Episode 190: Boris Johnson, Purity Culture, and Spaying and Neutering Dogs

In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss the new British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the death knell of “purity culture,” and new controversy over spaying and neutering dogs.

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Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: 

• Boris Johnson is the new prime minister of Britain. Niki recommended historian Jesse Tumblin’s Washington Post article, “How the Failure of Popular Politics Triggered the Rise of Boris Johnson.”
• Evangelical author Josh Harris has separated from his wife and disavowed his influential book I Kissed Dating Goodbye. Natalia recommended Britni de la Cretaz’ article at The Ringer about celebrity declarations of celibacy and referred to Tim and Beverly LaHaye’s book The Act of Marriage: The Beauty of Sexual Love. Neil also noted Katelyn Beaty’s recent reflection on purity culture and evangelical sexual ethics in the New York Times.
• New research is questioning the orthodoxy around spaying and neutering dogs. Natalia referred to philosopher Peter Singer’s classic book Animal Liberation. Neil recommended historian Katherine C. Grier’s book Pets in America: A History and historian Mark Derr’s book A Dog’s History of America.

 

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia recommended historian Jeff Melnick’s Nursing Clio article, “’Charlie Says’ and the Santa Cruz Prison Project.”
• Neil discussed the Babylon Bee article, “This Fun New Snapchat Filter Will Make it Look Like You’re Crying at the Border.”
• Niki shared Michael Brice-Saddler and Reis Thebault’s Washington Post article, “How Trump ended up in front of a presidential seal doctored to include a Russian symbol.”