Liss Amyah - The Evolving Creative

Beyond the Surface

Who is Liss?

Liss has a few decades experience in a variety of church traditions, 2/3 of a theology degree and spent a good chunk of that time married to a youth pastor. Liss has six incredible offspring and recently married the absolute love of their life; who also happens to be a Burlesque performer.

A small business owner who began sharing hand lettered bible verses online in 2014 before pivoting to teaching iPad Calligraphy, Liss is a multi-passionate creative who tends to ask lots of questions, dive deep into topics that excite them, and share what they’ve found with anyone who will listen.

Episode Summary

  • Liss shares about the complexities of social media and the difficulty of navigating shifting beliefs with a large following.

  • We explore the world of deconstruction and Liss shares the first experience of leaving a faith community.

  • Liss explains going from a preacher’s wife to packing her children and leaving in full survival mode.

  • We discuss the high control religion that they were a part of, and the tactics of coercive control, isolation, and abuse.

  • I ask Liss about navigating spirituality with 5 children leaving a high control religion and their own shifting beliefs.

  • Liss shares what it is like having Trans and Gender Diverse children with their Transphobic and Christian father.

  • We explore the connection between detangling their own faith and their Queerness.

  • Liss shares their experience of being in a domestic abuse relationship and how the church pushed biblical counselling and how spiritual bypassing in this context is dangerous.

  • We discuss the lack of internal trust and discouragement of questions and the impact that has when you leave the church community.

  • We explore the fear around progressive theology and falling into another fundamental space.

  • Liss shares the different ways they saw the bible and concepts like surrendering weaponised to cause harm.

  • Liss shares what brings them joy and peace.

  • Finally, Liss answers the question “what would you say to someone fresh in their deconstruction?”

Links

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Unpacking Religious Trauma: My Ongoing Journey to Self-Compassion