Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliot
Week 8: Chapters 15–16 — The Body, Sex, and Holiness
Read Chapters 15–16 of Passion and Purity. Primary Scripture: 1 Corinthians 6:15–20; Genesis 2:24–25.
Previewing Week 8 of Passion and Purity
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 13-week guide when you’re ready.
Elliot does not treat the body as an enemy of the spirit — she treats it as a temple, a gift, and a site of worship. These chapters make the case that sexual holiness is not about fear of the body but about reverence for it.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.How does Elliot's theology of the body differ from both Victorian prudishness (the body is bad) and modern permissiveness (the body is neutral)? What is her actual view?
2.She argues that physical intimacy is designed to say something — to make a declaration that belongs only inside a covenant. What does sex say, according to Elliot? And what happens when that declaration is made outside of covenant?
3.1 Corinthians 6 teaches that the body is "a temple of the Holy Spirit" — not your own, but bought with a price. How does that ownership change the way you think about sexual decisions? Does it feel liberating or constraining, and why?