We talked with Kelsey McGinnis and Marissa Burt about the history and ideological underpinnings of popular Christian parenting literature for those trying to "grow kids God's way," and how these resources offered promises built on invisible beliefs, assumptions, and separatist impulses. Their book The Myth of Good Christian Parenting: How False Promises Failed a Generation of Evangelicals offers lots of insight into the history of Christian parenting advice, and hope for parents looking for a new way forward.

Kelsey Kramer McGinnis, PhD (University of Iowa) is a musicologist, educator, and correspondent for Christianity Today, writing on worship practices and Christian subculture. She is an adjunct professor at Grandview University in Des Moines and previously worked at the University of Iowa Center for Human Rights.

Marisa Franks Burt has an MA in Theological Studies and is a novelist, editor, teacher, and cohost of the At Home with the Lectionary podcast. She lives in a small town in the greater Seattle area with her husband, six children, and heaps of books.

You can connect with Kelsey on her website, Substack, and Instagram.

You can connect with Marissa on her website, Substack, and Instagram.

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