By Andy Hale
This week on the CBF Podcast Conversation, we’re joined by Jason Kirk—senior editor at The Athletic, co-host of the Vacation Bible School Podcast, and author of the bold and tender new novel Hell Is a World Without You. In this episode, Jason invites us into the deeply personal and often unspoken world of growing up evangelical while wrestling with questions of doubt, identity, and belonging. Through the story of Isaac, a teenager navigating the emotional maze of youth group life, Jason captures the strange mix of joy and trauma that so many experienced in evangelical spaces. With raw honesty and sharp humor, he explores what it means to both cherish and critique the community that shaped you.
More than a coming-of-age story, Jason’s novel is a compassionate exploration of deconstruction—particularly for those whose stories are often left out of the evangelical narrative, including LGBTQ+ individuals, women, and people of color. In this conversation, we discuss the complexities of writing fiction in a space so dominated by theology, the evolving understanding of hell, and how storytelling can become an act of healing. Whether you’re still in the pews or long gone, Hell Is a World Without You offers a mirror and a balm for those sorting through the tangled threads of belief, love, and loss. Don’t miss this powerful and deeply human conversation.
You can listen to the conversation here.
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- Baylor’s Garland School of Social Work: Social workers can be found addressing the full scope of the human experience in churches, schools, prisons, government agencies, senior living centers, nonprofits, and Fortune 500 companies.
- Baptist Seminary of Kentucky: BSK equips leaders through their Homegrown Initiative, offering ministry leaders training and growth that fits into their busy schedules.
- The Gardner-Webb School of Divinity: The Gardner-Webb University School of Divinity aims to equip, nurture, encourage, and support men and women for their very best service in the Kingdom of God.
- The Center for Congregational Health: Strengthening congregations through consulting, leadership coaching, and intentional ministry.
- The Baptist House of Studies at Union Presbyterian Seminary: Exists by God’s grace to educate, inspire, and support generations of bold, faithful servant leaders as they seek actively to participate in God’s mission in the world.
- Community Transformation Center: Through educational opportunities, community conversations, and research initiatives in collaboration with universities and local leaders, PBACTC is at the forefront of integrating spiritual care into holistic community development.
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Andy Hale is the creator and host of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Podcast. Hale is the Associate Executive Coordinator of CBF North Carolina. He’s also served as CBF’s Church Start Specialist, the founding pastor of Mosaic Church of Clayton, and the senior pastor of University Baptist Church of Baton Rouge. Follow on Twitter @haleandy.