Ashley and Bailee get candid about their complicated relationship with Lent and spiritual disciplines after deconstruction — calling out how evangelicals often pride themselves on rejecting liturgical traditions passed down through church history, while still emphasizing self-denial and moral performance.

They discuss how practices like fasting were framed through shame and sacrifice, why Lent was often dismissed as “too Catholic,” and whether spiritual disciplines can be reclaimed in a way that feels life-giving rather than guilt-driven.

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Ashley and Bailee return for Part 2 of their Amish series — this time stepping into the present.

They explore modern Amish life: gender roles, education, technology limits, rumspringa, and the quiet authority of the Ordnung. What does separation from the world actually look like today…and how does it function as both protection and control?

They also unpack the evangelical mom obsession with Amish movies — from G-rated romance plotlines to the suspiciously wholesome universe of Michael Landon Jr.. Why are bonnets and barns so deeply romanticized in Christian media? And what does that persistent fantasy of a “simpler” life reveal about evangelical longing for order, purity, and escape?

Sources:

Amish. (2026). In Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Amish

Amish Way of Life. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved February 2, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amish_way_of_life

Old Order Amish Mennonite Church. (2026). In Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Old-Order-Amish-Mennonite-Church

Ordnung. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved February 2, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordnung

The World Data. (2025). Amish population in the U.S. 2025: Statistics & facts [Online article]. Retrieved from https://theworlddata.com/amish-population-in-us/

Wisconsin v. Yoder, 406 U.S. 205 (1972). Retrieved from https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/406/205/

Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies. (2025). Amish population, 2025 (Population estimates by state and settlement). Elizabethtown College. Retrieved from https://groups.etown.edu/amishstudies/population-2025/

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Ashley and Bailee turn their attention to a community often romanticized but rarely understood: the Amish.

In Part 1 of this two-part series, they trace the movement’s origins in the Radical Reformation, unpacking Anabaptism, adult baptism, persecution, and the theological split that gave rise to the Amish. They explore how a desire for faithfulness and separation from the world shaped practices like shunning, communal discipline, and the Ordnung — and how those early convictions still echo today.

Sources:

• Amish Studies, Elizabethtown College. (n.d.). Amish origins. https://groups.etown.edu/amishstudies/religion/amish-origins/
• Anabaptists.org. (n.d.). Mennonites in Europe: Persecution. https://www.anabaptists.org/writings/excerpts/mennonites-in-europe-persecution.html
• Encyclopaedia Britannica. (n.d.). Anabaptists. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Anabaptists
• Encyclopaedia Britannica. (n.d.). Mennonite. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mennonite
• Pennsylvania Center for the Book. (n.d.). Amish history: A timeline. https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/feature-articles/amish-history-timeline

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Were you obsessed with how much God Loves you? Our Evangelical upbringing taught us that God loves you unconditionally… unless you don’t believe correctly, behave correctly, or die at the wrong time.

This week we’re unpacking the “conditional unconditional love” of God — the version many of us were raised on in evangelical culture.

We play our new game “Cute, Concerning, or Straight to Jail?” where we ask: Would this behavior be cute if God didn’t do it?

We dig into:

• Why evangelicals are so obsessed with preaching about God’s love
• The fine print behind “free, unearned grace”
• The theology of hell as the baseline
• Fear-based attachment and compliance training
• Fruit inspection and spiritual self-surveillance

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Ashley and Bailee turn the lens inward, reflecting on the moments they weren’t just harmed by evangelical culture—but actively upheld it.

In this episode, they unpack their own “villain origin stories,” examining how fear-based theology, certainty, and institutional power shaped the ways they judged, enforced, defended, and perpetuated harmful religious beliefs.

Together, they explore what accountability looks like after deconstruction—why naming harm matters even when it’s uncomfortable, how good intentions don’t negate real impact, and the hard truth that leaving toxic religion doesn’t automatically absolve us from the ways we once participated in it.

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Ashley and Bailee continue their conversation on the devil, moving from the origins of the mythology to how it showed up in their evangelical upbringing, other religions, and the culture at large. They reflect on the stories they were told in church, how fear became a theological tool, and what it meant to carry a hyper-present enemy into everyday life.
They also interrogate why the devil remains such a compelling figure in art, media, and pop culture—and what our fascination with him might reveal about power, personal accountability, and the nature of evil.

Ashley and Bailee continue their conversation on the devil, moving from the origins of the mythology to how it showed up in their evangelical upbringing, other religions, and the culture at large. They reflect on the stories they were told in church, how fear became a theological tool, and what it meant to carry a hyper-present enemy into everyday life.
They also interrogate why the devil remains such a compelling figure in art, media, and pop culture—and what our fascination with him might reveal about power, personal accountability, and the nature of evil.

Sources:
- Barr, J. (1992). The garden of Eden and the hope of immortality. Fortress Press.
- Collins, J. J. (2016). The apocalyptic imagination: An introduction to Jewish apocalyptic literature (3rd ed.). Eerdmans.
- Kelly, H. A. (2006). Satan: A biography. Cambridge University Press.
- Milton, J. (2007). Paradise lost (G. Teskey, Ed.). W. W. Norton & Company. (Original work published 1667)
- Pagels, E. (1995). The origin of Satan. Random House.
- Russell, J. B. (1984). Lucifer: The devil in the Middle Ages. Cornell University Press.
- Tulshyan, R., & Burey, J.-A. (2021, February 11). Stop telling women they have imposter syndrome. Harvard Business Review.
- VanderKam, J. C. (2001). An introduction to early Judaism. Eerdmans.

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Ashley and Bailee explore the origins of the devil and how our modern idea of Satan was shaped less by scripture and more by history, culture, and literature.

They trace the evolution of devil mythology through Jewish tradition, Persian dualism, Greek philosophy, medieval Christianity, and John Milton’s Paradise Lost—unpacking how fear-based imagery took hold and why literary works often filled in gaps the Bible never did.

Together, they examine what the Bible actually says (and doesn’t say) about the devil, challenging common assumptions and questioning how theology evolves alongside power and control.

✨ Plus: This episode marks the launch of the Praise Be to Pod Patreon. Support the show and access bonus content at patreon.com/praisebetopod.

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Ashley and Bailee continue their exploration of hell, this time reflecting on the personal impact of what they (and other evangelicals) were taught. They discuss how fear-based lessons shaped their beliefs, influenced their choices, and left lasting marks on faith, identity, and relationships—even after leaving evangelicalism.

Together, they examine the spiritually abusive nature of hell indoctrination, how the church uses it as a tool of control, and how letting go of hell became the catalyst for their deconstruction journey and spiritual liberation.

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