Talking Back to Purity Culture (Rachel Joy Welcher)

Description Product Details Talking Back to Purity Culture Rediscovering Faithful Christian Sexuality It’s time to talk back. The generation born into evangelical purity culture has grown up, and many have started families of their own. But as time goes on, it’s becoming more evident that many still struggle with purity culture’s complicated legacy—its idolization of virginity, its mixed messages about modesty and lust, and its promise of a healthy marriage and great sex for those who follow the rules. In Talking Back to Purity Culture, Rachel Joy Welcher reviews the movement carefully, examining its teachings through the lens of Scripture. Compassionate, faithful, and wise, she charts a path forward for Christians in the ongoing debates about sexuality—one that rejects legalism and license alike, steering us back instead to the good news of Jesus. It’s time to talk back to purity culture—and this book is ready to jump-start the conversation. About the Author Rachel Joy Welcher (MLit, University of St. Andrews) is a columnist and editor at magazine. She is the author of two books of poetry.  Rachel lives in Glenwood, Iowa, with her husband, Evan, who serves as pastor of Vine Street Bible Church in that city. Contents Foreword by Scott Sauls Introduction: It’s Time to Talk Back 1) From Rings and Pledges to Conversation in Community 2) The Idolization of Virginity 3) Female Responsibilities 4) Male Purity and the Rhetoric of Lust 5) First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage 6) Problems with the Promise of Sex 7) What the Sexually Abused Hear 8) Submitting to God’s Sexual Ethic as Embodied Souls 9) What Will We Tell our Children? 10) Purity Culture Moving Forward