Episode Details

🎙️ 27. Mattie Mae Motl (Bible Scholar) - Loving Jesus Too Much to Let Him Be Weaponized

Alexis Rice sits down with Mattie Mae Motl, a Bible scholar, theologian, and PhD candidate studying the New Testament (with a focus on Romans), for a powerful and deeply clarifying conversation about biblical scholarship, deconstruction, and reclaiming faith.

Mattie Mae Motl shares her story of growing up Southern Baptist, falling in love with Scripture, and pursuing rigorous academic study not to dismantle faith—but to protect it. Together, they explore the gap between academia and the church, the misuse of Scripture in modern culture, and why asking better questions doesn’t weaken faith - it deepens it.

At the heart of this conversation is a bold truth: loving Jesus deeply means refusing to let Him be used as a tool for harm.

💬 In This Episode

• Growing up in conservative Christianity and loving the Bible deeply
 • What biblical scholars actually do (and what they don’t do)
 • Why context matters when reading Scripture
 • The difference between theologians and Bible scholars
 • Disputed vs. undisputed Pauline letters
 • Women in the early church and leadership in Romans 16
 • Why 1 Timothy conflicts with Paul’s authentic voice
 • The gap between academia and the church
 • Elitism vs. anti-intellectualism in faith spaces
 • Why doubt and questions are essential to faith
 • The rise of toxic masculinity and the manosphere
 • How Scripture is misused to support patriarchy
 • What Jesus and Paul actually model about power and humility
 • Encouragement for women navigating faith and dating today
 • Finding healing in liturgical and inclusive church spaces
 • Why representation matters more than having all the answers

👥 People/Resources Mentioned

• Mattie Mae Motl: @mattiemaemotl 
 • Rachel Held Evans: @rachelheldevans
 • R. F. Kuang: @kuangrf

📚 Topics to Explore Further

• Biblical scholarship vs theology
 • How to read the Bible in historical context
 • Women in early Christianity
 • LGBTQ Christianity
 • Toxic masculinity and Christianity
 • Progressive Christianity
 • Queer theology
 • Christian nationalism

#Christianity #deconstruction #ProgressiveChristianity #BibleScholar #BiblicalLiteracy #QueerTheology #WomenInMinistry #FaithAfterEvangelicalism #ChurchHurt #Reconstruction

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About The Sacred Slope
Where the slippery slope becomes sacred ground.
For the spiritually tender—raised in or rooted in Christianity.
Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion.

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