EPISODE · Feb 16, 2026 · 8 MIN
S02E16 The Books that Taught Gen X to Question Authority
from The Mighty Philbert Podcast · host Phil Barksdale
Send us Fan MailBefore Gen X ever questioned sermons, we were assigned novels about hypocrisy, authoritarianism, absurdity, and institutional failure. In this episode of The Mighty Philbert, we explore how required reading in junior high and high school quietly shaped the skeptical lens that many of us carried into adulthood—and into our eventual departure from organized religion.Books covered:The Catcher in the Rye1984The OutsidersSlaughterhouse-FiveGeneration XPart 1 of a two-part series in the “Why Gen X Walked Away” arc.#themightyphilbert #deconstruction #exvangelical #genx
What this episode covers
Send us Fan Mail Before Gen X ever questioned sermons, we were assigned novels about hypocrisy, authoritarianism, absurdity, and institutional failure. In this episode of The Mighty Philbert, we explore how required reading in junior high and high school quietly shaped the skeptical lens that many of us carried into adulthood—and into our eventual departure from organized religion. Books covered: The Catcher in the Rye 1984 The Outsiders Slaughterhouse-Five Generation X Part 1 of a two-part...
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S02E16 The Books that Taught Gen X to Question Authority
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