The Myth of Good Christian Parenting
How False Promises Betrayed a Generation of Evangelical Families
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About
Christian parents want to raise their kids in a godly way. But what if we've been sold a promise that "biblical parenting" can never deliver?
In The Myth of Good Christian Parenting, Marissa Franks Burt and Kelsey Kramer McGinnis explore how the Christian parenting book industry has shaped, and often strained, families over the past five decades, continuing into the present day. Drawing on history, sociology, theology, and survey responses from adult children and parents, they trace the rise of Christian parenting empires that idealize obedient kids and perfect households--but often leave parents and children feeling like they'll never measure up.
The authors also analyze popular Christian parenting teachings. They argue that these teachings on authority, compliance, corporal punishment, and control have had lasting effects on family dynamics and spiritual identity--including loss of faith, estrangement, religious trauma, and deep regret for many older parents. This book equips Christian parents, adults thinking critically about their upbringing, and church leaders to pursue a new path of freedom and mutual respect within their families.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Part 1: How Did We Get Here? The Builders of the Christian Parenting Empire
1. The Right Kind of Parents: Creating the Christian Parenting Resource Market
2. The Bible Tells Us So: The Politics and Aesthetics of Set-Apart Parenthood
Part 2: What Do We Find Here? The Central Myths of Good Christian Parenting
3. Umbrellas of Authority: A Blueprint for the Christian Family
4. Who's in Charge Here? The Testimony of Well-Behaved Children
5. Are Children Human? The Rights, Autonomy, and Vulnerability of Children
6. Sinners from Their Mothers' Wombs: Children, Sin, and Atonement
7. Spare the Rod: The Corporal Punishment of Children
Part 3: Where We Go from Here? Moving from Unrealistic Myths to Whole-Person Flourishing
8. The Receipt Comes Due: False Promises and Betrayed Families
9. Moving Beyond Mythology to . . .
Appendix: Tool for Evaluating Resources
Endorsements
"The Myth of Good Christian Parenting is a comprehensive reckoning of how abuse became sanctioned by Christian leadership. Religious trauma survivors know the fruit of that instruction all too well. This book belongs in every church, Christian counseling center, and trauma-informed therapist's office as a map that details how we got there and how we move forward differently."
Tia Levings, author of the New York Times bestseller A Well-Trained Wife and The Soul of Healing
"The Myth of Good Christian Parenting offers a courageous and compassionate critique of popular evangelical parenting models that shaped generations. By examining the sociopolitical undercurrents and doctrinal shallowness that have often characterized so-called biblical parenting, this work challenges long-held assumptions with clarity and care. Rather than offering a new formula, it invites readers to reclaim agency, embrace curiosity, and move forward with wisdom and humility as they disentangle cultural norms from the heart of Scripture."
David and Amanda Erickson, authors of The Flourishing Family: A Jesus-Centered Guide to Parenting with Peace and Purpose and founders of Flourishing Homes & Families
The Authors
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Marissa Franks Burt
Marissa Franks Burt (MTh, Columbia International University) is a novelist, editor, teacher, and cohost of the At Home with the Lectionary podcast. She lives in a small town in Washington's Snoqualmie Valley with her husband, six children, and heaps of...
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Kelsey Kramer McGinnis
Kelsey Kramer McGinnis (PhD, University of Iowa) is a musicologist, educator, and correspondent for Christianity Today, writing on worship practices and Christian subculture. She is an adjunct professor at Grand View University in Des Moines and...
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