Concepts like "gay" or "straight" are relatively recent developments in human history. We let ourselves be defined by socially constructed notions of sexual identity and sexual orientation, even though these are not distinctly biblical or Christian ways of thinking about sex.Anthropologist Jenell Williams Paris offers a Christian framework for sexuality that accounts for complex postmodern realities. She unpacks how sexual identities are socially constructed in our cultural context, and assesses problems with common cultural and Christian under... MOREstandings of heterosexuality and homosexuality. Ultimately, linking sexual feelings to human identity leads us to a dead end.Avoiding simplistic moral exhortation about sexual behavior, Paris argues that the Christian tradition holds a distinct vision for sexuality without sexual identity categories. The End of Sexual Identity moves beyond culture war impasses to open up new space and vocabulary for conversations with people in diverse communities both inside and outside the church.
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Making sense of Sex Making Sense of Sex: Responsible Decision Making for Young Singles
Having sex can be a loving and delightful experience, but it can also be emotionally, physically, and spiritually devastating. Many singles struggle to sort out how to make their own sexual experiences physically and emotionally healthy ones. This book can help. Duffy offers a thoughtful guide to sexual decision making for single twentysomethings, exploring ten issues readers should consider when deciding whether and when to have sex. Appropriate for non-Christians and Christians alike, Duffy's work is as relevant to those who have already had sex as it is to those who are considering it for the first time.
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Why Love Will Always Be a Poor Investment Why Love Will Always Be a Poor Investment: Marriage and Consumer Culture
Marriage is intimate. Marriage is hard: sober thoughts for a time when movies and television tell us that love is supposed to be romantic and fun. In this eclectic blend of playful and earnest storytelling, social commentary, and fierce argument, Kurt Armstrong offers an up-close look at real-life marriage and the countless ways it differs from what the advertisers tell us it should be. With wisdom, wit, and profound honesty, he explores the aching beauty of love, the ongoing struggle to maintain vows, and the reality of death as the finishing line of covenant. "Even if love one day fills my heart full of grief," says Armstrong, "it is still the only thing worth living for." This moving, honest, heartfelt look at real-life marriage will strike a chord with single men and women, young couples, and seasoned veterans of married life.