Foc 152: Purity Culture, Shame, and Living in the Light of Grace with Rachel Bulman

We are thrilled to be joined by the lovely Rachel Bulman to talk about the weird trend of the 90s that we were all influenced by: purity culture. Rachel wrote a wonderful piece for the Word on Fire blog recently about purity culture’s failings and the importance of understanding a richer view of the human person, our bodies, and our sexuality in the writings of Pope St. John Paul II. So we were eager to unpack her insights and discuss!

Rachel Bulman is a writer, speaker, and retreat leader. She frequently writes for the Word on Fire blog and CatholicMom.com, and her first book will be published with Our Sunday Visitor next year titled “Becoming Wife: Self-Gift in Matrimony”. She has also contributed to two books which will be published with Ignatius Press and Ave Maria Press this year and has essays published in the Word on Fire Institute Theological Journal. She is married and has four children with two more on the way (twins!!!). 

In this episode we dive into the damage that the twisted theology of purity culture does (particularly to women) and the kind of messaging we heard as teenagers. We talk about what we can replace those warped ideas with when we discuss sexuality and intimacy with our children and how to instill ideas of value, dignity, and belovedness. Rachel has so many great insights and we know you’re just going to love this episode!

So grab a cup of tea and enjoy the conversation!

Sponsor

Today’s episode is sponsored by House of Joppa, a Catholic gift shop that exists to share the beauty of our Catholic faith in our homes through a variety of home decor pieces, Catholic art, Saint candles, statues, paper goods and beautifully crafted jewelry.  

Why House of Joppa?

“What’s in a name?” as Shakespeare so famously asked.  House of Joppa is rooted in scripture.

Acts 9:36-42 tells the story of a faithful disciple named Tabitha from Joppa who was known for her good works and helping the poor.  In a few short verses, Scripture tells us the miraculous story of how Tabitha died and was raised to life again by St. Peter.  The story spread throughout the region and “many believed in the Lord.”  

House of Joppa is designed to inspire you to live your faith boldly in a world in such desperate need of beauty and that by doing so, many will come to believe in our Lord!

About Our Products

Every House of Joppa product is curated from artisans throughout the world, many of whom share our Catholic faith. They make wonderful gifts for special occasions or to simply raise the spirits of a friend who needs a little reminder of their faith.

Head on over to House of Joppa and get 15% off with discount code CARROTS15

Connect with Rachel:

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