Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free
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“Takes us inside religious purity culture as only one who grew up in it can. [Klein] shows us how . . . shaming works within a religious movement.” —Gloria Steinem
In the 1990s, a “purity industry” emerged out of evangelical Christian culture. Purity rings, purity pledges, and purity balls came with a dangerous message: any expression of a girl’s sexuality could reflect the corruption of her character. This message traumatized many girls—resulting in anxiety, fear, and experiences that mimicked the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder—and trapped them in a cycle of shame.
This is the sex education Linda Kay Klein grew up with.
Klein broke up with her high school boyfriend because she thought God told her to and took pregnancy tests despite being a virgin, terrified that any sexual activity would be punished by an out-of-wedlock pregnancy. When the youth pastor of her church was convicted of sexual enticement of a twelve-year-old girl, Klein began to question purity-based sexual ethics. Her inquiries became a twelve-year quest that took her across the country and into the lives of women raised in similar religious communities—a journey that facilitated her own healing and led her to churches that are seeking a new way to reconcile sexuality and spirituality.
Pure is an “emotionally true account” (The Cut) of the role the purity industry played in maintaining society’s subjugation of women. Offering a prevailing message of hope, “Pure emboldens us to escape toxic misogyny and experience a fresh breath of freedom” (Glennon Doyle, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Love Warrior).
“Timely and relevant, particularly in the age of Trump and #MeToo.” —Kirkus Reviews
In the 1990s, a “purity industry” emerged out of evangelical Christian culture. Purity rings, purity pledges, and purity balls came with a dangerous message: any expression of a girl’s sexuality could reflect the corruption of her character. This message traumatized many girls—resulting in anxiety, fear, and experiences that mimicked the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder—and trapped them in a cycle of shame.
This is the sex education Linda Kay Klein grew up with.
Klein broke up with her high school boyfriend because she thought God told her to and took pregnancy tests despite being a virgin, terrified that any sexual activity would be punished by an out-of-wedlock pregnancy. When the youth pastor of her church was convicted of sexual enticement of a twelve-year-old girl, Klein began to question purity-based sexual ethics. Her inquiries became a twelve-year quest that took her across the country and into the lives of women raised in similar religious communities—a journey that facilitated her own healing and led her to churches that are seeking a new way to reconcile sexuality and spirituality.
Pure is an “emotionally true account” (The Cut) of the role the purity industry played in maintaining society’s subjugation of women. Offering a prevailing message of hope, “Pure emboldens us to escape toxic misogyny and experience a fresh breath of freedom” (Glennon Doyle, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Love Warrior).
“Timely and relevant, particularly in the age of Trump and #MeToo.” —Kirkus Reviews
- Title: Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free
- Author: Linda Kay Klein
- Publisher: Atria Books
- Print Publication Date: 2024
- Logos Release Date: 2024
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781501124839, 9781501124822, 150112482X, 1501124838
- Resource ID: LLS:9781501124839
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-08-23T11:43:01Z
Linda Kay Klein has spent her career working at the cross section of faith, gender, sexuality, and social change. She is the founder of Break Free Together. A Midwesterner at heart, she now lives in New York City with her family.