This could be a helpful book for pastors, as well as evangelicals recovering from the experiences with purity culture, but beyond that specific audience I don't think the book has much wide appeal. The beginning section, detailing the impact of purity culture more broadly, was interesting, and I would have liked that section to be longer. As someone who grew up in purity culture, the tales of this book felt familiar but not groundbreaking.

Recovering from Purity Culture by Dr. Morgante was not a quick read for me. Rather, it was one I had to slow down and process, because, as a victim of the Purity Culture, I had much to sort through. Dr. Morgante did an exceptional job of bringing me full circle, first by outlining what Purity Culture was and the lies that it promoted. Then, with expert guidance, she walked me through the steps to healing from the teachings of my past. There were times I had to set the book down and cry, times I had to hash things out with my husband, and times I had to analyze my core beliefs. This book was both enlightening and healing, and I cannot recommend it enough for those who have lived through the Purity Culture Era. It is a restorative book that we all need!

I received this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

As someone who did not grow up in the thick of purity culture, I didn’t expect to be impacted by Dr. Camden Morgante’s words in the ways I have. I read through the Damaged Goods Myth chapter and wept good tears.

I love and am in relationship with many folks who did grow up in purity culture, and reading this book gives me context for how to care and make space for them and their stories.

Recovering from Purity Culture is a helpful resource for those who want to befriend their bodies and heal from the bodily-focused shame culture that often affects faith spaces.

I like how Dr Camden make a thorough evaluation for purity culture and help all of us to reconstruct our own sexual ethics.
I really hope that all of you can read such a good book like this.

Let's face it. Purity culture, as a movement, was a great idea in theory. In practice, though...not so much. And the effects have been deeply traumatic for so many. A lot of us are still dealing with the aftereffects of what purity culture taught us, and how wrong it's turned out to be.

Drawing on her own research and experience as a therapist, as well as the research of others, Dr. Morgante takes these effects, and boils them down into the 5 myths of purity culture...and then explains how we can recover from these effects, help to reparent ourselves, and not pass these harmful teachings to the next generation. Personally, the chapter on singleness and sexuality resonated. As a queer, single woman (very much minorities in the church) who grew up in purity culture, a lot of what I was taught as a kid has either harmed, or just isn't applicable, but still had its effects.

It's a great read, and a lot cheaper than actually going to a therapist! If you're a survivor of purity culture, this book is a great start to recovering from it

Dr. Camden expertly (because she's been there and GETS IT) walks you through the process of evaluating purity culture beliefs & its effects, and then reconstructing your OWN sexual ethic so you can make choices aligned with your values and beliefs.

If you struggle with the damaging effects of purity culture or you're picking up broken pieces of your life that you can trace back to those beliefs, or you lived under the dark cloud of sexual abuse and shame... this book is for you. If you're trying to figure out what YOU believe...this book is for you. If you're single, married, or divorced... this book is for you! If you're a parent, this book is for you! Dr. Camden doesn't just give you answers and solutions and tell you what to believe...she walks you through the "how" of searching for the truth yourself so your beliefs will be your own. Gone are the black & white boxes and in their place is a new dialectical approach of considering all the angles, accepting reality, and rewriting old scripts.

Dr. Camden writes that "the myths of purity culture cannot simply be turned off in the mind because the trauma of those teachings is stored in the body. The body keeps the score. Trauma is embodied, meaning we cannot resolve the effects of it simply by changing our beliefs." She weaves her skills as a licensed clinical psychologist into this book, merging the logic of new beliefs with many techniques for supporting our bodies as we heal so we can "live ourselves into a new way of thinking." The end of every chapter contains "Tools for the Journey" — thought records that build on your learning, communication tools, exercises in containment, validation, nonjudgement, affirmation, etc. Many books have sections like this, but these are the most helpful and I've ever come across. They are practical and trauma-informed, and mix truth with therapy perfectly, which I think is rare to find in faith circles... Because you know, faith circles tend to default to boxes instead of dialectical. It's either faith OR therapy... Not both!

Working through this book has been life-giving for me. I'm grateful for an author who gets it and mixes truth and psychology together for a journey to a life free of shame and control.

As someone who has read just about every title available on this topic, I cannot recommend Dr Camden's work enough. I grew up in purity culture and the long term impacts of it nearly destroyed my marriage along with several other relationships. It seems like many of us in this situation have had to look outside our faith communities for resources and help. Dr Camden's work is a gift for those of us who want to retain our faith while also disentangling our lives from the harmful impacts of purity culture.

Her work on the 5 myths of purity culture will be helpful to anyone who grew up in purity culture as they work to untangle the impact of it. It is also the most helpful work I have found for explaining the features of purity culture to people who are unfamiliar with it and the negative/harmful aspects.

One of my favorite things about this book is how practical it is - every chapter includes real life tools, reflection questions, and practices for the journey of recovery.

Sometimes I think I managed to dodge purity culture despite growing up in the church, and then I remember I literally walked in a modesty fashion show as a teen 😂 So yes, as a Christian who came of age in the True Love Waits era, this book resonated with me!

This excellent book harnesses therapeutic techniques to help readers heal from the teachings of toxic purity culture. I really appreciated that each chapter contained practical exercises based on frameworks like dialectical behavioural therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy. I also liked the author’s nonjudgmental attitude. Rather than proscribing a certain sexual ethic or theological outlook, she gives readers the tools they need to clarify their own beliefs, with the understanding that if they land in a different place than she has, that’s OK.

Parents will definitely appreciate the comprehensive section focused on how to talk to kids about sex in a healthy and non-shame-based way. And single Christians will benefit from the many sections that talk about the experience of older singles, which is too often ignored in Christian settings.

Overall, I was very impressed by this book!

Dr. Camden’s Recovering from Purity Culture is a valuable and insightful book! She draws from both personal experiences and professional knowledge to clearly illustrate how purity culture has harmed women in particular and offers guidance on how to recover from it. It’s an important read for anyone who has been exposed to or damaged by purity culture. What I appreciate is that, while Dr. Camden adheres to many conventional Christian values, she doesn’t try to convince you to share her views. Even if you don’t see eye to eye on everything with her, you can still find useful healing tools. Many of her suggestions for overcoming shame and accepting your full self with compassion resonated with me. If you have been negatively impacted by purity culture, this book is a practical resource that can help you start (or continue) the recovery process so you can release shame and live more freely.

Recovering from Purity Culture by Dr. Camden Morgante offers a compassionate and empowering guide for individuals seeking healing from the deep wounds caused by purity culture. Through a blend of personal stories, clinical expertise, and practical exercises, Dr. Morgante helps readers deconstruct harmful myths around sexuality while holding onto their faith. The book provides tools for reclaiming a healthy sexual ethic, free from shame, while encouraging self-compassion and reflection. With a focus on emotional, mental, and spiritual healing, this resource offers a pathway toward freedom, self-acceptance, and growth. Readers will find comfort and validation in Dr. Morgante’s compassionate tone, ensuring they feel supported on this journey of recovery. Highly recommended for anyone ready to heal and reconstruct their faith and sexuality with grace and kindness.

Recovering from Purity Culture is a book about cultural myths that are tied tightly to religion and involve sex.

I had not heard the term purity culture until I saw this book.

It’s a therapeutic-based read to help shine light on the myths and build worthiness, regardless of sex or sexuality.

It goes through different myths and the damage they create.. It also has some tips on how to combat them.

I found it eye opening on a lot of levels.

I also would caution that there are definitely things that could be triggering to the reader around abuse,

It takes a Christian angle and has some religious viewpoint, which is understandable as that is the basis of the book.

What I liked most about it, and what I give my rating for, is the need for society and culture to separate one’s inherent worth from sex or sexuality.

That was well done.

I think there were a lot of interesting points found here. I would have liked to see more on what qualified the author to speak on the subject. I liked the layout of the book, and the different practical points towards healing rather than it just being a bunch of self help healing stories.