Best Katelyn Parsons Podcasts (2025)

1
Best of SBTC: Hillsong and the Scourge of V-Necked Pastors 34:36

6d ago34:36

34:36

What the holy heck is happening at Hillsong? The last six weeks have seen a seesaw of scandalous revelations between Hillsong U.S. and Hillsong Australia. The resignation of global senior pastor Brian Houston after revelations of sexual indiscretion. The discovery of allegations of rape by a junior staffer against a former pastor. The departure of …

1
Best of SBTC: Why I Chose to Have a Baby on My Own + Annie Parsons 54:07

13d ago54:07

54:07

When the clock keeps ticking, you gotta get picking ... a sperm donor, that is. Ok, but really, as more and more women are single into their late thirties and early forties, the option to have a child through in vitro fertilization becomes a very live question. As much as forty may be the new twenty, the biological timeline for many women still loo…

1
Best of SBTC: Rethinking Our Drinking + Sarah Bessey 44:35

20d ago44:35

44:35

Let's get a drink sometime! New York's a drinking town. Happy hours. Boozy brunches. Martinis and oysters. The city's social life revolves around artisan cocktails and bubbly toasts and late night dive bars. And while the pandemic may have put a screeching halt to the social side of that life, it didn't stop the flow of booze. Restaurants offered c…

1
Best of SBTC: How We Survived the Great Evangelical Betrayal 41:43

27d ago41:43

41:43

From Jesus Freak to freaked out. In this episode, we grapple with "the e-word" and why we struggle to claim the evangelical label. Having grown up fully immersed in that culture and going on to dedicate much of our careers to the movement, we examine our disillusionment and disappointment with its trajectory — and where we go next. The past five ye…

1
Best of SBTC: Asking Better Questions + Krista Tippett 55:35

1M ago55:35

55:35

This episode, Katelyn and Roxy are joined by the GOAT, the legend who arguably started the spiritual podcasting genre, the longtime host of On Being, Krista Tippett. This wide-ranging conversation lingers on some of the more salient questions of our time: What is the role of faith in a technological era? Does religion only divide? How can spiritual…

1
Q's Shift, Keller's Legacy and Our Negative World + Collin Hansen 53:16

3M ago53:16

53:16

Founded in 2007 as a "learning community that mobilizes Christians to advance the common good," Q was part of a broader movement of Christian cultural engagement in the mid-aughts and early teens. Much of it influenced by the late Tim Keller. Today, Q — now THINQ Media — feels emblematic of the broader tensions within evangelicalism around how Chri…

1
Good Breakups, Bad Makeups & the Evangelical Ex 53:22

3M ago53:22

53:22

First, we set the scene with our our most movie-worthy post-breakup moments — we're talking ice cream binging, sad song belting, pillow weeping melt downs. Next up, we get into your break-up stories. It's our long-awaited break-up episode and you, dear listeners, delivered. You sent in your sad stories, you sent in your sob stories, you sent in you…

1
The Real Trad Wives of Instagram + Kelsey Kramer McGinnis 53:01

3M ago53:01

53:01

Have you ever found yourself mid-doomscroll, suddenly enthralled by a beautiful woman baking a pie and arranging an armful of flowers freshly picked from her garden, while in the background her children play with adorable wooden toys on a natural fiber rug? You have stumbled into the trad-wife corner of the internet. Welcome. The bread is fresh and…

1
Don't Pull a 'White Lotus.' Sacred Travel vs. Spiritual Tourism. + Pico Iyer 47:11

3M ago47:11

47:11

You don't want to be THAT tourist. We all need a vacation and many of us are seeking more than rest or fun on our next getaway. Pilgrimages, retreats, wellness centers — an industry has grown up around the desire to to find transcendence — or at least a bit of mindfulness — while escaping real life. On this episode, Katelyn and Roxy explore the cri…

1
The Vibe Shift Is Here. How Do We Stay Engaged in Racial Justice? + Latasha Morrison 55:39

4M ago55:39

55:39

It's 2025, and the vibes feel a bit...off. It's been nearly five years since the murder of George Floyd and the national and global protests it sparked. Since then, we've seen local efforts to stop public schools from teaching about racism in America; withdrawal of federal funding for DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) programs; and a broad att…

1
Succession, Vatican Style and the Legacy of Pope Francis + Claire Giangravé 42:08

4M ago42:08

42:08

Pope Francis was a man of the people. Will the next pope be? After 12 years as the head of the Catholic church — and the most famous Christian in the world — Pope Francis died on Monday (April 21) at 88. A charismatic reformer, the first Latin American pope and the first Jesuit pope, Francis was beloved well beyond the Catholic church. As world lea…

1
It’s Easter. How About That Penal Substitutionary Atonement? + Brian Zahnd 46:31

4M ago46:31

46:31

Good Friday and Easter are basically the pinnacle of the Christian calendar. What it all centers on. But in recent years we’ve seen a lot of angst over what Jesus’ death on the cross and his resurrection really mean — and if what people grew up believing about them might be all wrong. We're talking, of course, about PSA — or penal substitutionary a…

1
Is It OK To Not Like Kids? 44:56

4M ago44:56

44:56

Chappell Roan says all her friends with kids are in hell. A popular subreddit asks "does anyone else just… not like kids?" A crowd of the usual suspects — pro-natalists, theo bros and mom influencers — pounce on these examples to decry our increasingly "anti-kid" and "childless cat lady" culture. Is this just a recycled generational debate — femini…

1
So You Married a Priest? + Beth Allison Barr 49:05

5M ago49:05

49:05

Did you know there are piles of guidebooks meant to help women excel at being the church's first lady? From how to step out of a car when pulling up to church on Sunday, to preparing the perfect casserole, to keeping the kids smiling and still in the front pew. And those dirty dishes in the sink? They could be the talk of the lady's luncheon if you…

1
A Ross Douthat Guide to Fairies, UFOs ... and Church 52:46

5M ago52:46

52:46

What’s the woo-iest thing you believe in? Angels and demons? Ghosts? Astrology? On this episode, Katelyn and Roxy dabble in the metaphysical and get curious about the mystical. We also wonder if maybe we’ve gotten a little too skeptical of the spiritual? Enter our guest today: New York Times columnist, UFO enthusiast and religion apologist, Ross Do…

1
A New City Won't Save You + Lydia Sohn 46:05

5M ago46:05

46:05

Katelyn and Roxy both moved to New York City with a dream of starting fresh and the promise of a new life with new adventures, new friends and new romance. And, to be honest, New York delivered on pretty much all of that. It's a great city! But it's not the only city — and moving here cost us too. Money, yes, but also stability and roots and proxim…

1
Truth or Dare: Evangelical Edition + Erin Hicks Moon 53:22

5M ago53:22

53:22

Were you more of a truth person or a dare person? On this episode, Katelyn and Roxy revisit some of the Capital T-truths of their youth group days and dare to say "maybe I don't believe that anymore." From hell to dinosaurs to midnight demons, we go there. And we're joined by Erin Hicks Moon, who isn’t afraid to ask the big, thorny questions about …

1
Empathy Is Now a Sin? Really? 44:51

6M ago44:51

44:51

It's toxic. It's sinful. It's compassion corrupted. It's ruining the world and is definitely at the root of all the bad things. What is this fresh evil? Empathy, of course! Or so says a growing faction of Christians with very loud voices. On this first episode of a brand new season, Katelyn and Roxy try to trace this argument back to its roots and …

1
Can We Love the Bible Again? + Kaitlyn Schiess 59:20

8M ago59:20

59:20

Core memory: flipping the Bible open to a random page, pointing with eyes closed to a verse, and "claiming" that verse as God's answer to the particular problem of that day. Whew. Where did we get that idea? On this episode, Katelyn and Roxy dig into those formative experiences with the Bible, many of them shaped by an evangelical approach to Bible…

1
Our Roasts and Toasts of 2024 + Tiffany Bluhm 49:40

8M ago49:40

49:40

Gather 'round with your marshmallows and cups of cheer, it's that time of year to send good tidings and spiced takes. No, that's not a typo, though maybe you can have your cake and eat it too with this year's roasts and toasts. Did you embrace the barrel leg and the ballet flat? Are you pro-pigmy hippo or did you mute baby Moo Deng? And what about …

1
Living in the Limbo (aka: Advent) + Stephanie Duncan Smith 45:57

9M ago45:57

45:57

The days are getting short. The nights are getting long. Christ has come but he'll also come again. We're in the now and the not yet. We're waiting, preparing, standing guard. Y'all it's Advent. And this year, we are living that limbo life. Katelyn and Roxy explore the lessons of Advent for those in between seasons and how to live with intentionali…

1
A Thanksgiving Special: Brownies, Frownies and Beef Bourguignon + John Schmidt and Jonathan Woodward 50:28

9M ago50:28

50:28

Picture this: a knock on the apartment door, in sweeps Jonathan Woodward, straight off a flight from Maine, grocery bags in hand. A few hours later, the apartment is heavy with the rich smells of simmering onions, sizzling beef and a stewing redwine sauce. A few more hours later, a few more knocks on the door and a party of four are seated at a tab…

1
Ready or Not, Trump 2.0 + Tim Alberta 43:52

9M ago43:52

43:52

Were you surprised by this year's presidential election results? On this episode, Katelyn and Roxy examine some of the major stories — religion and otherwise — to come out of exit polls. Hello rightward drifting young men. We are joined by award-winning journalist and political observer, Tim Alberta, who offers us both retrospective and prospective…

1
Divorce and Remarriage + Melissa Moore 50:33

9M ago50:33

50:33

And yet, there are so many of us who have gone through a divorce and found love again. This week, Roxy talks about the many jagged edges of divorce and the long healing process. Katelyn asks: How can you be a good friend supporting someone facing a divorce? And we are joined by Melissa Moore who shares her own story of divorce recovery and how bein…

1
Whoopsie-Daisy! Our Tales of Cringe & Regret 43:15

10M ago43:15

43:15

Life is no straight and narrow path and we've taken a few ill-advised turns. On this episode, Katelyn and Roxy reflect on our smallest and biggest whoopsie daisies. Well, not all of them. We have a few categories to guide us. For example: what’s your “I shouldn’t have said that regret," and “biggest regret from 1998-2002” and “a memorable fashion r…

1
Red Light, Green Light: Church Edition + Adelle M. Banks 41:45

10M ago41:45

41:45

What's spookier than a coffee hour full of strangers? Katelyn is on the road toward the midwest and a new city means a new church. But how to find the perfect match? It's no easy task and Roxy is here to help — with a super clarifying set of potential church scenarios. Red light: flee and don't look back. Yellow light: take a beat. Green light: go …

1
We're Good at Being Bad Christians + Jayne Sugg 45:50

10M ago45:50

45:50

If you've "deconstructed" from evangelicalism — or any faith tradition — you know that as your faith has evolved your practices have shifted too. On this episode, Katelyn and Roxy explore what it means to find ways to engage with God, with church and with spiritual practices that feel honest and life giving in this, ahem, season (you can take the g…

1
When Politics Comes for Friendship + Nancy French 46:51

10M ago46:51

46:51

In this era of political extremes, few of us have gone untouched by polarization. We've had family fights, friendship rifts and, for some, church splits. When did politics become so central, so essential? Is this what idolatry looks like? In these last remaining weeks before America's presidential election, Katelyn and Roxy talk with former Republi…

1
SBTC: LIVE from New York! 44:13

10M ago44:13

44:13

It's our first live episode, coming to you from Religion News Service's 90th anniversary symposium and gala (90 years!) in the heart of Manhattan. Our live audience has cocktails, so grab a drink and settle in as we test our audience's NYC knowledge, reflect on the past and future of Saved By the City, and quiz our guests to discover just how deep …

1
ApocryFUN: Every Man's Battle + Sheila Wray Gregoire 48:45

11M ago48:45

48:45

The American Church's relationship with sex has always been a little complicated, but it got a lot more complicated with the explosive popularity of Stephen Arterburn and Fred Stoeker's Every Man's Battle, which trained a generation of Christian men to see themselves as dormant predators and women as their natural enemies. Now, Sheila Wray Gregoire…

1
Is Radical Evangelicalism Dead? + Eliza Griswold 45:36

11M ago45:36

45:36

We've long admired the kind of radical, intentional community that requires its members to make real commitments and sacrifices — and that holds out a vision of Christian ethics built on Jesus' sermon on the mount. Maybe we've even idealized it. In this episode, Katelyn and Roxy hear from journalist Eliza Griswold about the fate of just such a comm…

1
Childless Church Ladies 41:22

11M ago41:22

41:22

You know that feeling when you have just SO. MUCH. TO. SAY about a particular current event but your podcast is on summer break?? Yeah, it's the worst. Silver lining? We've been saving up that snark for months. So, here goes, why did JD Vance's comments about how childless cat ladies are ruining America hurt our feelings? You could probably guess b…

1
ApocryFUN: Hillbilly Elegy + Sam Thielman 52:19

11M ago52:19

52:19

In the '00s, America was introduced to J.D. Vance, who pitched himself as a middle man between coastal elites and the rural white Americans he'd been raised around. Hillbilly Elegy was part memoir/part explainer and, at the time, seemed to establish Vance as a moderate conservative who wanted to bridge the partisa cultural, political and religious …

1
Should I Become a Mom? Tell Katelyn What to Do with Her Life, Part IV 45:18

12M ago45:18

45:18

This week we’re wrapping up the special SBTC summer series, “Tell Katelyn What to Do with Her Life,” and Katelyn’s going out with a bang by asking the Beaty Brain Trust about the joys and challenges of parenthood. SBTC diehards will likely remember Roxy and Katelyn’s great conversation with Annie Parsons last fall. Annie shared her journey of becom…

1
How Should I Manage My Money? Tell Katelyn What to Do with Her Life, Part III 38:00

12M ago38:00

38:00

Meeting a man. Moving apartments. Literally just moving. Maybe it’s a product of living in NYC, but it seems like you can’t walk outside your door these days without dropping mad cash. It has recently occurred to Katelyn that, whatever big life decisions she makes, they will assuredly require some financial investment. Experts say by age 40, you sh…

1
Where to Find a Man? Tell Katelyn What to Do with Her Life, Part II 43:35

1y ago43:35

43:35

Behold…the power of man-ifesting. She’s been on the apps. She’s been to church events. She even went to a speed dating mixer with Roxy back in the day. So maybe it’s time Katelyn mix up her straight in her search for romance. Manifesting—the belief that our thoughts determine our futures—grows out of the positive thinking movement and has a distinc…

1
Where Should I Live?: Tell Katelyn What To Do with Her Life, Part I 33:16

1y ago33:16

33:16

Remember when people used to throw “over the hill” parties when folks turned 40? Katelyn doesn’t feel over the hill, but she’s also aging out of the young adult church group, if you know what we mean. A milestone birthday is a great time to reflect on the life you’ve built and the person you’re becoming and want to become. That’s what this SBTC spe…

1
ApocryFUN: Redeeming Love + Liz Riggs 49:20

1y ago49:20

49:20

In the late '80s, a historical romance pro named Francine Rivers became a Christian, and decided to combine her creative interests with her newfound faith. The result is Redeeming Love, a runaway hit that repackaged a few verses from the Book of Hosea into a historical romance complete with trauma, betrayal, sex and more trauma. Tyler is joined by …

1
It's Time to Move On From the Nuclear Family + Rhaina Cohen 51:56

1+ y ago51:56

51:56

After you have spent most of your adult life single, as we have, you recognize the importance of building a network of friends who are more than just brunch buddies. You need those friends who send you soup when you're sick and offer their couch for days on end after a breakup and are more than happy to sit in the hospital waiting room while you re…

1
We're Losing Pastors Left & Right + Rich Villodas 46:49

1+ y ago46:49

46:49

Why is it a tough time to be a pastor? Let's count the ways: a pandemic, a racial justice uprising, an insurrection, hyper partisanship in the pews, cataclysmic global wars. This is not to mention all the normal pulpit pressures, like blurry boundaries, pastoral care, complaining stakeholders, etc, etc. etc. Being a pastor is hard y'all! That's why…

1
ApocryFUN: Captivated + Katelyn Beaty 44:47

1+ y ago44:47

44:47

Of course there's one for women, too. In this episode, Katelyn joins Tyler to discuss Captivating, John and Stasi Eldredge's attempt to do Wild at Heart for girls. We dig into the flipside of the evangelical gender binary of the early '00s to explore what the Christian Macho Man playbook meant for all the damsels they were supposed to be rescuing. …

1
Spicy Takes from the World of Religion News 48:17

1+ y ago48:17

48:17

A dozen religion journalists walk into a karaoke bar... On this episode, Katelyn and Roxy bring you all the hot takes from the world of Religion News Association. And believe you me, there are some real spicy stories to tell. We've got Julie Roys, from the Roys Report, talking investigative reporting on scandalous religion. Kate Shellnutt, of Chris…

1
Women Are Shaking Up the Vatican + Claire Giangravé 53:29

1+ y ago53:29

53:29

A synod on synodality? Sign us up! For the past three years, the global Catholic Church has been undergoing a period of discernment. One of the main issues of contention? Women's ordination. Given our interest in women's leadership in Protestant churches, we've been very curious how that conversation happens on the Catholic side. And now that we se…

1
Smokin' Hot Christians and Patriotic Bibles + Micha Boyett on the Dream of God 50:26

1+ y ago50:26

50:26

Limits. Schlimits. On this episode, Katelyn and Roxy have a lot to discuss. Like how a certain subset of evangelical Christians decided purity culture was for the birds and swapped it for "real American beauty" (aka: big boobs, apparently?). Or how the KJV is the best complement to the American Constitution (ironic, no?). But, really, we're here to…

1
Ditch the Apps! Find a Matchmaker. 48:21

1+ y ago48:21

48:21

Do you think you’d like the person your parents picked for you? Parents being a part of the dating or courting or marriage process is a pretty old idea that has a history in most cultures. But we’ve dropped it almost completely in the U.S. in favor of finding true love ourselves. In fact, our families — and our churches and our communities and our …

1
Asking Better Questions + Krista Tippett 55:35

1+ y ago55:35

55:35

This episode, Katelyn and Roxy are joined by the GOAT, the legend who arguably started the spiritual podcasting genre, the longtime host of On Being, Krista Tippett. This wide-ranging conversation lingers on some of the more salient questions of our time: What is the role of faith in a technological era? Does religion only divide? How can spiritual…

1
Has Politics Poisoned Our Souls? + Michael Wear 46:01

1+ y ago46:01

46:01

Another year. Another election heckscape. Would you talk politics on a first date? Nope. No, definitely not. What about on a 10th? Heck no. In this economy? Americans are not happy with the political landscape at the moment and the general mood going into the 2024 election is, to put it mildly, dread. We're exhausted and this presidential race is a…

1
Seeking Besties in a Romance-Obsessed World + Laura Tremaine 51:17

1+ y ago51:17

51:17

Maybe the real soulmates are the friends we met along the way. As marriage has become the end-all, be-all relationship, friendships have been relegated to the "nice to have" category. But at a time when loneliness is being labeled an epidemic, we wonder if this paradigm hasn't stranded us all on islands of our own making. Katelyn and Roxy look at t…

1
Blowing Up the Evangelical Bro Code 45:51

1+ y ago45:51

45:51

We're all living inside the code. On this episode, Katelyn and Roxy recount their brushes with the evangelical bro code — that malignant workplace milieu of religion mixed with patriarchy mixed with entitlement. We discuss the nearly two hundred responses women sent to Katelyn on the topic and unpack the Three B's of the Evangelical Bro Code: Bread…

1
The World According to GOOP + Rina Raphael 47:40

1+ y ago47:40

47:40

That's poog spelled backward. The wellness industry has scope creep. Is it about health? Self-care? Spirituality? Mud masks? Yes, yes, yes, yes — and so much more. One thing it all seems to have in common though is that it costs money. Marketed primarily to women and promising solutions to every woe, wellness is more in the category of faith than s…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Katelyn Parsons Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

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