Welcome to Deconstructing Fundamentalism
I believe the way the Christian Patriarchy runs their homes is how they want to run our country.
But I also believe that our knowledge is power. Our conversations matter, and it’s always the right time to do the right thing. We need one another, and how we show up for one another matters.
So I’ve made it my mission to confront fundamentalist thinking at every point: culture, headlines, politics, and family. Even our therapeutic journeys can fall into rigid thought lines. I’m here to challenge it all.
Why did you start this column?
While TV shows like the Duggar family’s “19 Kids and Counting” offered a shined-up vision of traditional values and that “Trad Wife” life, the truth is not so attractive. The survivors of high-control Christian Fundamentalism watch what’s happening in our laws and news headlines in horror as conservatives radicalize into the Christian Nationalism, we know all too well. That’s why I feel it’s imperative to shine a light on that worldview and what it’s like to deconstruct and heal in recovery.
The content you’ll find here deconstructs fundamentalism in:
as well as what my personal deconstruction process looks like.
I guide you through the process, providing information, reporting, connections, and solidarity in the antifundamentalist life.
You will learn the truth about what it’s like to live in their parallel America and be inspired to live the ultimate resistance: with curiosity, knowledge, and the humanities.
Why subscribe?
Evangelical Patriarchy is in our government and changing our laws. Arm yourself with truth and vote with more confidence by understanding why fundamentalism is such a threat to democracy, especially for women, children, and marginalized groups.
Readers who subscribe to my work and share it with their friends often comment that my experience validates their own. They find my explanations and context relevant to today’s headlines. They want more information on the fundamentalist influences changing their country, and they want to support survivors.
I subscribe to Substacks because I love how the content comes right to me. I don’t want to miss part of a series I’m following. I like the added value of paid stacks and knowing I’m helping support publications I enjoy. I bet you’re the same.
So, here’s how it works:
Free subscriptions:
Overview essays that introduce big deconstruction topics
Guidance on deconstructing fundamentalism
Heads up on the topics I’m unraveling
Paid subscriptions:
Deep dives into big topics with personal impact
Behind the scenes of life in evangelical patriarchy
Chat and comment on posts
The most provocative content that rattles me on a topic
Knowing you’re throwing a log on the fire to burn the patriarchy down by supporting this work.
Who is Tia Levings?
I often call myself a “writer, artist, hiker, mother, friend,” but getting here was a journey. I told that story in A WELL-TRAINED WIFE, which came out August 6, 2024, with St. Martin’s Press. It was an instant NYT Bestseller, an Audible Canada Best of Year memoir, and a Goodreads Reader’s Choice finalist. My second book, THE SOUL OF HEALING, comes out in 2026.
I’m a Gen X free spirit who loves life. I’m passionate about trauma recovery and reclamation. I nurture through food, time, and attention. An E-INFJ and an Enneagram 4. I’m a lot without apology. And the biggest lesson I carry in my heart is to love people over ideas. The Anti-Fundamentalist is my exploration of how I do it.
Where have I seen Tia before?
Probably online or on Shiny Happy People, on Amazon. My life and story could have ended in 2007 in obscurity or yet another tragic headline. It didn’t because I escaped both high-control religion and violent, high-control marriage. I call it church-sanctioned domestic abuse because what happened to me was sanctioned by our fundamentalist evangelical churches.
I nurture conversation about national politics, Christian Nationalism, and the abuses in fundamentalism on:
and here!
A Well-Trained Wife is available anywhere books are sold.
These are the flowers I received after signing my book deal. It was the happiest, most redemptive Diamond Day ever. Check out my website for a video directory and other resources for healing from religious trauma.
My column topics also appear on my Instagram feed, where fresh takes and in-depth engagement are found.
