The last decade witnessed a sharp turn against the so-called purity culture that emerged in the 1990s American Christian scene. Emphasizing abstinence and exalting virginity, it has since been blamed for promoting unhealthy views of sex and for damaging some of its adherents. Indeed, mockery of purity culture has become a standard trope, even within Christian circles, where it is often decried for causing trauma, that most elastic term in the dictionary of modern victimhood. And apparently it must share blame for lack of sexual agency, rape culture, misogyny, and, of course, racism—without which no list of modern sins is ever complete.
Yet for all the scorn heaped upon it, purity culture is not the most pressing threat today. Even if it proved counterproductive, it is not nearly as dehumanizing as its successor.
Read Full Article »