In this profound episode of Epistemic Alchemy, Dr. Mohammed Raei is joined by Dr. Lynn Horan—scholar, coach, and former Protestant clergy—to explore her pioneering research on the lived experiences of millennial women clergy who have left active ministry due to violations of interpersonal boundaries and psychological safety.

Drawing from her journey through politics, ministry, and academia, Dr. Horan shares how her career transitions shaped her inquiry into embodied leadership and feminist epistemology. The conversation traces the historical and theological disembodiment in Protestant traditions, examines the evolution of grounded theory methodology from Glaser and Strauss to Kathy Charmaz, and highlights how constructivist and feminist lenses can bring critical and emancipatory depth to qualitative research.

Dr. Horan reflects on the tensions of being both an insider and outsider in her fieldwork and explains how somatic awareness, trauma-informed research practices, and embodiment techniques deepen both understanding and healing.

Resources:

Glaser, B., & Strauss, A. L. (2000). Discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research. Routledge.

Horan, L. M. (2024). Feminized Servanthood, Gendered Scapegoating, and the Disappearance of Gen-X/Millennial Protestant Clergy Women (Doctoral dissertation, Antioch University).

Horan, L. (2025). Dismantled: Abusive church culture and the clergy women who leave. Tehom Center Publishing.

Morse, J. M., Bowers, B. J., Charmaz, K., Clarke, A. E., Corbin, J., Porr, C. J., & Stern, P. N. (2021). Developing grounded theory: The second generation revisited. Routledge.

Schwartz, R. (2023). No bad parts: Healing trauma & restoring wholeness with the internal family systems model. Random House.