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James Dobson, Purity Culture & Church Abuse: How Evangelical Parenting Groomed a Generation
Description
Writer and podcaster DL Mayfield (they/them) joins us to unpack the deep harms of religious authoritarian parenting and the legacy of evangelical culture in America. DL grew up as a homeschooled pastor's kid, deeply immersed in end-times theology and evangelical purity culture. As a late-diagnosed autistic, non-binary parent, they share how reading, parenthood, and listening to their own kids ultimately led them out of the faith and into the work of helping others heal from religious authoritarian upbringings through their project, Strong Willed.
We dig into the legacy of James Dobson and how his bestselling parenting books shaped generations of American families through ritualized corporal punishment disguised as godly love. DL makes a chilling case for how breaking a child's "strong will" doesn't just damage them in the moment, it severs their connection to their own inner knowing, setting them up for a lifetime of exploitation by abusers, employers, toxic relationships, and authoritarian systems.
In this episode, we cover:
- Growing up evangelical, homeschooled, and convinced the world was ending
- How James Dobson's parenting books shaped generations of American families
- Why religious authoritarian parenting is a form of ritualized abuse
- The connection between corporal punishment, fascism, and authoritarianism
- How purity culture created safe havens for predators in the church
- The disturbing overlap between evangelical parenting methods and child sexual abuse
- How disconnecting kids from their "strong will" makes them vulnerable for life
- Reparenting yourself, honoring your inner child, and finding joy after religious trauma
- Coming out as non-binary at 38 and going no-contact with family
- Why protecting children is the foundation of resisting fascism
Whether you're deconstructing, healing from religious trauma, parenting differently than you were parented, or just trying to understand how American evangelicalism got us here, this episode is a vital listen.
Find DL Mayfield:
Strongwilled Podcast
@dlmayfield on Instagram & Threads