To continue our conversation of legalism that becomes cultish, we brought on Rachel Joy Welcher who wrote a book on the purity culture movement. Rachel is Gretchen's book editor for a current writing project. However, she's an author and poet in her own right. Her book "Talking Back to Purity Culture" looks at the history of how we got here, and steps back from a reactionary way of doing theology, and looks back to where the movement lost the message of Christ.

She talks about untangling truth from lies, while not compromising on holding fast to scripture. She shares how the abstinance education went into schools, removing Christ from the conversation, as the message became God's law without any redemption.

We talk about reading books in community, and having healthy conversations in families and churches, rather than handing everyone a book and hoping for the best.

Show Notes:

• Support the Podcast Network Fundraiser

• 1517 Podcasts

• The 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts

• 1517 on Youtube

What's New from 1517:

• The New Quest for Paul and His Reading of the Old Testament by Timo Laato

• Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment by Bradley Gray

More from the hosts:

• Gretchen Ronnevik

• Katie Koplin

More from our guest:

• Rachel Joy Welcher's substack
• Evan Welcher's substack