Spanking Is Not a Love Language: Parenting in a Post-Dobson World + Marissa Franks Burt

Spanking Is Not a Love Language: Parenting in a Post-Dobson World + Marissa Franks Burt

Author: Religion News Service October 2, 2025 Duration: 53:37
If every generation of parents has their anxieties, the post-evangelical Millennial parent is perhaps most angsty about how to raise their kids as Christians — without all the baggage. Many parents our age — especially those who grew up evangelical — were raised in a time when Christian parenting books were ubiquitous and none more so than James Dobson's. Dobson, who died this summer, was the founder of Focus on the Family and the impact of his teachings on parenting — from discipline, to parental authority, to obedience, gender and sexuality — is hard to understate. On this episode, Katelyn and Roxy examine Dobson's legacy and the broader Christian parenting empire he helped build. We're joined by author Marissa Franks Burt to discuss what made these teachings so appealing to anxious Christian parents and why so many adult children are now processing the harm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Saved by the City, hosts Roxy and Katelyn explore a spiritual journey that defies expectations. Produced by Religion News Service, this podcast delves into their personal experiences of moving from the white evangelical heartland into the heart of a major metropolis, a transition they were told would threaten their faith. Instead of finding a spiritual wasteland, they discovered a complex, challenging, and ultimately enriching landscape that forced them to re-examine everything. Each episode is a conversation about navigating belief in a place where Sunday mornings look different and old certainties are constantly questioned. They talk about the surprising ways their faith has been both strengthened and stretched by urban life, confronting topics from community and service to doubt and belonging. This isn't a theoretical discussion; it's grounded in the real, sometimes messy, day-to-day life of seeking purpose and connection in a city that never sleeps. The podcast offers honest reflections for anyone who has ever felt their beliefs were too small for the world they inhabit, proving that sometimes faith doesn't need to be sheltered to survive-it needs to be tested to truly grow. Tune in for candid stories and insights that resonate far beyond city limits.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Saved by the City
Podcast Episodes
Best of SBTC: How We Survived the Great Evangelical Betrayal [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:43
From Jesus Freak to freaked out. In this episode, we grapple with "the e-word" and why we struggle to claim the evangelical label. Having grown up fully immersed in that culture and going on to dedicate much of our caree…
Best of SBTC: Asking Better Questions + Krista Tippett [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:35
This episode, Katelyn and Roxy are joined by the GOAT, the legend who arguably started the spiritual podcasting genre, the longtime host of On Being, Krista Tippett. This wide-ranging conversation lingers on some of the…
Q's Shift, Keller's Legacy and Our Negative World + Collin Hansen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:16
Founded in 2007 as a "learning community that mobilizes Christians to advance the common good," Q was part of a broader movement of Christian cultural engagement in the mid-aughts and early teens. Much of it influenced b…
Good Breakups, Bad Makeups & the Evangelical Ex [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:22
First, we set the scene with our our most movie-worthy post-breakup moments — we're talking ice cream binging, sad song belting, pillow weeping melt downs. Next up, we get into your break-up stories. It's our long-awaite…
The Real Trad Wives of Instagram + Kelsey Kramer McGinnis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:01
Have you ever found yourself mid-doomscroll, suddenly enthralled by a beautiful woman baking a pie and arranging an armful of flowers freshly picked from her garden, while in the background her children play with adorabl…
Is It OK To Not Like Kids? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:56
Chappell Roan says all her friends with kids are in hell. A popular subreddit asks "does anyone else just… not like kids?" A crowd of the usual suspects — pro-natalists, theo bros and mom influencers — pounce on these ex…