eX-skeptic

What would it take for an atheist to become a Christian? Thirteen years ago, that question led Jana Harmon to study the lives of 50 former atheists. What she discovered were deeply human journeys shaped by relationships, experiences, evidence, and a willingness to reconsider what was true. Six years ago, those stories became the heart of eX-skeptic.

In this special anniversary episode, Jana reflects on the beginnings of the podcast, the enduring questions behind every story, and the unexpected ways people have found faith in Jesus Christ.

Whether you’ve listened from the beginning or have only recently joined us, thank you for being part of six years of honest questions, surprising discoveries, and unlikely stories of belief.

🎙️ Love the show? Support the mission and explore eX-skeptic merch here: https://ex-skeptic-shop.fourthwall.com/

Resources Mentioned:

eX-skeptic Guides — Written resources referenced by Jana: https://exskeptic.org/bookstore

eX-skeptic website — Stories, writings, and additional resources: exskeptic.org

eX-skeptic YouTube channel and playlists — Additional ways to explore the stories: www.youtube.com/@exskeptic

C.S. Lewis Institute: www.cslewisinstitute.org

The Podcast Upload: www.thepodcastupload.com

Chapters

00:00 – Celebrating Six Years of eX-skeptic
00:22 – Where the Journey Began
01:16 – Why We Started the Podcast
01:44 – The Questions That Still Matter
02:35 – Six Years of Stories and Resources
03:33 – Thank You to Our Guests, Team, and Supporters
04:29 – The Journey Continues

Connect with eX-skeptic:

Website: https://exskeptic.org/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/exskeptic

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/exskeptic

Twitter: http://x.com/exskeptic

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@exskeptic

Email info: info@exskeptic.org

Transcript

BONUS 6th Anniversary

October 30th, 2026

Celebrating Six Years of eX-skeptic

JANA HARMON: Hello and welcome to eX-skeptic, where we hear unlikely stories of belief from people who once rejected God in Christianity but changed their minds. I'm your host, Jana Harmon, and today's episode is a special one because today marks the sixth anniversary of eX-skeptic. So, I wanted to take a few minutes to look back at where this all began, and most of all, to say thank you.

Where the Journey Began

The journey actually began 13 years ago when I started doctoral research investigating the lives of 50 former atheists who become Christians. I had the question, what would it take for an atheist to become a Christian? I wanted to understand how and why they formed their beliefs against God, what caused those beliefs to change, and ultimately what they found in Christ and how their lives had changed as a result.

What I discovered was nothing short of amazing. These were deeply human journeys involving questions of relationships, experiences and evidence, doubts and desires. Each story was different, but I began to notice something.

Resistance could give way to curiosity, assumptions long held could be reconsidered, and people who had once dismissed belief in God could become willing to ask again what is actually true.

Why We Started the Podcast

So, when the C.S. Lewis Institute asked me to begin a podcast in 2020, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. These stories were simply too good to keep to myself.

I knew that skeptics and seekers could hear themselves in these stories. Christians could better understand someone they loved who didn't believe, and all of us could learn from people who had been willing to question what they believed and pursued truth wherever it led. And so, six years ago, we began telling their stories.

Questions That Still Matter

Six years later, what strikes me is that while culture changes, our deepest questions don't. Why are we here? Does my life have meaning? Is there a God? Can I know him? Is there anything true and solid enough to build my life upon? Again and again, we've heard people wrestle honestly with those questions and find something or someone they didn't expect.

Augustine famously wrote that our hearts are restless until they find their rest in God, and in many ways, that's what these stories have shown us. We've seen restless hearts finding rest. We've seen searching minds finding truth. We've seen people discovering a story large enough to make sense of the world around them and the longings within them.

Six Years of Stories and Resources

And that's why eX-skeptic still exists today: to commend faith in Jesus Christ through the stories and advice of those who once rejected it. When I recorded the first episode six years ago, I certainly didn't know where all of this would lead. What began as a podcast has grown into a broader platform of stories and resources through YouTube, our website, and writings such as The eX-skeptic Guides and Playlists.

And there's something remarkable to celebrate. Of roughly 1 million podcasts that began in 2020, only about 2.5% of podcasts are still actively publishing today. And thanks to you, eX-skeptic is among them and has remained among the top 1% of all podcasts globally over the past five years. That is according to Listen Notes.

Thank You to Our Guests, Team, and Supporters

I'm deeply grateful to every guest who has trusted us with their story, and to every one of you who have listened, watched, read, and shared them.

I'm also grateful for the people who make it possible. Ashley Kelfer, our producer, Wendy Grounds, and Lori Burleson, the eX-skeptic team. We're thankful to our partners at the CS Lewis Institute Podcast Network, and we're so grateful for Caleb, Isabella, and Sean at The Podcast Upload who make all of the production and promotion possible.

And above all, I'm grateful to God because behind each of these stories is the One who knows us and loves us, who meets us in our questions, draws us towards himself, and guides us into knowing what is true and real.

A lot has changed in six years, but what matters most has not. The truth has not changed. Jesus hasn't changed, and people are still searching.

The Journey Continues

So, thank you for being a part of six years of questions, journeys, doubts, discoveries, and unlikely stories of belief. There are still so many stories left to tell, and we hope you'll continue to journey with us. And if eX-skeptic has encouraged you, challenged you, helped you, or someone you love, we'd love to hear from you.

Please email us at info@exskeptic.org. Thank you so much for being a part of eX-skeptic, and we look forward to seeing you next time, where we'll hear another unlikely story of belief.

What if the reason you struggle to believe is because life has taught you not to trust?

Dr. Jana Harmon sits down with Robert Hotchkin, a former skeptic and spiritual seeker, whose journey took him far beyond traditional religion. Raised in a loving but largely non-religious home, Robert eventually embraced a worldview marked by cynicism, intellectualism, and deep disappointment. Determined to find meaning and transcendence, he explored the New Age movement, Eastern philosophies, meditation, altered states of consciousness, and countless spiritual practices.

Yet no experience could satisfy the longing that remained.

Then, in the solitude of the Montana mountains, after years of searching and a lifetime of hidden pain, Robert encountered something he could neither explain away nor forget, the overwhelming love of God. Listen to learn how Robert explored the goodness and truth of God.

🎙️ Love the show? Support the mission and explore eX-skeptic merch here: https://ex-skeptic-shop.fourthwall.com/

Guest Bio:

Robert Hotchkin is an author, speaker, and ministry leader dedicated to helping believers walk in the supernatural realities of life in Christ. With more than twenty years in full-time ministry, Robert focuses on equipping Christians to experience the fruit, gifts, and power of the Holy Spirit in everyday life.

Based in Arizona with his wife, Robert ministers internationally through teaching, media, and discipleship, encouraging believers to reveal the reality of Jesus to the world around them.

Resources Mentioned:

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

Website: Robert Hotchkin Ministries: www.roberthotchkin.com

YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@RobertHotchkin

Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction: A Skeptic's Encounter with God
00:17 – Meet Robert Hotchkin: From Skeptic to Ministry
03:11 – Growing Up Without a Personal Faith
06:12 – How Rejection and Disappointment Shaped His Beliefs
08:20 – Why He Stopped Believing in Anything
12:02 – Finding Safety in Intellect and Reason
15:45 – Why Robert Rejected Christianity
17:57 – Searching for Truth in New Age Spirituality
21:16 – Exploring Altered States of Consciousness
25:45 – Why Spiritual Experiences Never Satisfied
29:40 – The Book That Opened a Door to Christianity
31:00 – Praying to Jesus Without Realizing It
34:43 – Searching for Meaning in Montana
37:13 – The Mysterious Encounter in the Snow
40:18 – God's Unexpected Words: I Refuse Not to Love You
44:26 – The Second Encounter That Led Him to Jesus
48:57 – How Following Jesus Transformed His Life
54:27 – Why God Said He Refused Not to Love Him
01:01:33 – Robert's Advice to Skeptics Seeking God
01:04:15 – Experiencing God's Love and Sharing It with Others

Connect with eX-skeptic:

Website: https://exskeptic.org/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/exskeptic

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/exskeptic

Twitter: http://x.com/exskeptic

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@exskeptic

Email info: info@exskeptic.org

eX-skeptic Transcript

Ep. 155

October 23, 2026

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.

🎙️ Love the show? Support the mission and explore eX-skeptic merch here: https://ex-skeptic-shop.fourthwall.com/

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

Connect with eX-skeptic:

Website: https://exskeptic.org/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/exskeptic

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/exskeptic

Twitter: http://x.com/exskeptic

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@exskeptic

Email info: info@exskeptic.org

eX-skeptic Transcript

What happens when the scientific story you're given seems to leave no room for God?

Dr. Brian Miller grew up with a belief in God, but everything changed when he entered MIT and later pursued a PhD in physics at Duke University. Surrounded by a scientific culture that viewed God as unnecessary and influenced by thinkers like Richard Dawkins, Brian gradually embraced a materialistic view of reality.

But the deeper he explored science, the more questions emerged.

Could naturalism explain meaning, consciousness, or the origin of life? Why did the universe appear so finely tuned? And what if the story he had accepted about science and faith was itself incomplete?

🎙️ Love the show? Support the mission and explore eX-skeptic merch here: https://ex-skeptic-shop.fourthwall.com/

Want to support this channel? Tax-deductible donations available here: https://givebutter.com/CB6WoH

Guest Bio:

Dr. Brian Miller is a physicist who studied physics and engineering at MIT and earned his PhD in complex systems physics from Duke University. He serves as a researcher with the Discovery Institute, where his work focuses on intelligent design, the origin of life, and the evidence for purpose and engineering in biology.

Dr. Miller was also a lead technical consultant for Stephen Meyer’s bestselling book The Return of the God Hypothesis. Passionate about helping people think deeply about faith and science, he speaks and writes on topics including cosmology, biology, philosophy, and the historical reliability of Christianity.

Resources Mentioned:

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

Brian’s Resources:

• Book: The God Hypothesis, Stephen Meyer (Brian Miller, lead technical consultant)

• Book: God’s Not Dead, Rice Broocks (Brian Miller, technical consultant)

Brian’s Recommended Resources:

• Website: https://intelligentdesign.org/

• Website: Discovery Institute: www.discovery.org

• Website: Reasons to Believe, Hugh Ross: www.reasons.org

• David Snoke: www.christianscientific.org

• Craig Blomberg: https://theopedia.com/craig-blomberg

• Jonathan McLatchie: www.jonathanmclatchie.com

• Talk about Doubts: www.talkaboutdoubts.com

• Lydia McGrew: www.lydiamcgrew.com

• William Lane Craig: www.reasonablefaith.org

• Rice Broocks, SALT training: https://www.thegodtest.org

Chapters

0:00 – Can Science Lead You to God?
02:19 – Brian Miller’s Journey Through MIT and Duke
03:24 – Growing Up Christian and Beginning to Doubt
06:15 – Questioning Christianity at MIT
10:34 – Evidence That Challenged His Skepticism
14:06 – Challenging Materialism and the Assumptions Behind Science
19:09 – Is There Evidence of Design in Nature?
23:12 – How Our Environment Shapes What We Believe
30:47 – Where Naturalism Struggles to Explain Reality
36:24 – Why Changing Your Worldview Takes Time
40:51 – Can Life Have Meaning Without God?
45:58 – How Christianity Changed Brian’s View of Life
51:25 – Next Steps to Belief in God
56:15 – How Christians Can Talk with Skeptics
59:14 – Keep Exploring

Connect with eX-skeptic:

Website: https://exskeptic.org/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/exskeptic

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/exskeptic

Twitter: http://x.com/exskeptic

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@exskeptic

Email info: info@exskeptic.org

What happens when suffering shapes your picture of God?

For Paul Snyder, the God he rejected as a young boy seemed harsh, distant, and impossible to please. Growing up amid fear, family brokenness, rejection, and disappointment, he concluded that if God existed at all, He certainly wasn't good.

By the age of twelve, Paul had reached a point of despair. Filled with anger and skepticism, he did something many people secretly feel but rarely admit. He challenged God directly.What happened next changed everything.

Paul shares how an unexpected encounter with the love of Christ transformed his understanding of God and set him on a lifelong journey of faith and service.

🎙️ Love the show? Support the mission and explore eX-skeptic merch here: https://ex-skeptic-shop.fourthwall.com/

Guest Bio:

Paul Snyder is the president of Global Bridges, an international ministry serving persecuted believers, vulnerable children, and marginalized communities in some of the world's most restricted nations. Continuing a legacy of gospel ministry that spans generations, Paul is passionate about demonstrating the love of Christ through practical compassion and humanitarian aid. He is also the co-author of Love Shines, a book highlighting the importance of Scripture and the extraordinary story behind the ministry's work among persecuted Christians around the world. Once an atheist shaped by suffering and disappointment, Paul now dedicates his life to helping others encounter the hope and love he found in Jesus.

Resources Mentioned:

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

Book: Love Shines: From Smuggling Bibles to Training a Million Disciples; https://globalbridgesrelief.org/loveshines/

Global Bridges – International ministry serving persecuted believers and vulnerable communities: https://globalbridgesrelief.org/

Open Doors (founded by Brother Andrew)

Ethnos360 (formerly New Tribes Mission)

YWAM (Youth With A Mission)

Chapters

00:00 Paul’s “Liquid Love” Encounter
00:54 If God Is Good, Why Do We Suffer?
02:00 Serving the Persecuted with Global Bridges
04:48 A Family Legacy of Faith
09:25 From Smuggling Bibles to Smuggling Drugs
11:41 How His Father Shaped His View of God
15:33 “God Was Like Santa Claus”
16:49 Paul Reaches a Point of Despair
19:21 He Challenges God to Prove He’s Real
19:47 “Liquid Love” Poured Over Him
20:23 God Says, “I Love You”
21:36 Jesus Is More Than a Philosophy
23:01 Discovering God Through the Bible
26:05 Why Scripture Matters
27:18 If God Is Good, Why Is There Suffering?
30:18 Escaping Performance-Based Christianity
34:44 Is God Supposed to Stop All Suffering?
36:02 Do You Need a Dramatic Encounter with God?
39:01 Where Should a Skeptic Start?
41:00 How Christians Should Engage with Skeptics

Connect with eX-skeptic:

Website: https://exskeptic.org/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/exskeptic

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/exskeptic

Twitter: http://x.com/exskeptic

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@exskeptic

Email info: info@exskeptic.org