Where Do We Go From Here?

Revisiting Promising Young Woman after the Cornell 7

"We know instinctively within us there's an enormous cost to telling the truth." — Devi

In light of Jane Doe's allegations involving the Cornell Seven and the renewed conversation about consent, intoxication and accountability, Jessica returns to Where Do We Go From Here? to revisit a discussion she and Devi recorded in 2021.

Sitting together on Jessica's couch, they watched Promising Young Woman and recorded their reactions immediately afterwards. Their conversation explores how the film exposes sexual entitlement, victim-blaming and the people and institutions that enable harm.

Through Cassie's confrontations with a former friend, a university dean, a lawyer and the man who assaulted her best friend, Jessica and Devi consider:

• Men who offer to "help" an apparently intoxicated woman, then exploit her vulnerability.

• How women's drinking and sexual histories become excuses to dismiss their experiences.

• Whose reputation and future institutions choose to protect.

• The difference between appearing to be a "nice guy" and taking responsibility.

• The personal cost of speaking up and seeking justice.

This re-release includes a new introduction and a 2026 postscript from Jessica. She reflects on institutional responsibility, the anger these conversations evoke, and why acknowledging harm never entitles someone to forgiveness or reconciliation. She also considers the work still ahead, alongside permission to take a break when it becomes overwhelming.

Content note: Discussion of rape, sexual assault, victim-blaming, suicide and violence against women. This episode contains full spoilers, including the film's ending. We recommend watching the film before listening.

Film: Promising Young Woman (2020) on IMDb

In this interview with Ann Russo, Ann shares her experience growing up in a queer household, exploring Christian theology, and working in religious trauma therapy. We discuss how religious shame and purity culture shape sexuality and self-worth, why autonomy, agency and boundaries matter in healing, and how sex positivity and communication support healthy relationships. We further discuss affirming religious spaces, Evangelical deconstruction, and Ann's upcoming book about religious trauma.

Bio:

Ann Russo, LCSW, is the founder and Clinical Director of AMR Therapy, a California-based practice providing inclusive, trauma-informed mental health care. She is dedicated to identity-affirming, culturally responsive therapy that honors clients' lived experiences, with a particular focus on LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities and people exploring non-traditional relationships and identities. Through AMR Therapy, Ann leads a team supporting individuals, couples, families, and groups in a welcoming space where everyone can feel understood and accepted.

Links:

www.amrtherapy.com

www.annrusso.org

Key Topics

• Growing up in a queer household outside purity culture
• Christianity, faith deconstruction, and religious trauma
• The impact of religious shame on sexuality and self-worth
• Autonomy, boundaries, and healing
• Sex positivity and healthy relationships
• Religious trauma therapy and queer-affirming faith communities

In this episode, Dr. Eric Sprankle explores the history, science, and cultural narratives surrounding masturbation. We unpack myths about Onania (or Onanism), the belief that Kellogg's cornflakes and Graham crackers were invented as masturbation deterrents, Dhat syndrome, and other attempts to vilify masturbation and even the loss of semen.

We also examine how misinformation about semen, orgasm, vibrators, and sexual behavior continues to circulate through internet culture and the wellness industry. From masturbation in infancy and childhood to sexuality in older adulthood, we discuss how masturbation fits into human sexual development—and the importance of understanding the difference between private and public behavior.

The conversation also explores masturbation in the context of relationships, mental health, aging, compulsivity, and moral incongruence. Along the way, we consider what distinguishes healthy sexual behavior from problematic or compulsive behavior and how comprehensive sex education can help people develop healthier, more informed relationships with their bodies and sexuality.

Bio:

Dr. Eric Sprankle is a professor of clinical psychology at Minnesota State University, Mankato, a licensed clinical psychologist, and an AASECT-certified sex therapist. He specializes in sexuality and sexual health and is affiliated with the Minnesota Sexual Health Institute. When he's not teaching, researching, or defending himself against accusations of devil worship and witchcraft, Eric enjoys time with his wife and their three cats.

In This Episode, We Explore

• The history of masturbation and the origins of common myths
• What science tells us about masturbation and sexual development
• Masturbation throughout the lifespan, from fetal development and childhood to older adulthood
• The state of sex education in the United States and the need for comprehensive education
• How purity culture and religious beliefs have shaped attitudes toward masturbation
• The role of pseudoscience in creating fears about masturbation and sexual health
• Historical attitudes toward vibrators, sex toys, and female orgasm
• Cultural beliefs about semen and masturbation in different parts of the world
• Debates surrounding masturbation in Jewish and Christian traditions
• How internet culture and the wellness industry perpetuate sexual-health misinformation
• Moral incongruence, shame, and their potential effects on mental health
• Masturbation, relationship satisfaction, conflict, and communication
• The difference between addiction and compulsive sexual behavior
• Healthy uses of masturbation, including self-soothing and stress relief
• How parents and educators can talk with children about masturbation in developmentally appropriate ways

What happens to the songs that once helped shape our faith when our understanding of faith changes?

In this episode, we explore the complicated relationship between worship music, deconstruction, theology, and cultural politics. We talk about why certain songs can carry enormous emotional weight—and why a song that once felt sacred can later feel painful, complicated, or even impossible to sing.

Together, we consider what it means to keep listening to music created by artists or churches whose theology, politics, or actions have changed how we understand their work. We wrestle with questions about royalties, institutional support, song selection, and the ethics of participating in worship connected to communities with which we may no longer agree.

We touch on artists and bands like Chris Tomlin, Amy Grant, Hillsong, DC Talk, Crowder, Switchfoot, Kari Jobe, Bethel and Elevation worship.

But this conversation isn't only about deciding which songs to keep or leave behind. It's also about reclaiming music and the stories attached to it. A song can belong to more than the institution or artist who created it. It can become part of our own histories of grief, healing, faith, doubt, community, and transformation. We talk about Michael Passon's reclaiming of "Testify to Love" for the queer Christian community and explore particular ways worship music intersects with queer identity and broader cultural and political shifts.

Ultimately, this episode makes space for the complexity of loving a song, questioning its origins, grieving what it once represented, and discovering what it might mean now.

Mackenzie Morgon Holloway's post: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/184FPj7RoF/

Worship Documentary: https://www.safeforthewholefamilyfilm.com

Rick Pidcock's book: https://a.co/d/05IFYHK8

Share your opinions and questions about this ongoing conversation:

www.patreon.com/wheredowegopod.

In this episode, we sit down with Meghan Tschanz to explore her journey from evangelical purity culture and missionary work to faith deconstruction, feminist theology, and a more expansive understanding of Christianity.

Meghan shares how her experiences growing up in purity culture shaped her understanding of women, sexuality, and faith—and how questioning those teachings eventually led her to examine the ways patriarchy, culture, colonialism, and power influence biblical interpretation and Christian practice.

We talk about her work with marginalized women in mission contexts, including the process of confronting the harmful assumptions and systems sometimes embedded in missionary work. We grapple with female genital mutilation, as well as myths around "virginity" and they hymen.

The conversation explores the role of women in Christianity, feminist approaches to biblical studies, and Meghan's evolving understanding of salvation. Rather than seeing salvation solely as something that happens after death, she describes salvation as something that we work out here and now—through liberation, justice, healing, and living in relationship with one another.

This is a conversation about questioning what we've been taught, examining the cultural assumptions behind our faith, and finding new ways to imagine Christianity beyond patriarchal and restrictive interpretations.

Meghan's Bio:

Meghan Tschanz is a writer, speaker, former missionary, and Christian feminist passionate about gender equality, justice, and reimagining the role of feminism within the Christian faith. Her experiences working with women who had experienced trafficking, exploitation, and violence around the world challenged her understanding of faith and led her to confront the ways patriarchal beliefs can contribute to injustice.

She is the host of the Faith and Feminism podcast, which explores the intersection of Christianity, feminism, justice, and the experiences of women, with the goal of reclaiming an inclusive, intersectional feminism within the Christian church.

She is also the author of Women Rising: Learning to Listen, Reclaiming Our Voice, a memoir and call to action that chronicles her journey of questioning the gender roles she was taught in her evangelical upbringing and finding her voice as a Christian feminist.

Through her writing and podcast, Meghan encourages Christians to challenge systems of inequality, listen to women's stories, and pursue a faith rooted in justice and gender equality.

In This Episode, We Explore:

• The lasting impact of evangelical purity culture on women
• Meghan's journey of faith deconstruction and reconstruction
• How missionary work shaped—and challenged—her understanding of Christianity
• Marginalized women, mission work, and confronting white saviorism
• The influence of colonialism and culture on Christian missions
• Myths surrounding virginity and the hymen—and what medical science actually tells us
• Sexuality, pleasure, abstinence, and the legacy of purity culture
• How patriarchal interpretations of scripture have shaped the role of women in Christianity
• Feminist theology, rape in the Bible, and Biblical-women learning to use their intuition
• Myths Christians believe the Bible teaches
• Meghan's work in biblical studies and her forthcoming books
• Why Meghan continues to identify as Christian
• Rethinking traditional ideas about salvation and understanding salvation as a present, lived experience
• The future of gender equity and women's leadership in the church

God, Guns and Christian Nationalism

In this episode of Where Do We Go From Here, EDJ speaks with Malynda Hale, executive director of The New Evangelicals, about growing up in a progressive African Methodist Episcopal church, encountering conservative evangelicalism for the first time in college, and finding a faith rooted in love, compassion, hope, and justice.

Malynda shares how her upbringing shaped her understanding of Christianity and why she never experienced the kind of faith "deconstruction" that many former evangelicals describe. She describes the faith she grew up with as "hope-based" rather than fear-based, contrasting it with the fear-centered Christianity she encountered later in a conservative evangelical environment.

A major theme of the conversation is the idea that Christians should not merely talk about the good news but should "be the good news" through the way they live, advocate for others, and engage with their communities.

Malynda also discusses purity culture, Christian nationalism, gun culture, social justice advocacy, and The New Evangelicals' (TNE's) shift toward helping people reclaim and redefine their faith. She mentions the three podcasts associated with TNE: Advocacy Hour, The Tim and April Show, and The New Evangelicals Podcast.

The conversation further explores Malynda's career as an actress, filmmaker, singer, and songwriter. She shares with the listeners her powerful song God and His Gun, which challenges the intersection of Christian nationalism and gun culture. Watch the video here:

https://youtu.be/PszjLfSO8g4?si=zQrJ94MBCAf1PqMr

Malynda's acting credits include Bull Street, in which she stars alongside Loretta Devine and Amy Madigan. She will be attending the Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival where the film, Bull Street, was selected for screening! Watch the trailer here:

https://youtu.be/-CmA1z0mwIQ?si=lTWdYbas3qAFcOCw

About Malynda Hale

Malynda Hale is an actress, filmmaker, singer, songwriter, and social justice advocate. She serves as executive director of The New Evangelicals and creates content focused on faith, justice, advocacy, and contemporary cultural issues.

Malynda's work includes:

• The New Evangelicals Podcast — one-on-one conversations covering theology, history, Christianity, and culture
• The Tim and April Show — conversations about current events and culture
• Advocacy Hour — practical conversations with people and organizations doing grassroots advocacy and social justice work
• TNE Connect — The New Evangelicals' online community, including free resources and courses
• #WeNeedToTalk — Malynda's Substack, where she writes about faith, justice, and culture

EDJ shares a podcast update, setting expectations for the month of September and going forward.

In this episode, Ingrid Nishimoto shares an honest and deeply personal journey through faith, purity culture, religious trauma, health crises, and deconstruction. Drawing from her experience as a Korean American and second-generation immigrant, Ingrid reflects on how family, community, illness, grief, and changing beliefs shaped the way she understood herself, God, and her faith.

We explore the lasting impact of purity culture and abstinence messages, including how they can shape our sense of worth, agency, and relationship with our bodies. Ingrid also talks about the health crises that prompted her to question long-held theological beliefs and eventually reconsider ideas about the character of God.

A significant part of Ingrid's story is about navigating hereditary cancer risk and grief, and how experiences of uncertainty and loss contributed to her spiritual journey.

The conversation turns toward healing and what it can look like to move beyond simply questioning beliefs. Ingrid discusses therapy, EMDR, boundaries, self-compassion, and the process of reclaiming personal agency after religious trauma.

Ultimately, this episode is about making space for a faith that is no longer rooted in fear—a journey toward greater freedom, compassion, and a more life-giving understanding of God.

Bio:

Ingrid Nishimoto is a Korean American, second-generation immigrant whose personal journey has taken her through faith, purity culture, religious deconstruction, health challenges, and healing from religious trauma. Her experiences with hereditary cancer risk, grief, therapy, and EMDR have shaped a deep commitment to agency, self-compassion, and creating space for more life-giving ways of understanding faith. Through her story, Ingrid brings a thoughtful and honest perspective to the complexities of unlearning inherited beliefs while finding greater freedom, wholeness, and grace.

Links:

Connect with Ingrid on Instagram @ingridnishimototherapy

Ingrid's website: https://www.ingridnishimototherapy.com/

What happens when the Bible you once read as a source of certainty becomes a place where you have questions?

In this episode, Kristen, Emily, and EDJ explore what it can look like to read Scripture during and after evangelical deconstruction. Together, they unpack questions of biblical inerrancy, translation, authorship, interpretation, historical context, and the ways Scripture has sometimes been weaponized within faith communities.

Rather than approaching the Bible through fear, legalism, or the pressure to have all the "right" answers, this conversation explores a different way forward—one grounded in context, curiosity, love, and a willingness to ask honest questions.

The conversation also explores Jesus as a lens for interpreting Scripture, the Wesleyan Quadrilateral, the hermeneutic circle, and practical tools for engaging the Bible in a way that can support reconstruction and a more meaningful faith journey.

Whether you're questioning what you were taught, rebuilding your relationship with Scripture, or simply looking for a more thoughtful way to read the Bible, this episode invites you to approach the text with curiosity rather than fear.

Key Frameworks:

Wesleyan Quadrilateral — Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience as four lenses for theological reflection.

Hermeneutic Circle — The process of understanding individual biblical passages in light of the larger context and story of Scripture, while also allowing our understanding of those individual passages to deepen and refine our understanding of the larger whole.

Resources:

Inspired by Rachel Held Evans

Better Ways To Read The Bible by Zach Lambert

What is the Bible? By Rob Bell

What If Jesus Was Serious? By Skye Jethani

The Bible Says So by Dan McClellan

How the Bible Actually Works by Peter Enns

A Systematic Theology of Love by Thomas Jay Oord

EDJ and Jenna Dewitt sit down for a follow-up conversation about where Jenna has gone and grown since her interview with Jess and Devi in 2021. Jenna shares her journey as an aromantic, asexual, sapphic and celibate Christian, offering a fresh perspective on faith, identity, and belonging.

Together, we unpack the often-misunderstood experiences of aromantic and asexual people, challenge assumptions shaped by purity culture, and explore what it means to build truly inclusive faith communities.

Jenna explains the differences between aromantic and asexual identities, the meaning and history of the term sapphic, and why representation matters for people whose experiences are often overlooked—even within LGBTQIA+ spaces. She also reflects on her personal journey through evangelical Christianity, deconstruction, and discovering a more expansive, justice-centered faith.

Whether you're navigating your own spiritual journey, queer identity, supporting LGBTQIA+ loved ones, or simply curious about the intersection of faith and sexual identity, this conversation offers wisdom, compassion, and hope for a more inclusive future.

In This Episode

• What aromantic and asexual identities really mean—and the myths that surround them
• Why the term sapphic is broader than many people realize
• Jenna's story of faith, deconstruction, and embracing her identity
• Celibacy as a gift of freedom rather than a requirement
• How purity culture shapes our understanding of love, relationships, and sexuality
• Deconstruction can become a pathway to deeper, more authentic spirituality and self-acceptance
• Why many churches struggle to include LGBTQIA+ people—and what can change
• The importance of affirming community, belonging, and authentic faith
• Collective liberation reminds us that justice and love are inseparable.
• The future of progressive Christianity & practical ways churches and individuals can create more welcoming spaces

Connect with Jenna:

www.InvisibleCakeSociety.com

https://substack.com/@jennadewitt

https://www.instagram.com/jennadewitt/