Latest
Growing Up in the Fold: Being Born into a High Control Religion
Growing Up in the Fold0:00/3950.05387755102041× What’s the difference between experiencing religious trauma in the church — and being born into it? This episode, we begin to explore what kinds of long-term impacts come from being born into a high control religion like white evangelicalism. This episode
A Deep Dive on James Dobson's Mentor, eugenicist Paul Popenoe
Popenoe0:00/3911.05306122448971× On the one-year anniversary of James Dobson’s death* we’re discussing the nefarious history of his mentor, Paul Popenoe, whose teachings inspired Nazi eugenics. We also discuss Popenoe’s connections to the Southern Baptist Convention (big shocker!) and teaching pastoral counseling. DL’s research
The Prodigal Summer Series Part 3: Life After Leaving
Life After Leaving0:00/4877.0612244897961× Welcome to STRONGWILLED, the multimedia project aimed at helping survivors of religious authoritarian parenting methods develop autonomy and find solidarity. This episode we heard from listeners about what they’ve found most rewarding about being leaving either dysfunctional families, the faith they were raised
Growing Up in the Fold: Early Childhood & Imagining Who You Could Be
The Prodigal Summer Series Part 2: Prodigal Parents
Prodigal Parents0:00/5326.053877551021× Welcome to STRONGWILLED, the multimedia project aimed at helping survivors of religious authoritarian parenting methods develop autonomy and find solidarity.This episode we discuss what Focus on the Family and James Dobson Institute recommending to estranged evangelical parents. We dig into what Dr. John Townsend
Growing Up in the Fold: Toddlerhood & Making Your Own Decisions
Toddlerhood0:00/4380.0555102040821× Krispin and DL discuss what's important about the toddler years and how growing up under religious authoritarian parenting has life long impacts from this developmental stage. Common impacts are difficulty setting boundaries, living according to others’ expectations and difficulty making your own choices — all
What is Religious Authoritarian Parenting?
Two years ago, we launched the STRONGWILLED project as a way to have conversations centered on the long-term impacts of Christian nationalist parenting methods on both individuals and society at large. In the past two years, the efforts of Christian fascism towards controlling, oppressing, and punishing the disobedient in
The Prodigal Summer Series Part 1: Prodigal Children
Prodigal Children0:00/4495.986938775511× Welcome to STRONGWILLED, the multimedia project aimed at helping survivors of religious authoritarian parenting methods develop autonomy and find solidarity. Welcome to our new series on estrangement! This episode we discuss what Focus on the Family and the James Dobson Institute are saying about estranged
Access to Patreon and Discord!
Growing Up in the Fold: Spanking in Childhood, Impacts in Adulthood
A subscriber-only podcast episode about how childhood spanking has long-term impacts on mental health and relationships.
Growing Up in the Fold: Baby Care in High Control Religion (subscriber only episode)
Links, Updates, and a New Podcast Series!
Hello fellow strong-willed people, We wanted to pop in and give a few updates to where our work has been featured, what’s coming up for STRONGWILLED, and how you can support/get involved. First up, our Purity Culture is Pedophile Culture series continues to be our most-read
Podcast
Jenai Auman and Being on the Lookout for Power and Control Dynamics
Jenai0:00/3578.8016326530611× Welcome to STRONGWILLED, the multimedia project aimed at helping survivors of religious authoritarian parenting methods develop autonomy and find solidarity. I loved this conversation with Jenai Auman about learning to spot power and abuse dynamics in any group or organization. She is author of Othered, and
Podcast
Hopecore: Why JD Vance is giving DL Hope
Krispin and DL reflect on estrangement from their parents
The 2026 STRONGWILLED Survey!
Welcome to the new STRONGWILLED platform – we are so glad you are here! We created a survey for you all because we’d love to hear from you about what you’d like to read and hear this coming year. The survey is below. But first, some updates: We recently
Podcast
For Those Who Tried to Get Your People
Krispin and DL reflect on estrangement from their parents
Newsletter
How Predators Get Away With Their Crimes
Purity Culture is Pedophile Culture Part 5
Podcast
10 Years of Estrangement (paid subscriber only)
Krispin and DL reflect on estrangement from their parents
Podcast
Erica Smith and the Purity Culture Dropout Guide
Learn out the sex education you missed if you grew up in purity culture
Podcast
We Talk About Spotlight (yep the 2015 film starring Mark Ruffalo)
We discuss a movie that's all about exposing the sexual abuse of children
Podcast
Dobson in the Epstein Files, Boundaries with Parents & Evaluating the Doctrine of Forgiveness
what a week it's been
Podcast
PODCAST: Purity Culture is Pedophile Culture
A summary of our series about the themes in purity culture that promote childhood sexual abuse, as well as the ways Dobson failed to protect kids
Newsletter
Who is Purity Culture Content For?
Purity Culture is Pedophile Culture part 4