You're listening to the Colson Center Podcast Network. Welcome to the Strong Women Podcast, where we explore a deeper understanding of the humanity, value, intellect, and creativity of women. I'm your host, Erin Kunkel. And I'm your co-host, Sarah Stone Street.

Our guest today is Dr. Julie Slattery, who is a clinical psychologist, author of more than 10 books, the president and co-founder of authentic intimacy, which is a ministry that takes a deeper look

at God's design for sexuality and why that matters. And she's the host of a weekly podcast

called Java with Julie. So you should look that up. In our conversation today, we will discuss

how our sexuality is more than just what we do with our bodies, which will bring up

many topics. This week on the Strong Women Podcast, we're doing a book giveaway with Dr. Julie

Slattery, her book, Rethinking Sexuality, God's Design, and Why It Matters. So to enter, here's

what you need to do. Find the Strong Women podcast on Facebook, or you can connect with us through Instagram at Strong Women CC, and then you'll be able to find the instructions on how to enter for our drawing for this book with Dr. Julie Slattery. I hope you enjoy this episode with Dr. Julie Slattery.

So today we are so thankful to have Julie joining us on such an important topic of sexuality. And this is a topic that I think

growing up in the church, as I did, I didn't see it handled well in my experiences. And it seems

to be something that I hear that wasn't just my experience but

has been an experience of a lot of people my age so I'm in my 40s so growing up in the 80s and

90s in the church and sexuality was not talked about on a regular basis and when it was talked about it was a purity series

and that purity movement was big when I was young and growing up and so I would love Julie just

to start our conversation with maybe talking about the purity culture that is a part of the church's history in America, just not too long ago, and think about it in a healthy way.

But maybe we'll start with talking about how it hasn't been always talked about or viewed in the church in a healthy way.

Yeah, you know, I think the best way to understand it is that all of us have a sexual narrative.

And when I say a sexual narrative, it's what helps us make sense of our sexuality.

It's the big picture.

And I know at the Colson Center, you talk so much about worldview, but we have a

sexual worldview, and there's a predominant cultural worldview or narrative around sexuality that

says sexuality is all about identity and self-expression and authenticity and knowing yourself.

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