Purity Culture arose in the 90’s but had faded at the end of the 2000s. Stressing abstinence as a route to personal salvation, it advocated “virginity pledges,” “purity balls” where daughters made such pledges and fathers pledged to protect them. Dr. Kathryn House uses her expertise in Theology & Sexuality to catch us up with Purity Culture today.
When you think “white evangelical purity culture,” you might think of campaigns like “True Love Waits,” virginity pledges, promise rings, or so-called “purity balls.” Since the 1990s, scholars and ex-evangelicals have studied this emergent culture and the effects it has on its adherents. What forms does purity culture take today and how is it evolving in response to social trends?
On Tuesday, June 10, at 6:30pm CT, join us for the next installment of our public lecture series with Assistant Professor Rev. Kathryn House. Considering Purity Culture Now: Iterations, Impacts, and Interventions will focus on the past twenty years of scholarship about white evangelical purity culture, outlining what purity campaigns look like today and how progressive theology can both disrupt this ideology and build less harmful alternatives.
This online lecture is free and open to the public. We look forward to seeing you there!
