Inside Purity Culture and Christian Nationalism with Monte Mader (Dan McClellan and Dan Beecher; Data Over Dogma podcast on YouTube)

What happens when you're raised to be a militant Christian nationalist Supreme Court justice, but you decide to actually study church history instead?

This week, we are thrilled to welcome social media powerhouse, educator, and musician Monte Mader to the show! You probably know her from her viral videos expertly dismantling Christian nationalist talking points, but her story starts far from the internet spotlight.

Monte shares her harrowing and fascinating journey of growing up on a remote cattle ranch in Wyoming, steeped in extreme patriarchal theology, purity culture, and doomsday rhetoric. What was it like being trained in apologetics from childhood, only to realize the history of the church didn't match the dogma she was force-fed?

We dive into the terrifying realities of purity culture, the weaponization of biblical texts against women, and the intense backlash Monte faces online for refusing to submit or be silent. But it's not all doom and gloom! Amidst the doxxing and the hate mail, Monte shares why right now—as the mask of Christian nationalism slips completely off—is actually a time for profound, irrational hope.

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro & Welcoming Monte Mader
03:13 - How Monte Accidentally Went Viral
08:00 - Growing Up in Militant Christian Nationalism
14:44 - Groomed for the Supreme Court to Overturn Roe
16:32 - Liberty University & Studying Church History
21:08 - Kicked Out of Sunday School & Extreme Patriarchy
25:08 - Surviving Purity Culture & The "Used Car" Theology
35:38 - The Toxic Reality of "Biblical" Marriage
42:38 - Facing Online Backlash, Hate Mail, & Doxxing
51:37 - Why There is Actually Hope Right Now
57:59 - Where to Find Monte & Outro
Interview: 

https://youtu.be/KlnjWookRgk?si=u3gZJHapxA351pqk

Purity Culture’s Favorite Horror Story

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUmyQDBuzPg

Purity Culture compared girls to WHAT?!

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/woHV8jpJr_8

 

Sex, Purity Culture, and Christian Nationalism with Erica Smith (Andrew Seidel; One Nation, Indivisible podcast Episode #046)

Purity Culture has devastated Americans for decades but Erica Smith has been helping people shed the shame and disinformation around sex and purity. Andrew and Erica delve into the harm of purity culture—it’s racism, bigotry, obsession with virginity—but also talk about how people can recover and find their true self and live healthy, happy, sexual lives. Purity Culture is a Christian Nationalist ploy to breed more straight, white American Christians. 

• Pre-order Erica Smith’s book The Purity Culture Recovery Guide: The Shame-Free Sex Education You Deserve today (and tell your library to get a copy too!)
• Erica Smith’s website is here. 
• Her Instagram is here.

Interview: 

https://www.podbean.com/ew/dir-2ccme-2a1736b5

 

James Dobson, Eugenics, and the Pure American Body (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast) Special Episode

In this special edition of Straight White American Jesus, host Dr. Brad Onishi reflects on the harmful legacy of James Dobson, who just passed away. 

Known as the founder of Focus on the Family, Dobson’s teachings on the nuclear family, gender roles, and corporal punishment have left a traumatic impact on evangelical communities. 

Onishi connects Dobson’s work to the broader themes of eugenics and Christian nationalism, noting Dobson’s early association with eugenicist Paul Popenoe. 

The episode discusses how Dobson’s views on family structure, purity culture, and authoritarian parenting continue to shape American society and politics today.

Interview: 

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7652103633459993609/5448239840688607004

SPECIAL EPISODE: Trump Spiritual Adviser Robert Morris Indicted for Molesting a Minor (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast)

In this special episode of Straight White American Jesus’ Brad and Dan delve into the recent indictment of Robert Morris, a former evangelical leader and advisor to Donald Trump. They discuss the intersection of patriarchy, purity culture, and the disturbing allegations against Morris, reflecting on previous coverage and interviews related to the case.

Interview: 

https://www.straightwhiteamericanjesus.com/episodes/special-episode-trump-spiritual-adviser-robert-morris-indicted-for-molesting-a-minor/

“The Virgin Fetish” (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast)(It’s in the Code Ep 130)

Why is high-control conservative Christianity so obsessed with the idea of virginity? What “counts as” virginity? How is it “lost” or “given away”? Why are discussions and admonitions concerning virginity so focused on women? How does the concept of virginity serve the interests of high-control religion in policing women’s bodies, their sexuality, and their desires? Check out this week’s episode to hear what Dan has to say.

Interview: 

https://www.straightwhiteamericanjesus.com/episodes/its-in-the-code-ep-130-the-virgin-fetish/

Meet the Sexvangelicals (w/Julia Postema & Jeremiah Gibson) (Conspirituality podcast #218)

You’re an eight year-old girl. The purity culture of your evangelical church, ruled by men but policed by women, has you worried that the spaghetti straps on your summer top might be sinful. You learn from the women around you how to defer, serve, please, keep your voice girl-like forever, and use it to both signal obedience but also piously request relief from sexual aggression.

You’re a seven year-old boy. The holy laws of gender in your church dictate that when you’re the only male present at Bible study, you must lead the room full of women in reading and prayer. You must perform manliness in your boy’s body, assuming an anxious leadership role you did not earn. If you don’t puff yourself up, you’re a sissy—one of the girls alongside you learning the tones of the Fundie Baby Voice.

These are parts of the stories of Julia Postema and Jeremiah Gibson, the co-hosts of the podcast Sexvangelicals: The Sex Education the Church Didn't Want You to Have. They are Boston-based licensed psychotherapists and certified sex therapists. They specialize in helping couples with negative religious backgrounds discover sexuality that works for their partnership. Julian and I sat down with them to learn about how their clients recover from purity culture, and sometimes in the process run smack into its mirror world: the tantric workshop land of divine masculine and feminine stereotypes plus fascinations with semen retention.
Interview:

https://www.conspirituality.net/episodes/218-meet-the-sexvangelicals

Interview with Dr. Katie Gaddini, author of "The Struggle to Stay: Why Single Evangelical Women Are Leaving the Church (Hemant Mehta, The Friendly Atheist podast #423)

"We talked about purity culture, the mixed messages sent to Christian women, and whether their churches do more harm than good. In this solo episode (Jessica will be back next week), I spoke with Dr. Katie Gaddini, a sociologist at the Social Research Institute, University College London and a research associate at the University of Johannesburg, Department of Sociology. She recently released her debut book, The Struggle to Stay: Why Single Evangelical Women Are Leaving the Church, which is based on over four years of in-depth ethnographic research with single evangelical women in the US and the UK. We talked about purity culture, the mixed messages sent to Christian women, and whether their churches do more harm than good."

Interview: 

https://audioboom.com/posts/8070636-ep-423-interview-with-dr-katie-gaddini-author-of-the-struggle-to-stay-why-single-evangelic