Praise Be To Pod
Ashley and Bailee are reclaiming their spirituality after leaving the evangelical church behind. Join them for candid conversations about the twists and turns of deconstruction, spirituality, pop culture, mental health, astrology, self-care, and all the things that make life interesting after the altar call. Together, we’ll laugh, reflect, and discover what we still believe in.
Episodes
63 episodes
Church Skit Nepo Baby with Katherine Scipioni
This week, Ashley and Bailee continue their conversation with their friend Scip as she reflects on growing up in 90s evangelical culture and her journey through deconstruction.Together, they explore Scip’s upbringing in the Assembly of ...
If everyone's gay, who will bear children? Sage Advice with Special Guest, Katherine Scipioni
This week, Ashley and Bailee are joined by their friend Katherine Scipioni “Scip” to respond to a parishioner question about navigating family relationships when faith and identity collide.Together, they discuss the pain of conditional a...
UNLEARNING: Are We Still Evangelizing?
This week, Ashley and Bailee explore the lingering ways evangelical Christianity continues to shape their thinking, even after deconstruction.Together, they reflect on how certain patterns don’t automatically disappear when beliefs chang...
Mental Health: Spiritual Bypassing
This week, Ashley and Bailee unpack one of evangelicalism's most enduring coping mechanisms: spiritual bypassing.Together, they explore the pressure to "choose joy" when life is falling apart, the expectation to stay positive no matter t...
Boys Will Be Boys: The Modern Exvangelical Manosphere
This week, Ashley and Bailee fail the Bechdel Test for the very first time with an all-new episode on one of humanity's oldest and most infamous subjects: men.Together, they unpack some of the dynamics they've noticed in progressive spac...
The Gospel According to White Evangelicalism: Bekha's Story
This week, Bailee and Ashley are joined by a very special guest: Bailee’s childhood best friend, Bekha. Bekha and Bailee first met as children when Bekha's family began attending the charismatic evangelical church that Bailee's pare...
One Year of Praise Be to Pod: Stages of Deconstruction
This week, Ashley and Bailee celebrate one year of Praise Be to Pod, reflecting on the journey that brought them here. After a year of conversations about evangelicalism, spirituality, culture, power, and healing, they take stock of ho...
The Hollywood Fall from Grace to Evangelical A$$hole with Husband of the Pod, Danny
Content Advisory: This episode explores themes of domestic violence, sexual assault, and violence against LGBTQ+ peopleThis week, Ashley and Bailee are joined by Ashley’s husband Danny to discuss the infamous pipeline of powerful ...
The Soft Life Pipe Dream: Selling Womanhood in Late-Stage Capitalism
This week, Ashley and Bailee explore the resurgence of tradwife and homesteading aesthetics, “divine feminine” content, and viral online trends centered around softness, submission, and retreat from modern life — asking what cultural conditions...
Signs & Wonders with Jubilee Dawn: When Miracles Mislead
This week, Ashley and Bailee are joined by Jubilee Dawn for a conversation on “signs and wonders” within charismatic evangelical spaces. Jubilee shares from her experience in Bethel’s School of Supernatural Ministry (often described as “Christi...
Save the Children: The Indoctrination Double Standard
This week, Ashley and Bailee engage in a discussion of the evangelical and religious right’s “Save the Children” narrative — exploring how fears around education, media, and social progress are often used to shape public perception and moral ur...
The Myth of a Christian Nation | Part 2: Trickle Down American Exceptionalism
This week, Ashley and Bailee continue their deep-dive into the myth of a “Christian nation,” shifting into the modern era and the forces that shaped evangelical political identity as we know it today.We explore the cultural and political...
The Myth of a Christian Nation | Part 1: Evangelical Revisionist History
This week, Ashley and Bailee kick off Part 1 of a deep-dive into one of the most widely accepted beliefs in evangelical culture: that the United States was founded as a Christian nation.From childhood teachings to political messaging, ma...
The Narrow Road | Part 2 | The Threat of Christian Nationalism with Joanna Whaley
In Part 2 of our conversation with Joanna Whaley, we continue unpacking Joanna’s journey from evangelical pastor to political candidate — diving into the intersections of faith, politics, and identity in a time when Christian values and nationa...
The Narrow Road | Part 1 | From Megachurch Pastor to Progressive Political Activist with Joanna Whaley
In Part 1 of our conversation with Joanna Whaley, candidate for Michigan House of Representatives, Ashley and Bailee sit down with Joanna to unpack her story as a former evangelical pastor navigating identity, faith, and institutional power.
The Evangelical Millennials to Social Justice Warrior Pipeline
This week, Ashley and Bailee engage in a discussion and cultural analysis of evangelical millennials — exploring why we are the way that we are. From the militarization of youth at Acquire the Fire to the push to dedicate your l...
The Woman's Place: Roles and Expectations in Evangelical Society
Ashley and Bailee explore the roles and expectations placed on women in evangelical culture, unpacking the theology behind complementarianism, headship, and the idea of women as “helpers.” They discuss how evangelical systems often frame these ...
Codependency: Enmeshment, the Savior Complex, and the Compulsive Need to Rescue
Ashley and Bailee critically examine the culture of codependency that runs deep in many Evangelical communities — reinforcing relationship dynamics of enmeshment, overfunctioning, and blurred boundaries. They unpack how the constant pressure fr...
Reconstructing Lent
Ashley and Bailee get candid about their complicated relationship with Lent and spiritual disciplines after deconstruction — calling out how evangelicals often pride themselves on rejecting liturgical traditions passed down through church histo...
Amish Made | Part 2: Inside America's Least Understood Society
Ashley and Bailee return for Part 2 of their Amish series — this time stepping into the present.They explore modern Amish life: gender roles, education, technology limits, rumspringa, and the qu...
Amish Made | Part 1: The History of America's Most Traditional Lifestyle
Ashley and Bailee turn their attention to a community often romanticized but rarely understood: the Amish.In Part 1 of this two-part series, they trace the movement’s origins in the Radical Reformation, unpacking Anabaptism, adult baptis...
The Conditional Unconditional LOVE of God
Were you obsessed with how much God Loves you? Our Evangelical upbringing taught us that God loves you unconditionally… unless you don’t believe correctly, behave correctly, or die at the wrong time.This week we’re unpacking the “conditi...
Villain Origin Stories: When Our (Past) Evangelical Selves Hurt Others
Ashley and Bailee turn the lens inward, reflecting on the moments they weren’t just harmed by evangelical culture—but actively upheld it.In this episode, they unpack their own “villain origin stories,” examining how fear-based theology, ...
The Hot Devil: Assistant Manager & Pop Culture Icon | Part 2
Ashley and Bailee continue their conversation on the devil, moving from the origins of the mythology to how it showed up in their evangelical upbringing, other religions, and the culture at large. They reflect on the stories they were told in c...
The Hot Devil Himself: History, Mythology, and Paradise Lost | Part 1
Ashley and Bailee explore the origins of the devil and how our modern idea of Satan was shaped less by scripture and more by history, culture, and literature.They trace the evolution of devil mythology through Jewish tradition, Persian d...