Scot Loyd is a scholar of race, religion, culture, and communication, an oral historian, and the author of The God I Was Given: Looking for Faith After Losing My Religion. Raised in a high-control Pentecostal tradition and serving in ministry for nearly two decades before leaving institutional religion, Scot now writes and speaks about religious trauma, faith, identity, and the intersection of religion and public life.

He holds a Ph.D. in Heritage Studies along with two master's degrees, and his research explores the historical, cultural, and psychological impact of religious systems on individuals and communities. Through his writing, speaking, and advocacy, Scot encourages honest conversations about spiritual harm while helping people imagine healthier, more compassionate ways of engaging faith, history, and one another.