Non-Toxic Masculinity and Responding to Purity Culture: Zach Wagner

Zach Wagner is a writer, researcher, ordained minister, and is currently pursuing a DPhil (PhD) in New Testament studies at the University of Oxford. He also serves as the editorial director of the Center for Pastor Theologians, where he co-hosts the CPT Podcast. His first book, Non-Toxic Masculinity: Recovering Healthy Male Sexuality, was published in 2023 with Intervarsity Press and is the topic of our conversation. In this episode, we talk about the pros and (mostly) cons of purity culture, explicit and implicit messaging from that movement, the damage its done, and what healthy male sexuality looks like.
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[@laurenh19]

Seems like this conversation can be summed up as, “Use discretion and wisdom that’s developed through growing in relationship with the Lord instead of requiring hard and fast, black and white rules to keep yourself from sinning.” And I couldn’t agree more! Similar to Zach’s comment on developing maturity with sexual ethics, newer believers may need more external boundaries in place, but as a person’s faith matures that shouldn’t continue to be a hard and fast requirement. This also relates to Hebrews discussion of believers still requiring milk when they should be moving on to solid food. Anyway, great discussion!

[@felicityh.1947]

The Billy Graham rule. I am part of leading a young adults community, and needed a ride to a recent multichurch leader meeting. Another leader and one of the pastors were going to carpool, but because the other girl decided to meet us there, he couldn’t give me a ride anymore. I’m sure it is a church staff policy, and I understand, but it still really sucked because I was excited to be a part of the vision meeting, and had no other way to get there on that particular night. He was gracious about it, but the point about women missing out because of the rule reminded me of it. It’s interesting.

[@MrYokahu]

Billy Graham = homophobe?

[@abeautifulmoment2714]

I agree with Preston's pushback when it comes to the Billy Graham rule. I don't want to throw the idea out completely (acknowledging thats not what Zach is doing) but having been in 4 churches where affairs have happened in leadership (it boggles the mind that this has happened 4 times lol), I am more cautious than I used to be, regarding this. However, I totally understand how this impacts women negatively and creates hyper-sexuality around opposite sex friendships.