Ever wonder what it's like to gather with a group of strangers to talk about purity culture? Our partners get to experience it every month in The Big Debrief. And now you get to listen in. In this episode you get a taste of the warmth, wisdom, and fun that's in our monthly zoom conversations.
Join us this month on April 27 (in the US) at 9pm EST and April 28 (in Australia) at 11am to talk about all the things.
Join us for an insightful discussion with Laura Tremaine, author of The Life Council, as we explore the challenges of making and keeping friends in adulthood. From busy schedules to changes in life stage, we uncover the top reasons why building meaningful connections as grown-ups can be tough, and share practical tips to overcome them.
Full show notes here
Partner with us to hear a conversation with journalist Bekah McNeel, author of Bringing Up Kids When The Church Let's You Down. Partners get romcom recaps and Purity Culture News & Views plus a ticket to the Big Debrief.
Laura Tremaine is a writer, avid reader, and enthusiastic podcaster. She is the creator and host of the podcast "10 Things To Tell You." She is also the author of Share Your Stuff. I’ll Go First. (published February 2021), and her second book The Life Council: 10 Friends Every Woman Needs publishes April 2023. Laura lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children. Follow Laura on Facebook & Instagram
We delve into the world of Evangelical parenting with journalist Bekah McNeel. From perfectionism to purity culture, we uncover the the impact of Evangelical parenting on children's emotional, mental, and spiritual development. This is a sneak peak but you can listen to the full conversation when you partner with us for $3/month (USD). You'll also get Purity Culture News & Views, a romcom recap, and a ticket to the Big Debrief where you can share your thoughts with other like minded people.
Bekah McNeel is a journalist, wife, and mother of two. She's the author of Bringing Up Kids When The Church Let's You Down. Her work has appeared in Christianity Today, Sojourners, Relevant, The Texas Tribune, ESPN's The Undefeated, The Christian Science Monitor, Texas Public Radio, and elsewhere. In addition to pieces about parenting, she writes about education, immigration, and faith communities-as well as the occasional op-ed calling the American evangelical church to lay down its idols of White supremacy and patriarchy. Connect with Bekah on Twitter and Instagram
Trigger warning: this episode contains a short discussion of childhood sexual abuse. Please proceed with caution.
Purity Culture was bad for men, too. In this episode Zachary Wagner joins us to share his story combined with his theological study on how to build a non-toxic masculinity. We discuss:
Full show notes here (plus a transcript!)
Partner with us for $3/month (USD) to listen to this week's Purity Culture News & Views episode on Hillsong's latest legal battle in Australia. Plus we talk about the Apple+ show Shrinking and more.
Zachary Wagner is an ordained minister and a DPhil (PhD) candidate in New Testament at the University of Oxford. He also serves as the editorial director of the Center for Pastor Theologians. Zach’s academic research focuses on the concept of reward in the Letters of Paul and Matthew’s Gospel. HIs first book, Non-Toxic Masculinity: Recovering Healthy Male Sexuality is being released with IVP in April, 2023. Zach lives in Oxford, England with his wife and three children. Follow Zach on Twitter
This episode is for all the people who were told your virginity was the most important thing about you. In this episode, we get into the meaning of virginity to evangelicals, the history, what we were told the Bible says, what the Bible actually says, and of course, we talk about where we can go from here.
Join us for $3/month (USD) to get the full conversations with historian Sara Moslener and biblical scholar Karen Keen as well as romcom recaps, purity culuture news & views, and a ticket to the Big Debrief.
Connect with us on Instagram and Twitter
Sara Moslener is a lecturer in the Department of Philosophy, Anthropology, and Religion at Central Michigan University where she teaches courses on the history of religious and racial discrimination in the United States. She has been studying evangelical purity culture for over 15 years and has numerous publications including the book Virgin Nation: Sexual Purity and American Adolescence (Oxford University Press: 2015) which demonstrates how sexual purity campaigns and rhetoric have been used by white Protestants since the 19th century to obtain greater political power and cultural influence. Follow Sara on Twitter.
Karen R. Keen is a biblical scholar and spiritual care provider at The Redwood Center for Spiritual Care and Education. She works to make scholarship accessible to lay leaders and the public, particularly as it relates to the intersection of Scripture, faith, and culture. Karen has taught biblical and theological studies in both academic and church settings. Trained as a spiritual director in the Ignatian tradition, she also provides spiritual care through groups and retreats. Karen is the author of The Jesus Way: Practicing the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, Scripture, Ethics, and the Possibility of Same-Sex Relationships, and The Word of a Humble God: The Origins, Inspiration, and Interpretation of Scripture. She is currently working on a book to be released in 2024 on sex and the Christian life. Karen earned her M.S. in education (counseling) from Western Oregon University, M.A. in exegetical theology from Western Seminary, and Th.M. in biblical studies from Duke Divinity School. Follow Karen on Twitter.
In this partner-only episode, we're dusting off our VHS tapes (or maybe just streaming it online) and rewatching the classic rom-com, Sleepless in Seattle. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan stole our hearts in this movie over 25 years ago, but how does it hold up in 2023? Is it still as charming and romantic as we remember, or does it feel dated and cheesy?
Grab your tissues and your apple peeler, and join us for this hilarious and heartwarming trip down memory lane. Who knows, you may even fall in love with Sleepless in Seattle all over again.
Partners get this episode plus a ticket to the Big Debrief next week on zoom! Join us to chat about all the things, and get our entire back catalogue of episodes and new weekly podcast episodes about purity culture news and views, exclusive guest interviews, and more. Get it for $3/month (USD)
If you thought bad evangelical sex books were a thing of the 80s and 90s, guess again. Last week The Gospel Coalition lit the interwebs on fire by publishing an excerpt from an upcoming book by one of their (now former) fellows. This conversation untangles the sloppy reading of Ephesians 5, disturbing Roman Catholic roots, and what happens when we misuse biblical metaphors.
Partner with us for $3/month to join us for The Big Debrief, a zoom call where we discuss all the things you heard in this episode and more. You also get romcom recaps, Purity Culture News & Views, and special partner-only episodes.
Amy Peeler is Associate Professor of New Testament at Wheaton College and Associate Rector at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Geneva, IL. She is author of Women and the Gender of God (Eerdmans, 2022), You Are My Son”: The Family of God in the Epistle to the Hebrews (T&T Clark, 2014), and co-author with Patrick Gray of Hebrews: An Introduction and Study Guide (T&T Clark, 2020). Follow Amy on Twitter.
Rebekah Mui is a PhD student researching empire, Christian anarcho-pacifism, and postcolonial Anabaptism at Virginia Tech. As editor of KingdomOutpost.org, she engages Anabaptist thought with issues like Christian nationalism and patriarchal abuses in the wider Christian world. Read Rebekah's work at: Part 1: Lust, Love and the Doctrine of Two Kingdoms, Part 2: The Violence of Lust and Pornography Part 3: Sexual Sin, Purity, and Bearing One Another’s Burdens. Follow Rebekah on Twitter
Ready to take center stage? In this episode, we dissect the problems with the 2000 cult classic dance movie, Center Stage. From unrealistic depictions of relationships to cringe-worthy dialogue, we'll break down the issues with this beloved flick. Join us for an entertaining critique of one of the most iconic dance movies of all time.
Only partners get to hear the full episode, so join us for $3/month (USD).
Jess and Devi look back at their teenage years and wonder what if... we hadn't kissed dating goodbye. We talk about:
Full show notes here (so many links about dating and app dating)
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter
Partner with us to hear our romcom recap next week - Center Stage. It's a ballet drama with a lot to say about romance, body image, and power. Get it here for $3/month (USD). It's coming on Monday!
Kendall Vanderslice is with us to talk about her upcoming book By Bread Alone, and this conversation is all about hunger, and the way our physical hunger for food mirrors sexuality, the distortion in our culture (and Christian culture) around hunger and women.
This episode is exclusively for partners, but you get to hear a sneak peak today. Get the full conversation for $3/month.
Show Notes:
By Bread Alone: A Baker's Reflections on Hunger, Longing, and the Goodness of God (Preorder Amazon)
Visit Kendall Vanderslice's Edible Theology website
Visit Kendall Vanderslice's website
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Kendall Vanderslice is a baker, writer, and speaker, as well as the founder of the Edible Theology Project, a ministry that connects the Communion table to the kitchen table. She is a graduate of Wheaton College (BA Anthropology), Boston University (MLA Gastronomy), and Duke Divinity School (Master of Theological Studies). Her bylines include Christianity Today, Bitter Southerner, Christian Century, Religion News Service, and Faith & Leadership, as well as her book We Will Feast (Eerdmans 2019). Kendall lives in Durham, North Carolina, with her big-eared beagle named Strudel, where she teaches workshops on bread baking as a spiritual practice. Visit her online at kendallvanderslice.com.
This is for anyone who feels like they don't belong in church or among white evangelicals. Journalist Sara Billups traces the question - "How did we get here?" - by looking at the impact of the culture wars and consumerism on a generation of white evangelicals. And she helps us take steps home. We talk about
Partner with us to hear Jess & Devi's discuss Purity Culture News this week - Pamela Anderson has a new memoir (and so does Jinger Duggar Vuolo). Marie Kondo's house is messier than we thought?! Purity culture in Australia plus some shows and a movie you should definitely be watching. Get it for $3/USD a month!
Sara Billups is a Seattle-based writer and cultural commentator whose work has appeared in the New York Times, Christianity Today, and more. Sara is completing her Doctor of Ministry in the Sacred Art of Writing at the Peterson Center for the Christian Imagination at Western Theological Seminary. She works to help wavering Christians remain steadfast through cultural storms and continues to hope for the flourishing of the Church amid deep political and cultural division in America.
"Clueless" is the romcom that started the flood of high school coming of age movies in the 90s and early 00s, but what do we think about it today? You get a sneak peak of what our partners get to hear this week.
To hear the rest, join us for $3/month! It'll get you a ticket to our monthly zoom call next week on Tuesday at 9pm EST and Wednesday 1pm AEDT.
You get to hear a sneak peak of our conversation about Prince Harry's first time - what's the difference between how our culture talks about the first sexual experiences of men and women? SPOILER - we think there's a difference.
Want to hear the full conversation? Join our partners in patreon to hear about low libido after babies, plus all of Jess' recommendations about what you should be watching next.
Jess and Devi are finishing 2022 out with some big announcements about what's next for the show! Plus we also discuss:
Partner with us to hear our take on "The Holiday." Can women be single during the holidays and be happy? Is love addiction real? Can Jack Black be a romantic lead? We have so many thoughts, and you can hear them for $3/month (USD). Don't forget that the only episodes we'll be creating in January will be for partners, so now's a great time to sign up if you've been on the fence.
Christmas is almost here, and we think it's a perfect time to think about a woman's body and the story it tells about who God is. If God could occupy a woman's body for nine months before Jesus' birth, maybe we can begin to untangle what this might mean for our lives today. Dr. Christy Bauman joins us to talk womb theology and manger theology - it's a story about God and likely one you haven't heard of before.
We discuss:
Trigger warning: There is discussion of infertility and miscarriage in this conversation.
Become a partner to hear Devi & Kelly talk about masturbation, desire when you're celibate, and more (plus next week is our final Green Room for 2022). It's $3/month (USD) for bonus episodes and a ticket to the Green Room.
Dr. Christy Bauman is committed to helping women come into their true voice. She has a podcast entitled Womaneering and she offers storywork consulting, womaneering weekends, and marriage intensives with her husband Andrew Bauman through their organization, Christian Counseling Center for Sexual Health and Trauma. Andrew and Christy host Therapy Shorts podcast for couples. She is the author and producer of her works: The Sexually Healthy Woman, Theology of the Womb, Womaneering Perpetual Calendar, A Brave Lament, and the award-winning Documentary: A Brave Lament. She is a psychotherapist and author who focuses on the female body, sexuality, and theology. Christy’s work can be found at christybauman.com, and you can connect with her on Instagram.
What do you do when your child comes out? What are the next steps? This is for any parent regardless of what you believe; this episode will give you the tools you need to create a nurturing environment for your children so that they know they are safe and unconditionally loved. We discuss:
Become a partner to hear this week's Purity Culture News episode - Devi talks through the Respect for Marriage Act, apps being used to find friends, and a new law in Indonesia.
Candice Czubernat has been a therapist for 17 years and is the founder of the LGBTQ affirming counseling and coaching practice, The Christian Closet as well as the teletherapy organization Progressive Christian Counseling. Candice is a graduate of The Moody Bible Institute and The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology. She identifies as a lesbian and a Christian. She lives in a small mountain town in southern California with her wife, the love of her life, Crystal, and their 8-year-old boy/girl twins Deacon and Dylan. Connect with Candice on Twitter and Instagram.
A sex educator is in the house, and she's taking us back to school for the education most of us never got. Erica Smith founded the Purity Culture Dropout™️ Program to equip people like us with information and education that is "accurate, queer inclusive, trauma informed, compassionate, and comprehensive." We discuss:
Join us in patreon to hear Jess & Devi relive the romcom, Notting Hill. Also coming next week, Devi and Kelly debrief this conversation on sex ed and masturbation. It's $3/month (USD) and you get three episodes a month plus a ticket to the Green Room where you get to meet others in the community.
Erica Smith (she/her) is an award winning sexuality educator and consultant with over 20 years of experience. She has provided comprehensive sex education and advocacy to young women and LGBTQ+ youth in Philadelphia’s juvenile justice system, worked in abortion care, and supported HIV+ and transgender adolescents and their families. In 2019, she developed the Purity Culture Dropout™️ Program to help people learn all of the sex education that they missed growing up in purity culture- sex ed that is accurate, queer inclusive, trauma informed, compassionate, and comprehensive. Erica lives in Philadelphia with her partner and house full of rescue animals. Connect with Erica on Instagram
It's no secret - the people who designed purity culture inteded it to benefit white, male, and straight people. What was unsaid was that purity culture was also about a kind of body, a body that had all the standard abilities. Dr. Amy Kenny disrupts the story with her life and work as a disability justice scholar and advocate. Could it be we've misunderstood who we are and who God is all along?
We talk about:
Join us for an exclusive conversation with Amy about disability in the church - should we have prayer ministry for healing? What's the difference between curing and healing? It's exclusive for our partners, and you can hear it and new episodes weekly for $3/month (USD).
Amy Kenny (PhD, University of Sussex) is a disabled scholar whose research
focuses on medical and bodily themes in literature. She is a Shakespeare
lecturer at the University of California, Riverside, and is on the editorial board
of Shakespeare Bulletin. Kenny is a member and scribe of the Freedom Road
Global Writers’ Group hosted by Lisa Sharon Harper and has written for
Sojourners about disability in the church. She serves on the mayor’s Diversity,
Equity, and Inclusion Task Force in her home city, coordinates support for
people experiencing homelessness, and is colaunching Jubilee Homes OC, a
permanent supportive housing initiative in her local community.
Connect with her on Twitter and Instagram
Embodiment is a popular buzz word in therapy and spirituality circles, but does it have something for Christians and those coming out of a Christian background? Dr. Hillary McBride joins us to figure it out. We discuss:
For partners only! Join us in the Green Room this week to talk about this episode and all the other great ones in October. We've got TWO Green Rooms this month, one specifically for those of you in Australia who want to talk about our Purity Culture News episode on Andrew Thorburn, City on a Hill, and Essendon situation. Join us on Thursday October 27 at 8pm (AEDT) and 9pm (EST)
We have an upcoming episode with Dr. Hillary McBride on mothers and body image, and we want your voices on it. Record a voice memo starting with "Dear Mom (or Mum or Mama or Oma or whatever you call your mother)" and tell her what you wish she knew about her body. Email it to wheredowegofromherepodcast@gmail.com .
Hillary L. McBride is a registered psychologist, an award-winning researcher, and a sought-after speaker who specializes in embodiment. McBride’s clinical and academic work has been recognized by the American Psychological Association and the Canadian Psychological Association. She is an adjunct professor in the department of counseling psychology at the University of British Columbia and has a private counseling practice in Vancouver. She is the author of The Wisdom of Your Body, and Mothers, Daughters, and Body Image and coeditor of Embodiment and Eating Disorders. Connect with Hillary on Twitter and Instagram
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