Skip to main content

A House Divided - Sex and Morality - A Textbook

 A House Divided

Sexuality, Morality, and  

Christian Cultures

By

Geoffrey W. Sutton

Reviewed by

  Various Reviewers




Several authors read A House Divided and provided reviews. This post quotes from some of the reviews and provides links to those published in journals.

***************

"As we march ominously toward the November 2020 elections, this book, A House Divided: Sexuality, Morality, and Christian Cultures, becomes increasingly relevant. It really is about how we might be more intellectually humble—but it deals specifically with religious humility as it touches on and intertwines with political humility. Churches split. Denominations break apart. Families disintegrate. Christians have divided into (at least) two camps that at times seem hostile to each other. People do not seem to be listening to each other anymore. A generation of young people are leaving the church or never seriously considering it. A House Divided asks, What, if anything, can be done to mend the rending of the Christian garment?"

     Geoffrey W. Sutton’s book, A House Divided: Sexuality, Morality, and Christian Cultures, is a great book for seminaries, for college classes, for churches that want to encourage their parishioners to understand the contemporary issues in Christianity that are related to sex, and for thoughtful individual readers interested in the various controversies around sex-related ideas. It will stretch your understanding. It is a work that must have taken Sutton thousands of hours of research and thinking to be able to identify and explain the issues so clearly, coherently, and comprehensively. And I believe A House Divided will have some positive effect in increasing the reader’s political humility (Worthington, 2017). I think it will move readers toward finding a common ground, or at a minimum will help inform their own thinking about these important issues in churches and how those issues are dealt with within society. For the practitioner, it is an invaluable resource for informing one about sticky issues that Christian patients bring to counseling regularly. For this reason (and for others I’ve mentioned), I highly recommend the book.

-- Ev Worthington, Commonwealth Professor Emeritus, Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University reviewed in Journal of Psychology and Theology (2020).

BOOK AVAILABLE ON GOOGLE BOOKS 



***************

"For a Church that serves one Master, Christians seem to be divided over a surprisingly large number of issues. Several of these divisive issues fall within the domain of sexuality. This book is an attempt to help two sides of the Christian family tree (“conservative” and “progressive”) appreciate that the opposing side is coming from a reasoned and faithful position. Sutton does this through a careful consideration of scripture, moral foundation theory, and Christian cultures and individuality in the context of several divisive sexual issues. It is a job well done."

--Rod Bassett, Professor of Psychology, Roberts Weslyan College, review published in Journal of Psychology and Christianity (2017)

 BOOK AVAILABLE ON AMAZON 


***************

"Dr. Sutton examines morality and sexuality with a scholarly but accessible book. It will keep your students thinking and pondering their framework and philosophy for morality and sexuality as they face complex issues in current events"

     —Jennifer Ripley, PhD, Professor of Psychology, Regent University


***************

“A blend of hermeneutics, research, and moral psychology to survey social challenges facing Christians today. Sutton’s book provides a thoughtful exploration of how various faith groups approach issues of sexuality based on views of morality. This volume highlights how emotion, thought, and tradition impacts six dimensions of morality; illustrating what divides us. The text shows divergent views but also points to commonalities, illuminating a shared desire to live a moral life.”
     —Kelly Reiner, PsyD, LCP

Purchasing Information

  Publisher: Pickwick Books - A WipfandStock print

 Instructor Desk Copies available from the Publisher: WIPFandSTOCK

Also available from



Christian Morality and Moral Psychology
  Perspectives on ...

Abortion, 
Birth control, 
Cohabiting, 
Contraception, 
Incest, 
Marriage, 
   -Plural marriage
  -same-sex marriage
Premarital sex, 
Pornography, 
Rape
Sexual abuse, 
Sexual development, 
Sex education, 


Psychological perspectives derived from: Moral Foundations Theory

Religious focus: Progressive vs. Conservative Christianity


References

Bassett, R. L. (2017). A House Divided: Sexuality, Morality, and Christian Cultures. Journal of            Psychology and Christianity, 36(1), 83+.

Sutton, G. W. (2016). A House Divided: Sexuality, morality, and Christian cultures. Eugene, OR: Pickwick. ISBN: 9781498224888

Sutton, G. W., Kelly, H. L., & Huver, M. (2019). Political identities, religious identity, and the pattern of moral foundations among conservative Christians. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 48, pp. 169-187. Online October 16, 2019. Issue published September 1, 2020. ResearchGate Link     Academia Link

Worthington EL. How to Discuss Controversial Sexual Issues with Christians Who Don’t (and Do) Agree with You (2020). Journal of Psychology and Theology, 48(3):229-233. doi:10.1177/0091647120908017

  Read free sample on AMAZON

Book Website























Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Great Sex Rescue – Challenging Harmful Evangelical Messages

  The Great Sex Rescue – Challenging Harmful Evangelical Messages   By Sheila Wray Gregoire, Rebecca Gregoire Lindenbach, & Joanna Sawatsky   Reviewed by   Geoffrey W. Sutton Review Summary The Great Sex Rescue is an evangelical Christian approach that challenges messages in several other Christian sex books, which do not focus on the sexual pleasure of women. In addition, the three writers challenge messages that emphasize dutiful wives meeting their husband’s sex needs regardless of how she feels or what aspects of a sexual experience would bring her more wholistic pleasure. T he authors offer a more woman-friendly interpretation of  biblical texts that have been interpreted in unfriendly ways. More troubling are Christian sexual activity messages that may encourage men to simply use their wives for their pleasure or even abuse them. After explaining their concerns, the authors offer suggestions for better sex including addressing medical p...
Post a Comment
Read more

Rape as Power: Revisiting Susan Brownmiller’s Against Our Will in Historical and Cultural Context

    Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape       by Susan Brownmiller   Reviewed by   Geoffrey W. Sutton Abstract  Susan Brownmiller’s Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape (2013), originally published in 1975, reframed rape as a political act of power and control rather than an isolated crime of passion. Drawing on history, law, warfare, slavery, racial politics, prisons, and cultural and victim narratives, Brownmiller argued that rape functions as a conscious tool of domination. This review summarizes her central arguments, highlights the book’s historical and cultural significance, and provides a historical framework against which we can measure progress or the lack thereof (Sutton, 2025, October 1). Keywords: rape, feminism, sexual violence, power, gender, survivor advocacy   CITE THIS REVIEW Sutton, G. W. (2025, October 1). Rape as Power: Revisiting Susan Brownmiller’s Against Our Will in Historical and Cultural Context....
Post a Comment
Read more

Reconsidering Missionary Childhoods: A Critical Engagement with Fletcher’s The Missionary Kids

  The Missionary Kids   By Holly Berkley Fletcher Reviewed By   Geoffrey W. Sutton The Missionary Kids Abstract In The Missionary Kids: Unmasking the Myths of White Evangelicalism (2025), Holly Berkley Fletcher combines memoir, oral history, and historical analysis to examine the lived realities of missionary children (MKs). Drawing on her upbringing in Kenya and interviews with other MKs, Fletcher challenges romanticized portrayals of missionary life by exposing the cultural dislocation, spiritual neglect, and emotional burdens often carried by children in missionary families. The book is structured around four parts: the myth of parents as martyrs, the imposed nature of missionary “calling,” the spiritual neglect of MKs in boarding schools, and the collective testimony of resilience and loss. Fletcher’s dual perspective as both historian and former CIA analyst enriches her critique of evangelical institutions and their impact on children. This work contributes to schola...
Post a Comment
Read more