Sex does not have to start with desire, at least according to conservative commentator Alex Clark's Wife School. Those are among the lessons in conservative commentator Alex Clark's Wife School, a five-part podcast series exploring what it means to be a submissive Christian wife. Its opening episode carries the blunt title 'Sex Isn't Optional'.
The expectations do not stop in the bedroom. From household responsibilities to how women should speak to their partners, the series presents a marriage model built around traditional Christian gender roles. Clark, who hosts Turning Point USA's Culture Apothecary podcast, brought in married Christian women to share their advice, covering everything from keeping intimacy alive to knowing when to let husbands take the lead.
What Is Alex Clark's 'Wife School' Actually Teaching?
Clark launched Wife School on 1 September 2026 through her Culture Apothecary podcast, inviting Christian women to share marriage advice with her audience. The series covers everything from intimacy and household responsibilities to managing disagreements without challenging a husband's leadership. Rather than focusing on wedding planning or relationship aesthetics, the episodes examine how traditional Christian gender roles play out in everyday married life.
Her first guest, Tilly Dillehay, is a mother of four and pastor's wife who runs a separate six-week online course also called Wife School. Clark acknowledged borrowing the name for her podcast series after discovering Dillehay's programme. The course offers video lessons and worksheets built around biblical marriage principles, while Clark's version takes the form of conversations with different guests.
Sex, Even When Wives Aren't in the Mood
One of the more striking discussions came when Clark asked Dillehay about her belief that healthy marriages should not treat sex as optional. Dillehay referenced 1 Corinthians 7, a Bible passage describing the responsibilities spouses have towards each other's bodies. She argued that couples should maintain regular sexual intimacy and that women could sometimes choose to have sex before feeling desire.
Clark also raised the question of consent, asking whether the teaching suggested that consent did not exist within marriage. Dillehay rejected that interpretation, explaining, 'I'm talking about you offering yourself freely to your husband.' She described sex as something both partners should enjoy and said maintaining intimacy could require effort during different stages of marriage.
Her advice centres on choosing intimacy rather than being forced into it, although consent remains necessary regardless of marital status. According to the US anti-sexual violence organisation RAINN, consent must be freely given and cannot be obtained through pressure or coercion. Marriage does not remove either partner's right to refuse sexual activity.
Submission Doesn't Stop at the Bedroom
The conversation also moved into parenting, where Clark discussed what would happen if she and Voetberg disagreed about raising their future children. She said that if they could not reach an agreement, 'then I have to defer to him'. The statement reflected the couple's approach to marriage, in which the husband would ultimately lead on unresolved family decisions.
Another example involved a mother who wanted to continue co-sleeping with her children despite her husband's objections. Dillehay advised the woman to follow her husband's lead, noting that fathers also have a say in parenting decisions. She encouraged wives to communicate their concerns while supporting their husbands' direction for the family.
The next three episodes explored homemaking, faith and navigating difficult periods in marriage, with guests including Katie Voetberg, Alisa Childers and Megan Basham. Clark ended the series on 17 September by revealing that she had secretly married health writer Vance Voetberg on 29 August. What began as marriage preparation for the podcaster became four lessons in traditional Christian marriage and a wedding reveal, covering everything from sexual intimacy to who makes the final decision at home.
