Mere Sexuality: Rediscovering the Christian Vision of Sexuality
What do Christians believe about human sexuality?
In Mere Sexuality, author and pastor Todd Wilson presents the historic Christian consensus about human sexuality, the Great Tradition of the church for centuries as taught in each of its major expressions - Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant. Wilson highlights the stunning shift of opinion on issues of sexuality in the evangelical church and why this break with the historic church is problematic for the future of Christianity. Along the way he provides ordinary believers with an introduction to the historic Christian vision of sexuality, yet does so in conversation with some of the twenty-first century’s leading challenges to this vision.
In a culture that is deeply confused about human sexuality, Wilson believes it is time for evangelicals to retrieve the historic Christian tradition and biblical teaching on the question of sexuality. Mere Sexuality seeks to guide readers back to the beauty and coherence of this vision of sexuality in the face of an aggressive and all-consuming pagan and secular worldview.
Chapter 1 Why Mere Sexuality?
* Introduction
* How can a God Boy think gay is okay?
* A loss of vision
* What is mere sexuality?
* More than solo Scriptura
* Four core scriptural convictions
* Different types of listeners
* My prayer for this book
Chapter 2 The Sexuality of Jesus
* Introduction
* Mere sexuality vs. mere morality
* The missing person in sexuality debates
* God chose a Y chromosome
* Born of the virgin Mary
* The resurrection enshrines mere sexuality for all eternity
* Celibacy and sexual fulfillment
* Jesus suffered when tempted
* Resurrection brings sexual resolution
Chapter 3 Male, Female and the Imago Dei
* Introduction
* ‘Male and female he created them’
* Male or female: fidelity to your sexuality
* Male and female: complementarity in our sexuality
* You aren’t who you desire
Chapter 4 “One Flesh”
* Introduction
* ‘They shall become one flesh’: Marriage as comprehensive union
* Exclusivity: leaving all other attachments
* Permanence: holding fast to his wife
* Not bigotry but biology: a gentle appeal to assertive advocates
* Marriage exists for mission
Chapter 5 What is Sex for?
* Introduction
* The blessing of sex
* When sex is severed from it unitive and procreative purpose
* ‘Course sex isn’t safe. But it’s good’
* Sex is a public act
* What does this mean for you?
* A blessing from the Lord
Chapter 6 Friendship, Celibacy and Same-Sex Relationships
* Introduction
* The difficulty with God’s No for gay Christians: celibacy and loneliness
* Restoring friendship to its rightful place
* A weak friendship culture makes celibacy much harder
* Singles aren’t single in the body of Christ
* A community where water is thicker than blood, and blood thickest of all
* A place for love
Chapter 7 Bent Sexuality (by Joel Willitts)
Chapter 8 Homeward Bound
* Introduction
* Mere sexuality calls us to wait patiently
* The possibility of healing, the promise of redemption
* Homeward bound
* Patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart
Product Details
- Title : Mere Sexuality: Rediscovering the Christian Vision of Sexuality
- Author: Wilson, Todd A.
- Publisher: Zondervan
- Publication Date: 2017
- ISBN: 9780310535362