In this episode of the Ex-Homeschoolers Club, we’re wrapping up our four-part series on Joshua Harris’s controversial book I Kissed Dating Goodbye. In this final installment, I dissect Part Four, “Now What?”, where Harris outlines his vision for marriage, intimacy, and what he calls “principled romance.” I share personal stories of feeling pressured to marry young, highlight the contradictions in Harris’s teachings on intimacy, and reflect on how purity culture created lasting shame around sex and relationships. If you’ve been following the series, this episode ties it all together and calls out the damaging legacy of purity culture.

Key Takeaways:

• Why young Christians felt pressured to marry quickly and “redeem the time.”
• Harris’s inconsistent and harmful ideas on intimacy.
• The damaging effects of modesty culture and gender stereotypes.
• How parental control undermined personal agency in relationships.
• The lasting shame purity culture instilled around sex and marriage.

Resources Mentioned:

• I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris

Previous podcast episodes in this series

• Part 1: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5FUQajXv6SLZzwpQfkwE89?si=8b13dae4bd2f49b6 
• Part 2: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7eYDn78AVImTRde8Igfr9d?si=90b6d63245b74df5 
• Part 3: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4tlrZ8S9T2VjwNJJp8SuxO?si=e6b8022f3fb34db1 

If this episode resonated with you, make sure to subscribe to the Ex-Homeschoolers Club on your favorite podcast app, leave a review to share your thoughts, and join the discussion in our community at r/ExHomeschoolersClub. Let’s continue unpacking the impact of purity culture together.