Bare Marriage

Епизоде

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  Episode 340: Live, Laugh, Love with Kristin Du Mez 17.09.2026 1ч 25мин

  Send us Fan Mail What if many of the ideas we’ve been taught about “biblical womanhood” have a much stranger history than we realized? We sit down with historian & author Kristin Du Mez to unpack the fascinating—and sometimes surprising—story behind Christian womanhood, from Hannah Whittall Smith and Elisabeth Elliot to Christian fiction, publishing, blogging, and today’s influencer culture. What happens when we stop sanitizing the past, let go of formulas that promise happiness, and make...
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  Episode 339: Look Like a Lady--the 5 Visual Tropes of Womanhood that Keep Us Small 10.09.2026 1ч 19мин

  Send us Fan Mail What if some of the messages we've absorbed about “what it means to be a woman” have less to do with the Bible and more to do with centuries of art, culture, and storytelling? Today we have a fascinating conversation with art historian Elissa Yukiko Weichbrodt about five powerful visual tropes—the Venus, Maiden, Vessel, Mother, and Monster—and the surprising, life-giving counter-stories that have been there all along. Together, we explore what happens when we stop seeing wome...
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  Episode 338: What if God is Like a Mother Too? (Love Like a Mother) 03.09.2026 1ч 2мин

  Send us Fan Mail What if the Bible has been giving us maternal pictures of God all along—and we've simply been overlooking them? Today we talk with Elizabeth Berget, author of “Love Like a Mother,” about God's compassion, childbirth, motherhood, grief, protection, exhaustion, and the surprising ways women's embodied experiences can illuminate the character of God. Together, we explore how seeing God as both Father and Mother can offer women a deeper sense of belonging, challenge unhealthy ide...
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  Episode 337: Why Do Evangelicals Ask Women to Do Such Risky Things if They Say They Protect Women? 27.08.2026 1ч 1мин

  Send us Fan Mail What happens when “protecting women” actually leaves them with fewer choices, less financial security, and nowhere to go when a marriage becomes unsafe? Today we unpack the hidden risks behind certain conservative Christian teachings about gender, money, work, and submission before sitting down with Sally Hope to talk about abuse, faith, anger, healing, and her survivor resource "No Visible Scars." It’s a thoughtful - and occasionally fiery - conversation about what genuine p...
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  Episode 336: The Problems with The Empowered Wife by Laura Doyle 20.08.2026 1ч 51мин

  Send us Fan Mail Bethany Jantzi and Dr. Merry Lin join us in taking a very close—and occasionally incredulous—look at Laura Doyle’s The Empowered Wife, unpacking its promises, “six intimacy skills,” and insistence that women can transform their marriages by changing themselves. They explore where self-care, respect, vulnerability, and intimacy can sound appealing while still becoming dangerous when they encourage women to self-silence, ignore serious problems, or take responsibility for a hus...
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  Episode 335: If Men Are Leaders...Why Do They Need Women to Fix Them? 13.08.2026 1ч 5мин

  Send us Fan Mail What happens when “Christlike manhood” starts sounding suspiciously like Victorian gender roles, male entitlement, and a whole lot of covert nudging? This rage-read of Eric Ludy’s “Warrior Poet Manhood” article unpacks the deeper assumptions behind a theology that tells women to manage, encourage, and even manipulate men into becoming better husbands while men remain in charge. We explore gender stereotypes, power and emotional attunement, the “angel in the house,” and why th...
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  Episode 334: What Should Accountability for Purity Culture Authors Look Like? 06.08.2026 1ч 19мин

  Send us Fan Mail Buckle up for the final episode of our 3-part series on purity culture! In this episode we dig into what genuine accountability actually looks like when influential Christian leaders (namely Dannah Gresh) recognize the harm their teachings have caused. Through a thoughtful discussion of repentance, public responsibility, and the lasting impact of purity culture, we continue to ask why admitting specific mistakes remains so difficult—and why doing so matters for healing and pr...
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  Episode 333: Good Fruit - Are We Measuring It Right When It Comes to Christian Marriage Teaching? 30.07.2026 1ч 16мин

  Send us Fan Mail What does Jesus actually mean when he tells us to judge a tree by its fruit - and what happens when we apply that idea to marriage and Christian teaching? Today Joanna, our resident statistician, joins us as we dig into the biblical meaning of “good fruit,” unpack the research behind our marriage studies, and explore what trust, spiritual fruit, and decision-making have to do with one another. We also welcome Dr. Camden Morgante and discuss her amazing book “Recovering From P...
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  Episode 332: When Purity Culture Supporters Try to Rewrite History (Dannah Gresh Case Study) 23.07.2026 1ч 13мин

  Send us Fan Mail And….we’re BACK with a fresh new season of the Bare Marriage podcast! We’re kicking things off with a lively deep dive into the debate over purity culture, asking what happens when influential Christian voices revise their past teachings, redefine the terms, and rewrite the history of what they once taught. We unpack the difference between biblical chastity and shame-based purity culture, take on straw man arguments and shifting definitions, and explore how messages about sex...
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  Episode 331: Keith & Sheila Respond to Crazy Clips (Is it That Jezebel Spirit Again?) 04.06.2026 1ч 13мин

  Send us Fan Mail In this season finale we take a dive into social media, examining the messages behind viral clips from popular marriage and church influencers, and challenge fear-based teachings about marriage, parenting, gender, and authority. Through our thoughtful (and often hilarious) analyses and lively discussion, we hope this conversation encourages you to pursue healthier, Christ-centered relationships rooted in mutual respect, truth, and genuine spiritual freedom. CHECK OUT OU...
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  Episode 330: Men of Virtue with Zachary Wagner 28.05.2026 58мин

  Send us Fan Mail What does it actually mean to be a “good man” in today’s world—and does Christianity offer something deeper than dominance, leadership clichés, or internet manosphere culture? In this thoughtful and surprisingly hopeful conversation, Zachary Wagner joins us to unpack masculinity through the lens of the fruits of the Spirit, exploring everything from loneliness and power to marriage, self-control, parenting boys, and the modern crisis of meaning for men. Together, we challenge...
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  Episode 329: Parenting With Confidence Without Messing Up Your Kids with Wendy Snyder 21.05.2026 1ч 13мин

  Send us Fan Mail What happens when you know the old “because I said so” parenting style isn’t healthy…but you also don’t want to raise entitled little tyrants? In this episode, parenting coach Wendy Snyder joins us for a deeply practical, heartfelt, (and hilariously honest) conversation about strong-willed kids, emotional regulation, yelling, boundaries, anxiety, and what healthy authority actually looks like in family life. Together, we unpack the difference between authoritarian, permissive...
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  Episode 328: The Billy Graham Rule and What It Does to Men Too 14.05.2026 58мин

  Send us Fan Mail What if the “Billy Graham rule” (or the evangelical distortion of it) says more about fear than integrity? In this episode, Danielle Strickland helps us unpack the assumptions behind the idea that men and women can’t be alone together—and ask whether it protects integrity or quietly reinforces suspicion, segregation, and control. Drawing on Scripture, leadership research, and real-world church experiences, our conversation explores how transparency—not isolation—is a stronger...
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  Episode 327: For Men Only by Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn Talks Lust and Sex 07.05.2026 1ч 11мин

  Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Part 2 of our breakdown of For Men Only! This episode dives headfirst into the sex chapter — and quickly exposes how shaky stats and selective storytelling create misleading narratives about libido and desire. We examine why women’s sexual desire is far more contextual — and relational — than the book admits. We unpack the myth of “on-demand” desire, challenge rigid sex rules like the 72-hour expectation, and explore why libido is far more dynamic — and human — tha...
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  Episode 326: The Problems with For Men Only by Jeff & Shaunti Feldhahn 30.04.2026 1ч 9мин

  Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we dive into For Men Only, by Shaunti & Jeff Feldhahn, and let’s just say…we have many thoughts! We unpack some of its core claims about gender dynamics, communication, and emotional needs. Rebecca shares how this book impacted her first few months of marriage to Connor, and not in a good way! We address major concerns with the book’s research methods, its reliance on broad gender stereotypes, and its tendency to frame women as overly emotional and men as...
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  Episode 325: I Belong to Me with Tia Levings 23.04.2026 1ч 5мин

  Send us Fan Mail Tia Levings is back, and this time she's brought the book so many of you have been waiting for — I Belong to Me, a survivor's guide to recovery and hope after religious trauma, and the follow-up to her memoir A Well-Trained Wife. After thousands of women slid into her DMs asking how did you heal, how do I find myself again, Tia sat down and wrote the guide she wished she'd had. In this conversation, we get into what religious trauma actually is and why therapists are only now...
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  Episode 324: Who Bears the Emotional Labor and Mental Load for Sex? 16.04.2026 1ч 10мин

  Send us Fan Mail Who's carrying the mental and emotional load when it comes to sex? Today Keith and I are breaking down all the ways evangelical marriage culture places that burden almost entirely on women: from appearance standards and contraception to performing passion on demand and suppressing her own emotions so his experience stays comfortable. We are listening to sermon clips and reading quotes from bestselling Christian marriage books that are pretty hard to hear, but really important...
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  Episode 323: A Step-By-Step Guide to Vetting a Church's Website to See if They're Heathy! 09.04.2026 1ч 24мин

  Send us Fan Mail Finding a healthy church after being hurt is hard — especially when toxic churches have learned to hide what they really believe. This week, Rebecca and I walk you through our evidence-based, step-by-step method for evaluating a church's website before you ever step through the door. From homepage vibes to staff pages, statement of beliefs to membership covenants, we'll show you exactly what to look for — and what to run from. We're also sharing real examples from actual chur...
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  Episode 322: Why Is Every Man's Battle So Creepy? A Harrowing Example 02.04.2026 25мин

  Send us Fan Mail A close look at how Every Man’s Battle ignores the impact of predation on women and girls–and is just plain creepy! Plus a new study on hostile/benevolent sexism when it comes to tradwife content. It’s our podcast and Friday RoundUp in one! Our podcast we wanted to air this week just wasn’t ready in time–so we decided to record our Friday RoundUp a day early, and run it as this week’s podcast. So if you’re used to listening to our podcast, remember that on YouTube every week...
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  Episode 321: New Research into Modesty Messaging, Sexual Harassment in Church, Plus We Answer Your Questions! 26.03.2026 56мин

  Send us Fan Mail Keith and Rebecca are taking over the podcast this week and are answering your questions — from how to find a healthy church community to whether complementarianism is a dealbreaker. They're refreshingly honest and a little funny about it. Then Joanna joins to dig into a brand-new peer-reviewed paper on how internalized modesty messaging affects girls' self-esteem and their risk of being sexually harassed in church as minors. What they found is both unsurprising and deeply so...