The Holy Post 737: The Surprising Origin of Evangelical Femininity with Kristin Kobes Du Mez
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Sep 9, 2026 
Historian Kristin Kobes Du Mez, author of Jesus and John Wayne and Live, Laugh, Love, explores the surprising roots of evangelical femininity. They trace its ties to holiness theology, positive thinking, prosperity teaching, and Christian publishing, then follow the trail into submission, purity culture, influencers, and Christian nationalism. Plus, Dolly Parton, Gloria Steinem, Wendell Berry, refugee resettlement, and wonderfully weird science.
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Why Christian Nationalism Is Losing Its Shine
- A Christian Post editorial criticizing Christian nationalism surprised the hosts because the publication has often supported Trump and Christian nationalist ideas.
- Caitlin Schess suggests proximity to actual policies may expose whose Christianity gets enforced and make conservative Baptists more cautious.
Repentance Requires More Than Rebranding
- Genuine repentance requires acknowledging harm, not merely revising the past when political winds change.
- The hosts connect repentance with consequences, reparation, and honoring people who paid a price for opposing Christian nationalism early.
Why Evangelicals Rejected Second Wave Feminism
- Evangelical opposition to Gloria Steinem bundled feminism with sexual revolution and challenges to Victorian gender hierarchy.
- Caitlin Schess notes that women can support equal opportunity while grieving the loss of communal structures that once supported homemaking.
