Abstract
Reviewing dozens of books, articles, presentations, and other media about romance, purity, and femininity aimed at Christian young women reveals three common archetypes: the Proverbs 31 woman, the stay-at-home daughter, and the mission-minded girl. Each of these figures is framed as an alternative to what authors understand as a secular-feminist, mainstream kind of path in which young women are expected to pursue careers and delay marriage and motherhood. Expectations for young men reflect fears that feminism and a kind of crisis in masculinity are delaying milestones such as marriage and urge Christian young men to “just grow up.” American young adults across the religious-political spectrum are finding their transitions to adulthood marked by the forces of neoliberalism and austerity culture. Courtship authors, ministers, and others endorse models of masculinity and femininity that they hope will encourage Christian young adults to buck generational trends and become heads of household, helpmeets, and parents at a young age.
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Shively, E.L. (2020). Proverbs 31 Women. In: Patriarchal Lineages in 21st-Century Christian Courtship. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-49622-7_4
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