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Christianity Today, August, 2008 |

A Safe Place to Talk About Sex

Sex and the Soul argues that universities—Christian and otherwise—desperately need this.

Review by Lisa Graham McMinn | posted 8/26/2008 08:50AM

Sex and the Soul: Judging Sexuality, Spirituality, Romance, and Religion on America's College Campuses
by Donna Freita
Oxford University Press, April 2008
336 pp. $19.99

I teach a course on the sociology ...

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Daniel

Posted: August 29, 2008 11:01 AM

What were the schools? When the number of schools you pick in each category are so small, then the author practically accuses herself of selection on the dependent variable. The statistics and Franciscan University and Georgetown University and Catholic University in America are all going to be very different, as are the statistics at Calvin versus Union versus Gordon, as are the statistics at the University of Minnesota versus the University of Virginia versus UC Berkeley. So.... I will not be reading this book because the data will ultimately be meaningless.

Isaiah Tor

Posted: August 26, 2008 5:34 PM

Whilst their is a place of such safe places of "confession", we must realize that could only be a pained attempt in the aftermath to rescue if possible, a young person, after he or she has already participated in sexual behaviour that has severely shattered his or her relationship with the Lord. Sexual sins are very much hated by God, to the extent that even David's sin in robbing Bathsheba who had been the wife of Uriah was still recorded in Matthew 1. Perhaps one may say it is absolutely impossible to be pure in this age. Regarding this I point the Christian to 2 Timothy 2:21-22. We all need His mercy and grace in this, in the realization that we are all sinners in desperate need of His grace not only in mighty deliverances from severe temptation, but much more a daily salvation from this most damaging of sins that we would live in His presence unceasingly until we meet Him at the end of this age at His second coming. May the young people of America would so love God seek Him purely

AKR	Posted: August 26, 2008 4:46 PM

Call me a prude but the statistics are a bit shocking to me. Having grown up in evangelical church in the 90's, and attended a public university and then graduate school, I'm often stumped by how little anyone of "authority" is willing to discuss sexuality honestly. It's often left to professors, who honestly are really not equipped to counsel wisely, and many of them strident with their politics only serve to alienate the students even more. It saddens me that we are at a point in history where we are looking at numbers to verify what a new generation is experiencing in their sexuality, but it's even sad that we are at a point where over 70% of students in most schools have experienced sex of some kind, and have no faith to lean upon. The stats on the Catholic schools are even more surprising, and why such a disparity when compared to evangelical schools? What's the difference?

Stephanie

Posted: August 26, 2008 12:18 PM

Ideally, this should start with parents. Unfortunately most parents rarely discuss sex and relationships with their children. Most adults are so screwed up (please forgive the pun!) about sex that they don't have a clue what to teach their own children. If the church addresses it at all, they simply tell kids, "Don't"! Meanwhile, kids are watching their parents go through relationship after relationship. Is it any wonder that they are confused!

Becky Tirabassi

Posted: August 26, 2008 12:00 PM

Let's keep this discussion on the front burner, not the back burner...there is a generation of young men and women who not only need safe places to talk about their sexuality (and spirituality) but safe places of confession. Every campus would be wise to offer this opportunity for cleansing and fresh starts for their students. Otherwise...the hidden lives will go on, the confusion will get deeper, and personal conviction or confidence in spirituality will feel impossible to approach.

Deb	Posted: August 26, 2008 11:53 AM

I find this article FIERCELY relevant. I believe we are not listening to the deep spiritual and emotional needs of our young adults at times, instead TELLING them what they SHOULD feel. From my own personal experience of an unplanned pregnancy, and a trip through single motherhood some 25 years ago, we still our not understanding the deep needs of these kids, to love GOD, and to be loved, in this very complex society. There still is an idea as a Christian women of women being "objects" and "prizes' that adds to this issue. We are going to have to enter into this conversation with these young people if we are going to see families that know how to address this issues honestly and with compassion and real passion. Great article.

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