Samantha Stephenson| The Dr. J Show
Samantha Stephenson is a Catholic wife and homeschooling mother of four, host of the podcast “Brave New Us,” and author of Reclaiming Motherhood from a Culture Gone Mad and the Mama Prays devotional. Listen to Brave New Us, a podcast exploring bioethics in the light of faith, or catch up on her blog Mama Prays. And be sure to sign up for the Brave New Us: Faith + Bioethics Newsletter to receive the latest updates on medical research, technology, and culture.
Samantha Stephenson is a Catholic wife and homeschooling mother of four, host of the podcast “Brave New Us,” and author of Reclaiming Motherhood from a Culture Gone Mad and the Mama Prays devotional. Listen to Brave New Us, a podcast exploring bioethics in the light of faith, or catch up on her blog Mama Prays. And be sure to sign up for the Brave New Us: Faith + Bioethics Newsletter to receive the latest updates on medical research, technology, and culture.
00:00 Exploring the Inspiration Behind the Book
03:34 The Importance of Fiction in Spiritual Reflection
06:37 Understanding Temptations in Modern Motherhood
09:30 The Role of Relationships in Temptation
12:35 Differentiating Between the Screwtape Letters and Bellbind Letters
15:40 The Impact of Marriage and Parenthood on Identity
18:18 Navigating Loss and Miscarriage in Faith
21:23 The Demonic Perspective on Human Struggles
25:22 The Nature of Suffering and Divine Trust
27:35 The Struggle with Fertility and the Devil’s Hatred
29:45 The Symbolism of Temptation and Control
31:23 The Gnostic Influence and the Body’s Reality
33:17 The Metaphor of Weeds and Spiritual Growth
35:35 The Power of Names and Symbolism in Temptation
37:39 The Journey of Writing and Personal Growth
42:28 Seasons of Life and the Role of Women
46:30 Final Thoughts and Resources
47:56 Thanks for watching_click for ebook (1).mp4
Samantha’s book, Reclaiming Motherhood from a Culture Gone Mad: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1681927756/
Samantha’s article, “Birth Control Nearly Killed Me”:
https://naturalwomanhood.org/cant-take-birth-control-i-use-a-fam-instead/?mc_cid=6d85a495ef
Samantha’s podcast, “Brave New Us”:
https://www.snstephenson.com/brave-new-us-podcast-1
Samantha’s blog “Mama Prays”:
https://www.snstephenson.com/mama-prays
Samantha’s FemCatholic Posts:
https://www.femcatholic.com/people/samantha-stephenson
Samantha’s books and articles:
https://www.snstephenson.com/writing
Samantha’s Faith + Bioethics Newsletter:
https://www.faithandbioethics.com/
The Bellbind Letters:
The Bellbind Letters: Inside the Devil’s Plan for Your Motherhood – Kindle edition by Stephenson, Samantha N.. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
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Transcript
(Please note the transcript is auto-generated and likely contains errors)
Ruth Institute (00:39)
Samantha Stevenson, welcome to The Dr. J Show.
Samantha (00:43)
Thank you so much for having me.
Ruth Institute (00:45)
Well, I’m excited about your new book. You were a guest of mine about three years ago for your first book. And this new book of yours is very clever and creative. It’s inspired by *The Screwtape Letters* by C.S. Lewis. What made you want to revisit his idea of demons writing letters to each other as a way to make a point?
Samantha (01:11)
My husband and I reread *The Screwtape Letters* every Lent—or at least we try to. It’s become part of our shared language. We’ll even jokingly say, “That sounds like Screwtape talking,” when we challenge each other.
I was once invited to write a testimony for a Catholic women’s conference about why someone should attend. Instead of listing reasons to go, I thought about all the excuses people make not to—“I’m too busy,” “I’m too tired,” and so on. So I wrote a Screwtape-style letter about how the enemy might tempt someone away from something spiritually beneficial.
That idea grew. I started noting different temptations in everyday life, especially in conversations with other women. Eventually, I realized I wanted to develop it into a full book.
Ruth Institute (03:34)
Why do you think this format still works so well today?
Samantha (03:51)
Because it helps us examine our conscience in a disarming way. It’s often difficult to look honestly at ourselves. But fiction allows us to see these patterns from the outside.
Even though times change, the human heart doesn’t change much. Our temptations are similar—they just appear in new forms. Fiction helps us recognize ourselves in the story without feeling attacked.
Ruth Institute (06:22)
It’s easier to see faults in others than in ourselves. This format lets readers recognize themselves indirectly.
Samantha (06:10)
Exactly. It builds empathy and awareness without triggering shame. Instead of hiding from our weaknesses, we can acknowledge them and seek grace.
Ruth Institute (07:36)
Who is the “patient” in your book?
Samantha (08:22)
The patient is a Catholic mother trying to live faithfully. So the temptations focus on motherhood, relationships, and modern challenges like technology.
Ruth Institute (09:53)
What are some key temptations you explore?
Samantha (10:31)
A lot revolve around relationships—friendships, marriage, motherhood. For example:
– Gossip and lack of vulnerability in friendships
– Misinterpreting others’ intentions negatively
– Struggles with difficult family members
– Parenting pressures and identity issues
Ruth Institute (13:08)
How does your book differ from *The Screwtape Letters*?
Samantha (13:12)
Lewis focused more on societal and intellectual temptations. My book focuses more on relational temptations, especially those common to women and mothers.
Ruth Institute (17:51)
You write about marriage being distorted. Can you explain?
Samantha (19:06)
The culture teaches that marriage should fulfill us completely. That leads us to expect our spouse to meet needs only God can fulfill. This creates frustration and harm in relationships.
Ruth Institute (20:25)
If you expect your spouse to be God, you destroy both the relationship and your understanding of God.
Samantha (20:31)
Exactly.
Ruth Institute (23:11)
You also address suffering, like miscarriage.
Samantha (24:54)
Yes. The temptation in suffering is to mistrust God. But suffering can also draw us closer to Him. The enemy tries to prevent that by planting doubt and resentment.
Ruth Institute (28:49)
You also explore fertility and control.
Samantha (29:19)
Yes. There’s a temptation to control fertility completely—either by demanding children or rejecting them. Both reflect a deeper struggle with trust in God.
Ruth Institute (31:23)
Explain the symbolism of your characters.
Samantha (31:49)
The tempter is named Bellbind, a weed that looks beautiful but strangles other plants and is hard to remove—just like temptation.
The senior demon is Boomslang, a venomous snake. Its bite requires a full blood transfusion to survive, symbolizing our need for Christ’s saving grace.
Ruth Institute (38:22)
Did writing from a demon’s perspective affect you?
Samantha (38:50)
It actually strengthened my faith. Seeing how much evil opposes good made me more committed to pursuing what is holy.
Ruth Institute (42:20)
Tell us about your work in bioethics.
Samantha (42:30)
I explore ethical questions about emerging technologies—genetics, reproductive tech, and what it means to be human. I also host a podcast called *Brave New Us*.
Ruth Institute (47:01)
Any final thoughts?
Samantha (47:01)
Be intentional with your attention. What we focus on shapes our lives. Thank you for spending your time with us.
Ruth Institute (47:33)
Samantha Stevenson, thank you for joining us.
Samantha (47:50)
Thank you so much.
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