Deconstructing Mamas
If you are trying to figure out how to navigate the tricky tightrope of parenting while you have questions, doubts and wonderings about your spiritual journey, this podcast is for you. It doesn't matter if your kids are smalls, middles, or bigs. We will explore what and how we are deconstructing from churchianity, harmful belief systems, and diving deep into the ways we can work this out in parenthood. We will also work through ideas for reconstructing a space for our families to thrive under new systems of love and freedom. We can't wait to bring you some hope that you are not alone and that it's really okay, even good, to explore all the possibilities that may have felt closed off in the past. This podcast will offer you grace and space to be exactly where you are and who you are. We are glad you are here.
Episodes
100 episodes
Grace and Space (Looking Back, Looking Forward) - Lizz Enns Petters & Esther Joy Goetz
After eight seasons, countless conversations, and a whole lot of laughter, tears, unraveling, and becoming, we are releasing our final episode of the Deconstructing Mamas podcast.This one is different.Instead of one long ...
Love as Resistance - Dr. Glenn Siepert
In this powerful and honest conversation, Esther and Liz sit down with returning guest and friend Dr. Glenn Siepert — author, artist, and creator of The What If Project. Together, they explore:✨ What it feels like when faith un...
Reimagining Community - Lizz Enns Petters & Esther Joy Goetz
In this third-to-last episode of Deconstructing Mamas, we talk about one of the biggest questions we’ve been asked over the past four years:What does community look like now, after everything we’ve lost?
Sacred Rage - Ben Cremer
We sat down with Rev. Benjamin Cremer, writer, pastor, and creator of Into the Gray, to talk about what it looks like to hold sacred anger with open hands.This conversation stretched from “What if I’m wrong?”...
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Learning to Trust What we Feel - Lizz Enns Petters & Esther Joy Goetz
In this vulnerable and deeply human conversation, Esther and Lizz open up about the long, complicated process of learning to trust their emotions — after being raised in systems that taught them not to.They talk about what it means to re...
Walking the Middle Path - Dr. Camden Morgante
Licensed psychologist and author Dr. Camden Morgante joins us to explore the “middle path” from DBT and how it reshapes faith, nervous-system healing, sexuality, and parenting after high-control religion. We talk about spiritual bypassin...
The Sacred Fog of the In-Between - Lizz Enns Petters & Esther Joy Goetz
In this week’s episode, Lizz and Esther talk about the in-between—that blurry stretch between certainty and freedom. We talk about control and compassion, about nervous systems that don’t need theology as much as safety, and about findin...
Raising Ourselves - Shelley Robinson
We sat down with Shelly Robinson, founder of Raising Yourself, for a conversation about parenting on two levels at once. It’s packed with wisdom, humor, humility, and practical tools...
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Parenting Beyond Fear - Lizz & Esther
In this week’s episode, we dive straight into the heart of fear-based parenting — where it comes from, how it still shows up, and how we begin to choose something different. We ask ourselves the questions we wish someone had asked us years ago:...
The Cost of Deconstructing - MK Backstrom
If you’ve ever stepped away from high-control religion, you know there’s a cost. Sometimes it’s obvious—the loss of community, relationships, or even belonging in your own family. Other times, it’s invisible—the quiet grief of reali...
Our Three-Legged Race - Lizz Enns Petters & Esther Joy Goetz
Welcome to Season Eight!This is the beginning of the final season of our podcast!This week, the two of us are chatting through these questions:1. What’s one word or image that comes to mind when you think about this podcast...
Allowed to Explore - Lizz Enns Petters
Our episode this week is with our own Lizz Enns Petters, mom of two, author and podcast hostess.Our conversation is full of laughter, seriousness and our decision to have permission to explore our faith, along with Lizz's latest accompl...
Recovering Sex - the Sexvangelicals (Julia Postema and Jeremiah Gibson)
“There's a misconception that once you leave religion, you magically learn everything you missed about relationships and sex” - The SexvangelicalsOur episode this week is with Jeremiah Gibson and Julia Postema, sex and relationsh...
Blessed are the Women - Claire K. McKeever-Burgett
''Without women we don’t have Jesus. We don’t have Christianity. We don’t have any of it.” (Claire K. McKeever-Burgett)Our episode this week is with Claire K. McKeever-Burgett, mom of two and author of Blessed are ...
Rebellion or Integrity? - Jamin Coller
'''Diligent study is precisely what got us here." Jamin CollerOur episode this week is with Jamin Coller, dad of six, podcaster and author of Dear Evangelicals....
I Would Pick You (Queer Advocacy) - Rachel Pinto-Martin
'''Our job as parents is not to make other people comfortable with how we raise our kids, Our job is to make sure our kids grow up in a family where they’re comfortable being exactly who they are.'' Shelly RobinsonOur epi...
Powerful Parenting - Wendy Snyder
"Where did we ever get the notion that in order for children to behave better, they first have to feel worse?" Our episode this week is with Wendy Snyder, founder of Fresh Start Family, mom of two teens, podcaster an...
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Jesus vs the Bad Guys? - Jared Neusch and Connor Shram
"In the end, Jesus proved that forgiveness is more powerful than punches and kicks. And in the end, love wins over hate." - Jared Neusch and Connor Shram in their book: Jesus vs. th...
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Reimagining Easter - Sarah Swartzendruber
You don’t have to the answers to why Jesus died to talk about Easter with your kids. (Sarah Swartzendruber)Our episode this week is with our resident Children's Pastor, childhood development expert, mom to two and Bible s...
Aligning Faith with Soul - Chelan Harkin
The worst thing we ever did is pretend God isn’t the easiest thing in this Universe available to every soul in every breath. (Chelan Harkin)Our episode this week is with Chelan Harkin, mama to two and mystical poet extrao...
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Highly Unorthodox Gospel - Rabbi Brian Zachary Mayer
With regard to the question, “Do you believe in God?” I do not care much about your answer. But if I were to ask the last five people with whom you’ve interacted if you were kind, about those answers I care very much. (Rabbi Brian Zachar...
Ancestors, Art & Ancient Texts - Liz Charlotte Grant
Doubt is another word for imagination. (Liz Charlotte Grant)Our episode this week is with Liz Charlotte Grant, mom, author of the new brilliant book, Knock at the Sky: Seeking God ...
I've Got Questions - Erin Hicks Moon
What we're learning is that God is comfortable with questions. In fact, our questions are often where God want to meet us. (Erin Hicks Moon)Our episode this week is with Erin Hicks Moon, mom, author of the new brilliant b...
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Uncovering and Recovering from Purity Culture - Joshua Harris
"Purity culture presents a false dichotomy: restraint or chaos. The real alternative? Sexual empowerment - the freedom to experience intimacy on your own meaningful terms." (Joshua Harris)Our episode this week is with ...
Reimagining Christmas - Sarah Swartzendruber
"When our faith shifts, sometimes stories that once felt magical like Christmas feel complicated. We can still feel empowered by the magical parts of the story while leaving room for age appropriate theology and curiosity with the story." (S...
