Author Talk: Spare the Rod and Debunk the Lies

Authors will chat about their books … upcoming and new. One’s a thriller; the other is debunks Christian nationalist history. What the books have in common is a view of topics advocated by the Christian right. Our guests include M. Dolon Hickmon and Chris Rodda.  Due to space limits here, please visit our official show page for more details about our guests, their sites and books.

When it comes to disciplining children, some Bible-believing Christians believe that they should spank their children into submission and break their “rebellious” spirits.  This is a tough subject that M. Dolon Hickmon is addressing in an unusual way … via thriller fiction.  Hickmon is raising funds for his book, 13:24 – A Story of Faith and Obsession.  An abuse survivor and an advocate for children’s rights, Dolon has lobbied successfully for county-level school corporal punishment reform, ensuring that parents in rural districts have the right to choose which adults may physically punish their children. He's volunteered with young adults at a close-custody prison, sharing his experiences of successfully moving past a violent upbringing.

Another activist – but in a different sphere – is Chris Rodda, well-known for her work in debunking the historical myths promulgated by Christian nationalists.  The senior research director for the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, her work appears in a number of popular blogs.  She’s been on radio and TV interviews nationwide.  Her latest installment of series of books, Debunking David Barton’s Jefferson Lies: #5 – Jefferson Advocated a Secular Public Square, was published this month.