Episode Details

In this week’s episode of The Audaci-Tea Podcast, hosts Lisa and Sovereign are joined by former evangelical pastor turned author and advocate Brian Recker to unpack a question many women who grew up in religious spaces have been asking:

Was the church designed to control women?

Together, they explore how evangelical teachings around gender, marriage, sexuality, and obedience can reinforce patriarchal power structures and shape the way women understand themselves, their relationships, and their place in the world. Brian shares his own journey of deconstructing his faith, the loss of community that often comes with questioning long-held beliefs, and why he ultimately became an outspoken advocate for women and LGBTQ+ rights.

The conversation dives into the ways scripture has been weaponized against women, the realities of coercion and consent within Christian marriage, and how fear, shame, and rigid gender expectations can keep people trapped in harmful systems. They also examine Christian nationalism, the historical ties between religion and supremacy, and whether spirituality can exist without oppression.

This is a conversation about power, belonging, faith, and what happens when people begin asking difficult questions they were never supposed to ask.

But first, in Tea Time, Lisa and Sovereign react to The Wizard Liz's latest custody update, discuss a disturbing new study examining how often men admit to using sexual force against women, and break down a viral video reminding parents that children should never have to change themselves to accommodate unsafe adults.

Later, they open the mailbag to hear from a listener whose male business partner's wife keeps undermining and embarrassing her professionally, leaving her wondering whether she's missing warning signs everyone else already sees.

🎧 This episode exposes the ways religion has been used to reinforce patriarchy, explores what deconstructing faith actually looks like, and examines why liberation often begins with questioning the stories we've been taught.

🎙️ Topics Discussed:
• Deconstructing faith and leaving evangelicalism
• How religion reinforces patriarchal gender roles
• Scripture, coercion, and consent within Christian marriage
• Christian nationalism and the roots of supremacy
• Community, belonging, and life after deconstruction
• Why men's feminism matters in dismantling oppression

✨ Links and Resources Mentioned:
Did Wizard Liz Leave Her Son Behind In The US? Here Is What We Know
https://www.missmalini.com/did-wizard-liz-leave-her-son-behind-in-us-what-we-know-details-landon-nickerson

High Rates of Sexual Force Against Women Are Reported When Young Men Given Anonymous Surveys
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/08862605261432630

Sexual Force Survey Highlights
https://www.reddit.com/r/Feminism/s/IOvcPcJuES

The Clergy Project
https://clergyproject.org

Understanding Why Women Seek Abortions in the US
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3729671/

The Expanded Child Tax Credit Briefly Slashed Child Poverty. Here's What Else It Did
https://www.npr.org/2022/01/27/10752995