God and Sex by Michael Coogan- A Book Review

 God and Sex

What the Bible Really Says  

By

   Michael Coogan  2010

Reviewed by

   Geoffrey W. Sutton

Coogan sets the stage for a biblical view of sex by citing the popularity of the Bible in US society--over 90% of us have "The Book." He challenges readers who believe the Bible is simply "God's Word" rather than a collection of works by multiple authors to consider some obvious inconsistencies easily recognized by anyone who has taken the time to read the text. Coogan want readers to see the unfolding of the biblical message in ways that allows a nuanced approach to modern life. Thus, he will write about women as equals, sexual prohibitions, and the stories of rape.

Chapter 1

We begin with an invitation to see the biblical past as life in a foreign country with a different language, culture and values. He quickly shows readers love and sex through the eyes of the Song of Solomon. Then opens readers' eyes to biblical sex by lifting the veil of euphemisms. Soon, sex is everywhere. And we begin to hear women's voices.

Chapter 2

It is still common in Christianity to find only male leaders in Christian churches and organizations. Coogan provides several examples of the subordinate role of women in the Bible. He even shows us what a woman was worth by age. The highest value was 30 shekels of silver compared to 50 for men in the age group 20 to 60. This is based on the redemption vows. There's more here. We learn about widows, virgins, and the roles of women in public and the home.

Chapter 3

In this chapter, Coogan looks at marriage and divorce. Abortion and polygamy fit here. There are no comments on abortion and birth control in a culture where children are valuable assets. Infant mortality is a horrific 50% based on some estimates. Coogan explains the familiar pro-choice argument about ending pregnancies and shows the problem with the poets recognition of life in the womb. Following comments on polygamy, Coogan looks at the restrictions on divorce explained in the context of Jewish culture and law.

Chapter 4

Here we learn about forbidden relationships like adultery, incest, and rape. An important reminder to moderns is an understanding of women as a man's property. Incest is of course part of the list of forbidden relationships. The value of a virgin daughter to her father is a noteworthy point of ancient culture. Next Coogan offers his take on same-sex sexuality. He offers the cultural context for the disapproval and challenges modern moralists to consider their views about same sex-sex prohibitions in view of culture and their inconsistent stance on other moral matters.

Chapter 5

This essay is about rape and prostitution. The familiar Bible stories are revisited. We learn the oft told stories of righteous prostitutes like Tamar and Rahab, but we also see how they were marginalized.

Chapter 6

Coogan introduces ideas about God and his wives and the problem of polytheism in ancient Israel. We know Israel was warned by the biblical writers of metaphorical adultery in their pursuit of other Gods. Coogan reminds readers that ancient cultures told stories about gods having relations with humans. And he finds evidence for these beliefs in the Scriptures.

**********

I quoted Coogan's work in A House Divided: Sexuality, Morality, and Christian Cultures to help readers appreciate various interpretations of scriptures dealing with contemporary issues like sexual abuse, abortion, and the role of women.

Coogan's work overlaps with other similar books aimed at helping Christians be careful with their moral proclamations. Frankly, I doubt many Christians will take the time to peruse alternative interpretations of their firm beliefs about biblical marriage and sex as presented by their clergy and in books by evangelicals. Nevertheless, Coogan's work is well documented and offers a cautionary message to modern zealots even as it helps readers appreciate an ancient culture so distant in time from our own.

Sex Topics: adultery, marriage, divorce, homoeroticism, pregnancy and abortion, women, biblical language about sex

Religious focus: The Hebrew Bible / Christian Old Testament

References

Coogan, M.D. (2010). God and sex: What the bible really says.  New York: Twelve.

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

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Related Posts

 Sex Texts by Hornsby

The Moral Teaching of Paul by Furnish

Sex God by Bell

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:

       Sex and Religion/ Christian Books
Unprotected Texts by Knust
Sex God by Bell

The Moral Teaching of Paul by Furnish

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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)

Bell, R. (2007). Sex God: Exploring the EndlessConnections Between Sexuality and Spirituality. New York: Harper One.

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

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