E204: Surviving a Christian Cult w/ Andrew Pledger

Recovering From Religion

This week on RfRx, Andrew Pledger comes on the show to share his experiences of his upbringing in a fundamentalist Christian cult and the level of control and mental abuse he experienced as a student at Bob Jones University as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Andrew will further discuss his experiences with fundamentalism and the intersection of religious trauma and queerness.

Andrew Pledger is a content creator, activist, and writer who uses social media to share his story and inspire others. He is a religious trauma survivor who was homeschooled K-12 and raised in a fundamentalist Christian cult (Independent Fundamental Baptist movement). He brings awareness to spiritual and religious abuse. Being a part of the LGBTQ+ community and experiencing religious trauma has inspired him to pursue psychology to help survivors. After being homeschooled, he found his way to Bob Jones University. He attended the fundamentalist Christian college for over three years until he was expelled in his last semester for sharing his story and denouncing fundamentalist teachings. Andrew comes on the show to share his experiences of his upbringing and the level of control and mental abuse he experienced at Bob Jones University. He has a limited podcast premiering soon called "Surviving Bob Jones University: A Christian Cult." This podcast explores the school's history, the psychology of fundamentalism, the criteria for cults, and survivors' experiences.

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