Where Do We Go From Here?

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: why sex education is more than preventing negative health outcomes what happens when we pathologize all things sex related all things masturbation sex toys and sex shops Full show notes here 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: the overlap between purity culture and the experience of disabled people maybe God isn't just "strong" what is the bodymind what happens when we add the disabled experience to the sexuality conversation 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). Full show notes here 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: the impact of purity culture on embodiment what embodiment is how God is embodied in Jesus and what that means for us high control religious environments and their influence on how we see our emotions 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 . Full show notes here 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

This episode is for any Christian who wonders how many more ministry leaders we have to see fall from grace in the headlines. Katelyn Beaty uncovers the love for celebrity at the heart of our churches and ministry, and she has thoughts about how to overcome it. We discuss: why Christians love celebrities the difference between how men and women use celebrity power Bill Hybels and Carl Lentz why we shouldn't rush to put leaders back into positions of spiritual authority Katelyn Beaty joins us to talk about what Christians should watch out for next (her answer may surprise you), and it's available for partners only. Get it here along with a Purity Culture News episode about Andrew Thorburn's resignation as CEO of the Essendon football club in Melbourne. Full show notes Katelyn Beaty is a writer, journalist, editor, and keen observer of trends in the American church. She has written for the New York Times, the New Yorker, the Washington Post, Religion News Service, Religion & Politics, and The Atlantic and has commented on faith and culture for CNN, ABC, NPR, the Associated Press, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. She also cohosts the Saved by the City podcast (Religion News Service). Beaty previously served as print managing editor at Christianity Today and is the author of Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits are Hurting the Church and A Woman's Place: A Christian Vision for Your Calling in the Office, the Home, and the World. Connect with Katelyn on Twitter and Instagram.

What does it mean to have a congruent life after purity culture? Therapy can help us get there, and Dr. Camden Morgante joins us to talk about how. We discuss: the impact of black and white thinking the benefits of mindfulness the long road of recovery Plus listen all the way to the end for a special high-dollar giveaway for those of you who want purity culture coaching from Dr. Camden. Giveaway deadline is October 7, 2022, it's open world wide, and all you have to do is send an email to wheredowegofromherepodcast@gmail.com. The Green Room is this week! Join us on Zoom on Thursday September 29 at 10pm EST/ September 30 Friday at noon in Australia by becoming a partner today for $3/USD. Full show notes here Dr. Camden Morgante is a licensed clinical psychologist and former college professor. She writes and speaks about relationships, sexuality, and faith and is a regular contributor to Christians for Biblical Equality's blog Mutuality. She is currently writing a book on the myths of purity culture. Camden also provides Coaching services for purity culture recovery, egalitarianism, and faith reconstruction. Camden lives in Knoxville, TN with her husband, their daughter and son, and two rescue dogs. Connect with her on: Instagram Facebook Twitter

Therapy after Purity Culture - have you been on the fence about it? We're here to convince you to give it a try. We know that purity culture can be experienced as a trauma, and therapist Jamie Williams is here to talk to us about: the impact of rigid thinking on our minds what happens when our bodies feel unsafe in religious spaces how to spot dysfunctional relationship patterns trauma re-enactments in dating EMDR and future templating On Instagram and Twitter this week, we'll be sharing tips as well. Full show notes here Join us as a partner to hear this week's conversation between Jess & Devi about some feel-good views and the heresies evangelicals in the US believe. For $3/month (USD) you'll get three exclusive episodes a month, and a ticket to the Green Room at the end of the month. Jamie Williams is a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor and the founder of Prosperity Counseling Services. With over 10 years of experience in helping others thrive through adversity, she has witnessed, professionally and personally, the growth we can all make with the right support and tools. Jamie has worked with clients with a wide range of concerns including anxiety, depression, mood swings, anger, relationship issues, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, mood disorders, postpartum symptoms, parenting problems, self-esteem and those who have experienced trauma in many forms. Her therapeutic approach combines Gestalt, Narrative, Jungian Analysis, Experiential, and trauma-focused counseling modalities such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). Jamie is also certified in and utilizes Integrative Somatic Parts Work and Neurofeedback. Jamie holds a Bachelors degree in Psychology and Child and Family studies from Arizona State University and a Masters degree in Mental Health Counseling.She is also currently pursuing a PhD in Clinical Psychology at Saybrook University. Jamie is a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor (LPC-S) in the state of Texas (#69979). Connect with her on Instagram.

What do you wish you could say out loud about abortion? We get into it in this huge episode. There's a lot of yelling on both sides of the abortion conversation; we try to cut through the noise and double down on the parts of the abortion topic that Christians tend to ignore. What abortion and purity culture have to do with each other Christians and abortion: What are the realities? Historical, Medical, Legal, Global: What's going on? Interrogating the solutions proposed by those against abortion and for abortion Full show notes here (over 15 links) Our partners got to hear a one-hour conversation with Dr. Olamide Ayoade-Alawi who is an economist researching the research about abortion. She gets into the data with us - what reduces abortions? What happens when abortion is restricted? We promise no one gets to feel comfortable after this conversation. Join us for $3/month to hear it and other weekly episodes about sexuality, faith, and pop culture.

Purity Culture was full of pseudo-theologies, and we get into one of them here: the Soul Tie. The idea that premarital sex forms a connection in the heavenlies, one that maybe can be broken, but also maybe not. Candice Marie Benbow joins us to talk Red Lip Theology, soul ties, sexuality, why she doesn't use the Bible to form her sexual ethics, and racism in purity culture. This is a provocative conversation that will give you lots to discuss with your friends. Full show notes here Partner with us to hear two new episodes this month: a romcom recap of How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days (with Jess!) and a Purity Culture News episode about happenings in the LGBTQ+ space inside the Anglican communion and the CRC denomination in the US. Join us for $3/month (USD) to hear exclusive content no one else gets to hear. Candice Marie Benbow is a theologian, essayist, columnist, baker, and educator whose work gives voice to Black women's shared experiences of faith, healing, and wholeness. Named by Sojourners as one of "10 Christian Women Shaping the Church in 2020," she has written for Essence, Glamour, The Root, and VICE. Candice holds degrees from Tennessee State University, North Carolina Central University, and Duke Divinity School. She is the author of the recently published Red Lip Theology. Connect with Candice on Instagram and Twitter

After #MeToo exploded on to the scene, it seemed like the dating landscape for women changed. Consent is a necessary floor, but what is the ceiling for our relationships? Is consent enough to provide the meaning sex might have in our lives? This is the provocative territory Christine Emba's new book Rethinking Sex invites us into. Listen in to see where we go. :00 - Get to know Kelly Wolfe :15 - interview with Christine Emba :52 - Kelly & Devi debrief Full show notes We talk to Christine Emba about privacy and accountability, but it's only for our partners. Join us on the inside to get this and other exclusive episodes when you partner with us for $3/month (USD). Instagram Twitter Christine Emba is a columnist for The Washington Post writing about ideas and society. Prior, she was the Hilton Kramer Fellow in Criticism at the New Criterion and a deputy editor at the Economist Intelligence Unit, focusing on technology and innovation. Connect with her on Twitter

Jess sits down with a 30-something single friend, Emily, who is a convert to the world of app dating. Together, they share from their experiences dating via a variety of dating apps, talk red flags and share some advise. They look at 5 myths of app dating... is it safe? Are people lying to you? Lastly, how has COVID changed how app dating looks? Emily shares her thoughts on that too. If you're at all curious about online/app dating or already an app user, you won't want to miss this episode! Full show notes Instagram Twitter Partner with us for $3/month (USD) to hear our romcom recaps, Purity Culture News, uncut episodes from our guests, and get a ticket to the Green Room.