Ep. 20: Sexuality and the Church with Rachel Joy Welcher [you + me series]
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ABOUT THE EPISODE
In episode 20, Sarah talks with Rachel Joy Welcher, author of Talking Back to Purity Culture: Rediscovering Faithful Christian Sexuality. Rachel shares how pervasive views on sexuality within the church in the early 2000s shaped her expectations as a teen and young woman, but when those expectations didn’t pan out, she was left asking big questions about sexual purity and following Jesus. In this conversation, Sarah and Rachel talk about purity culture, how sexuality impacts our relationships, navigating unmet desires, how to have good dialogue about sexuality within the church, and more.
MEET THE GUEST
Rachel Joy Welcher (MLit, University of St. Andrews) is a columnist and editor at Fathom magazine. She is the author of two books of poetry: Blue Tarp and Two Funerals, Then Easter. Her writing has appeared in Fathom Magazine, The Gospel Coalition, Mere Orthodoxy, Relevant, and The Englewood Review of Books. Her book, Talking Back to Purity Culture: Rediscovering Faithful Christian Sexuality, released from InterVarsity Press in November 2020. She lives in Glenwood, Iowa, with her husband, Evan. You can read more from Rachel at RachelJWelcher.com or connect with her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
EPISODE NOTES
Fathom magazine
I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris (Note: Since writing this book, the author Joshua Harris has since issued a statement pulling his support from many of the premises in this book and asked to halt publication. You can find his statement HERE.)
True Love Waits movement (currently housed & reintroduced programming through LifeWay)
Silver Ring Thing (now Unaltered Ministries)
Jane the Virgin (a CW television series available through Netflix)
The Path of Loneliness: Finding Your Way through the Wilderness with God by Elisabeth Elliott
A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows through Loss by Jerry Sittser
Enneagram (Rachel mentions she identifies as a Type 2, but to find out more about the Enneagram, check out episode 18 with Drew Moser or visit the Enneagram Institute website.)
What Rachel is reading:
The Inner Voice of Love: A Journey through Anguish to Freedom by Henri Nouwen
Christ and Calamity: Grace & Gratitude in the Darkest Valley by Harold L. Senkbeil
