Interdisciplinary Book Reviews

Jesus, the bible and homosexuality,  Revised and expanded edition |  Explode the myths, heal the church   By Jack Rogers Review Title Christians Excluding Gays:  A Look at Rogers’ Perspective on  Jesus, the Bible, and Homosexuality  Reviewed by      Geoffrey W. Sutton CITE REVIEW:  Sutton, G. W. (2025). Christians excluding gays: A look at rogers’ perspective on Jesus, the bible, and homosexuality.  Interdisciplinary Book Reviews . Book Summary Jack Rogers presents a historical overview of how American Presbyterians transitioned from excluding to including gay and lesbian Christians, contextualized by broader shifts in attitudes toward slavery and women's rights. He provides an extensive background on Presbyterian perspectives regarding slavery and gender equality, demonstrating how biblical texts were historically interpreted to justify oppression—a pattern he examines in Chapter 2, Misusing the Bible to Justify Oppression. In Chap...

Reproduction: Who Controls Women’s Bodies? Christian Theologies and Psychology By Geoffrey W. Sutton [No reviews yet] Book Summary This book deals with the subject of who is in control of women’s bodies. The focus is on three main issues related to the primary question of who is in control of reproduction. Who is in control of contraception?  Who is in control of pregnancy care?  What can women do about infertility? It is part of a series examining the difficulties integrating Christian theologies and the scientific study of human behavior typically associated with psychological science and evidence-based psychotherapies. Table of Contents Preface 1.  Introduction 2. Who is in control of contraception?  3. Who is in control of pregnancy care?  4. What can women do about infertility? 5. Reflections on Conflicting Worldviews References

A Gift for All Ages A Family Handbook on Sexuality  by Clifford and Joyce Penner Reviewed by Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD   A Gift for All Ages by Clifford and Joyce Penner is a comprehensive family handbook on sexuality that provides a developmental approach to understanding human sexuality from birth through old age. The authors, both experts in their fields, aim to help the Christian community embrace sexuality as a natural and positive aspect of life. They discuss various stages of sexual development and offer practical advice for families to talk openly and positively about sexuality. The book is designed to be a helpful resource for parents, educators, and anyone interested in promoting healthy sexual attitudes and behaviors. The Penners present a specific Christian approach that is generally consistent with an evangelical worldview. For example, their views on contraception are different from Catholic teaching and their views on motherhood and same sex relationships (their ...

  SEX & CULTURE Morality and Religion [Most, but not all, religious works focus on the Christian Faith] Book Review List I write about psychology and religion. In the process, I read a variety of books along with academic publications. Following is a selection of books I have read. ********** Those 7 References A Study of "Homosexuality" in the Bible and its impact on the Queer Community of Faith   By John F. Dwyer Read Review ******* Authentic Human Sexuality   by Judith & Jack Balswick (links to 3rd edition) Read Review on AMAZON ********** The Bible Now   by Friedman & Dolansky (2011)   Topics include:  Same-sex relations, abortion, women's status, capital punishment Read Review BUY ON AMAZON ********** Eve, A Serpent, and A  Woman's Place Relating Christianity and Psychology   By Geoffrey W. Sutton On AMAZON Included Free Sample ********** Gender Identity & Faith Clinical Postures, Tools, and Case Studies For Client-Centere...

  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 me...

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.  ...