Ep302: My Conversion to Orthodox Christianity - Rebekah Sturghill
Rebekah Sturghill is a mother, school teacher, and convert to Orthodox Christianity.
Available on Youtube, iTunes, SoundCloud & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.
Rebekah details her upbringing in a Texan evangelical church and how encounters with authoritarianism and questions about her sexuality saw her leave the religion.
Rebekah describes a period of passionate teenage atheism before becoming deeply involved in feminist activism beginning in university. Rebekah explains why she remains a feminist but left activism and how, through a powerful visionary experience, she converted to Orthodox Christianity.
Rebekah also explores the mechanisms of conversion, considers the line between faith and extremism, and comments on the pros and cons of a new trend of conversions to Orthodox Christianity driven by internet influencers and discussion communities.
00:00 - Intro
01:00 - Evangelical Christian upbringing in Texas
04:17 - Studying theology and philosophy at St Johns College
04:38 - Encountering Jesus through reading the Gospels
05:39 - Feminist activism
06:09 - Joining the Orthodox Church
08:18 - Anger at religion and questioning sexuality
11:22 - Authoritarianism in the church
12:26 - Why Rebekah’s family left the church
14:05 - Religious community vs contemplative practice
16:19 - Contemplative emphasis in the Orthodox Church
17:10 - Youth groups and community emphasis
18:16 - Radical atheism phase and the impact on family
23:18 - Becoming a feminist activist
25:50 - Questioning feminist theory, struggles with relativism and essentialism
26:52 - Becoming a 2nd wave feminist
28:34 - Influence of the internet on Rebekah’s various conversions
31:35 - Conversion or coming home?
33:42 - What feminism really is
35:18 - Frustrations with 3rd wave feminism
40:08 - Why feminist activism?
44:34 - Still a feminist? Which views Rebekah still holds
48:00 - Orthodox Christian view of the individual and equality
49:47 - Are Rebekah’s views controversial?
51:43 - In-fighting and leaving activism
54:17 - Religious extremists and extreme activism
55:53 - Losing oneself in extremism
57:50 - Critical mass of buy-in needed for conversion
58:13 - Embracing the dharma or losing oneself?
01:01:46 - CS Lewis’ “The Great Divorce”
01:03:36 - Dying to oneself
01:04:54 - Theosis and losing oneself
01:05:42 - Popularity of Orthodox Christianity online, a new wave of converts
01:07:26 - The practice of Orthodoxy Christianity and the supernatural
01:09:05 - Lent
01:09:55 - High profile conversions to Orthodoxy and an internet pipeline
01:11:22 - Rebekah’s conversion through relationships and community
01:13:15 - The moment of conversion
01:14:41 - Powerful first conversation with an Orthodox priest
Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James