Author Dr. Kevin Jenson
Book Review by EDJ
Part memoir and part theology, this book is helpful for conservatives who are deconstructing or challenging the traditional “Christian” sexual ethic. Chapters eighteen and nineteen were by far my favorites. Kevin delves into definitions of lust, sexual immorality, and conversely sexual morality. He exegetes Scripture with insight and studied knowledge.
Kevin is clearly queer-affirming, but when he talked about Scriptural sex/gender polarity, it came across as very heterosexual. I’m not convinced that heterosexual sex is any more reflective of God’s nature than gay sex, just because genitals come together differently. However, I do see the correlation between Christs’ relationship with the church (the “bride), and heterosexual sexual relationships. I just want to leave a lot of room for this to be the Biblical authors’ understanding and not how we necessarily have to understand things today, as we grapple with a gender spectrum that is less polarized.
I appreciated Kevin’s own experiences. I very much related to his struggles to embrace touch for fear that all touch had the potential to lead to sex and might be morally wrong. His taxonomy of touch is really helpful for people who want to embrace a more affectionate life and the blessing that touch can actually be.
On the whole, I think Kevin’s book is brilliant, not because I mentally ascent to all of the ideas, but because he grapples with the repressive sexuality he was handed by his religion and broader society, and he talks about revelations of God’s love and grace informing his sexual ethic going forward. I believe this is the crux of sexual ethics, especially within Christianity, and this book is profoundly helpful in laying a foundation for sexual ethics based in Godly love!