Rethinking Sexuality

May 14, 2018
In this devout evangelical Christian spin on sexuality, psychologist Slattery advocates that readers take up “sexual discipleship,” though her arguments aren’t always effective. Slattery contends that the secular world has “discipled” people (including Christians) around certain problematic views, attitudes, and ideas about sexuality—elevating the physical above the emotional and spiritual—and that the Christian church has sometimes facilitated this process. To buck this trend, she wants readers not to be bashful talking about sex, but instead to turn to God, Jesus, and biblical wisdom in order to let go of destructive sexual shame, especially within marriage. Employing language that will appeal to a conservative evangelical audience, Slattery sees her effort as a battle on the part of Christians: “Human sexuality is a holy masterpiece infused with spiritual significance, a masterpiece that is constantly under attack in the spiritual realms.” She is sincere in her desire to open the door to honest conversation about sex within Christianity and especially within Christian marriages—yet she does so with intolerance toward the LGBTQ community, advocating for “grace” but reinforcing viewpoints (such as her belief that “everyone is sexually broken”) that foster shame and destructive attitudes. This book will appeal to straight and cisgender evangelical Christians looking for ways to navigate contemporary sexual mores.