Year In Review // Preview
Plus a link to an interview with D.L. Mayfield featured on Culture Study!
I’m sure there have been a few Substack newsletters I read that were not something related to years in review / wrap-ups / link round-ups, but let’s be honest, that’s the popular theme this time of year. So in the spirit of… tradition (lol not something I’m particularly into; see my most recent post), here we go!
First, I need to welcome all the new folks who found me (presumably) from the interview I did with
featured on Anne Helen Petersen’s . Culture Study readers are some of the best out there — thoughtful, engaged, and as Anne always reminds us to act in our comments: who aren’t butts and create one of the best spaces on the internet. Also. I know exactly how long that interview was and am well aware you had to scroll ALL the way to the bottom to find my info, and I genuinely appreciate your commitment! Thank you for joining us here.A Meander through 2022
I had been blogging casually for years (11? 12?), most of the time on a Wordpress account, but only began writing on Substack in April of this year. This is not an ad for Substack, but I’ve really been pleased with the functionality and the network of Substack. Glad I made the switch!
My son was born in January of this year, so it took some time before I could think about anything other than sleeping and feeding schedules of a newborn. In my early posts, I wrote a lot about motherhood: Just Say No to the Myth of the Ideal Mother and The Two Moms Who Exist Inside Me are two of my favorites. In those posts I explore some of my no-so-pretty feelings but also examine the messages that tell me I “should” only feel certain things about mothering.
There was a lot going on politically this year, especially with SCOTUS. *sigh and scowl* I wrote about abortion rights and gun control and the toxic [conservative / political evangelical] theology that influences harsh stances on both those issues.
In October, I renamed my newsletter to reflect a more intentional emphasis on writing about religious trauma. A couple noteworthy newsletters included the ones exploring the questions of whether we can call evangelicalism a cult and what began our faith deconstruction journeys. The comments are fun to look at.
A Peek at 2023
Wow, it’s weird to think we’re about to be in 2023. Wasn’t it 2021 yesterday? Anyway, here’s some of the topics I have in mind for 2023 (please chime in with your own ideas in the comments!):
evangelicalism / Christianity’s impact on shame and its effect on the body (diet culture) and sexuality
emotionally immature adults: are they drawn to evangelicalism or does evangelicalism help create them??
dealing with family issues when your family of origin doesn’t approve of your faith changes
why “traditional” (modern, evangelical) Christian doctrine inherently creates insecure attachment and fearfulness around the idea of God
bait-and-switch tactics of evangelicalism
raising kids who aren’t indoctrinated (even if you’re still part of a church: hiiiii spouse of a pastor here, it’s an interesting line I’m going to be navigating as my kids get older; not because of their dad, just because…church)
and more!! Like I said, weigh in with your ideas!
Guest Interview on Culture Study!!
It was such a thrill to be able to do this interview with D.L. Mayfield. We chatted about Dorothy Day, Christian anarchy, social justice movements, religious trauma, and how to find a way of existing in this world that attends to the suffering of others but also allows you to care for your own needs. Whew! For two people who were raised to be “all-in” on religion under and ethos of giving more, more, more…for Jesus!!… this was a clarifying and inspiring conversation. Love for you to take a read!
I love all these ideas, especially the one about evangelicalism and shame, both related to the body and also just the way evangelicalism utilizes guilt and shame as a control tactic. Unlearning shame is a major area I'm working on. I'd also be interested in more on the nervous system, window of tolerance, and working with your own sensory needs, contrasted with how evangelicalism says "deny yourself" and ignore your own needs to put others first.
I hadn’t previously seen your interview with DL Mayfield and really enjoyed reading it. When in Chicago, I had some friends involved with the Catholic Worker House there. I’ve added Mayfield’s book to my “to read” list!