Growing Up Male in Purity Culture

Sunday School Dropouts

We’re back with another episode from our purity culture mini-series! This week’s guest is RC Curtwright (@deconstructing_exjw on Instagram) who grew up in the Jehovah’s Witness organization and was a poster child of purity culture. In our conversation RC shares some of the long term impacts, mental health issues and shame that he and many other men experienced as a result of purity culture. Before we get into our conversation, Laura answers a listener question and shares a little bit about being a church leader and teaching adolescents about purity culture, thereby having a front row seat to the lived experiences of men and boys. This is an episode you won’t want to miss!

Resources mentioned by RC

Healing CPTSD by Pete Walker

Mating in Captivity by Esther Perel

This podcast is brought to you by the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery: an online trauma coaching company whose practitioners are trauma informed and trauma trained to work with individuals, couples and families who have experienced high control religion, cults, and religious trauma. For more information on the support that CTRR provides, for resources–including courses, workshops, and more–head to traumaresolutionandrecovery.com or follow us on Instagram: @traumaresolutionandrecovery

The views and opinions expressed by Sunday School Dropouts are those of the hosts and not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery. Any of the content provided by our guests, sponsors, authors, or bloggers are their own ideas and opinions.

The Sunday School Dropouts podcast is not anti-religion but it is anti -harm, -power and control, -oppression and, -abuse and will speak to the harmful practices and messaging of fundamentalist groups.

Follow Andrew on Instagram and TikTok @deconstruct_everything

Follow Laura on Instagram and TikTok @drlauraeanderson or on her website: www.drlauraeanderson.com

Hosts:

Laura Anderson and Andrew Kerbs

Music by Benjamin Faye Music @heytherebenji

Editing and Production by Kevin Crowe and can be found at www.kevincrowe.co