Sarah Stankorb and Cait West in Conversation
Jan
9
6:30 PM18:30

Sarah Stankorb and Cait West in Conversation

Join authors Cait West and Sarah Stankorb for a discussion about the impact of Christian patriarchy, a school of thought that teaches women's submission to their father, then husband, and is practiced in some high-control churches. By sharing their personal stories, as well as stories of other women in the church, Cait and Sarah voice the possibility of exposing wrongdoing, changing the narrative, breaking free from unrealistic expectations, and building a better future.

This event is free to attend, however, it helps us in planning to receive your RSVP. Please register here so we know you plan to join us: RSVP.

The authors’ books will be available for purchase and signing at the event.

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About Sarah Stankorb:

SARAH STANKORB has written hundreds of reported articles and essays, which have appeared in publications, including: The Washington Post, The New York Times, Vogue, Marie Claire, Glamour, and VICE. She was born in Youngstown, Ohio, and as a kid, often found escape in books. She studied religion and philosophy at Westminster College, and ethics and South Asian religion and history at the University of Chicago’s Divinity School. Her beat spans religion, politics, gender, and power, but is informed by questions of basic morality. This means investigating wrongdoing; it can mean reporting on how people find the strength to prevail. Sarah lives in Ohio with her husband and two children.

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Writing Religious Wrongs: Breaking Up with Purity Culture
Feb
13
12:00 PM12:00

Writing Religious Wrongs: Breaking Up with Purity Culture

  • Grand Valley State University (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

This multi-author event offers a trauma-informed space of deep listening as together we explore ways of processing religious/spiritual trauma, abuse, and pain through writing. Through personal memoirs, fiction, and academic research, each of these (im)Pure Michigan authors has found their works to be avenues of processing and naming wrongs. Join us as together we lean into journeys of breaking free from pain and finding healing together.

Each session will consist of the authors sharing sections of their respective books followed by moderated Q&A and an opportunity to take home their works. GVSU students will receive a discounted rate for book purchases. 

Session 1: Breaking Up with Purity Culture will take place in the afternoon on the Allendale Campus and Session 2: Processing Religious Trauma Through Art will take place in downtown Grand Rapids on the GVSU Health Campus. Register here for one or both sessions.. 

The event will feature:

  • Cait West - Michigan State graduate in creative writing and publishing, and author of Rift: A Memoir of Breaking Away from Christian Patriarchy (2024).

  • Dr. Sara Moslener - writer, researcher, and lecturer in Central Michigan University's Department of Philosophy, Anthropology, and Religion, and author of Virgin Nation: Sexual Purity and American Adolescence (2015) and the forthcoming After Purity: Race, Sex, and Religion in White Christian America.

  • Dawn Burns - assistant professor in Michigan State University’s Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Cultures, and author of fiction and creative nonfiction, including Evangelina Everyday  (2022).--

These conversations are brought to you by the Kaufman Interfaith Institute, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., and GVSU's 2025 Sex Ed Week committee.

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Writing Religious Wrongs: Processing Religious Trauma Through Art
Feb
13
7:00 PM19:00

Writing Religious Wrongs: Processing Religious Trauma Through Art

  • Grand Valley State University Health Campus (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

This multi-author event offers a trauma-informed space of deep listening as together we explore ways of processing religious/spiritual trauma, abuse, and pain through writing. Through personal memoirs, fiction, and academic research, each of these (im)Pure Michigan authors has found their works to be avenues of processing and naming wrongs. Join us as together we lean into journeys of breaking free from pain and finding healing together.

Each session will consist of the authors sharing sections of their respective books followed by moderated Q&A and an opportunity to take home their works. GVSU students will receive a discounted rate for book purchases. 

Session 1: Breaking Up with Purity Culture will take place in the afternoon on the Allendale Campus and Session 2: Processing Religious Trauma Through Art will take place in downtown Grand Rapids on the GVSU Health Campus. Register here for one or both sessions.. 

The event will feature:

  • Cait West - Michigan State graduate in creative writing and publishing, and author of Rift: A Memoir of Breaking Away from Christian Patriarchy (2024).

  • Dr. Sara Moslener - writer, researcher, and lecturer in Central Michigan University's Department of Philosophy, Anthropology, and Religion, and author of Virgin Nation: Sexual Purity and American Adolescence (2015) and the forthcoming After Purity: Race, Sex, and Religion in White Christian America.

  • Dawn Burns - assistant professor in Michigan State University’s Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Cultures, and author of fiction and creative nonfiction, including Evangelina Everyday (2022).

These conversations are brought to you by the Kaufman Interfaith Institute, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., and GVSU's 2025 Sex Ed Week committee.

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Virtual Meet & Greet
Nov
21
1:00 PM13:00

Virtual Meet & Greet

Hosted by Syracuse-Turkey Creek Township Public Library

A discussion will occur at 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, in the library’s downstairs meeting room. During the discussion, members will virtually meet the author and be able to ask questions.

Copies are available at the library. Digital e-book copies are available on Hoopla and Libby.

For information, email Emilia at elayne@syracuse.lib.in.us.

Event page

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"For Our Daughters" Screening and Panel Conversation
Oct
29
7:00 PM19:00

"For Our Daughters" Screening and Panel Conversation

This powerful new documentary from Kristin Kobes Du Mez, the creator/author of Jesus and John Wayne, highlights how a culture of submission and sexual abuse in the evangelical church ties directly to Christian nationalist political aims that negatively impact women.

in Seminary DeVos Auditorium as part of Unlearn Week

Event page

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"For Our Daughters" Screening and Panel Conversation
Oct
28
6:00 PM18:00

"For Our Daughters" Screening and Panel Conversation

Join us for a film screening and critical conversation about abuse in the church and the lack of accountability which perpetuates harm. Learn more about a call to action to create change and a movement to believe victims and support survivors.

Sponsored by Safe Haven Ministries

Facebook event

Get tickets here

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Screening of "For Our Daughters"
Oct
3
7:00 PM19:00

Screening of "For Our Daughters"

Knickerbocker Theatre in Downtown Holland

General Seating. Movie starts at 7:00pm. Doors open at 6:30pm.

Adults $9

Seniors $7

Hope Students, Faculty and Staff are Free. Please show your ID at the door.

Purchase tickets here

About the film: From Kristin Kobes Du Mez, the creator/author of Jesus and John Wayne, comes a powerful new documentary highlighting how a culture of submission and sexual abuse in the evangelical church ties directly to the Christian nationalist quest to use the outcome of the 2024 election to deprive all American women of basic democratic rights. FOR OUR DAUGHTERS speaks to all women of faith, encouraging them to use their voices and their votes to ensure that their daughters will have the rights to health and happiness guaranteed to all Americans.

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"For Our Daughters" Virtual Watch Party
Sep
28
8:00 PM20:00

"For Our Daughters" Virtual Watch Party

Hosted by Cait West

Saturday, September 28, 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time

RSVP here

Video link will be provided via email

About the film: From Kristin Kobes Du Mez, the creator/author of Jesus and John Wayne, comes a powerful new documentary highlighting how a culture of submission and sexual abuse in the evangelical church ties directly to the Christian nationalist quest to use the outcome of the 2024 election to deprive all American women of basic democratic rights. FOR OUR DAUGHTERS speaks to all women of faith, encouraging them to use their voices and their votes to ensure that their daughters will have the rights to health and happiness guaranteed to all Americans.

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From Art to Ashes: The Transformative Power of Creativity
Sep
13
12:00 PM12:00

From Art to Ashes: The Transformative Power of Creativity

  • Warsaw, Indiana United States (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Join Queer and Exvangelical creatives from the Lightbug Collective for an immersive free workshop in art and writing designed to illuminate your soul, spark renewal, and set your world ablaze, followed by a reading and conversation that stems from their experiences with Evangelical purity culture, religious trauma, and the complexities of being human in the world. Hear how these writers and artists have moved "From Ashes to Art" in their own transformations as they share their stories with others.

Workshop at Ivy Tech Community College, noon to 2 p.m.

Reading & Conversation at Warsaw Community Public Library. 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

RSVP for workshop to dawnburns42@gmail.com

Sponsored by The Word House, Ivy Tech Community College, and The Lightbug Collective

Hosts: Zee the Goblin, Sara Moslener, Dawn Burns, and Cait West

Facebook event page for workshop

Facebook event page for reading/conversation

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Kalamazoo, MI: Cait West in conversation with Bonnie Jo Campbell
Aug
1
6:30 PM18:30

Kalamazoo, MI: Cait West in conversation with Bonnie Jo Campbell

Join two local authors whose work unapologetically centers and empowers the voice of women in the 21st century for a discussion of a new book heraldered by Publishers Weekly as “A powerful meditation on what it means to be trapped and what it takes to break free.”

Register here (option for a free ticket or ticket with a signed copy of Rift)

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St. Louis, MO: Readings by Katherine Spearing, Shelly Snow Pordea, and Cait West
Jul
26
6:30 PM18:30

St. Louis, MO: Readings by Katherine Spearing, Shelly Snow Pordea, and Cait West

Join us for an evening with three incredible authors, Cait West, Katherine Spearing and Shelly Snow Pordea to celebrate their newest books!

Doors open at 6:30pm.

There will be a signing line after the event. Individuals are welcome to bring books from home! Books will also be for sale:

Rift: A Memoir of Breaking Away from Christian Patriarchy by Cait West

Hartfords by Katherine Spearing

The Cheating Wife by Shelly Snow Pordea

Find free tickets at the link below:

Event Page

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Lowell, MI: Readings by Cait West, Dawn Burns, and Sara Moslener
Jul
18
6:30 PM18:30

Lowell, MI: Readings by Cait West, Dawn Burns, and Sara Moslener

Join Michigan authors Cait West, Dawn Burns, and Sara Moslener for a literary evening in discussion about their books, which will be available for purchase:

  • Rift: A Memoir of Breaking Away from Christian Patriarchy by Cait West

  • Evangelina Everyday by Dawn Burns

  • Virgin Nation: Sexual Purity and American Adolescence by Sara Moslener

Free to attend but RSVPs are encouraged.

RSVP here!

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Goshen, IN: Sunday Funday for Goshen Pride Week
Jul
14
6:00 PM18:00

Goshen, IN: Sunday Funday for Goshen Pride Week

Breaking Away from Purity Culture: Author Talk & Book Signing with Cait West, Sara Moslener, and Dawn Burns

Join authors Cait West (author of Rift: A Memoir of Breaking Away from Christian Patriarchy), Sara Moslener (author of Virgin Nation), and Dawn Burns (author of Evangelina Everyday) for a night of healing and inspiration. They will discuss religious trauma, purity culture, and how we can move forward toward a better future.

The Evangelical Purity Movement, which began in the early 1990s, established a sexual ethic based on strict gender roles, racial purity, and control over women's bodies. It promoted abstinence-only and used a narrow interpretation of the Bible to justify shame and control over women's bodies, resulting in trauma that is still felt today, decades later. Midwest authors Cait West, Sara Moslener, and Dawn Burns have come together to shed light on the harms of the Evangelical Purity Movement and the Christian Patriarchy and to offer stories of healing and inspiration.

This event is FREE and open to everyone. At the end of the authors' talk, audience members can participate in a Q&A session. All three authors will also be available to sign copies of their books. Books are available in-store or online before and after the event.

10% of all Sales on Sunday, July 14th, will go to Goshen Pride

Event page

Facebook page

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International Cultic Studies Association Annual Conference
Jul
4
to Jul 6

International Cultic Studies Association Annual Conference

“Stay-at-Home Daughters: The Unique Challenges of Women Raised in the Christian Patriarchy Movement” by Cait West and Katherine Spearing (virtual presentation)

Abstract: Culture wars and backlash against the feminist movement in the 1990s led to the rise of an ideology called Christian patriarchy in the United States. Organizations such as Vision Forum and grassroots magazines and newsletters such as Patriarch spread this ideology, gaining followers across evangelical denominations, many of whom continue to follow this lifestyle today. This movement established men as the leaders of the church, and fathers as cult leaders of their families. Those raised as female in this movement were kept isolated and homeschooled and were often forbidden higher education, dating, and working outside the home, hence their name “stay-at-home daughters.” Instead, they were trained to propagate the ideology by becoming homemakers, told to marry and bear as many children as possible. This panel will explore the specific challenges that stay-at-home daughters face when leaving their community, from delayed developmental learning (adolescence) to learning independence in their twenties and thirties. While previous literature has focused on women in patriarchal marriages, unmarried daughters have not been studied extensively in this movement. These survivors usually require extensive support to find happiness and wholeness after growing up in a high-control environment. This includes learning to be independent, access to education, and mental health services.

Find more information about this conference on the ICSA website.

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Secular AZ (virtual)
Jun
28
3:00 PM15:00

Secular AZ (virtual)

Guest speaker: Cait West, “Breaking Away from Christian Patriarchy”

Noon PST/ 3 pm EST

Secular AZ is a nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy organization that  protects the constitutional separation of church and state and educates lawmakers and the public to ensure freedom of conscience for Arizonans of all faiths and of none.

For more information, visit the Secular AZ website.

Register here.

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Hell, MI: Hell-O Summer Fest
Jun
15
11:00 AM11:00

Hell, MI: Hell-O Summer Fest

  • 4025 Patterson Lake Road Pinckney, MI, 48169 United States (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Hell's 7th annual summer festival. A family-friendly, but Hellishly fun festival to celebrate the heat of Hell in the summer. Take a stroll on Hell's grounds and enjoy kookie, spooky, creepy, Halloweenish and Hellish wares, art, and damn good food. Plus Buddy Keys returns to entertain the masses! Free admission and free parking.

Cait West, Dawn Burns, and Sara Moslener will be selling and signing copies of their books, as well as hosting a featured reading time for local authors.

Facebook event

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Durham, NC: Cait West & Anna Gazmarian in Conversation with Lauren Winner
Jun
8
7:00 PM19:00

Durham, NC: Cait West & Anna Gazmarian in Conversation with Lauren Winner

You're invited to join Cait West and Anna Gazmarian, authors of widely praised debut memoirs, as they discuss grappling with religious trauma in public and the writing life with Lauren F. Winner.

In collaboration with the Regulator Bookshop and St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church.

Free to attend. RSVP here! RSVPs include a complimentary one-year subscription to Image Journal.

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Mount Pleasant, MI: Readings by Cait West, Dawn Burns, and Sara Moslener at Sleepy Dog Books
May
23
7:00 PM19:00

Mount Pleasant, MI: Readings by Cait West, Dawn Burns, and Sara Moslener at Sleepy Dog Books

Join Michigan authors Cait West, Dawn Burns, and Sara Moslener for a literary evening in discussion about their books:

- Rift: A Memoir of Breaking Away from Christian Patriarchy by Cait West
- Evangelina Everyday by Dawn Burns
- Virgin Nation: Sexual Purity and American Adolescence by Sara Moslener

Books for sale and signing (along with cookies!) will be available at Sleepy Dog Books after the discussion.

Facebook Event

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Shine a Light: A Day of the Homeschooled Child Event (virtual)
Apr
30
12:00 PM12:00

Shine a Light: A Day of the Homeschooled Child Event (virtual)

Coalition for Responsible Home Education

9 am PT / Noon ET

You’re invited to the first-ever Day of the Homeschooled Child event! Join us as we close out Child Abuse Prevention Month by shining a light on abused homeschooled children.

At this free virtual event, you’ll hear from CRHE leadership team about topics related to Day of the Homeschooled Child, including: 

  • How homeschool law nationwide is failing children

  • What child abuse and neglect in homeschool settings looks like

  • Who the victims and survivors of this abuse are

  • What you can do to help homeschooled children

Register for free here.

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Independent Bookstore Day at Everybody Reads
Apr
27
2:00 PM14:00

Independent Bookstore Day at Everybody Reads

Many Voices Open Mic, featuring readings by Cait West, Dawn Burns, and Sara Moslener

Event Theme: “Rifts”

Many Voices is multi-genre and open to writers at all levels of experience. 5-minute slot sign-ups will be available to all attendees. Put your name down to read when you arrive. The open mic portion of the afternoon will begin after the featured readers.

Facebook Event

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Eerdmans Live Webinar
Apr
25
6:30 PM18:30

Eerdmans Live Webinar

6:30 p.m. EST

Join authors Angela Herrington, Angela Parker, Tiffany Yecke Brooks, Shannon Kearns, and Cait West as they discuss faith deconstruction and healing from religious trauma. By registering for the event, you'll be entered to win a copy of each of their books!

Register here: http://bit.ly/deconstruction-conversation

The conversation will last approximately one hour with an audience Q&A to follow. The winner of the book giveaway will be announced during the livestream event.

Submit Q&A questions through this form: https://forms.gle/EoJafkhYsbqBx6Ji6

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