Praise Be To Pod

Join Ashley and Bailee as they dive into the evangelical idea of being set apart —the belief that Christians are called to be “in the world but not of it.” At its best, it’s a call to live with conviction and integrity. But more often than not, it manifested as a virtue signal and applied rigid pressure to be contrarian, performative, or just plain unpleasant. This week, we take a closer look at h...

This week, Bailee and Ashley explore the idea of backsliding —a term often used in evangelical and fundamentalist spaces to describe someone who has drifted from their faith, questioned doctrine, or changed their behavior in ways seen as spiritually unsafe. We take a closer look at how this culture of “accountability” shaped our understanding of growth, struggle, and doubt. We talk about the fear...

This week, Bailee and Ashley explore the often-overlooked ways churches rely on—and sometimes exploit—free labor, financial giving, and personal sacrifice from their members. In Unpaid in Full , we take a closer look at the culture of service in many evangelical spaces, where volunteering is framed as a calling, and giving your time, money, and energy is seen as a measure of faithfulness. We talk...

For our Super Special Wednesday Night Youth Group Episode, Bailee and Ashley dig into the cinematic chaos of Six: The Mark Unleashed—a lesser-known but deeply unsettling gem from the early 2000s evangelical film canon. Starring Stephen Baldwin, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Eric Roberts, this end-times thriller delivers exactly what you'd expect (and more) from a movie about refusing the Mark of t...

This week, Bailee and Ashley dive into the terrifying, cinematic, and deeply political world of the End Times. From rapture anxiety and Tribulation nightmares to Antichrist conspiracies and Left Behind movie nights, the book of Revelation wasn’t just an ancient apocalyptic fever dream—it became the blueprint for how many evangelical communities interpreted the world around them. Join us as we refl...

This week, Bailee and Ashley take a hard look at Jesus Camp —the critically acclaimed 2006 documentary that felt as much like a mirror as it did a horror film. With footage of children speaking in tongues, weeping at the altar, and pledging allegiance to a very specific (and highly Nationalistic) version of Christianity, the film raises unsettling questions about indoctrination, identity, and the...

This week, Bailee and Ashley explore the fascinating and sometimes confusing world of the gifts of the Spirit. From speaking in tongues and words of knowledge to dreams, visions, and “knowing things you weren’t supposed to know,” these spiritual exercises were once a regular and celebrated part of their environment. But what happens when the line between divine power and performance gets blurry? J...

Bailee shares her origin story in this week’s episode—from being a spitfire, irreverent pastor’s kid to an earnest spiritual pilgrim (and everything in between). Raised in the heart of the Charismatic movement, Bailee reflects on what it meant to grow up steeped in fundamentalism while quietly (and sometimes not so quietly) forging a spiritual identity of her own. Connect with Us: 📸 Instagram: @p...

Note: The originally scheduled episode has been postponed in light of the recent acts of political violence that occurred the day before its intended release. Out of respect for those affected, we are sharing this episode in its place. This week, Bailee and Ashley take on the hot-button topic of purity culture—the comical, the harmful, and everything in between. From Jonas Brothers purity rings to...

This week, we’re diving into Ashley’s origin story. From the highs of summer church camp and overseas mission trips to the lure of cute youth group boys, Ashley dove into evangelical christianity at an early age with reckless abandon. Join us as we unpack the story of her spiritual journey, including the impact of faith on her identity, a long tenure as a professional christian, and the relationsh...

​​Bailee and Ashley dive headfirst into the bizarre and wildly specific world of puppet ministry—and the chokehold it had on the evangelical church in the 90s and early 2000s. In this episode, they share their own haunting puppet team memories, unpack the internal politics and love triangles of the youth group puppet team, and ask important questions like, “ was puppet ministry a tool of colonizat...