Further Reading

The following selection of books from Christian publishers was compiled and annotated by Kaye Cook and Stanley Grenz.

General

Between the Sexes: Foundations for a Christian Ethic of Sexuality, by Lisa Sowle Cahill (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1985). An important work in the ethics of sex written from a mainstream Protestant point of view.

The Growth of Love and Sex, by J. Dominian (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1982). This British psychiatrist explores the issues of love and sexuality from a Christian perspective, realistically and practically discussing issues relevant to teenagers, young marrieds, older marrieds, and the aged. He does not take a position on issues (e.g., premarital sex).

Bonding: Relationships in the Image of God, by Donald M. Joy (Waco: Word, 1985). This, and his more recent Re-Bonding, offers helpful insight into the process by which male and female become one flesh. Interesting treatment of the concept of porneia, which Joy might define as casual sex. Joy is one of a handful of evangelical authors making a serious attempt at studying human sexuality from a Christian perspective.

Parent’s Guide to Sex Education, by M. A. Mayo (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1986). This practical guide provides a generous supply of ideas, suggestions, and activities to help families talk positively about sexuality.

Embodiment: An Approach to Sexuality and Christian Theology, by James B. Nelson (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1979). A significant work on sexuality written from a “mainline” Christian perspective. Nelson does not treat sex as physical acts, but as forms of communication.

A Gift for All Ages, Clifford and Joyce Penner (Waco: Word, 1985). This book provides the Christian community with a much-needed developmental approach to sexuality. The authors present the natural sexual responsiveness from birth through old age. This is a helpful book.

Sexuality, by Letha D. Scanzoni (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1984). This brief book, controversial and in some areas alarming, is a forthright discussion of women’s experience of their sexual selves. The author discusses alternatives for meeting sexual needs, including premarital sex, touching, and intimate nonsexual relationships.

Sex for Christians, by Lewis Smedes (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1976). Smedes discusses sexuality positively, arguing against premarital and extramarital sex. He proposes that “responsible petting” is biblically acceptable and in the process addresses the question of “what’s the line” between appropriate sexual expression and abuse.

The Ethics of Sex, by Helmut Thielicke (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1964). This book raises some crucial questions about the thorny and borderline problems that confront us sexually. While Thielicke’s views of Scripture may not be as confined as some conservatives might prefer, he handles hard questions with thought and skill.

Eros Defiled: The Christian and Sexual Sin, by John Wesley White (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1977). This book has important implications for clinicians as it discusses human concerns in light of biblical principles. Topics include guilt, freedom, responsibility, adultery, homosexuality, healing, and discipline.

Sexual Sanity: Breaking Free from Uncontrolled Habits, by E. D. Wilson (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1984). A psychologist at Conservative Baptist Seminary, Wilson discusses masturbation, voyeurism, promiscuity, homosexuality, and pornography, as well as premarital sex. His model of sexual sin is the addiction model of Alcoholics Anonymous: Sexual obsession is an addiction and sin.

Homosexuality

Parents of the Homosexual, by David and Shirley Switzer (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1980). This book is written for parents who need some practical guidelines and encouraging support as they learn of their child’s homosexuality.

The Bond That Breaks: Will Homosexuality Split the Church? by D. Williams (Ventura: Regal, 1978). Williams reviews the issue of homosexuality from a biblical perspective. Taking the position that homosexuality is learned (a debatable conclusion), he argues that the proper biblical perspective is that homosexuality is a sin. A useful book.

Sex And Singles

Sex and the Single Christian, by Audrey Beslow (Nashville: Abingdon, 1987). A positive, practical, biblically based guide to celibacy, written in an easily readable format. Beslow does not assume that all Christians will marry, nor does she speak only to young singles, as so many of these books do.

Singles, Sex, and Marriage, by Herbert J. Miles (Waco: Word, 1983). A fairly straightforward and traditional view of singleness and sex. Nearly one-half of the book offers advice for those who want to marry.

Technique

The Gift of Sex: A Christian Guide to Sexual Fulfillment, by Clifford and Joyce Penner (Waco: Word, 1981). This clinical psychologist and nurse therapist wrote this book for married Christians, placing sex in a biblical context and in the larger context of a couple’s relationship. It reviews, for example, sexual functioning, barriers to sexual satisfaction, and sexual issues for persons of all ages.

Intended for Pleasure: Sex Techniques and Sexual Fulfillment in Christian Marriage, by Ed and Gaye Wheat (Old Tappan: Revell, 1977). Many will recognize this husband-wife team from their popular seminars and tapes. This “definitive Christian sex manual,” as some call it, is a popular, easy-to-read reference book for couples. It begins with marriage and the honeymoon, and discusses for example, impotence, infertility, parenting, sex, and aging.

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