EPISODE · Feb 3, 2026 · 1H 12M
S1:EP29 Exploring Faith, Gender, and Sexuality With Mattie Mae Motl
from Moms With A Call · host McKenzie Jevnikar & Rebecca Rowan
Welcome back to Moms With A Call, where real stories meet real faith. In this thoughtful and deeply respectful conversation, McKenzie and Rebecca sit down with Mattie Mae Motl, a PhD candidate at the University of St. Andrews whose work focuses on gender and sexuality in the New Testament. Mattie Mae brings both scholarly insight and personal vulnerability as she shares her journey from growing up Southern Baptist to walking through faith deconstruction alongside her atheist husband. This episode invites listeners into a nuanced conversation about biblical literacy, historical and cultural context, and why understanding how Scripture was written matters just as much as what it says. Mattie Mae gently challenges surface-level interpretations, emphasizing the role of love, inclusion, and humility when engaging with difficult or debated texts. Rather than offering easy answers, this conversation makes space for curiosity, questions, and compassion. Together, they explore how faith can evolve, how parenting shapes our spiritual lens, and how God’s presence remains even in seasons of deconstruction and reimagining belief. We talk about: Mattie Mae’s upbringing in the Southern Baptist church and her academic calling What deconstruction looks like when faith and family intersect Gender and sexuality in Scripture and why historical context matters The importance of biblical literacy and reading the Bible responsibly Women in the Bible and their often-overlooked influence Holding love, inclusion, and faith together without fear This episode is for anyone who has wrestled with Scripture, felt tension between belief and lived experience, or longed for conversations that honor both faith and complexity. Episode Timeline: 01:06 – Meeting Mattie Mae and her journey into theology 03:00 – Growing up Southern Baptist 05:36 – Walking through deconstruction 11:07 – Parenting, faith, and personal conviction 14:40 – Challenging inherited beliefs 26:30 – Biblical context and interpretation 36:26 – Exploring the Hebrew Bible and TaNaK 37:45 – Why the Old Testament matters 39:57 – Deconstruction and evolving faith 44:39 – Reading Scripture through context 54:53 – Women in the Bible and their impact 01:02:24 – Resources for deeper study 01:08:25 – Final reflections If you’ve ever wondered how faith, scholarship, and real life can coexist, this episode offers a grounded reminder that God is not afraid of our questions and often meets us right in the middle of them. Show Links & Resources Mentioned: Instagram & TikTok: @mattiemaemotl Inspired by Rachel Held Evans https://rachelheldevans.com The Bible Project https://bibleproject.com James Cone https://yalebooks.yale.edu/author/james-h-cone Wil Gafney https://wilgafney.com The Justice of Jesus by Joash P. Thomas https://www.amazon.com/dp/0802867031 God Didn’t Make Us to Hate Us by Rev. Liz Edman https://www.amazon.com/dp/0802876936 Queer & Christian https://www.queerandchristian.com Connect with Moms With A Call: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, & YouTube → @momswithacall Show updates & more → https://www.momswithacall.com Listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and Amazon Leave a review and let us know how this episode moved you — your words mean more than you know. Have a story to share? Email us at [email protected] Intro + Outro Music by Jason Bowles Branding + Design by https://www.dvoorheisdesigns.com
What this episode covers
Welcome back to Moms With A Call, where real stories meet real faith. In this thoughtful and deeply respectful conversation, McKenzie and Rebecca sit down with Mattie Mae Motl, a PhD candidate at the University of St. Andrews whose work focuses on gender and sexuality in the New Testament. Mattie Mae brings both scholarly insight and personal vulnerability as she shares her journey from growing up Southern Baptist to walking through faith deconstruction alongside her atheist husband. This episode invites listeners into a nuanced conversation about biblical literacy, historical and cultural context, and why understanding how Scripture was written matters just as much as what it says. Mattie Mae gently challenges surface-level interpretations, emphasizing the role of love, inclusion, and humility when engaging with difficult or debated texts. Rather than offering easy answers, this conversation makes space for curiosity, questions, and compassion. Together, they explore how faith can evolve, how parenting shapes our spiritual lens, and how God’s presence remains even in seasons of deconstruction and reimagining belief. We talk about: Mattie Mae’s upbringing in the Southern Baptist church and her academic calling What deconstruction looks like when faith and family intersect Gender and sexuality in Scripture and why historical context matters The importance of biblical literacy and reading the Bible responsibly Women in the Bible and their often-overlooked influence Holding love, inclusion, and faith together without fear This episode is for anyone who has wrestled with Scripture, felt tension between belief and lived experience, or longed for conversations that honor both faith and complexity. Episode Timeline: 01:06 – Meeting Mattie Mae and her journey into theology03:00 – Growing up Southern Baptist05:36 – Walking through deconstruction11:07 – Parenting, faith, and personal conviction14:40 – Challenging inherited beliefs26:30 – Biblical context and interpretation36:26 – Exploring the Hebrew Bible and TaNaK37:45 – Why the Old Testament matters39:57 – Deconstruction and evolving faith44:39 – Reading Scripture through context54:53 – Women in the Bible and their impact01:02:24 – Resources for deeper study01:08:25 – Final reflections If you’ve ever wondered how faith, scholarship, and real life can coexist, this episode offers a grounded reminder that God is not afraid of our questions and often meets us right in the middle of them. Show Links & Resources Mentioned: Instagram & TikTok: @mattiemaemotlInspired by Rachel Held Evanshttps://rachelheldevans.comThe Bible Projecthttps://bibleproject.comJames Conehttps://yalebooks.yale.edu/author/james-h-coneWil Gafneyhttps://wilgafney.comThe Justice of Jesus by Joash P. Thomashttps://www.amazon.com/dp/0802867031God Didn’t Make Us to Hate Us by Rev. Liz Edmanhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/0802876936Queer & Christianhttps://www.queerandchristian.com Connect with Moms With A Call: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, & YouTube → @momswithacallShow updates & more → https://www.momswithacall.com Listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and AmazonLeave a review and let us know how this episode moved you — your words mean more than you know. Have a story to share?Email us at [email protected] Intro + Outro Music by Jason BowlesBranding + Design by https://www.dvoorheisdesigns.com
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S1:EP29 Exploring Faith, Gender, and Sexuality With Mattie Mae Motl
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