Where Do We Go From Here?

We can’t go a week without hearing about another Christian leader or ministry accused of abusive leadership. Is this a uniquely evangelical problem? We talk today about gaslighting, the tactic undergirding most forms of abuse in intimate relationships and institutions. What is gaslighting? Why is it so damaging? How do we recover if we’ve been gaslit by someone  we love or in church?   Chuck De Groat joins us to unpack this must-understand topic.    Our partners get to hear a special part of this conversation where we talk dating red flags and more with Chuck De Groat. Join us for exclusive content for $3/month (USD). Full show notes here Talk to us on Instagram and Twitter Watch on YouTube  Chuck De Groat is a Professor of Counseling and Christian Spirituality and Interim D.Min. Director at Western Theological Seminary .  He's also a faculty member for the Soul Care Institute. He is a licensed therapist, a spiritual director, author, and speaker and  a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Reformed Church in America. Chuck pastored in Orlando and San Francisco before transitioning to training and forming pastors. His experience includes training clergy in issues of abuse and trauma, pastor and planter assessments, church consultations, and investigations of abuse among pastors and within congregations. Follow Chuck on Twitter and Instagram 

We are talking all about new motherhood - can a friendship between people without kids and people with kids survive the early days of a newborn? We talk about what not to say to a new mama, what TO say, and the ever-changing nature of friendships. Special guest noises made by Devi's 16-day-old baby! Full show notes here  Instagram Twitter Partners get bonus content from us every week! Join us on the inside for $3/month for rom com recaps, Purity Culture News & Views, and uncut interviews with our guests. 

This week Jessica is joined by a guest co-host to discuss Greta Gerwig’s recent adaptation of Louise May Alcott’s beloved novel Little Women. We revisit our own childhood’s looking back on the 1994 version of Little Women we all remember watching growing up and consider what strives have been made in how Alcott’s characters are explored in her updated retelling of the classic. No typical show notes this week but below you’ll find the resources Jessica leveraged in preparation for this episode. Special thanks to our honorary co-host today from Louise May Alcott’s home state of Massachusetts. Devi will be back next episode. “A New Generation of Little Women” from iTunes Extras with purchase of movie “Making a Modern Classic” from iTunes Extras with purchase of movie The Compromises of Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women by Richard Brody https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/the-compromises-of-greta-gerwigs-little-women Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women” is Awesome. Here is Why by Rebecca DeWolf https://outofthetower-rebeccadewolf.com/?p=950 How Faithful Is the New Little Women Movie to Louisa May Alcott’s Beloved Novel? BY MARISSA MARTINELLI https://slate.com/culture/2019/12/little-women-movie-book-comparison-differences.html Why Greta Gerwig's Little Women Movie Radically Changed the Book's Ending BY ELENA NICOLAOU https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/a30186941/little-women-ending/ Artwork from: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/making-little-women-greta-gerwig-gives-modern-take-1868-novel-big-screen-1256879/

How Should A Christian Date? is a new book by Eric Demeter, but do we really need another Christian dating book? Eric joins us for an informative interview on dating in 2022. He's single, and the book covers everything from dating in church to dating online to dating multiple people casually. It is not the typical Christian dating book, but listen in to find out more.  Full show notes here Partner with us to hear a feisty debate we had with Eric about "porneia," and get all our excusive content.  Eric Demeter is currently a full-time missionary with Youth With A Mission in Greece, where he disciples young people from the Middle East. He’s a relationship and conflict resolution specialist who teaches YWAM staff and missionary students. Eric is passionate about what makes relationships tick and has used his skills as pastor, missionary, speaker, and adjunct professor at Bethel University. Connect with Eric on Twitter and Instagram  

The new mini series documenting the beginning of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee's tumultuous marriage is out. But is this a "feminist statement" as actor Nick Offerman and others suggested or a violation of Anderson's consent?  We deep dive the history of internet's first sex tape and Pamela Anderson's story and give you all the thoughts Full show notes here (lots of links!!) Instagram Twitter Watch on Youtube Partners get bonus content from us every week! Join us on the inside for $3/month for rom com recaps, Purity Culture News & Views, and uncut interviews with our guests. 

Desire is part of who we are, and it points our lives toward something greater than ourselves. In this expansive conversation, we talk about why desire matters, why it cannot be stopped, and what it says about who we are as people.  Want more? Our partners got a mini-masterclass on shame from Dr. Thompson. Join us here for weekly bonus episodes.  Full show notes here Talk to us on Instagram and Twitter Watch episode on Youtube Dr. Curt Thompson is a board-certified psychiatrist and the founder of Being Known, an organization that develops resources for hope and healing at the intersection of neuroscience and Christian spiritual formation. He is also the author of The Soul of Shame, The Soul of Desire, and Anatomy of the Soul. Connect with Curt on Instagram: @CurtThompsonMD

February is the month of love people say, but whether or not Valentines Day makes you cringe or gives you cheer, we can all celebrate our favourite pals. How about a Palentines Day party (or a Galentines?!)?   The Lazy Genius herself, Kendra Adachi, joins us with her best party planning tips. We even talk about Zoom parties and how to make one sparkle.   Don't forget to check our Instagram page this week for some specific party ideas for your very own party.  Full show notes here   Partner with us to hear this month's rom com recap: While You Were Sleeping. Does it this 1995 hit hold up in 2022? We do a lot of gushing in this one. Get it here for $3/month.    Kendra Adachi is the New York Times bestselling author of The Lazy Genius Way and the upcoming The Lazy Genius Kitchen, releasing in March 2022. Her podcast, The Lazy Genius Podcast, has over 11 million downloads and covers everything from cooking chicken to making friends. As a systems expert and professional permission-giver, Kendra helps others stop doing it all for the sake of doing what matters. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and three kids. Connect with Kendra on Instagram   Website: https://www.thelazygeniuscollective.com/

*Trigger Warning: This episode contains reference to childhood rape, every manner of sexual abuse and violence toward women. We encourage you to proceed with caution and kindness toward yourself if these are areas of personal experience or concern. Francine Rivers' novel Redeeming Love, released to a Christian audience in 1997, made an enormous impact on white evangelical women in the 90s and 00s. Pastors gave it to women to read, mothers passed it on to their daughters, and for many of you, it was a taste of God's love you'd never experienced before.  With the movie out now, it's a perfect time to revisit this book to ask some questions. What is this saying about women? What is it saying about "sexual sin"? Does this book have any similarities to the book of Hosea in the Bible? We have big thoughts - we're sure you do to.   Full show notes here Instagram    Twitter Watch on YouTube Partners of the show get rom com recaps (we'll be doing one on the Redeeming Love movie when it comes out in Australia), Purity Culture News & Views, uncut interviews and a ticket to the Green Room. Join us for all this exclusive content for $3/month (USD).

We wrap up our series On Premarital Sex by talking to Professor David Ayers who has studied the sex lives of young evangelicals for the past 30 years. We also share the results of our survey and YOUR responses. What comes next for evangelicals when it comes to sexuality and sex education? We have all the thoughts.  Full show notes here Watch on YouTube here Partner with us for $3/month and get an episode weekly of The Jess & Devi Show. This week it's Purity Culture News and Views where we talk about sex after 70, the morning after pill, and why men's social circles are shrinking plus all the shows you should be watching. Get it here! Instagram Twitter David Ayers is Professor of Sociology in the Department of Economics and Sociology at Grove City College, where he has also served previously as Dean of the Alva J. Calderwood School of Arts and Letters, and as Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. He is author of two textbooks, most recently of Christian Marriage: A Comprehensive Introduction (Lexham, 2019). His book After the Revolution: Sex and the Single Evangelical will be released in Spring, 2022 by Lexham Press. He holds his Ph.D. in Sociology from New York University.

What if there was more to being men and women than cultural roles and expectations? Aimee Byrd joins us with an invitation to study the Song of Songs as something beautiful, glorious, and re-invigorating for our imaginations.  Join our partners for $3/month to hear Aimee talk about her book Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood and the resulting backlash against the book. Partners also get weekly podcast episodes recapping romcoms and purity culture news.  Join the conversation on Instagram and Twitter Full show notes here Aimee Byrd lives in her hometown in Frederick, MD with her husband, Matt, with one teen, one young adult with her foot out the door, and one in grad. school. A former coffee cafe owner, Aimee now uses many of her conversational barista skills in writing and speaking. She is the author of Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood and the upcoming book The Sexual Reformation: Restoring the Dignity and Personhood of Man and Woman. Visit Aimee's blog here and connect with her on Twitter @aimeebyrdhwt.