A Return to Modesty: Discovering the Lost Virtue

There were a lot of good things about this book, but I often found myself wishing she had written it about fifteen years later. She was young and a bit naive when she wrote this and some parts felt more like a rant rather than an informed and researched argument. I had a hard time following her reasoning sometimes, but I appreciate that there is a book out there defending modesty. I especially appreciated that she addressed issues of gender differences, natural consequences, and accountability.

This book is basically a rant. It’s a very pained rant, although not very true. I suppose that at that age, kids tend to either rant or screw around, but she really placed herself above them.

For some theologians, there are Seven Deadly Sins, but for much of the culture, “sin” means “lust”, end of story, and lying and bullying don’t count as sins— and pride is *good*! It’s a strategy, not the truth, and it’s hard to win over the other side when you’re so obviously lying to them.

I don’t think she understands the harm that she does to her argument. After explaining that everyone is a whore and nobody wants to shut the whores down: “What! Afraid to sound like me! I’m the greatest!”

I think the highlight for me show more was when she defended bars—yes, alcohol bars. Sometimes the right has this issue where they’re not sure if conservative means the Bible or conservative means ‘like folks’, not academic, so they simply assume that the two must be the same. So being clingy and possessive must be biblical because it’s the opposite of being liberated. Liberals hate something—must be great!.... Duels are great! Guys used to shoot each other down, must be romantic!

But my favorite is this: bars are “sexist”—let me pay for that beautiful— therefore they are places where women will be “treated well”, never mind all the 18th-century novels about disastrous seduction that she likes so much, and the ***whole fucking point of a book about sexual purity***! Whoops!

Enemy! Me Tarzan! Me have enemy!

And I’m going to cut it there, because I actually feel kinda bad for her. show less

As a graduate project this book deserves 4 stars for in-depth research along with an engaging voice. Made for great discussions in our book group and I'd love to get my teenage, cute daughter to read it...someday.

Good book exploring the paradox between feminism and conservatism.

Many of the problems we hear about today -- sexual harassment, date rape, young women who suffer from eating disorders and report feeling a lack of control over their bodies -- are all connected, I believe, to our culture's attack on modesty.

LOVED it! A great read. Very relevant!

NO OF PAGES: 291 SUB CAT I: Women's Issues SUB CAT II: Sexuality SUB CAT III: DESCRIPTION: The author proposes that we have lost our respect for an important classical virtue - that of sexual modesty. This is a deeply personal account as well as a fascinating intellectual exploration.NOTES: SUBTITLE: Discovering the lost virtue