Brian Rush McDonald grew up in southern Alabama in the early 1970s, where he eventually gave up his dream of working as a professional musician to become what at the time was called a "Jesus freak". During his high school years, however, he unwittingly found himself involved in fundamentalist Christianity. Though he was troubled by his faith's teaching that the lost were damned to hell, he attended Bob Jones University where he was engulfed in the harsh doctrine and rigid views of fundamentalism. He was then ordained and began a life in the ministry, eventually having three children with his high school sweetheart. He went with his family to Taiwan where they were missionaries for seven years, immersing themselves in the culture and learning the Mandarin Language. But he continued to struggle with his faith's teachings, especially the fate of non-believers. When he returned to the U.S. he was a pastor for many years, all the while quietly wrestling with the harsh dogma of his chosen religion. He pursued graduate studies at The College of William & Mary, eventually earning a Ph.D. and gaining a deeper understanding of human development, particularly with regard to religious belief.
Finally, after 30 years of preaching, McDonald walked away from the pulpit to pursue a different path. His recent book, The Long Surrender is a riveting memoir about losing religion to find freedom. Dr. McDonald has taught at Johns Hopkins University and George Mason University as an adjunct professor of counseling and is now a psychotherapist in private practice in Alexandria, Virginia where he resides with his wife Kathy and plays trombone in several local bands,
Brian shares with Rachel insights he gained throughout his years as a devoted, but questioning Christian fundamentalist in the Southern Baptist church. He explains the uncomfortable feelings that he held throughout his time as both a minister and evangelist as he grappled with the hypocrisy of the racism and homophobia he encountered in the church culture and theology. Together Rachel and Brian unpack the similar callings of pastoral care and therapeutic counseling helping professionals share.
Before You Go: Rachel addresses the problematic nature of religious evangelizing, sharing her own personal experiences as an example of the often arrogant and presumptuous acts of those attempting to convert people.
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