Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free

by Linda Kay Klein

Generally speaking, purity culture excuses male sexuality and amplifies female sexuality, and it shames consensual sexual activity and silences nonconsensual sexual activity.

church views men as animals with no agency. The whole ‘as a girl it’s your

stop

abuse.” *

But she talks about being raised in the Mormon church [where purity culture also thrives] and feeling like she was worthless because she was no longer a virgin after the rape.”

where you’re no longer of value? Where you’re no longer as good as anybody else?4

church has become just such a

“Evangelicalism here is about purity culture: you don’t have sex; you have to

wear these clothes; you only listen to this music; you only watch these movies.