I’ve written and spoken a lot this year. Here is a summary of what I’ve been up to in 2021:
• In January, I wrote about Brian D. Ray, the most well-known researcher on homeschooling outcomes. Ray, who later in 2021 was accused of abuse by his oldest child, has long promoted books linked to child abuse and deaths.
• In March, I published an expose on the Christian Nationalism of HSLDA founder and ADF president Michael Farris. I also released my recommendations for establishing cultural competence with evangelical homeschoolers.
• In April, I spoke with Dr. Chrissy Stroop for Religion Dispatches about how, all too often, evangelical abuse prevention is cosmetic rather than transformative, made to mitigate a current situation of abuse instead of creating a truly safe environment.
• In May, I wrote about how evangelical homeschoolers in the United States plan to take over the world through the Global Home Education Exchange (GHEX). I appeared on three podcasts to discuss my “How Homeschoolers Plan to Take Over the World” article: State of Belief, Straight White American Jesus, and MindShift.
• In June, I organized a protest with Calvary Chapel Watch of Family Research Council president Tony Perkins when he spoke at Calvary Chapel San Jose. Multiple news agencies covered the protest, including the San Jose Mercury News and the San Francisco Chronicle.
• In September, I spoke and wrote for Straight White American Jesus and Religion Dispatches about the influence of evangelicalism on Britney Spears’s life and conservatorship, focusing on the role of Lou Taylor and her connection to the Calvary Chapel network.
• In October, I wrote about my undergraduate senior thesis advisor Jack Crabtree’s embrace of Q Anon and other conspiracy theories.
• In November, I reviewed the film “God’s Not Dead 4: We The People” for Religion Dispatches, looking at the film series’ persecution complex regarding homeschooling. I also reviewed Alex and Brett Harris’s book Do Hard Things.
• In December, I wrote and spoke for Religion Dispatches and State of Belief about how overturning Roe v. Wade endangers family privacy rights, including rights cherished by evangelicals such as homeschooling and religious schooling.
It’s been quite a year! I also signed with an amazing book agent, David R. Morris, to help me publish my upcoming books on child liberation theology and evangelical homeschooling. Thanks to everyone for the love and support throughout the year. Happy New Year!