The Domestic Training Ground: Control, Marriage, and the Church

What happens when a marriage isn't a partnership, but a proving ground for patriarchal power? In this episode, mental health professional Bethany Jantzi (Free From Control) joins us to expose a dark reality within high-control religious circles: the idea that a wife is a "training ground" for a man's leadership. We discuss how the domestic sphere is often used as a laboratory for men to practice "authority" and "dominion," effectively turning women's lives into stepping stones for male ego and spiritual status. We explore the psychological toll of being a "helpmate" used for a man's development, and how to break free from the cycle of religious grooming.

You can listen to The Domestic Training Ground: Control, Marriage, and the Church online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

The Domestic Training Ground: Control, Marriage, and the Church is an episode from Faith and Feminism by Meghan Tschanz.

This episode is 52:36 long.

This episode was published on Feb 24, 2026.

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