‘Sanctified Sexuality’: A Needed Book for Our Times

Q: What are some needs in our culture, ministries, and families that this book meets?

Our hope for this book is that it will meet the needs people have for information about how the Scriptures speak to areas of sexual ethics. We also hope it will serve as a guide for how to apply the Bible’s teachings in ways that promote human flourishing. Many of us have heard that the Scriptures are relevant for addressing complex sexual issues such as identity, gender, same-sex attraction, sexual abuse, and how to talk to our youth about sexual ethics; but what does the Bible actually say on these issues—and more? Much of the information on social media is wrong; but even if it’s correct, the tone can be off-putting. So, we chose topics from the headlines and paired them with experts whom we felt were already doing a great job of integrating both grace and truth. And we included a chapter on how to talk with others with whom we disagree. So, our hope for this book is that it will both provide biblical teaching as well as help readers apply and talk about that information in winsome ways.

Q: What are some of the topics Sanctified Sexuality covers?

Sanctified Sexuality address issues as the theology of the human body; male and female in the Genesis creation accounts; gender; conception; abortion; adolescent and young adult sexuality; rape; celibacy; pornography; sexuality in marriage; contraception; infertility; cohabitation; divorce and remarriage; same-sex attraction; gender dysphoria; how to make ethical decisions; and personal and interpersonal sexual ethics. 

Q: Which chapter did you find most surprising in this compilation and why?

As we were working on this text, the hashtag #MeToo went viral, followed by #ChurchToo. And while I imagine most people would say they concur with the Bible’s ethics relating to sexual abuse, again, the conversations we heard included a lot of unfortunate interactions. And a lot of misinformation. And we saw the need for ministry leaders and churches to do a much better job of creating environments where abuse is less likely to happen. So, while the chapter we added on rape and sexual abuse was not surprising in its content, its inclusion was an unexpected development.

Q: What is the main message you want readers to take away from Sanctified Sexuality?

Every human is a sexual being, having been given a sexed body by our Creator. Our good God’s guidance for how to live our embodied lives contributes to our thriving and that of others. We can both know what he intends for our good and learn to communicate that good in a way that encourages others to love and good deeds.

Q: Is Sanctified Sexuality specifically for Christian leaders or do you also recommend the book to others?

While Sanctified Sexuality is an academic work, we have sought to include a lot of helps to make the book accessible to a wide audience—from scholars to clergy to parents to counselors to teachers to speakers to discussion leaders to elder boards. At the end of each chapter, we have included questions for discussion and additional recommended resources for those wanting to explore further.

The book releases September 22. Pre-orders are open.

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