The Modesty Conversation: Who are we really dressing for?

This week, the Podly Women gather to talk about modesty: the good, the bad, and the complicated. Together, they reflect on the messages women receive in church spaces about clothing, bodies, and temptation, and ask how those teachings shape the way women move through the world while often assuming men’s responsibility for their own behavior. The conversation remains nuanced—can modesty still hold meaning apart from shame or policing?—and explores what a healthier, more honest approach to women’s bodies might look like. Modesty teaching in the church lets men off the hook while asking women to carry responsibility for everyone else’s thoughts and behavior.  Modesty culture acquits men of sexual misconduct before they even commit it by placing the burden of blame on women.  As women, we can create a different culture for one another by empowering each other to see our bodies with more freedom, more dignity, and a more generous understanding of beauty. Ezrica Bennett, a writer and graduate student at Claremont School of Theology, Oakwood University grad.  Natalie Bruzon, journalist, editor, and mom of two young kids, Union College grad.  Trudy Morgan-Cole, noted historical fiction book author and recently retired educator, Andrews University grad.  Makayla Mattocks, poet, editor, Oakwood University grad. Ella Quijada, a writer and undergraduate studying science at Southern Adventist University

In this conversation on the Podly Women podcast, author Trudy J. Morgan-Cole and Sofia Lindgren, office manager of SPECTRUM Magazine, join journalist Natalie Bruzon to discuss her recently published Substack article, “I’m Sorry, but It Is Porn.” The three women explore the impact of romance literature, what makes content pornographic, and how to safeguard children against the prevalence and normalization of explicit content.

Ezrica Bennett [author of the recent hit article, “Thirty, Single, and Feeling (Pluri)Potent”] hosts a wide-ranging conversation on singleness, church culture, purity messaging, and what it means to build a meaningful life outside the “marriage as finish line” narrative. Joined by Natalie Bruzon, Trudy J. Morgan-Cole, and Ella Quijada, the group talks candidly about the pressure cooker of Adventist dating culture, the ways purity culture can distort intimacy and consent, and how women’s friendships and broader community can offer deep, sustaining love. Across generations and life stages, they wrestle with grief, freedom, and the ongoing work of “doing something while you wait”—not as waiting for a spouse, but as living fully in the present, with agency and spiritual depth. Ezrica Bennett graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology from Oakwood University. She has worked as a book editor for the Loma Linda University School of Medicine and has written for the Adventist Review and the Southeastern California Conference. She is a writer, public speaker, and coach, passionate about working with young adults to help them navigate life and faith, and a youth elder at the Loma Linda University Church.  Natalie Bruzon is a web producer for SPECTRUM, editor of SPECTRUM'S short news section, The Current, and the managing editor of the SPECTRUM journal. Her writing explores religion, politics, and life inside (and just outside) Adventism.  Trudy Morgan-Cole is a writer of historical fiction from St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. She is the author of several works of historical fiction set in Newfoundland, as well as several novels re-imagining Bible stories, including Esther: A Story of Courage, and James, the Brother of Jesus. In 2025, Trudy retired after a forty-year career in education and is now, finally, a full-time writer.  Ella Quijada is a Campus Connect Columnist for Spectrum. She is studying psychology at Southern Adventist University with pre-medical emphasis and triple Spanish, chemistry, and biology minor.

President of Antillean Adventist University Edwin Hernández talks about the new $5 million grant the school received to tell its Christian educational mission, how it connects to the stories of Puerto Rico, and its post-hurricane diaspora in Florida. We also discuss the state of Adventist education, how its institutional identities need to change, and his thoughts on the Super Bowl halftime show featuring Bad Bunny.  Before recently becoming president of Antillean Adventist University, Hernández was the executive director of the Louisville Institute, based out of the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, and served as president and provost at AdventHealth University. His career includes positions as senior program officer at the DeVos Family Foundations, founding director of the Center for the Study of Latino Religion at the University of Notre Dame, program officer at The Pew Charitable Trusts, and assistant professor of sociology at Andrews University. Hernández earned his PhD and MA in sociology of religion from the University of Notre Dame, an MDiv from the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University, and a BA in theological studies from La Sierra University.

In this episode of Adventist Voices I talk with Chris Blake about his book Imagine Life. We explore issues of justice, joy, and creativity that he tells stories about. We also talk about why he doesn’t really care about heaven, preferring to focus on the New Earth, and what the JustLove Collective is doing next.

In season 2 Episode 4, spiritual care practitioner and researcher Zach Hair shares what spiritual care actually is and why it matters. He unpacks the distinction between chaplaincy, pastoral leadership, reflecting on how spiritual care creates a safe space for people of any faith or none to explore meaning, values, grief, and identity. Zach shares his journey from a fundamentalist background and pastoral ministry into healthcare spiritual care, shaped by clinical training, humility, and deep self reflection. In a world where traditional religious language often creates barriers rather than healing, Zach invites listeners to reconsider what it means to be present with one another, and how spiritual care forms us into more grounded, compassionate humans.

In season 2 episode 4, Simone shares her journey from law school to the fitness and consulting world, reflecting on how her third-generation Adventist upbringing shaped, but never confined her path. In speaking about outgrowing traditional Adventist spaces, she candidly shares about her search for intellectual and spiritual openness. Through exploring themes of inclusive community, Adventist identity, and the difference between church membership and authentic spiritual life, Simone reflects on embodiment, self-acceptance, and the mind-body connection. Offering insight into how faith, identity, and lived experience meet in her ongoing journey toward wholeness.

Alexander Carpenter inaugurates Spectrum’s new series on the arts with an interview with filmmaker  Rian Johnson. He directed Star Wars: The Last Jedi and created the Knives Out mystery series on Netflix. Alexander asks the former evangelical about his classic “Fly” episode from Breaking Bad and about all the Catholic iconography in Johnson’s new theologically rich mystery, Wake Up Dead Man.

On Season 2, Episode 2 of Adventist, Eh? Dr. Harry O. Maier, a professor of New Testament & Early Christian Studies at Vancouver School of Theology, shares his journey from aspiring Lutheran pastor to professor. He highlights the importance of early church history in shaping Christian faith, the richness of diverse traditions, and the need to move beyond narrow denominational thinking. Noting how much is lost when 2,000 years of theological conversations are overlooked. One of Dr. Maier's main area of study is the exploration of the Book of Revelation as a message of hope, love, and justice rather than fear. Emphasizes faith as needing to be historically grounded, denominational inclusive, and actively engaging the needs of the world.

Pastor Kimberly shares her journey from growing up as a Canadian Adventist pastor’s daughter with Jamaican roots to creating House of Women, an online ministry that empowers women through biblical storytelling, resilience, and sisterhood. She reflects on the joys and pressures of church life, her shift from traditional ministry into new forms of spiritual leadership, and her commitment to reinterpreting biblical women through her new book, The Sisters Stay Dropping Gems. Rooted in Adventist values yet unafraid to step beyond church walls, Kimberly invites others to embrace healing, creativity, and bold new approaches to ministry.