C. S. Lewis defines Christian chastity as either complete faithfulness within marriage or total abstinence outside of it, a standard he finds unpopular due to its perceived difficulty and conflict with our instincts. He distinguishes this from social propriety, which varies with culture and time, arguing that outward modesty doesn't necessarily equate to inner chastity.

Lewis believes the human sexual instinct is currently disordered and excessive compared to its biological purpose of procreation, illustrating this with his analogy of an absurd societal fascination with merely seeing food, mirroring our culture's focus on sexual display. He refutes the idea that this focus stems from "sexual starvation," pointing to increased opportunities for and acceptance of sexual activity.

Desiring chastity is particularly challenging today due to pervasive pro-unchastity propaganda, the feeling that resisting desires is unnatural, the belief that chastity is impossible, and misunderstandings about psychological "repression," which Lewis clarifies is different from conscious suppression.

Despite the difficulty, Lewis outlines several benefits of striving for chastity, including developing important habits of the soul, fostering dependence on God, and significantly enhancing self-awareness by forcing a deeper understanding of one's desires. He emphasizes that while important, unchastity is not the worst sin, with spiritual sins like pride being far more damaging in the Christian moral framework.

Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian

Patreon: patreon.com/edi_reformed