Bare Marriage

Dr. Merry Lin, a therapist specializing in helping people move past feeling stuck, joins the conversation to dive into themes from her book 'Rebecoming.' They tackle complex topics like trauma and attachment theory, making psychological concepts accessible. The discussion highlights the importance of self-awareness in managing emotions, especially in faith contexts. They also explore unhealthy relationships, focusing on co-dependency and the journey of personal growth through community support. Listeners are encouraged to engage in self-reflection for transformation.

Karen Stiller, an insightful author focused on holiness and personal growth, shares her journey through faith and grief. She discusses redefining holiness in everyday life, emphasizing its manifestation in actions and relationships. The conversation delves into navigating self-image struggles, fostering genuine community in worship, and finding holiness amid chaos. Stiller also reveals how her experiences with loss have shaped her understanding of faith, encouraging listeners to embrace both joy and pain as essential parts of their growth.

Send us a textSheila and Rebecca are answering your questions today! We covered how to find a new church when you feel like church has let you down; how to start your sex life well; what to do when people don’t think purity culture was harmful; and so much more! And we throw data and nuance into the mix too.HELP US OUT AFTER THE HACKING!Please follow OUR NEW FACEBOOK PAGEIf you see a Facebook page called Endlessly Stories with weird images—that is our old page. Please report it!OUR SPONSORIt's the Bible that lets girls see themselves in the story! The Kingdom Girls Bible from Zonderkidz--with profiles of all the women in the Bible (including many you may not have heard of!). It's an awesome Bible for girls 8-12--or for you too!TO SUPPORT USJoin our Patreon for as little as $5 a month to support our workFor tax deductible donations in the U.S., support Good Fruit Faith Initiative through the Bosko FoundationAnd check out our Merch, or any of our courses!Join our email list!LINKSDownload our rubric and scorecard for the problematic booksCheck out our Toolkit with handouts on all the toxic teachings, and moreThe Good Girl’s/Good Guy’s Guides to Great Sex (make them the engagement gifts!)The Great Sex RescueMy Instagram Channel where all the questions came fromLast week’s podcast on authoritarian controlPodcast from a Pelvic Floor PhysiotherapistJoin Sheila at Bare Marriage.com!Check out her books: The Great Sex Rescue She Deserves Better The Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex and The Good Guy's Guide to Great Sex And she has an Orgasm Course and a Libido course too!Check out all her courses, FREE resources, social media, books, and so much more at Sheila's LinkTree.

Bethany Jantzi, an expert on coercive control, delves into the unsettling parallels between toxic marriage advice and manipulative tactics found in cults. She highlights how certain marriage books promote psychological dependency, suppress critical thinking, and encourage compliance—all warning signs of coercive control. Bethany critiques the dangers of rigid marital roles and emphasizes the importance of recognizing emotional abuse, advocating for women's autonomy and the need for healthier marital dynamics within faith communities.

Send us a textThe Excellent Wife by Martha Peace sells like hotcakes in biblical counseling/ fundamentalist/ homeschooling circles, and even though it seems like a “fringe” book, it’s affecting tens of thousands of women. Today Marissa Burt and Tia Levings and I sit down to talk about the problems with this book that tells women they must obey their husbands and submit—no matter what.Our Sponsor:It's the Bible that lets girls see themselves in the story! The Kingdom Girls Bible from Zonderkidz--with profiles of all the women in the Bible (including many you may not have heard of!). It's an awesome Bible for girls 8-12--or for you too!To Support Us:Join our Patreon for as little as $5 a month to support our workFor tax deductible donations in the U.S., support Good Fruit Faith Initiative through the Bosko FoundationAnd check out our Merch, or any of our courses!Things Mentioned in the Podcast: Download our Onesheet on The Excellent WifeOur podcast on how Emerson Eggerichs misuses Scripture in Love & Respect Marissa’s post on 10 reasons parents have a hard time giving up spanking 4 Concerns with Biblical Counseling About Tia Levings:Tia’s book, The Well-Trained Wife Find Tia on Instagram  and Substack (as The Anti-Fundamentalist)Listen to last week’s podcast with TiaAbout Marissa Burt:Find Marissa on Instagram  and X Read Marissa’s SubstackJoin Sheila at Bare Marriage.com!Check out her books: The Great Sex Rescue She Deserves Better The Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex and The Good Guy's Guide to Great Sex And she has an Orgasm Course and a Libido course too!Check out all her courses, FREE resources, social media, books, and so much more at Sheila's LinkTree.

Tia Levings shares her powerful story of escaping an abusive marriage rooted in fundamentalist beliefs. She discusses the damaging impact of evangelical teachings on self-worth and relationships, emphasizing the need for honest storytelling. Tia reflects on the trauma surrounding misconceptions of consent and highlights the cycle of abuse perpetuated by toxic ideologies. Her journey of self-discovery pushes against societal expectations, advocating for healthier views on love and spirituality. Her insights are both riveting and relevant for anyone seeking to break free.

Send us a textThe evangelical church spends a lot of time giving modesty messages to girls. But we hardly ever talk about vanity--even though the Bible condemns it. Could it be that in all our talk about modesty, we're inadvertently promoting vanity? And perhaps we can't call out vanity, because our messages to boys essentially enable vanity. Join Rebecca and Sheila as we hash this one out!With thanks to our sponsor:If church was your place of deepest hurt, can you find peace and healing with Christ? Check out Ryan George's book  Hurt and Healed by the Church To Support Us: Join our Patreon for as little as $5 a month to support our workFor tax deductible donations in the U.S., support Good Fruit Faith Initiative through the Bosko FoundationAnd check out our Merch, or any of our courses!Things Mentioned in the Podcast: Our book She Deserves BetterThe Instagram channel HerCherch with all the cartoonsOur Orgasm Course and Libido CourseOur podcast looking at the long-term effects of the modesty messageWhy is Dannah Gresh calling 8-year-old bellies intoxicating?Our one-sheet on Lies Young Women BelieveThe reel from Our Savior's ChurchThe side-by-side plagiarized apology from Josh HowertonJoin Sheila at Bare Marriage.com!Check out her books: The Great Sex Rescue She Deserves Better The Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex and The Good Guy's Guide to Great Sex And she has an Orgasm Course and a Libido course too!Check out all her courses, FREE resources, social media, books, and so much more at Sheila's LinkTree.

Guest Scott Coley, author of Ministers of Propaganda, discusses how evangelical leaders use propaganda and logical fallacies to maintain power. Topics include challenging conservative white evangelical interpretations of scripture, justifying societal structures through the Bible, and exploring political orientations and doctrinal disagreements within evangelical communities.

Ryan George shares his harrowing journey of uncovering his father's sexual abuse cover-up in a fundamentalist church. He discusses deconstructing harmful teachings and finding true healing and faith. The podcast dives into topics like cult-like church practices, power dynamics, redefining Christianity, overcoming fear, and advocating for church safety and women's equality.

Author Cait West shares her journey breaking free from Christian patriarchy and emotional abuse. The hosts explore deconstruction, patriarchy, and the importance of listening to personal stories. Discusses struggles with toxic teachings, patriarchal control, and creating safe spaces for growth.