Wanting to grow in your understanding of what Christianity has to say about sexuality? I'd recommend giving Todd Wilson's Mere Sexuality a read this summer. It's short and accessible enough to be picked up by most any reading level. If Sam Allberry's Is God Anti-Gay? did a good job addressing of speaking primarily to the issue of same-sex attraction and the biblical response to it, this book does a good job of climbing higher and giving a broader perspective on the historic Christian view of sexuality.
Don't have the time to read it or would like a preview?
Here's my summary of the books main points:
Here's my summary of the books main points:
"The world needs the church to give more than a biblical response to the issue of sexuality; the church must cast a winsome, biblical, theological, logical, and tradition-rich vision of Christian sexuality.
It must explain that God created humans in his image, and they were created not as genderless individuals, but as sexually differentiated male and female. It must explain that sexual activity is ultimately intended for the glory and in the service of God. Whether married or celibate, all are united through the body of Christ, in service to Christ. There are no singles in the body of Christ.
Sexual activity is meant to unite a male and female in a comprehensive one-flesh union that is exclusive and permanent – this is marriage. This marriage not only unites male and female but has the power to create a new being. It also has the power for great pleasure and used wrongly, for great evil in our world. For those who act sexually, this is God’s design.
However, it is not necessary to act sexually in order to be fully human. A celibate life is not an inferior life but is a legitimate calling that brings glory to God and can be in the service of God. Celibate singles, same sex attracted or not, can find outlets for their love in deep, intimate, but non-sexual spiritual friendships. The church must do better at becoming a community where these friendships are treated on par with marriages.
This view of Christian sexuality is confirmed and embodied by the center of Christianity, Jesus Christ. He embraced sexual differentiation in his incarnation, confirmed the design of sexual differentiation in the new creation through his bodily resurrection, and embodied that while embracing our sexed bodies is essential to being fully human, sexual activity is not. For Christ shows us all that our bodies are given in service to God, through God's design, whether that is in celibacy or in marriage."
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