"Hitting Me Was Holy": Tia Levings on Escaping Christian Fundamentalism & What's Hiding in Our Politics - rerelease episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 5, 2026 · 1H 2M

"Hitting Me Was Holy": Tia Levings on Escaping Christian Fundamentalism & What's Hiding in Our Politics - rerelease

from Culture Changers with Allison Hare · host Allison Hare, Tia Levings

CNN is re-airing their special on the rise of Christian nationalism — and I'm re-releasing this conversation with Tia Levings because it is more relevant now than when it first aired. Tia will be featured in the CNN special, and her book A Well-Trained Wife went viral on YouTube after this episode first dropped (with "wife spanking" landing in the top four search terms — yes, really). If you prefer to watch on YouTube, here you go: https://youtu.be/aU6CcgskrUE Tia Levings is the New York Times bestselling author of A Well-Trained Wife, a memoir of her escape from Christian patriarchy. Her work has been featured in Teen Vogue, Salon, Huffington Post, Newsweek, and the Amazon docu-series Shiny Happy People. In this conversation, we go deep on: What "quiverfull" ideology really is — and how it connects to the tradwife movement today Christian domestic discipline (aka non-consensual BDSM in church clothes) The "fundy baby voice" — what it is, who's using it, and why it matters politically Why joy is now an act of rebellion against high-control systems How to resist without burning out — and why rest counts as resistance What Tia thinks is actually keeping us safer right now (it might surprise you) Timestamps: 0:00 – Re-intro + why this episode is back 1:00 – Original intro from the Re-Invention Room 3:25 – Tia's story begins: mainstream Christianity to fundamentalism 7:31 – What "quiverfull" really means 10:16 – "Hitting me was no longer taboo. It was holy." 13:20 – The pressure to be a "good girl" & wanting to be chosen 18:36 – The skinny, weak, take-up-no-space agenda 23:50 – The sadness that crawls up your legs like ivy 29:18 – The "fundy baby voice" explained 33:31 – Karoline Leavitt, Katie Britt & women in patriarchy 35:10 – Hypersexualization and modesty culture 40:09 – Where do we go from here? Tia's take on the current moment 48:29 – Does Tia feel spiritually supported? 52:15 – How to discern intuition from programming 54:00 – Advice for people who are overwhelmed by the news 57:07 – Why Tia calls them Mikey, Dougie & Petey 58:07 – How to find Tia & her books Tia Levings' links: Tia's book: A Well Trained Wife: https://amzn.to/4uffTVN Pre-order Tia's new book: I Belong To Me: https://amzn.to/46D7jWH Tia Levings Writer: Instagram | Substack   Be sure to rate, review, and follow this podcast on your player and also, connect with me IRL for more goodness and life-changing stuff. Schedule a FREE podcast clarity call with me - Your future audience is out there. Talk to them! Sign up for the free weekly email AllisonHare.com Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube. DOWNLOAD the free podcast equipment guide- No guesswork, no google rabbit holes, start recording today Feedback and Contact:: [email protected] Be sure to rate, review, and follow this podcast on your player and also, connect with me IRL for more goodness and life-changing stuff.Schedule a FREE podcast clarity call with me - Your future audience is out there. Talk to them!Sign up for the free weekly emailAllisonHare.comFollow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.DOWNLOAD the free podcast equipment guide- No guesswork, no google rabbit holes, start recording todayReb3l Dance Fitness - Try it at home! Free month with this link.Feedback and Contact:: [email protected]

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Tia Levings, NYT bestselling author of A Well-Trained Wife and upcoming book I Belong To Me, joins Allison to decode how Christian fundamentalism and patriarchy have been hiding in plain sight — and how they're now shaping our politics, our bodies, and our daily lives. This is the episode that went viral for a reason, and it's more urgent now than ever.

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"Hitting Me Was Holy": Tia Levings on Escaping Christian Fundamentalism & What's Hiding in Our Politics - rerelease

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