Let There Be Light Podcast

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. 😀

As always, leave us a review of what you think!

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 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! :)

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/

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

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/

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/ 

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

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!