‘Demonic oppression’ and ‘girly convos’: the podcast wooing young women back to Christianity
Girls Gone Bible is on tour in the US, touting a regressive ideal of femininity through discussions of abstinence and mental health struggles At first glance, the crowd gathering outside a music venue in Red Bank, New Jersey, could have passed for a group of sorority rush hopefuls – or Ella Langley fans on their way to the country star’s show. Most of them were under the age of 30. They wore…
The Girls Gone Bible tour is making the rounds in the United States, promoting an outdated notion of womanhood through conversations about abstinence and mental health challenges. In Red Bank, New Jersey, a crowd of under-30 women, dressed in cowboy boots, sundresses, and styled hair, gathered outside a music venue, identifiable by their Bibles.
The podcast, hosted by Angela Halili and Arielle Reitsma, is often marketed as a conservative alternative to secular, sexual content. They offer "girly conversations" on topics like dating, sobriety, and insecurity, paralleling those found on Alex Cooper's Call Her Daddy show. However, unlike Cooper, the Girls Gone Bible hosts do not invite religious figures to explain their beliefs or blame the attention economy on Satan.
Since launching in 2023, the Girls Gone Bible has amassed over 1 million Instagram followers and ranks 42nd for the religion and spirituality genre on Spotify. Their Revival tour started in April, touring the east coast, Alabama, Tennessee, and California. Hosts Angela Halili, 30, and Arielle Reitsma, 36, describe themselves as "two imperfect girls serving an absolutely perfect God," despite not having strong religious backgrounds or being married.
They both became Christians following personal crises. The podcast's popularity led to appearances on Fox News segments and a prayer at Donald Trump's 2025 inauguration. Despite their seemingly approachable persona, the hosts' goal is to bring women back to a faith that increasingly denigrates their rights and freedoms. Young women under 30 are rejecting organized religion at a record rate, with 40% claiming no affiliation in 2023, up from 29% in 2013.
This trend may be due to the rise of Christian nationalism under Trump's administration. However, the Girls Gone Bible has gained traction among women who can separate the personal and political aspects of their faith.
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