Shows
Bare MarriageEpisode 289: Why Fiction Makes You a Better Person (Why We Don't Hate ALL Books!)Send us a textBECOME ONE OF OUR MONTHLY DONORS:We're aiming for 50 new monthly donors, for even as little as $10 a month! For tax deductible donations in the U.S., support Good Fruit Faith Initiative through the Bosko FoundationKEEP UP WITH SHEILA THIS SUMMER:Join my Substack! It's free.TO SUPPORT US: Join our Patreon for as little as $5 a month to support our workAnd check out our Merch, or any of our courses!Join our email list!L...2025-06-261h 03
Bare MarriageEpisode 288: Is Sex a Want or a Need?Send us a textIs sex is a human need within marriage? Let's address the tension between those who see "need" language as potentially coercive and those who feel legitimate sexual desires shouldn't be shamed. Psychological research does classify sex as a human need, but the real issue is how couples can co-create a reality for a mutually satisfying sexual relationship. Rather than pressuring reluctant partners, couples should focus on building marriages where both people genuinely want and enjoy sexual intimacy.BECOME ONE OF OUR MONTHLY DONORS:We're aiming for 50 new...2025-06-191h 03
Bare MarriageEpisode 283: When the Church Stole Your Sex LifeSend us a text What happens when church doesn’t seem safe? Or when, in retrospect, you realize it wasn’t, even if you threw yourself into it at the time? Today Dr. Andrew Bauman joins us to talk about his new book Safe Church, and then Rebecca and Sheila read reader’s stories about how the church stole their sex lives—and what we can do about it. TO SUPPORT US: Join our Patreon for as little as $5 a month to support our workFor tax deductible donations in the U.S., support Goo...2025-05-151h 14
Bare MarriageEpisode 282: What Makes Men Cheat? New Research SpotlightSend us a textIt's time to walk through some super interesting studies that have recently been published--and see what they say about the intersection of infidelity and beliefs in male hierarchy. Keith joins Sheila to react to the studies!OUR SPONSOR:Thank you to our sponsor, Zondervan and the book Saving Face. The church needs to get away from harmful tropes, and call us towards true community based on vulnerability and safety. Aimee Byrd points the way! TO SUPPORT US: Join our Patreon for as li...2025-05-081h 01
Bare MarriageEpisode 280: The Problems with the Book The Love Dare--And How It Papers Over Real ProblemsSend us a textThe Love Dare, based on the movie Fireproof, has been a huge best-selling marriage book for two decades. But does it actually contain good advice? Today on episode 280 of the Bare Marriage podcast, we show how The Love Dare simply regurgitates all the typical harmful evangelical marriage advice, telling women to make themselves smaller; never bring up issues; paper over problems; and, of course, never divorce, even if you’re being abused.OUR SPONSOR:Thank you to our sponsor, Zondervan and the book Saving Face. The church ne...2025-04-2457 min
Bare MarriageEpisode 277: Why Emotions Aren't Feminine (and Why Women Aren't More Emotional!)Send us a textSo many evangelical pastors teach that men are rational while women are emotional. But is this true? And if women are more emotionally mature than men, then doesn't that mean that men need to learn from women? Listen in as Keith and Sheila dissect several clips from Josh Howerton, Emerson Eggerichs, Josh McPherson, and Matt Walsh.WITH THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:Beth Allison Barr's insightful and important new book Becoming the Pastor's Wife: How Marriage Replaced Ordination as a Woman's Path to Ministry. Learn how women got...2025-04-031h 08
Bare MarriageEpisode 275: Becoming the Pastor's Wife feat. Beth Allison BarrSend us a textWhat if marriage replaced ordination as a woman's path to ministry? What if we've systematically erased the stories of women ministering in the past, and in so doing silenced women's voices and removed opportunities to serve Jesus? Today Beth Allison Barr joins us to talk about her new book Becoming the Pastor's Wife!REGISTER FOR OUR FREE WEBINARJoin Beth Allison Barr, Sheila, and Karen Swallow Prior on Thursday, March 27 at 9 pm for a FREE webinar (recording will be available afterwards if you can't make it live)....2025-03-201h 07
Bare MarriageEpisode 271: What the Unfairness Threshold Tells Us About Marriage (and Mental Load!)Send us a textPREODER THE MARRIAGE YOU WANTPre-Order on AmazonGet other links to Pre-OrderSend in your preorder receipt to preorder@marriageyouwantbook.comTO SUPPORT USJoin our Patreon for as little as $5 a month to support our workFor tax deductible donations in the U.S., support Good Fruit Faith Initiative through the Bosko FoundationAnd check out our Merch, or any of our courses!Join our email list!Join Sheila at Bare Marriage.com!And her FACEBOOK PAGE has been HACKED--so please join the new official...2025-02-2057 min
Bare MarriageEpisode 255: For Our Daughters—Plus Why Sex Abuse Scandals Keep HappeningSend us a textWe aren’t going to fix the abuse crisis in the church until we deal with the underlying beliefs that actually enable abuse. Today Kristin Kobes Du Mez joins us to talk about her new documentary For Our Daughters, which shows how beliefs about gender, power and politics that are rampant in the church actually contribute to abuse. And Pastor Trey Ferguson joins us to comment on a recent article he wrote explaining how evangelicalism’s views of sex, which ignore intimacy, contribute to abuse too.OUR SPONSOR:Dr...2024-10-171h 12
Bare MarriageEpisode 250: Not All Men—But How Do We Tell?Send us a textWe know it’s not all men who are predators. But it’s far too many. And a recent horrible court case in France is reminding women all over the world that far too many men are willing and eager to do the unthinkable. The only way to tell who is safe is to look at their words and their actions. And the words of far too many evangelical leaders and authors and pastors are straight up rape culture. After what happened to Gisele Pelicot, I’m not willing to put up with it any...2024-09-1255 min
Bare MarriageEpisode 248: Making Faith More Tangible in the Holy Everyday feat. Karen StillerSend us a text What does it look like to actually grow like Christ? Like, not from a sermon, or not from some lofty retreat, but just in the here and now? Can we actually grow “holier”? A beautiful conversation with Karen Stiller, author of the book Holiness Here. We tackle envy, joy, contentment—and even grief, as she shares about processing the death of her husband. TO SUPPORT USJoin our Patreon for as little as $5 a month to support our workFor tax deductible donations in the U.S., support Good Fruit F...2024-08-291h 01
Bare MarriageEpisode 247: Ask Sheila and Rebecca Anything! We Tackle Your QuestionsSend us a textSheila and Rebecca are answering your questions today! We covered how to find a new church when you feel like church has let you down; how to start your sex life well; what to do when people don’t think purity culture was harmful; and so much more! And we throw data and nuance into the mix too.HELP US OUT AFTER THE HACKING!Please follow OUR NEW FACEBOOK PAGEIf you see a Facebook page called Endlessly Stories with weird images—that is our old page. Please report it!2024-08-221h 02
Bare MarriageEpisode 243: Modesty vs. Vanity: Maybe We Need to Shift the Conversation!Send us a textThe evangelical church spends a lot of time giving modesty messages to girls. But we hardly ever talk about vanity--even though the Bible condemns it. Could it be that in all our talk about modesty, we're inadvertently promoting vanity? And perhaps we can't call out vanity, because our messages to boys essentially enable vanity. Join Rebecca and Sheila as we hash this one out!With thanks to our sponsor:If church was your place of deepest hurt, can you find peace and healing with Christ? Check out...2024-07-2557 min
Bare MarriageEpisode 241: Both Hurt and Healed by the ChurchSend us a textWhat if the church hurt you terribly? Can you still heal? Today Ryan George joins us to talk about how his fundamentalist family covers up his father’s sexual abuse of others—and how Ryan eventually learned the truth and turned his father in. And then Ryan deconstructed so much of what he had been taught—and found the real Jesus. Join us as Ryan George talks about his book Hurt and Healed by the Church.About Ryan's BookRyan’s book Hurt and Healed by the Church Find all...2024-07-111h 07