About this episode

Dr. Carol and Dr. Em discuss the importance of waiting for sex until marriage and its impact on relationships and personal identity.

In a culture that often treats sexual abstinence before marriage as outdated, unrealistic, or merely rule-following, Dr. Carol sits down with author, professor, and researcher Dr. Emily McKnight, lovingly known as Dr. Em, for an honest conversation about why waiting for sex before marriage still matters, and why it's about far more than behavior. Dr. Em shares her own journey from sexual brokenness to conviction-led abstinence, and how that season shaped her relationship with God, her sense of identity, and ultimately her marriage. Together, they explore the deeper purpose of sexual integrity and the kind of character it forms in us over time. This conversation also tackles the real-world challenges of singleness, dating, desire, and early marriage. Dr. Carol and Dr. Em discuss how abstinence can cultivate communication, trust, friendship, and discernment long before the wedding day, and why sexual intimacy in marriage is a journey to grow into, not a finish line to cross. Whether you're single, dating, engaged, or wrestling with your own difficult sexual story, this episode offers hope-filled wisdom for pursuing sexual wholeness, resisting cultural pressure, and seeking God's…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Carol Peters-Tanksley

Guest: Dr. Emily McKnight

Topics covered

• sexual abstinence
• waiting for marriage
• sexual integrity
• relationship advice
• Christian values
• communication in relationships

Keywords

• sexual wholeness
• cultural pressure
• dating
• singleness
• marriage
• trust
• friendship

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Don't Before I Do

More episodes of Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol

• Healing from Spiritual Trauma: When Church Hurt Makes Faith Feel Unsafe · July 21, 2026 · 45 min
• Belonging Without Compromise: A Journey of Faith and Same-Sex Attraction · July 14, 2026 · 45 min
• Training vs. Trying: Why Willpower Isn't Enough · July 7, 2026 · 51 min
• The Rise of Artificial "Intimacy": Why Human Connection Still Matters · June 30, 2026 · 53 min
• From Brokeness to Healing: Restoring Your Marriage After Betrayal · June 23, 2026 · 51 min
• How to Build a Blended Family That Works · June 16, 2026 · 45 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol podcast page.