In this edition of the Rational Faiths Podcast we welcome Cindy Brandt, founder of the “Raising Children Unfundamentalist” community. Cindy comes from a conservative Evangelical Christian background and it quickly becomes apparent that there are several commonalities between growing up Evangelical and growing up Mormon. We discuss the complexities of raising children in a conservative faith tradition and environment while parenting with progressive sensibilities. Among other things, the discussion includes:

  • The pros and cons of raising children in the “bubble” of a specific religious subculture.
  • The benefits of teaching children to be “spiritually multilingual.”
  • Specific recommendations for unfundamentalist parenting of younger children as well as older children.
  • Handling difficult conversations with friends and family about different parenting priorities when it comes to religious observance and belief.

We’re grateful to Cindy for sharing her perspectives and advice!

Resources related to the podcast discussion can be found here:

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Benjamin Knoll is a political science professor at a liberal arts college in central Kentucky. He is a seventh-generation Mormon (on his mother's side) who finds meaningful religious and spiritual expression in a variety of traditions, practices, and contexts. He's a married father of three girls.

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