At the beginning of the Know About Family Formation Series, we asked why marriage is good. In today’s episode with Andrea Crum, we wrap up the series talking once again about marriage—specifically the God’s design for marriage and sex that is articulated in the Bible.
Andrea addresses questions such as…
Why do Christians often fail to talk about sex?
What does it mean that biblical marriage is described as a covenant between one man and one woman?
What would happen in the world if everyone followed a biblical sexual ethic?
How does healthy marriage represent God to the world?
Despite secular cultural narratives, there is spiritual significance to God’s design for sex and marriage. Listen to know why.
“It takes a village.” Parents often hear this old adage, and having a community to help with childcare or call on during emergencies sounds nice. But the reality for many parents today is that their “village” is nowhere to be found.
Author, academic, and homeschooling mother Nadya Williams joins the Know Why Podcast to discuss an overlooked village source that historically played a major role in more Americans’ lives—the local church. Reflecting on the state of parenthood today, Nadya offers practical advice for building a village right where you are. She reminds parents that villages are about more than “insurance friends” to call during an emergency…they’re about thriving.
The Gospel Comes With a House Key: Practicing Radical Ordinary Hospitality in Our Post-Christian World by Rosaria Butterfield https://www.amazon.com/Gospel-Comes-H…
Is autonomy the default state of human existence? Is freedom from other’s neediness a human right? If the answer to those first two questions is “yes,” where does that leave individuals who, through no fault of their own, are not autonomous?
In her book The Dignity of Dependence: A Feminist Manifesto, Leah Libresco Sargeant argues that modern society has been built on a “false anthropology,” which is the lie that we are autonomous creatures by nature. Liberty shares insights from the book, as well as her recent interview with Leah on Point of View Radio Talk Show.
Listen to learn how accepting the reality of our own needs and learning to live in mutual dependence can create a more just society for every member of the family.
The “Know About Family Formation” series is highlighting the good of marriage and family. But what if you already know family is good, and you desire family, but for one reason or another, that desire remains unfulfilled?
Chelsea Sobolik understands what it is like to wrestle with that kind of grief. Author of “Longing for Motherhood: Holding Onto Hope in the Midst of Childlessness,” Chelsea joins the Know Why Podcast to share her personal story—as well as hope for those who may be walking through infertility, prolonged unwanted singleness, or other kinds of grief and suffering.
In this episode, Chelsea addresses topics including:
Why we shouldn’t idolize marriage and motherhood…
What stepping in and out of different family roles throughout life can look like…
How churches can promote the goodness of family while supporting those grieving infertility and loss… H
ow Jesus relates to and comforts us in the midst of embodied brokenness…
How individuals can be an advocate, a mother figure, and a vital member of church and local communities in different seasons of life…
And so much more.
Watch, listen, or share with someone you know who is longing for family.
Many millennials and Gen Zers are intentionally avoiding parenthood, and the number one reason cited is cost. But when it comes to kids, can crunched numbers really capture the gamut of costs AND benefits, stresses AND joys that one experiences over a lifetime?
As it turns out, spreadsheets fail to convey the lived experience of many mothers, who, statistically, report being happier than their childless counterparts. That doesn’t mean people must have kids to be happy, but media warnings about daycare costs and lost wages fail to capture the full picture of parenthood.
Ivana Greco is an attorney and homeschooling mom of four who writes about women, children, families, and family policy. She joins the Know Why Podcast to discuss her article, “What is the Price of Parenting?” published with Commonplace Magazine.
Do you believe in soulmates? In finding “the One?” If so, you’re not alone—according to surveys, a majority of young singles hold some version of the soulmate view of marriage. Unfortunately, that’s also the marriage view most likely to lead to divorce.
In this episode, Liberty summarizes research compiled by Dr. Brad Wilcox in his book Get Married, explaining why soulmates are a myth and why a different view of marriage—”family first,” or mission-minded—aligns better with our overall purpose and function as human beings made in God’s image.
P.S. Liberty also mentions a resource for parents in this episode—a discount code for $10 off registration to the Raising Biblical Kids Conference for Parents in Grapevine, Texas! See more information below.
P.P.S. Comment to share your thoughts—or if you watch long enough to understand what “yellow butterflies” means!
What does it mean to be a woman? The culture has wrestled with this point for decades. Ironically, diametrically opposed sides often make the same mistake: conflating the aesthetics of femininity with its definition.
Many who embrace transgender ideology argue that feeling feminine and dressing the part are all it takes to identify oneself as “woman.” On the other hand, many reacting against modern feminism display their “trad wife” life on Instagram, striving to divide household labor along stereotypically gendered lines.
Joining the Know Why Podcast, Rachel Schroder argues that both camps miss the true definition of femininity, trading its aesthetics for its full meaning and purpose. She helps us know why the full definition of femininity is broader than what is often portrayed by “trad wife” extremes, and also more family-oriented than modern feminism allows.
Listen for a thought-provoking and encouraging conversation about what it means to be a woman, how women can embrace both their biological nature and their God-given talents inside the home and in the workforce, what balancing family and career might look like, and how developing virtue matters more than following stereotypes.
You can’t have healthy marriages without healthy individuals, and healthy individuals are people who understand themselves and their purpose in life.
Perhaps one reason more young men aren’t getting married, despite many desiring to do so, is because they lack understanding about who they are and what they were made for.
The left tells men that being masculine is “toxic.” On the far right, misogynistic influencers like Andrew Tate respond by telling young men to embrace those “toxic” traits without apology. Often missing from the masculinity conversation is a character trait that provides the much needed balance: meekness.
In this episode, guest Andrew Warthen explains why “Meek is not Weak,” why good should not always equal safe, and how men can find purpose in fully understanding the meaning of their masculinity.
Listen to this next installment of our “Know About Family Formation” series, and check out the links below if you’d like to dive deeper into this topic.
Be sure to rate the podcast, subscribe, and comment or email Know Why with your thoughts or requests for future topics!
Young men on the far right and young women on the far left have little in common—except for their views on marriage. Leading voices in the “manosphere” argue that marriage is of no benefit to men, especially when it comes to finances. Many women believe the same lie.
According to a robust body of research compiled by Dr. Brad Wilcox in his book “Get Married,” men who get married experience a significant financial boost called the “marriage premium,” and women who get married are less likely to experience poverty. While financial gain isn’t and shouldn’t be ultimate reason for marriage, it’s important to combat pervasive lies with facts.
Listen to for the specifics in this latest installment of Know Why’s “Know About Family Formation” series.
More Resources:
Get Married by Brad Wilcox
Why is Marriage Good? Interview with John Mancini
Why Men (And All Humans) Need Sacrificial Relationships
Why is marriage good? Is it only good for the material benefits it may provide individuals, like relational security and legal protection? Or is there an intrinsic good to marriage that can’t be analyzed with science?
Social and political philosopher John Mancini joins the podcast to kick off the next series, Know About Family Formation. John argues that there is a transcendent good to marriage that can’t be fully explained by its extrinsic benefits, and invites us to understand why in this conversation.
