It’s time we started to talk about the danger of purity culture.

Often not talked about, purity culture has become a mainstream part of American ethics and American culture. More than just the traditional warnings against premarital sex, purity culture actually encompasses a large set of beliefs about gender roles, and more specifically a woman's role in the presence of men. Traditional evangelical teachings focus o static family roles. There are countless books about how to raise girls and how to raise boys. To understand American evangelicalism, we must understand how gender is traditionally weaponized through theology and politics to advance a particular worldview that is antithetical to Christ’s teachings.

Purity culture is seen in the way that women are silenced and implicitly made to feel as if their voice isn't as powerful, because women aren't supposed to be powerful.

Purity culture is the way that women are told to constantly police their own bodies lest they become a stumbling block for men.

Purity culture is the way that women are taught to deny their own bodies, not just sexually, but also their mental and physical health in order to support someone else's dreams and desires.

Purity culture is a form of systemic oppression and if we are serious about dismantling white supremacy we also need to be serious about dismantling purity culture.

Many of the dominant teachings in the Evangelical church are teachings that are aligned purity culture and Evangelical patriarchy. What is Evangelical patriarchy? It is the reinforcement of "traditional" gender roles that discuss what a woman's place is in relationship to men backed up by scriptures and biblical teachings.

But did you know that man has been twisting the Bible for his own advancement since this country was formed? There is no basis for evangelical patriarchy in the scripture. Even when talking about Jesus and his disciples there were women who were right there in the company of Jesus. There were women who were doing outreach. Jesus first showed up to women after he rose from the grave and entrusted them with spreading the Good news. Women have always had a crucial place in the salvation and freedom of God's people. Just look at Esther and her bravery and courage that led to the freedom of her people.

So when we talk about evangelical patriarchy -- the teachings that reinforce purity culture and the teachings that make women to feel small and to feel overly emotional and unfit for higher calling, we must understand that these things are not of God. God has called all of us, men *and women* to higher, to do His work, to be ambitious in our pursuits and to make the greatest influence for social good.

Gender is weaponized by certain subsets of the church in a way that is dangerous and demoralizing. This has negative effects on both men and women and we need to start talking about it and actively working against these teachings.

For more information on purity culture, check out @lindakayklein and her book Pure.

#purityculture #endpurityculture #womensrights #genderequity #dismantleoppression