Holy Disobedience
About this Podcast:
Natasha sits down with Melissa Duge Spiers, author of "Holy Disobedience: Sex, Sin, and Secrets in the Biggest Church No One Knows," for a wide-ranging conversation before diving into her story. They talk about growing up inside a strict, fundamentalist Seventh-day Adventist Church, and how Melissa's life changed when she learned her father, a respected pastor, was a serial child predator shielded for years by the church. Melissa shares how she rebuilt her sense of self after escaping high control religion, including an unexpected friendship with her father's first victim that helped her reclaim her voice. Her memoir is being called a story of fierce honesty and radical freedom for anyone breaking out of controlling systems.
About the Guest:
Melissa Duge Spiers is an award-winning essayist, screenwriter, and advocate for topics of religious and narcissistic abuse, utilizing her online platforms (TikTok and Instagram: “The Glory Whole”). Her memoir Holy Disobedience won the 2021 Book Pipeline Unpublished Nonfiction Manuscript prize, with excerpts featured in The Huffington Post. Melissa’s writing appears in magazines nationwide, and she’s a contributor to Take the Fruit: An Anthology of Religious Trauma.
Also a runner, cheese lover, and life-long vintage collector, Melissa holds a B.A. in English Literature from Barnard College at Columbia University and is based in California.
You can find Melissa and her book here:
Order "Holy Disobedience": https://www.lakedrivebooks.com/books/holy-disobedience/
Substack: https://melissadugespiers.substack.com/
TikTok: @theglorywhole
Instagram: @the.glory.whole
This podcast addresses many topics around mental health and sexuality and may not be suitable for minors. Some topics may elicit a trigger or emotional response so care for yourself accordingly.
The views, thoughts and opinions expressed by our guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or feelings of the Natasha Helfer or the Natasha Helfer Podcast. We provide a platform for open and diverse discussions, and it is important to recognize that different perspectives may be shared. We encourage our listeners to engage in critical thinking and form their own opinions. Thank you for listening.
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Intro ("Fisher's Hornpipe") and outro music by Otter Creek.
Podcast edited by: Ashley Pacini
