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. 

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. 

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