Heaven Bent

What can history, anthropology, psychology, and neuroscience, teach us about the spiritual practice of speaking in tongues? Join Tara Jean Stevens for her conversation with Josh Brahinsky, author of the new book Tongues of Fire: How Charismatic Prayer Changes Evangelical Brains and Inspires Spirit-Filled Activism.

*This episode was first available to Apple subscribers and patrons on Patreon on May 25th, 2026. If you're a subscriber, make sure to check "UNKNOWN SEASON" at the very start of the feed for early & sometimes exclusive access to one-off episodes like this.
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Is an insatiable sexual appetite something to be afraid of? Tara Jean believes purity culture made her think so. On the final episode this season, hear her intimate conversation with Lisa Diamond, professor of developmental psychology at the University of Utah.

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After Tara Jean lost her faith, she says there's an empty void that she tries to fill with other explanations for why there's anything. But why does that frighten her so much? And what does it have to do with the US government's release of the UFO files last week? On this episode, Tara Jean's interview with Harvard Professor Avi Loeb. He's a theoretical physicist who works on astrophysics and cosmology.

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Tara Jean unpacks her fear of the rapture with Dr. Amy Frykholm, the author of "Rapture Culture: Left Behind In Evangelical America."

https://www.amyfrykholm.com/rapture-culture
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Retching. Snarling. Supernatural strength. Tara Jean deconstructs the exorcism ritual with psychological anthropologist Tayna Marie Luhrmann. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.