardest questions for people rebuilding faith:
How do you know who to trust again?
And for anyone afraid deconstruction will lead them away from God:
Maybe God is on the other side of your questions too.
✨ GUESTS + FOLLOW
Colten Barnaby — Christian thinker and creator exploring theology, politics, philosophy, and faith after certainty.
Rev. Dr. S.C. Williams — United Methodist pastor and creator exploring scripture, theology, church history, and harmful Christian teachings.
📚 MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Brian Recker — IG: @berecker
Tim Whitaker / The New Evangelicals — IG: @thenewevangelicals @timwhitakerspeaks
Tripp Fuller — IG: @trippfuller
Homebrewed Christianity — IG: @theologynerd
Theology Beer Camp — IG: @theologybeercamp
April Ajoy — IG: @aprilajoy
🍺 THEOLOGY BEER CAMP
Alexis, Colten, Tripp Fuller, and other Sacred Slope friends are headed to Theology Beer Camp in Kansas City, Missouri, October 8–10, 2026—a gathering for people willing to ask big questions about God, Christianity, theology, culture, and the world without pretending they already have all the answers.
In-person tickets are sold out, but virtual tickets are still available at theologybeer.camp.
⏱️ EPISODE CHAPTERS
07:29 — Meet Colten Barnaby & Rev. Dr. S.C. Williams
08:24 — Growing Up Oneness Pentecostal
11:45 — When Education Complicates Your Faith
14:20 — Pentecostal vs. United Methodist Christianity
17:15 — Religious Trauma & What the Church Owes People
19:02 — “I’m a Christian Who Doesn’t Believe in God”
23:48 — What Is God?
25:20 — Progressive Christianity & Questions
29:30 — Debating Doug Wilson
33:54 — Why S.C. Williams Does Theology Online
35:34 — Recognizing Harmful Theology
36:42 — Apostasy, Fear & Religious Trauma
43:00 — LGBTQ+ Inclusion & Reading the Bible Differently
44:35 — Reinterpreting Scripture
47:07 — Why Church Tradition Matters
51:34 — Doubt, Truth & Seeking God
01:02:40 — What Deconstruction Actually Looks Like
01:03:24 — Historical Context Changes Theology
01:06:04 — The Wesleyan Quadrilateral
01:09:49 — Reading Scripture Through Jesus
01:16:26 — Who Can You Trust After Religious Trauma?
01:21:40 — Can Doubt Bring You Closer to God?
#Deconstruction #ProgressiveChristianity #Pentecostal #UnitedMethodist #ReligiousTrauma #FaithAndDoubt #Exvangelical #Christianity #TheSacredSlope
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About The Sacred Slope
thesacredslope.com
Where the slippery slope becomes sacred ground.
For the spiritually tender - raised in or rooted in Christianity.
Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion.
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🎙 Hosted by Alexis Rice
🎵 Music by Brett Rutledge, Eddie Irvin & Sean Spence
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