Welcome to Misadventures in Purity! I’m so very excited about this project; Purity Culture (and its effects) is something I have been deeply interested in since my undergrad. I actually did my senior thesis project on the topic. Unfortunately, back in 2014 almost *no one* was talking or writing about the subject, which made it very difficult to find any scholarly research to draw from for my project. I couldn’t understand why no one was picking up on this sinister thing that was affecting so many young people, all over the world, from many, many, different cultures and religious traditions. I had seen it in my own community, and experienced it in my own life. Thankfully, in the five years since I wrote my thesis (which was probably terrible and not as well informed as I would like), Purity Culture has come to the forefront of critique, especially in relation to Evangelical Christianity.
So what exactly is Misadventures in Purity all about? I wanted to create a place where stories about dealing with, recovering/healing from, and unlearning Purity Culture, could be shared as a means of healing, and raising awareness. Experiences within Purity Culture, and leaving it behind, effect the body, the mind, the heart, relationships, and communities. Purity Culture allows for abuse to flourish, and bringing attention to how its weaponized to protect abusers and shame the abused is imperative to understanding how to dismantle these toxic systems and the ideologies that create them. This project is meant to be a place for those who have suffered within these systems to share their experiences, and for those still trying to find a way to articulate their fears and experiences, to learn from others.
So, this project is all about YOU; about your thoughts, feelings, experiences. It’s about gender, sexuality, body image, race, all things in between, and how they all intersect within the system of Purity Culture.
All submissions of stories, anecdotes, academic style articles, artwork, poetry, are welcome. They will be reviewed, and possibly edited for clarity and typos. It is completely up to you as to whether you would like to have your name attached to your submission, or to remain anonymous. It is important to make this point clear when you submit your work. The project promises 100% confidentiality, and sensitivity while reviewing and posting content. This is a safe place, and content warnings will be included at the top of every post, so that readers are able to decide if the content is safe for them to engage with or not.
There will also be a Resources section, where there will be links to further reading, articles, books, blogs, Twitter threads, services, etc. So if you write about Purity Culture and would like to be added to the Resource Directory, please let us know!
In addition to the Resource Directory, there will be a compiled glossary of terms, to help “lay” readers to understand the context and meaning of certain terms. If there are any particular terms you think would be important to define, or a specific definition you feel is apt, please let us know.
At its heart, Misadventures in Purity is meant to be a community project, contributed to and shared by you. The project is merely a curation effort for your stories to be heard.
Can’t wait to share your story.
misadventuresinpurity.home.blog 