The Opposite of Grace Is Shame — Dave Zahl

DESCRIPTION Dave Zahl has spent twenty years running a ministry devoted to grace. He also attends a church that preaches grace every single week—because by the time Sunday rolls around again, he says, he's already stopped believing it. For a lot of people, that sounds like a paradox, because church is where they learned shame in the first place. But what if it didn't have to be that way? This conversation explores why churches turn into venues for religious performance, why shame survives long after your theology changes, and how to find a place where grace is lived, not just talked about. To support Faith After Faith, visit http://katielangston.com/support. A recurring donation of any amount will give you access to exclusive bonus content and full, unedited conversations. CHAPTERS 0:00 Dave Zahl on religious pressure cookers 0:45 The opposite of grace is shame 1:46 Mockingbird, Seculosity, and The Big Relief 2:26 "David is so hard on himself" 5:04 Austria, a breakup, and crying uncle 8:31 Acceleration, and running faster to keep what you have 12:22 Churches as venues for religious performance 15:49 The law: Leviticus, your mother, your Fitbit 16:27 Guilt is what you do; shame is who you are 20:03 Grace wears off by Sunday 21:30 Low Anthropology and the shame spiral 23:53 "You are not enough. But God is." 26:49 Which God? Zahl says look at Jesus 29:42 Nobody deconstructs away from Jesus 32:02 Liturgy, intergenerational, purple: what to look for in a church 35:12 Non-contingent compassionate alliance 36:54 What does faith after faith look like for you? 38:50 Credits and where to find Dave RESOURCES Mockingbird Ministries — https://mbird.com David Zahl, _Seculosity: How Career, Parenting, Technology, Food, Politics, and Romance Became Our New Religion and What to Do about It_. Fortress Press, 2019. David Zahl, _Low Anthropology: The Unlikely Key to a Gracious View of Others (and Yourself)_. Brazos Press, 2022. David Zahl, _The Big Relief: The Urgency of Grace for a Worn-Out World_. Brazos Press, 2025. https://mbird.com/feed-name/the-mocki... — Mockingbird Ministries