Rebuilding a Sexual Ethic after Purity Culture

A conversation with Dr. Camden Morgante, author of the new book "Recovering from Purity Culture."

Five years ago, I wrote an essay for The New York Times about the collapse of purity culture for a generation of evangelicals, and the longing for a robust sexual ethic in its wake. In response, I predictably got it from both sides. Lori Alexander, aka The Transformed Wife (TM), concluded that “Ms. Beaty has fallen into the same game that the lukewarm Church wants to play with concerning sin.” Meanwhile, several commenters on the NYT page pitied me for being brainwashed by religion. I also received emails from men I don’t know encouraging me to freeze my eggs.

Photo by Yoann Boyer on Unsplash

We’re now arguably a decade into the deconstruction of purity culture, as many adults who grew up in evangelical churches grapple with lingering shame, unfulfilled promises (if you save sex for marriage, then God will give you a spouse, lots of great sex, lots of obedient children, and tickets to the Eras Tour), and warped views of the opposite gender. Several books, including Linda Kay Klein’s Pu…