Praise Be To Pod

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 change…they often shift form. From over-functioning in relationships to carrying a sense of moral urgency into political spaces, they examine how old frameworks can qu...

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 the circumstances, and the ways difficult emotions are often treated as spiritual failures rather than normal parts of being human. Along the way, t...

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 spaces and relationships, exploring the ways patriarchal patterns can persist even as people deconstruct old beliefs and embrace new values. From emotional...

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 parents planted and pastored in their small rural community.  While Bekha and Bailee share many memories and experiences from their upbringing in the church, Bek...

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 how their deconstruction has evolved—and where it might be leading next. Along the way, they discuss the different stages of deconstruction they've experienced,...

Content Advisory: This episode explores themes of domestic violence, sexual assault, and violence against LGBTQ+ people This week, Ashley and Bailee are joined by Ashley’s husband Danny to discuss the infamous pipeline of powerful men who conveniently find God in the middle of public scandal and accountability. Using Shia LaBeouf, Kanye West, and Russell Brand as case studies, we explore why celeb...

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 are making these ideas feel especially appealing right now. We also look at how these movements don’t exist in a vacuum, but often intersect with broader p...

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 “Christian Hogwarts”), reflecting on what it was like being immersed in a culture where prophetic words, miracles, and supernatural “signs” were not just encouraged...

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 urgency. We reflect on how these stories are constructed, who they’re aimed at, and what they reveal about broader anxieties around influence, identity, and w...

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 shifts surrounding the presidencies of Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, and how the rise of the Moral Majority helped cement the alliance between evangelical Chri...

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, many of us were told that America’s identity is inherently tied to Christianity — but as we started asking questions, that narrative began to unravel. In this episo...

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 nationalism collide. Join us as we dive into Joanna’s campaign for the Michigan House of Representatives, how she confronts Christian nationalism in American polit...

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. After being outed as a transgender woman by a congregant, Joanna was dismissed from one of Michigan’s largest megachurches—an event that upended every aspect...

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 life to global missions with YWAM, the evangelical church bombarded us with messages that we were the generation called to “ change the world .” Now that we’re older, we ref...

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 roles as divine design, placing obedience on a pedestal, establishing marriage and proximity to men as the ultimate metric of a woman’s value, and demonizin...

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 from the church to “save people” and “expose their sin” is often used as a tool to maintain control, the ways having a savior complex primes you for self righ...

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 history, while still emphasizing self-denial and moral performance. They discuss how practices like fasting were framed through shame and sacrifice, why Lent was...

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 quiet authority of the Ordnung. What does separation from the world actually look like today…and how does it function as both protection and control? They also unpack the evangelical mom obsession with Amish...

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 baptism, persecution, and the theological split that gave rise to the Amish. They explore how a desire for faithfulness and separation from the world shaped practices l...

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 “conditional unconditional love” of God — the version many of us were raised on in evangelical culture. We play our new game “Cute, Concerning, or Straight to Jail?” wher...

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, certainty, and institutional power shaped the ways they judged, enforced, defended, and perpetuated harmful religious beliefs. Together, they explore what account...

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 church, how fear became a theological tool, and what it meant to carry a hyper-present enemy into everyday life. They also interrogate why the devil remains...

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 dualism, Greek philosophy, medieval Christianity, and John Milton’s Paradise Lost—unpacking how fear-based imagery took hold and why literary works often filled in...

Ashley and Bailee continue their exploration of hell, this time reflecting on the personal impact of what they (and other evangelicals) were taught. They discuss how fear-based lessons shaped their beliefs, influenced their choices, and left lasting marks on faith, identity, and relationships—even after leaving evangelicalism.  Together, they examine the spiritually abusive nature of hell indoctri...

Ashley and Bailee dive into the origins of hell and how it became one of the most powerful—and fear-driven—ideas in evangelical Christianity. They unpack where the concept comes from, how ancient cultures understood the afterlife, and what the Bible actually says when you look beyond modern translations. From Sheol and Gehenna to Dante and revival-era preaching, they explore how the idea of hell e...