Purity Culture and Sexual Shame

Linda Kay Klein, author of “Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free,” joins August to discuss evangelical Christianity’s purity culture, long-term effects of its messages (such as women are “stumbling blocks” and responsible for men’s sexual urges) and what healing can look like and bring. August and Dr. Megan Fleming weigh in for a listener who grew up Catholic and learning that masturbation is a sin. Can he move past the shame and feel happier in his otherwise sexless marriage? Sign up for occasional Girl Boner extras by email at augustmclaughlin.com. For the follow up blog with links mentioned in this episode, visit augustmclaughlin.com/blog.