People want black-and-white answers from the Bible, but as author Sarah Bessey puts it, scripture is a rainbow arch painted across a stormy sky. We are two best friends who shed light on topics in the Church today through discussions on history, science, theology, & our love for Jesus.
THANK YOU all for listening! We are incredibly grateful for your support, encouragement, and love over our first three seasons! Today is a more conversational format reflecting on the themes, courage, and contributions of women in church history. In our lives, we seek to honor the legacy of the women who went before us, and it is our prayer that Eshet Chayil did just that. We hope you enjoyed half as much as we enjoyed creating content for you all! Stay tuned for the release of our fourth season in 2022! Enjoy!
Is biblical womanhood defined by ancient Greek grammar, by cultural norms, or by the actions and love of God? In our penultimate episode this season, we review Beth Alison Barr's bestseller, "The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth." We found that this book perfectly wraps up our season ahead of the Eshet Chayil finale, and are excited to share what we've learned.
In our last dive into the histories of prominent women throughout the Church, Sarah leads the discussion today with a glimpse into the Reformation. •Argula, the first woman to apply Luther's doctrine of priesthood of all believers to women, and also the first female lobbyist of the Reformation. •Katharina, who wrote a defense for speaking out against men in ecclesial power. (Significantly, also wrote a preface for one of Calvin's sermons.) •Marie Dentiere, who wrote & published a formal defense for women being allowed to authoritatively teach to other women, which most of the Reformers were against. Listen to how these women's arguments laid the foundation for much of what we enjoy today in modern-day Christianity! As always, thank you so much for listening and like or leave a review of what you think!
In our newest episode, we continue in our 2-part special of "scholars, soldiers, poets, queens" by delving into the Middle Ages: Julian of Norwich, who wrote the first English language book ‘Revelations of Divine Love written by a woman on the ‘feminine nature' of Christianity; Anna Comnena, author of the most comprehensive book on church history of her time; and Hrosvit, composer of first dramas in Christian history, combining Christianity with art in a new way. Let us know what you think and what your favorite part of the episode is! :)
In today's episode in our series, Eshet Chayil: Woman of Valor, Sarah dissects the histories of three women selected from the history of the medieval church. They are Brigid of Ireland (who founded the first Irish nunnery and is said to be the first woman appointed a bishop); Christine de Pisan (her writings on the defense of women in the medieval church are said to be some of the earliest accounts of ‘feminism'); and Melania the Younger (was a major theologian, assisted Boniface the great Christian leader, & used her knowledge to teach the emperor & aided the clergy in textual interpretation & translation). As always, the ladies delve deep into discussion, this time of the roles/culture surrounding women in the medieval church and middle ages. Leave us a review or comment your favorite parts! :)
Today, Sarah leads our discussion in the histories of 3 women who are recorded as major players in the establishment of the early church leading up to the middle ages: St. Thecla, Faltonia Betitia Proba, and Egeria. Listen for descriptions of the subversion of Roman culture through the church and particularly through the roles women played (early church was predominantly female), the transition to more hierarchical structures as the church assimilated to Roman culture, leading to the Middle Ages, and the increasing marginalization of women. And as always, leave us a review or shoot us a message of what you think of the episode! :)
WELCOME to season 3, everyone! We hope y'all are staying safe and healthy in your part of the world and are ready for an exciting new lineup of episodes. This week's episode marks the first in our series Eishet Chayil: Women of Valor, where we discuss famous women in church history, including the early church, medieval, and modern day. Today, Marleny (with full allergies and sniffles) leads the discussion, beginning with the greatest miracle of all time: Jesus' resurrection. We are stoked to be discussing the histories of the three Marys, and the revolutionary significance of Jesus choosing a woman to be the first preacher of the gospel. Enjoy! SOURCES: "Who Were the Women at the Empty Tomb?" https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justin-taylor/women-empty-tomb/ "Why Do We Call Mary the Mother of God?" https://stpaulcenter.com/why-do-we-call-mary-the-mother-of-god-2/ "St. Mary Salome" https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-mary-salome-29 "Who Was Mary Magdalene?" https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/who-was-mary-magdalene-119565482/ "The Real Reason Why Mary Magdalene Is Such a Controversial Figure" https://time.com/5210705/mary-magdalene-controversial/
Another season has come and gone! Thank you so much to everyone who has been following our season exploring trauma within the church, for sending us questions, and for returning every week for more. Today we close out the conversation by discussing how trauma relates to our identity in Christ as stated by scripture, while also including personal experience and lots of encouragement. Scripture cited: 1 John 5:15 Ephesians 2:19 Romans 10:9-10 Romans 5:10-11 Colossians 2:13-14 2 Corinthians 4:16-17 PROFESSIONAL RESOURCES: https://www.taylorraephotofilm.com/ https://www.sarahbethart.com/
Today, Sarah leads our discussion in breaking down the history of Christian vs secular counseling, the church's promotion and denial over the years, and the hopeful future dawning on the church understanding more about mental illness. RESOURCES: https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/March-2018/You-Can-t-Pray-Away%e2%80%9d-a-Mental-Health-Condition https://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2018/april/church-and-mental-health.html https://www.geneva.edu/blog/uncategorized/stigma-mental-illness Books: Total Truth by Nancy Pearcey The God Who is There by Francis Schaeffer
Healing is not linear, and there are wounds time can't heal. There's a somber attitude in the studio today. In this episode, we discuss our personal accounts of healing from trauma caused by people we loved in our families and churches, just to name a few. Listen as we share ways our therapists and God's mercy have helped us along the way, as well as debunk myths and encourage anyone experiencing something similar to reach out for help.
A famous footnote in the story of Isaac's miraculous birth, little else is known about the Egyptian slave girl, Hagar. Hagar was given Abram and his wife, Sarai, and later forced to bear his child when Sarai could not produce the heir that God had promised. Hagar was then labeled as "contemptuous" by her mistress, and after being treated harshly by her, fled from her masters into the wilderness, possibly fearing her unborn baby's life. It was in her wanderings that Hagar had a life-changing encounter at a well, where the promise of the covenant was revealed to her and where she - a foreigner, woman, salve - became the only one in all sacred texts to name God. "Hagar" cover art by Sarah Beth Baca, https://www.sarahbethart.com/ "The Well (abridged)" by Rachel Held Evans, http://wildwoodmennonite.org/images/Sermons/2019-03-10_The_Well_Hagar_Monologue.pdf "Hagar: Midrash and Aggadah" https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/hagar-midrash-and-aggadah
Prognosis: Hopeful. ❤ Separating from a community leaves its own special wound. Today, we break down the definition of trauma as described by medical experts, and discuss the ways we experienced trauma after leaving our church communities, and how we found healing after hope seemed lost. RESOURCES: Emotional & Psychological Trauma: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/ptsd-trauma/coping-with-emotional-and-psychological-trauma.htm Finding a Therapist Who Can Help You Heal: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/finding-a-therapist-who-can-help-you-heal.htm Post-Traumatic Church Syndrome: https://time.com/3859374/losing-my-religion-americas-post-traumatic-church-syndrome/ When Church Leads to Trauma: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/05/well/mind/religion-trauma-lgbt-gay-depression-anxiety.html
Our series on church trauma continues with this season's book review episode on Rachel Held Evans' book, "Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church." In her 2015 memoir, Rachel Held Evans shared a journey that validated the doubts of her fellow millennial peers as well as frustrated and confused others: her journey of loving, leaving, and finding the church. With her trademark witty candor and undeniable grace, "Searching for Sunday" takes us on a tour through fascinating church history and even a modern day monastery; recounts heartbreaking losses and personal testimony that led to her decision to deconstruct her faith, and where that left her relationship with Jesus. Searching for Sunday (paperback): https://www.amazon.com/Searching-Sunday-Loving-Leaving-Finding/dp/0718022122
When all of your beliefs get blown to hell, what is left? This week, Sarah reacquaints us with the definition of deconstruction, how it is affecting the American church today, the testimonies of those who have experienced it, and what scripture says about it all.
SEASON 2 IS HERE! We are back and laying the groundwork for season 2 by discussing what makes a church, and how to define the universal Church. This will be a great episode to reference later when we dive into difficult topics on churches' responses to mental illness, sexual abuse, and spiritual mistreatment. As always, we bring laughter, challenging questions, and our hearts for Jesus to the forefront of every episode. We hope you enjoy!
In our SEASON ONE finale, there is hurt, disbelief, betrayal, and uncertainty... Namely, the emotions we both felt when leaving our respective churches. Listen as we bear our souls, share our experiences, doubts, and how we learned to love the church again. Searching for Sunday by Rachel Held Evans https://www.amazon.com/Searching-Sunday-Loving-Leaving-Finding/dp/0718022122 Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Like-Jazz-Nonreligious-Spirituality/dp/0785263705 - It has been a wild ride over the last few months! We are incredibly grateful for the unbelievable amounts of support we have received since premiering our podcast in the summer. We can't believe season one, with all its joys and challenges, is actually over. Thank you so much, and we will be back in spring 2021! a special THANK YOU to everyone who has contributed professionally to our podcast: https://www.taylorraesphoto.com/ https://www.sarahbethart.com/ https://drcamden.com/
This week, we explore the world of purity culture with our own personal guide, Dr. Camden Morgante! With her expertise, we discuss the different kinds of myths that are created within the American Church as well as dissect questions that we have personally encountered regarding marriage, sex, and the fairytales that come with them. ***Due to the long-distance nature of this call, the audio recording reflects some connectivity & sound difficulties.*** Thanks for bearing with us and we pray that this is as much an encouragement to you as it was to us! For more information on Dr. Camden: https://drcamden.com/ Dr. Camden's FREE purity culture quiz: https://drcamden.com/take-the-quiz/ Photo credit: https://www.taylorraesphoto.com/
Sarah leads us through this season's book review episode with a thorough look at Donald Miller's enlightening and controversial book, Blue Like Jazz. Enjoy as we discuss negative views towards this work, bring up our own discoveries from its pages, and why you should never judge a book by its cover. Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller (paperback) https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Like-Jazz-Nonreligious-Spirituality/dp/0785263705
This is the story of a woman who was part of the early Church. The story of a woman who may have listened at the feet of Jesus himself. A story that was nearly wiped from history. This woman was revered as a symbol of faith for centuries, and in one stroke of a brush, her identity was tainted and her status questioned. Her name and gender were changed and taught as correct by men of great power in the church. This history is rarely acknowledged, let alone taught. The average member of the Church today will most likely not know who she was. Her name was Junia, and she was outstanding among the apostles. Photo credit: https://www.sarahbethart.com/ SOURCES: Junia, a Female Apostle: An Examination of the Historical Record https://www.cbeinternational.org/resource/article/priscilla-papers-academic-journal/junia-female-apostle-examination-historical Blame Martin Luther for People Thinking the Bible's Female Apostle Was Male https://www.thedailybeast.com/blame-martin-luther-for-people-thinking-the-bibles-female-apostle-was-male?ref=scroll Junia: The Female Apostle, Video History https://youtu.be/kdD36zVVOb0 Who Was Junia in the Bible? https://juniaproject.com/who-was-junia/ The Lost Apostle: Searching for the Truth about Junia by Rena Pederson https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Apostle-Rena-Pederson-dp-0470184620/dp/0470184620/ref=mt_other?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid= Was Junia in Romans 16:7 a female apostle in authority? https://carm.org/junia-apostle Romans 16: Who was Junia? – The Text in Context http://thetextincontext.com/romans-16-who-was-junia/
Welcome the conclusion of the two-part series where we explore the expectations of femininity and masculinity in the American church! Listen with an open mind as we compare cultural norms with biblical truths, and share stories that have helped mold our faiths and revisit our own biases. As always, we promise laughs, challenges, and maybe a food metaphor or two. SOURCES: Redefining masculinity: Three psychologists strive to build a ‘better' man. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/06/masculinity What Is Toxic Masculinity? https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2019/01/22/us/toxic-masculinity.amp.html How the Christian ‘masculinity' movement is ruining men https://religionnews.com/2016/08/30/how-the-christian-masculinity-movement-is-ruining-men/ 5 Themes of Biblical Manhood https://www.cru.org/us/en/communities/families/5-themes-biblical-manhood.html A Critical Review of John Eldredge's Wild at Heart https://www.ccwtoday.org/2010/04/a-critical-review-of-john-eldredges-wild-at-heart/ Sex, Marriage, & Fairytales || Spoken Word https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4OK9DmLpCY Photo credit: https://www.taylorraesphoto.com/
In the first of our two-part series on Femininity & Masculinity, we dissect what the Bible and American church culture deem as being feminine. And yes, it will probably piss people off. Sources: What is Biblical Femininity? https://midtowncolumbia.com/blog/what-is-biblical-femininity A REAL WOMAN? DEFINING BIBLICAL FEMININITY https://www.livehope.org/article/a-real-woman-defining-biblical-femininity/ Biblical Womanhood: How the Bible Defines Femininity http://www.relevantbibleteaching.com/site/cpage.asp?cpage_id=140011648&sec_id=140001239 What the Bible Doesn't Say About Femininity https://www.boundless.org/relationships/what-the-bible-doesnt-say-about-femininity/ The Beauty of Womanhood https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-beauty-of-womanhood Photo credit: https://www.taylorraesphoto.com/
This week, Sarah helps us take a closer look at verses often taken out of context and used to abuse or invalidate women - yes, we are talking about motherhood and childbearing. Does getting pregnant mean women will be saved? What exactly does "be fruitful and multiply" entail? What if you're a young woman sure of not having kids? We have some answers, a few questions, and lots of laughter in store! Sources: IS MOTHERHOOD THE HIGHEST CALLING FOR WOMEN? https://margmowczko.com/is-motherhood-the-highest-calling-for-women/ What Does It Mean that Women Will Be Saved through Childbearing? https://www.crossway.org/articles/what-does-it-mean-that-women-will-be-saved-through-childbearing-1-timothy-2/ She Will Be Saved Through Childbearing https://www.google.com/amp/s/ca.thegospelcoalition.org/columns/ad-fontes/will-saved-childbearing/%3Famp Out of Context: Women are Saved through Childbearing https://www.rootedministry.com/blog/context-women-saved-childbearing/ What Does it Mean That Women Will Be Saved through Childbearing? https://www.ibelieve.com/motherhood/what-does-it-mean-that-women-will-be-saved-through-childbearing.html How Are Women Saved Through Childbearing? https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/how-are-women-saved-through-childbearing Photo credit: https://www.taylorraesphoto.com/
By definition, a wildfire consumes without limits, causing pain and destruction while a candle can provide warmth and light in dark places. How can these two be reconciled in a world full of cancel culture, nasty comment sections, and opinions that feel like yelling into the void? In this episode, we grapple with different definitions and examples, and discuss how we can be passionate about their beliefs while without burning others and invalidating their opinions. Sources: "
What does it say when a Christian cusses? Are they not listening to supposedly "specific" bible verses? Are they abusing their freedom in Christ? What the HECK is going on here?! Like many other topics debated in scripture, there are almost too many stances to count. Similar to drinking alcohol or getting tattoos, cursing is often looked down upon by some as a "sign of lower intelligence" or a sign of spiritual immaturity. This stance often leads to those who cuss feeling less convicted by the Holy Spirit, and more condemned by their brothers and sisters in Christ. Marleny decided to take verses that certain articles used as "proof" to not curse and research them in this episode. Listen as we dive deep into the historical context and different translations often used to refute cussing. Together, they uncover surprises ("Why does Jesus always talk about camels?") and discuss ways to better love and understand others who follow Jesus. "The Unforgivable Sin" by Jefferson Bethke: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5RP6mQK4N8&t=75s
Sarah leads the discussion this week as we delve into the topic of preaching - as a woman. Growing up complementarian, neither of us realized until our twenties how much we loved learning and preaching God's word, but ran into some trouble early on in expressing that love. Listen as we share stories of struggle, doubt, and faith, and admit there is still much to learn. "With" by Skye Jethani: https://www.amazon.com/Reimagining-Way-You-Relate-God/dp/1595553797 Summaries of the Egalitarian and Complementarian Positions: https://cbmw.org/2007/06/26/summaries-of-the-egalitarian-and-complementarian-positions/ Photo credit: https://www.taylorraesphoto.com/
In our very first episode, we discuss trauma and its effects on mental health, a topic that is severely misunderstood in the Christian church today. Listen as we open up about their personal experiences, share advice from medical professionals, and encourage anyone listening that they aren't alone and there is hope for healing. Links to sources cited in this podcast: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/ptsd-trauma/coping-with-emotional-and-psychological-trauma.htm https://www.helpguide.org/meditations/mindful-breathing-meditation.htm https://www.helpguide.org/articles/ptsd-trauma/ptsd-symptoms-self-help-treatment.htm Photo credit: https://www.taylorraesphoto.com/
Some introductions are in order! We are Sarah & Marleny; listen as we introduce ourselves and make each other laugh, and discuss how our lives and faith journeys have led us to starting "Let There Be Light." You can also learn what to expect in future episodes, including our series premiere on 9/2/2020!
People want black-and-white answers from the Bible, but as author Sarah Bessey puts it, scripture is a rainbow arch painted across a stormy sky. Join hosts Sarah and Marleny in a fun and unpredictable exploration of scripture through discussions on history, theology, and our love for Jesus.
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