Freed From Feminism Podcast

In this continuation of our Literature Series, we bring to you a fascinating Papal Decree issued by Pope Pius XI in 1930 entitled "A Papal Decree Concerning Modesty - The Marylike Standards of Modesty in Dress". As we mention in the episode, it is the most specific guidance we've ever come across from the Church with regards to modesty in dress. It is strong, specific and extremely practical--and quite controversial--even Beth and I have differing opinions on the applicability of the Decree’s specific standards in today’s world.  Despite it's jarring strength and specificity, and as so typical with Mother Church, She ties these standards so beautifully and logically with Our Lady’s virtues, and the innate splendor and value and dignity of womanhood that one cannot leave this Decree with any concerns of trying to stifle or repress the beauty of women (if you know the theology behind it, the value that the Church acknowledges in the virtue of modesty and the dignity that She recognizes in each and every woman). Therefore we present this Papal Decree for further discussion and in order to perhaps inspire us all to a deeper and more profound understanding of the beauty of the virtue of modesty. We would really love to hear what you think of this! Please leave a comment, send us an email or DM us on Twitter.

In this episode, Beth and Theresa interview Dr. Rachel Fulton Brown, a medievalist scholar and tenured professor at the University of Chicago, about Marian devotion in the middle ages. We have been meaning to do an episode exclusively about the Blessed Mother for quite awhile and this gave us a perfect opportunity: we discussed one of Dr. Fulton Brown’s books, Mary and the Art of Prayer: The Hours of the Virgin in Medieval Life and Thought. She gives us a shocking, yet beautiful and inspiring, vision of a culture in which Our Lady was as present as the air we breathe and fundamental to interpreting the Catholic Faith in every day life in medieval Christendom. We had significant technical issues during the recording of this podcast, and thus the episode has been heavily edited and in fact is cut quite short; usually we wouldn’t upload an unfinished podcast, but it would be truly a shame to lose, as you will hear, the amazing and inspiring information with which Dr. Fulton Brown was kind enough to enlighten us.  Dr. Fulton Brown's webpage at the Univ. of Chicago: https://home.uchicago.edu/~rfulton/ Selected works:  Mary and the Art of Prayer: The Hours of the Virgin in Medieval Christian Life and Thought: https://cup.columbia.edu/book/mary-and-the-art-of-prayer/9780231181686 From Judgment to Passion: Devotion to Christ and the Virgin Mary, 800–1200: https://www.amazon.com/Judgment-Passion-Devotion-Christ-800-1200/dp/0231125518/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1214338793&sr=8-1 History in the Comic Mode: Medieval Communities and the Matter of Person: https://www.amazon.com/History-Comic-Mode-Medieval-Communities/dp/0231133685/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1214338844&sr=1-2  

In this episode, Beth and Theresa discuss a particularly disturbing viewpoint prevalent in *both* American political parties: the idea that wives & mothers are only of value if they work outside the home (or, in this specific case, have more than 2 children...lol). While being a political orphan could be scary to some, it isn't for Catholics, who hold allegiance to the only true Shepherd and His Church. They also discuss why being a SAHM (stay-at-home-mother) is valuable to society (does this really need to be said?), and why being a SAHW (stay-at-home-wife) is equally as valuable, even if the couple isn't blessed with children. 

In this episode, Beth and Theresa discuss the propaganda--both hidden and obvious--found in so much of the entertainment we consume, from Disney to sitcoms to Hallmark, and in virtually every decade of motion picture entertainment. 

In this episode, Beth and Theresa discuss the mental, physical and spiritual  challenges of working in a job/career when you've realized that you'd rather be living your vocation, and provide some encouragement to those of us who are still working by providing some ideas for how they would do things differently if they worked today. 

In this episode, Beth and Theresa discuss the challenges and joys of transitioning from a career to being a stay-at-home-wife/mother, and give organizational and spiritual tips that have helped them along the way. Please let us know what you think by reviewing and rating the podcast!

In this episode, Beth and Theresa give their opinions on what is one of the most controversial subjects in the Church today: Catholic feminism.  While not authorities authorized to speak on the Church’s behalf, in this episode they discuss a few of Catholic feminism's main tenets or arguments, and give their thoughts and rebuttals for such topics as: why Catholic feminism may be a contradiction in terms, why you should be skeptical when someone claims a Saint as feminist, and the problems with the 'take the good leave the bad' approach to incorporating this ideology into the Faith.  Note from the podcast hostesses: Please do not take our thoughts as condemnations, rebukes or jabs at any specific person or organization. We love our sisters and brothers in Christ, and our sole aim in this podcast is to help women, men and families by exposing the *ideology* of feminism and discussing ways to grow in holiness as exampled in Our Lady. It is never personal with us because we realize that women (and men!) are the victims of this toxic ideology. Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us. 

In this episode, Theresa interviews Dr. Scott Yenor, a professor of political science at Boise State University and a Washington Fellow of the Claremont Institute’s Center for the American Way of Life. We discuss his article, The False Science of Feminism (https://americanmind.org/salvo/the-false-science-of-feminism/) in which he demonstrates through scholarly proof (U.S. DoL, Pew, a Harvard sociologist, National Library of Medicine, scholarly books, National Bureau of Economic Research, the CDC, NPR & other liberal institutions) that feminism and its fruits have made us unhappy--in fact, almost three times more depressed than 35 years ago.  We also discuss his new book, The Recovery of Family Life: Exposing the Limits of Modern Ideologies (https://www.yenorbook.com/), in which Dr. Yenor shows how the ideologies of feminists, contemporary liberals, and sexual liberation theorists has formed a "rolling revolution" that has sunk deeply into our culture and political regime--and how to curb or even stop the "rolling revolution". You can find Dr. Yenor on Twitter @RecoverFamily, and on his website https://www.yenorbook.com/. 

In this new series, Beth & Theresa explore books, essays or articles that discuss the toxicity of feminism and support authentic, Catholic femininity. We begin with the brilliant G.K. Chesterton, an English philosopher, author and Catholic convert of the early 20th century. Few writers had the knack of understanding an issue or problem like Chesterton; his wit, humor, intellectual depth and ability to see clearly through the heady mist of modernism is virtually second to none. His “The Modern Surrender of Women”, written in 1909, is a perfect example: he completely dismisses the issue of whether women should have the legal right to vote and discusses the deeper and more important issue of whether women should *want* to vote. His theory is that women have surrendered their seat of Imperial Majesty for one of the dingy masses, using violent coercion by vote instead of passive influence, and that this has resulted in the triumph not of feminism (or femininity), but of masculinism. It is a fascinating article written over a decade before the 19th Amendment was ratified in the United States, and a prescient viewpoint that has, unfortunately, been proven true.  The Modern Surrender of Women, by G.K. Chesterton (1909), https://archive.org/stream/dublinreview145londuoft#page/128/mode/2up

In Ep. 13, Beth and Theresa hear the riveting conversion story of Tasha-Rose Haage, a former pagan and radical feminist. She discusses her gradual return to the Catholic faith, the transgender movement as it relates to feminism, and how she eventually became an anti-feminist. To hear Tasha-Rose's story is to witness the unbelievable miracles God performs in our lives, reaching even into paganism to show love and mercy to His children. She is a wife and mother to 8 children and passionate for the separate, dignified & complementary natures of men & women. Tasha-Rose has her own YouTube channel called Radical Mothering (https://t.co/ZgYXV7pPEZ?amp=1) and website (https://radical-mothering.com/), where she explores mothering as God intended. Tasha-Rose's Twitter: @TashaRoseRadMam

In episode 012, Beth & Theresa discuss the momentous nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court, her advice to little girls and how even though she personally may be called by God to be a modern-day St. Joan of Arc (to stop the murder of babies), the path her life took should not be promoted as the ultimate, attainable feminine dream.

In the inaugural episode of our new conversion series, Beth & Theresa interview Jennifer Bryson. Jennifer's story begins in San Francisco and feminism as simply a cultural standard, and ends with an adult conversion to Catholicism and, almost 30 years later, femininity as personified in Our Lady. Her career path led her from Yale & Stanford to Karl Marx University during the Cold War, to the DoD/DIA and being an interrogator at Guantanamo Bay and finally to the Claremont Institute; but even with all the career success she could possibly desire, she explains how it was only when she discovered the Faith and femininity that her true worth and purpose were revealed.  Jennifer's website can be found here and her Twitter handle is @brysonjs. She is fluent in German (!! wow) and is translating works by Ida Friederike Görres which will be published next year.

One of the most prevalent concerns in women who may want to leave their jobs to become full-time wives & mothers is, 'but how is it possible to live on one income nowadays'? We could give anecdotal evidence to prove such a thing is not only possible but *enjoyable*, and we do in spades, but our guest Travis Haage, a financial planner, provides hard evidence proving that yes it is completely possible and (*shock*) you can enjoy your life! He also discusses how to save for retirement with one income and the cons of two-income families. His wife, Tasha-Rose Haage, joined us to give the practical benefits & challenges to this lifestyle, and the tough but necessary questions each family must ask themselves if they want to succeed. We came away from this discussion encouraged that indeed, no matter what your husband's income, living on it--healthily, happily and peacefully--is truly possible, despite what the culture will tell you. (Note: Please forgive the wonky Skype format, I (Theresa) am an idiot and didn't set up the screen properly! Grr!) Tasha-Rose has her own YouTube channel called Radical Mothering (https://t.co/ZgYXV7pPEZ?amp=1) and website (https://radical-mothering.com/), where she talks about mothering as God intended. Travis' Twitter: @apolloworksFP Tasha-Rose's Twitter: @TashaRoseRadMam

In episode 10, Beth & Theresa discuss the obesity epidemic in the West, how our self-image is affected in today's society and how we can overcome self-image issues by eating healthy, yes, but most importantly by finding our worth & purpose in Our Lord. Listen to the end where we discuss suggested recipes, it's a fun discussion!

On Ep. 009, Beth and Theresa's husbands, both military veterans, join us for an in-depth discussion about women in the military. We discuss their experience with women in the military, the U.S. military's sexual harassment policy, whether St. Joan of Arc (and others) should be invoked as an example for military women, whether or not women can be 'called' to be in the military (vocations, etc.) and what the practical implications are women thinking to join the military. They give us their experiences and opinions, and shed some much-needed light on what it is like 'on the ground' for women (and men) in the military.

On Ep. 008, Beth and Theresa discuss the most contentious issue (apparently) in entire universe: modesty (and specifically, modesty at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass). 

Feminism and divorce--probably amongst the most damaging things to hit our world in the last few hundred years, and we discuss them with Leila Miller & LeeAnne Abel. Topics include divorce in the Catholic Church, feminism's effect on marriages, the natures of men and women, and how to divorce-proof your marriage. Whether you're single, newly married or have been married for many years, this interview will inspire you to improve your marriage and become more feminine. Children of Divorce secret Facebook groups: LeilaMiller.net/secretfbgroups. Leila's books: LeilaMiller.net.

Interview with Leila Lawler, mother of 7, grandmother to 15, wife to Philip Lawler, author of God Has No Grandchildren and The Little Oratory: A Beginner’s Guide to Praying in the Home, and the creator of the amazing blog Like Mother, Like Daughter. 

On Ep. 006, Beth and Theresa discuss 1st wave feminism, the history (including the infamous Seneca Falls Convention), the people and our misconceptions about the intentions of the movement. Was the 1st wave really just about giving women the right to vote? Is there any similarity between the 1st and 3rd waves of feminism? Why does all this matter? 

Interview taken from Freed From Feminism YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ufw6DTlD-q0