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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
I needed this book! Nadia Bolz-Weber has written a very engaging, compelling book about how the Christian Church has perverted sexuality from its true form into something shameful and/or to be avoided. She uses Scripture and stories to reframe the Church’s harmful narratives that have damaged so many. Instead, she shows how sex and sexuality - in all its forms (except those that cause harm) - is an integral part of our lives that we should have the opportunity to explore and enjoy, and that our sexuality is an expression of our deep desire to connect with others.
I needed this book. I needed it in a deep, unknown way. This book didn't solve all my hangups with purity culture and how we should respond to it, but reading it was like a balm to my soul. I'm so glad this book was dropped into my life. I'll probably do a longer write-up of my thoughts and feelings about the reading experience later, but right now, I'm just so incredibly grateful for this book, and it's permission to stop feeling shame for not fitting a cookie-cutter mold of what purity looks like.
I have loved all of Nadia Bolz-Weber's books to date, and this one is no exception. What I love most about this "sexual reformation" is that, while she illustrates how many destructive ideas about sex originate in the church, she advocates for a sexual ethic that is not separate from the Christian faith but rather deeply informed by it. Drawing on Scripture, tradition, and liturgy, she advocates for an inclusive sexual ethic that mirrors our best spiritual experiences. Even though my personal experiences of sex and marriage are very different from hers, I still felt acknowledged and included in all of her reflections. She includes relevant history — like why and how recently the evangelical church became anti-abortion — and statistics — that teenage pregnancy is higher where there is abstinence-only education — but also includes many personal stories, both her own and those generously shared by her parishioners.
As with her previous books, I couldn't put this down once I started and yet I regretted it ending so soon. I am grateful to have her words to return to again and again and to point others to who need her flavor of guidance. I can't recommend her work highly enough.
As with her previous books, I couldn't put this down once I started and yet I regretted it ending so soon. I am grateful to have her words to return to again and again and to point others to who need her flavor of guidance. I can't recommend her work highly enough.
This book was easy to read and felt like a release of a lot of tension and conflict I had been holding onto for a while. It is always refreshing to me to read someone else's words that put words to your own feelings and thoughts that for a long time felt like they couldn't be articulated.
I appreciated how Nadia used both reference and anecdotes to express these themes. She did a good job at staying away from only sharing her opinion, and I never once felt she was trying to convince her readers of her points, perspectives or any hidden agenda.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has been struggling with their identity as a Christian and a sexual being, to provide a sense of "you're not alone"
I appreciated how Nadia used both reference and anecdotes to express these themes. She did a good job at staying away from only sharing her opinion, and I never once felt she was trying to convince her readers of her points, perspectives or any hidden agenda.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has been struggling with their identity as a Christian and a sexual being, to provide a sense of "you're not alone"
I don’t know that I’ve read a book with as profound a chapter as the “Benediction” chapter of this book, as sex positivity finds expression in the rhythm and values of the faith community at worship. There’s a lot to commend about this book beyond that- no one quite matches Nadia’s vulnerability as it’s set against her own guardedness. Her subjects are worthwhile and rich chapters, too.
I really enjoy Nadia's writing and her thoughts about life and spirituality. This is a must read for anyone who grew up in evangelical/purity culture with any shame around sex. Her writing is surely not for everyone, but I like it.
challenging
reflective
fast-paced
This is a crucial read for anyone who grew up in the purity culture of the evangelical church. This helped immensely on my journey to heal from the lasting effects of the messages of the church.
