# God, Sex & Rich People: Honoring the Journey of Mattie Jo Cowsert

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/honoring-the-journey-6751564/god-sex-rich-people-honoring-the-journey-of-mattie-jo-cowsert
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/honoring-the-journey-6751564/god-sex-rich-people-honoring-the-journey-of-mattie-jo-cowsert.md
Podcast: [Honoring the Journey](https://stenobird.com/podcast/honoring-the-journey-6751564)
Published: 2026-01-19T06:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.patheos.com/editorial/podcasts/honoring-the-journey
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/afp-13455-injected.calisto.simplecastaudio.com/436ddef1-73dc-47da-9031-10559aad1978/episodes/aac18a58-e01d-4cad-a382-8a982cec5dfd/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=436ddef1-73dc-47da-9031-10559aad1978&awEpisodeId=aac18a58-e01d-4cad-a382-8a982cec5dfd&feed=Swlbwx2u
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Duration seconds: 4014

## Resource

This episode features Mattie Jo Cowsert, author of "God, Sex and Rich People: Recovering the Evangelical Testimony," in a deeply personal conversation about growing up in evangelical purity culture, deconstructing faith, and finding autonomy. Mattie Jo shares her journey from being raised in a multi-generational Baptist ministry family in Branson, Missouri, through her transformative move to New York City at 22 to pursue acting, where her insular religious worldview collided with diverse cultures and experiences. The conversation explores the damaging effects of purity culture on self-esteem and autonomy, the process of questioning long-held beliefs through academic study of scripture, and the unexpected role that working for wealthy New Yorkers played in her identity crisis. Both Leslie and Mattie Jo discuss the importance of respecting others' belief systems while maintaining personal boundaries, the stages of grief in deconstruction, and how their parents' responses shaped their journeys.

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## Transcript

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