Sex, Love, and Purity Culture: A New Spectrum Conversation
On February 14, Spectrum’s brand new Youth Group podcast launches a limited video series on sex, love, and purity culture. It features Spectrum staff and contributing writers, including Sofia Lindgren, Christina Cannon, Ezrica Bennett, Kendra Arsenault, Ari Bates.
The first episode explores the personal effects of purity culture, a movement that focused on teaching young adults that premarital sex harmed them spiritually, mentally, physically, emotionally, and socially. They share their experiences in how that message actually affected them.
Later episodes discuss the political history of the purity movement and explore healthier models for relationships.
Kendra Arsenault has created multiple podcasts. She studied International Development & African American Studies at UCLA and earned an MDiv from Andrews University.
Ari Bates studied theology at Southern Adventist University and runs a media company in Portland, Oregon.
Ezrica Bennett graduated with a BS in biology from Oakwood University. She recently received a grant from Princeton University for her work with young adults at Loma Linda University Church.
Christina Cannon studied at Wycliffe Hall at the University of Oxford and graduated in 2023 with a BA in History and in the Scholar’s Program at Southern Adventist University.
Sofia Lindgren graduated in 2023 with a BA in Business Administration from Pacific Union College. She is Spectrum’s Office Manager.
Melodie Roschman has a PhD in English from the University of Colorado, Boulder (2022), where she wrote her dissertation: “Identity, Counternarrative, and Community in Progressive Christian Women’s Memoir.” She is a graduate of the J. N. Andrews Honors program at Andrews University, where she earned a BA in English and Journalism (2015).
