Showing posts with label Sex and Christian spirituality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sex and Christian spirituality. Show all posts

Saturday, November 7, 2020

Sex Morality and Religion Book Reviews

 


BOOKS on SEX & RELIGION

[Most, but not all, focus on the Christian Faith]

Book Review List

I read several books along with research articles when I wrote A House Divided: Sexuality, Morality, and Christian Cultures. Following is a list of book summaries and reviews and availability of the books.


 A House Divided: Sexuality, Morality, and Christian Cultures by Geoffrey W. Sutton


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Christian Morality: An Interdisciplinary Framework for Thinking about Contemporary Moral Issues by Geoffrey W. Sutton and Brandon Schmidly, editors  




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  Authentic Human Sexuality by Judith & Jack Balswick (links to 3rd edition)


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  God and Sex: What the Bible Really Says  by Michael Coogan  

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The Great Sex Rescue by Gregoire, Lindenbach, & Sawatsky

 


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 Sex God: Exploring The Endless Connections Between Sexuality and Spirituality by Rob Bell  

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 Sex Texts from the Bible: Selections Annotated & Explained by Teresa J. Hornsby  


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Unprotected Texts: The Bible’s Surprising Contradictions about Sex and Desire

by Jennifer Wright Knust  

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Key Words

Sex and Morality, Sexuality and Morality, Sex and Christian Cultures, Bible and Sex,

 Links to Connections

My Page    www.suttong.com

  

My Books  AMAZON          and             GOOGLE STORE

 

FOLLOW   FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton   TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton

 

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Articles: Academia   Geoff W Sutton   ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton 

 

Sunday, November 1, 2020

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).

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"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)

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"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

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Thursday, August 29, 2019

Unprotected Texts by Jennifer Knust Book Review by Sutton


UNPROTECTED TEXTS
The Bible’s Surprising Contradictions  
about Sex and Desire

Author:  Jennifer Wright Knust

Date: 2011

Reviewed by

  Geoffrey W. Sutton





Knust’s book, Unprotected Texts, has an intriguing title for anyone thinking about the sex-related moral issues constantly in the news. I purchased a copy of her book as I was writing A House Divided:Sexuality, Morality, and Christian Cultures, and I’m glad I did because I referenced some of her insights.

Knust has impressive credentials. At the time she wrote Unprotected Texts, Knust had a Ph.D., from Columbia University and was an Associate Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins at Boston University School of Theology. She’s also an ordained American Baptist pastor.

Unprotected Texts is a well written book, which addresses biblical sex in six chapters with primary titles that do not easily identify the subject matter until you’ve read a few pages. 

In this review, I’ll provide a summary, then add some thoughts at the end of this review.

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The Bible and the Joy of Sex (chapter 1) introduces us to texts that celebrate sex outside of marriage—an obvious contrast to the interpretations offered to evangelical youth. Knust offers us the graphic imagery in The Song (aka Song of Solomon) as evidence of biblical erotica expressed in the relationship between two unmarried lovers. We also glimpse Ruth’s seduction of Boaz and King David’s infamous extramarital affair with Bathsheba. As Knust concludes, “…the passages considered in this chapter suggest that nonmarital desire can be both limitless and productive.” (Kindle Locations 871-872)

Anyone reading the Bible knows ancient men in many cultures had many wives. Chapter 2 is about biblical marriage. If you follow American news, you know Christian evangelicals have worked hard at establishing a cultural norm that legal marriage ought to be between one man and one woman. Knust takes us through several texts to make the point that biblical women were the property of the men in their families. Not surprisingly, the story begins with Adam and Eve, but we have no specific commandments about marriage until we get to the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy. Here we are reminded of the high value placed on a woman’s virginity, Israelite rules governing slave women and their families, and the rights of fathers, husbands, and slave owners with respect to women. Next, Knust reviews the various New Testament teachings on marriage and divorce. I found Table 1 particularly useful because she provides details comparing the similarities and differences among the gospel writers.

It’s no secret that evangelical preachers and conservative theologies have warned congregants about sexual immorality. In chapter 3, The Evil Impulse, Knust examines Disordered and Ordered Desire. The chapter opens with a discussion of Paul’s advice to the Corinthians about the value of celibacy— provided people have self-control—otherwise, they ought to marry. In Corinthians 6, Paul communicates the horrid consequences of missing out of the kingdom of God as a penalty for engaging in sexual immorality. Knust examines Paul’s language in the context of Greco-Roman culture. She reminds readers of Paul’s expectation of Jesus’ soon return and the later writings that emphasize authoritative control of people and their passions through household structures (e.g., Ephesians, 1 Timothy). By the end of the chapter we have learned that the early Christians wrestled with the same issues as those in the Roman culture concerning appropriate ways for men to manage their sexual desire.

Chapter 4 is about Sexual Politics. The Old Testament writers condemn enemy tribes using the language of sex and idolatry—the outsiders are prostitutes. Purity and holiness are values reflected in the rules about sex. Prohibitions against incest is one example of biblical attention to detail about what constituted a sex crime. Despite the attacks on the evil of their neighbors, we see that the Israelites were guilty of the same sexual sins.

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Chapter 5 is perhaps the strangest, Strange Flesh. Here we are reminded of that quizzical old text about the sons of God having sex with earthly women (Genesis 6). Knust traces the history of the relationships between heavenly beings and those of earth. This exploration takes us to the much-quoted story of Sodom and the men who wanted to rape Lot’s heavenly guests. And we see this angel-human relationship story pop up centuries later in Jude and 2 Peter. We now return to the stories of Sodom and the Levite’s Concubine (Judges 19). We learn of several lessons that may be taken from these stories—especially the importance of showing high respect for one’s guests (i.e., hospitality norms). We also see the concern of biblical writers for crossing sexual boundaries between humans and supernatural beings, which is in contrast to the recent interpretations about male homosexuality. Appropriate sexual boundaries are also the topic of texts dealing with foreign tribes as seen in the rape of Dinah (Genesis 34).

I’d call Chapter 6 miscellaneous topics. Bodily Parts includes a review of biblical voices about Circumcision, Semen, and the Products of a Woman’s Womb. The history of circumcision and its role in separating one culture from another is interesting—especially when we see the considerations of the early churchmen regarding what gentile converts ought to do. Next, Knust reviews the rules about purification from bodily discharges and the different paths to becoming clean so that one may enter God’s holy place. At the end of this chapter, Knust observes the difficulty in applying ancient interpretations of bodily discharges to contemporary life.

In her conclusion, Knust expresses concern about biblical interpretations that demean a group of people or form the basis for denying rights to people. The book’s end matter includes an extensive bibliography and an index.

Some Thoughts

I recommend Unprotected Texts to Christians who want to learn more about the perspectives of ancient Israelites regarding human sexuality and the righteous life. 

Knust’s work joins others in emphasizing the diverse voices within the biblical texts as well as a cacophony of interpretations by biblical scholars and authoritarian clergy. Although published nearly a decade ago, the book remains relevant to contemporary discussions about laws and policies attempting to control human sexual desire. That is, the Bible contains much evidence that regardless of laws, human beings have a hard time controlling their sexual desires.

I would certainly recommend this book to students who are researching various views on sex and gender-linked topics. The book is relevant to understanding people’s views about sex and gender in any nation where Christian teaching has been influential in their laws and cultural norms.

Knust’s view of the Bible as a collection of works by many men with different views about how godly people ought to behave is common among biblical scholars. However, the view is not common among evangelical Christians—especially those who lean heavily toward a fundamentalist (near literal) interpretation of most texts. Reading translations of old texts out of their historical context is a danger. Readers may surely disagree with Knust, but I think her voice is worth hearing—especially when Christians want to claim they have the correct interpretation of the Bible and wish to create restrictive laws based on their interpretation.

Sex topics: Women as property, virginity, celibacy, prostitutes, rape, supernatural beings-human sex, same-sex acts, circumcision

Religious perspective: General Christian but not evangelical


 References


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


Related Posts

Sex and Religion / Christianity Book List

Connections

My Page    www.suttong.com
  
My Books  AMAZON                       GOOGLE STORE

FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton
TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton

Publications (many free downloads)
 
  Academia   Geoff W Sutton   (PhD)     
  ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton   (PhD)

Saturday, June 24, 2017

SEX TEXTS - What does the Bible say? A book review



SEX TEXTS from the BIBLE

Selections Annotated     

& Explained

Translation and Annotation

By Teresa J. Hornsby

Reviewed by

Geoffrey W. Sutton








I read Hornsby's text as part of my research for A House Divided.  I found her matter-of-fact and easy-to-read analysis helpful to consider alternate perspectives than one often gets from pulpits and those less skilled at the nuances of biblical languages than is professor Hornsby.

Teresa Hornsby is Professor of Religion at Drury University, Springfield, Missouri. Her biosketch indicates she is well prepared with master's degrees from Harvard and Vanderbilt in addition to her Ph.D. in New Testament Studies from Vanderbilt. As she says on her web page, her research has focused on sexuality and gender in the Bible.

I came across Hornsby's book in a local bookstore and I am glad I did. She has organized her short work using four sections: Marriage and Family Life, Women's Sexuality, Destructive Sexuality, and Sexual Joy and Delight. Within each section are major biblical texts related to the section theme. For example, under the section on Marriage and Family Life you will find chapters on "Dating," Marriage, Divorce, and Sexual Orientation.

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Examples of topics in the section on Women's Sexuality include Virginity, Prostitution, and Menstruation. The troubling passages about rape and incest are included under "Destructive Sexuality." Fortunately, Hornsby ends on a positive note with biblical texts celebrating sexuality in Genesis and Song of Songs.

Sex Texts is short and to the point. Her insights are presented clearly and encourage readers to think carefully about the meaning of the ancient texts. It is no secret that Christians are  A House Divided when it comes to matters of sexuality and morality. Hornsby's work contributes to helping people think carefully about what the Bible has to say about such important topics.

References
Hornsby, T. J. (2007) Sex Texts From the Bible:Selection Annotated & Explained. Woodstock, Vermont: Skylight Paths.
Sutton, G. W. (2016). A House Divided: Sexuality, morality, and Christian cultures. Eugene, OR: Pickwick. ISBN: 9781498224888

Related Book Reviews:

 Links to Connections

My Page    www.suttong.com

  

My Books  AMAZON          and             GOOGLE STORE

 

FOLLOW   FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton   TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton

 

PINTEREST  www.pinterest.com/GeoffWSutton

 

Articles: Academia   Geoff W Sutton   ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton 


Wednesday, November 16, 2016

What Rob Bell Says about Sexuality and Christian Spirituality God Sex Book Review

SEX GOD

EXPLORING THE ENDLESS

CONNECTIONS BETWEEN

SEXUALITY AND SPIRITUALITY    

By Rob Bell

Reviewed by

Geoffrey W. Sutton





What Rob Bell Says about Sexuality and Christian Spirituality

 When I was writing A House Divided, I read Bell’s book, Sex God, as part of my quest to see what various evangelical Christians have said on the subject.

Bell, a graduate of Wheaton College and Fuller Theological Seminary, founded the evangelical Mars Hill Church in Grandville, Michigan. His bestselling books have sometimes promoted controversy within Christian cultures because of his nontraditional views on classic teachings about such doctrines as salvation. He has been associated with the emerging church movement. In my book, I cite Bell as an example of the views of progressive Christians in contrast to those of conservative Christians.

As with most of Bell’s writings, Sex God is an easy-to-read poetry-like collection of essays aimed at a general Christian audience. It is neither a sex manual nor a theological treatise but he does offer helpful insights into several ways human sexuality is connected to Christian spirituality.

Appropriate to his somewhat confusing thesis, he begins with stories illustrating the close connection between people and their creator and makes the point that honoring God is intimately connected to honoring God’s image in people-- including their sexuality.

Bell takes up the interpersonal connections following the introduction where he reminds readers that sex is often disconnected from a loving relationship as in the extreme example of purchasing sex, and not a relationship, from a sex worker. 

God’s love for humanity is at least a secondary theme popping up in this work. This theme made me wonder if Bell is out to share a message of redemption and renewal with many people who have experienced the downside of sex and distorted love.

As is common among many progressive, but not conservative, evangelicals, the relationship between a man and a woman is presented as a relationship between equals. Not surprisingly, Bell addresses the concept of submission in romantic couples. His address to women about their worth might seem a bit odd coming from a man rather than a woman but a more generous take might be that he is trying to counter the approach of many male preachers and their traditions that keep men elevated above women in marriage and the church and consider women as incomplete without a man.

It may be of some interest to contemporary Christians to read Bell’s analysis of one aspect of "godly marriage" in the Hebrew Bible (i.e., Christian Old Testament).

“The sexual bond is central to what it means to be married.
No consummation, no marriage. (p. 130).”

That’s clearly succinct but he does provide the text references to support the close connection between the sex act and the recognition of the marital bond.

 If you read other old texts, you see how women were treated as property. Even when raped, the woman has no say in her future-- she’s stuck with a rapist for life if he wants her and pays a fee to her father (see Exodus 22 and Deuteronomy 22). How can Bell be so generous with such language? Essentially, Bell believes the biblical text was progressive for its time and the treatment of women improved by the time of the New Testament.

Bell tosses in a few other bits of biblical information but I do not see a close tie-in with his theme. For example, he makes a point to remind singles of their worthy status, which is often not recognized in Christian cultures. That must be nice to know for singles but what should we make of the focus on the illustration of sexual relationships reflecting the uniting of God with humanity?

And he reminds readers that girls used to marry at ages 13 or 14 in the first century. He affirms, but does not spend much time on, abstinence until marriage. I wondered if he was thinking about the decade or so that sexual desire must be suppressed to comply with the current purity culture expectations of abstinence until couples can enjoy sex.

Overall, Bell appears to be concerned with a broad understanding of Christian sexuality as bound up with spirituality. Uniting with a mate is spiritual and it is very much like uniting with God.

Bell has spoken about same-sex marriage elsewhere (Relevant, 2013) but not in this book. That’s not surprising given the publication date (2007). Given the heterosexual examples and focus in God Sex, it is not easy to discern how he might use the same framework to write more broadly about sex and Christian spirituality. A hint is probably in a quote from a Relevant article “I am for love.”

I think this book would be appreciated mostly by young evangelicals who are not ultraconservative in their worldview. Sex God is an example of the genre, Progressive Christianity.  I do not think his book fits well with the views of feminists, Christian fundamentalists, or even conservative evangelicals.

A few more observations and comments

Extending Bell's logic, cohabiting Christians might have a biblical marriage.
Women were a man's property in pre-Christian biblical texts.
Christians remain divided about a woman's role in a "Christian marriage."
The Bible offers different views about sex.
Christian writers find many ways to pair sexual activity with a spiritual meaning.
Many religions link God or gods with sex.

A few discussion questions
How are Bell's views of sex different from those of other Christian leaders?
Why do so many Christians want to connect sexual activity with a spiritual meaning?
What biblical texts affirm being single as of equal value to being married?
How helpful are Bell's comments on "progress" to deal with the old texts about rapists marrying their victims?
Do biblical metaphors work differently for men and women in relating to Jesus as a bridegroom?


Reference this post in APA style

Sutton, G. W. (2016, November 16). What Rob Bell Says about Sexuality and Christian Spirituality [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://suttonreviews.suttong.com/2016/11/what-rob-bell-says-about-sexuality-and.html


References (APA style)


Sutton, G. W. (2016). AHouse Divided: Sexuality, Morality, and Christian Cultures. Eugene, OR: Pickwick.

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Connections

My Page    www.suttong.com
  
My Books  AMAZON                       GOOGLE STORE

FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton
TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton

Publications (many free downloads)
 
Academia   Geoff W Sutton   (PhD)     

  ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton   (PhD)