Sexuality is probably one of the most challenging parts of raising children in the Christian faith. If you are raising a daughter to walk with God, you also need to guard her from common and harmful teachings that may seem biblical. This is a book written for moms and daughters to thoughtfully consider what God desires for women and men.
Based on survey data collected from over 7,000 women, the authors present patterns of how church life may affect young women’s self-esteem and relationship skills. This research confirms the harm of the evangelical purity culture movement since the 1990s. The authors raise this difficult question: “If the church has primed so many women for body image issues, sexual dysfunction, or even abusive marriages, how on earth are Christian moms supposed to raise their daughters?”
Many parents may be challenged to rethink the cultural trends of the evangelical church regarding femininity during the last two decades, and it is a healthy challenge. A younger generation of women should be informed about issues related to toxic masculinity, abuse, and the weaponizing of the Bible.
Take Chapter 8 for example, which makes important points about consent. The authors use statistics to show that common evangelical teachings may erode a teenager’s ability to spot date rape and other forms of sexual coercion.
This book features a Mother-Daughter section with guided discussions and a quiz at the end of each chapter. These questions are designed to facilitate mothers and daughters having fruitful conversations. (Baker Books)
About the Author
Mary Li Ma is a member of Plymouth Heights CRC church in Grand Rapids, Mich. She holds a Ph.D. from Cornell University and now works as a research analyst for a national research center on education equity.