Unpacking the Evangelical Bro Code, Part 2: The Billy Graham Rule Gone Wild

Women told me of the rule being applied to Zoom and Twitter.

We’re continuing the series on the evangelical bro code. We started last week by covering all things money, and the ways churches underpay women for their work, while overpaying men in line with the breadwinner bias.

That lens flare is actually the Holy Spirit monitoring the interaction.

This week we’re talking about all things sex. (Next week we’re talking about bullying, which is fundamentally a misuse of power — so with money, sex, and power, I suppose we’re addressing some very old human problems.)

In the stories women shared with me about the evangelical bro code, several mentioned the Billy Graham Rule. It’s an evergreen topic in evangelical discourse, akin to yoga pants and whether Bathsheba was a rape victim or was basically asking for it. Like those topics, opinions on the Rule fall somewhat predictably along gender lines. I’m sure there are Christian women who abide by it. And I personally know (and am grateful for) men who think the Rule disadvantages female colleagues and si…