Purity Culture, Sexual Assault, and Christian Colleges: A Toxic Mix

Purity culture, or the expectation that women remain sexually “pure,” is widespread throughout evangelical communities. Purity culture stems from the idea that men are inherently sexual beings and that women are not, placing the burden on women to be the gatekeepers of sexuality in evangelical communities, as well as to “control” the desires of men. Becca Andrews, reporter with Mother Jones Magazine, talks to us about purity culture and sexual assault at Christian colleges, with an in-depth look at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. To better understand what is happening at Christian colleges like Moody Bible Institute, it’s important to first understand Title IX. Any school in the U.S. that accepts federal funding must follow Title IX guidelines, which address discrimination on the basis of gender in educational institutions. Title IX has religious exemptions which allows schools to still follow the broad tenets of Title IX while being able to skirt issues that conflict with their religious beliefs. Betsy DeVos, Secretary of Education during the Trump administration, expanded and broadened these religious exemptions so that any school could claim religious exemption, even if a complaint made it all the way to the Office of Civil Rights at the Department of Education they can retroactively make the religious exemption claim. Moody Bible Institute has a history of Title IX infractions; for example, the school has kept women from participating in pastoral programs up until 2017, and they have also faced claims of discriminatory employee termination. In October of 2020, multiple students from Moody Bible Institute compiled their stories of sexual assault in a Google document, eventually crating a Change.org petition for their school to address its failings. These students were continually dismissed and paternalized by Moody’s dean, felt that the Title IX office mishandled their cases, were not presented with the appropriate resources or support for their cases, and reported that most communications and procedures regarding their cases were held within the context of the school’s deep-rooted purity culture. Becca’s article follows multiple students who bravely shared their stories of assault, abuse, harassment, discrimination, and lack of systemic support from Moody Bible Institute—all of which stems from the rampant purity culture that undergirds the programming and culture at Christian schools. LinksThey Went to Bible College to Deepen Their Faith. Then They Were Assaulted—and Blamed for It.Becca Andrews on TwitterBecFor more information, check out: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/cbc-podcasts/2058-two-blocks-from-the-white-houseSupport the showFollow Us on Social: Twitter: @rePROsFightBack Instagram: @reprosfbFacebook: rePROs Fight Back Bluesky: @reprosfightback.bsky.socialBuy rePROs Merch: Bonfire store Email us: [email protected] and Review on Apple PodcastThanks for listening & keep fighting back!