The God Of Sex

Biblical scholar Michael Coogan's introductory course on the Old Testament has been a perennial favorite among students at Harvard University. Here, Coogan examines one of the most controversial aspects of the Hebrew Scripture: what the Old Testament really says about sex, and how contemporary understanding of those writings is frequently misunderstood or misrepresented. In the engaging voice generations of students have appreciated, Coogan explores the language and social world of the Bible, showing how much innuendo and euphemism is at play, and illuminating the sexuality of biblical figures as well as God. By doing so, Coogan reveals the immense gap between popular use of Scripture and its original context. Certain to provoke, entertain, and enlighten.--From publisher description.

Sex. God. You know the two subjects are connected; you just don't have the words for how they are connected. And they cannot be separated. Where the one is, you will always find the other. When you actually live and feel and engage, you discover that the physical things around us are like windows into more. And when you talk about sexuality, you quickly end up in the spiritual---because 'this' is always about 'that.' Something deeper. Something behind it all. You can't talk about sexuality without talking about how we were made. About how we relate to each other. About how we were made to relate to each other. And that will inevitably lead you to who made us. At some point you have to talk about God. To make sense of the one, we have to explore the other. That is what this book is about.

Daniel Akin does not write in a vacuum. Having led over 300 marriage seminars across the United States, he is in touch with contemporary distorted perceptions of sex. But the Bible is not silent on this subject. As a matter of fact it has much to say. As the creator of sex, God knows and has imparted the knowledge of the conditions for sex at its best. Daniel Akin sets the many and varied misconceptions about sex alongside God’s design to reveal His intention and blessing for this vital dimension of life.

A placard carried in the San Diego Gay Parade said it all: "He's your God. They're your rules. You go to Hell." Clearly, there is no longer any commonly held ultimate authority. So merely quoting Bible verses at gays and other "sexual sinners" to prove they are immoral is equally unsuccessful, if not destructive. For the sake of our young people, for the sake of our churches, for the sake of society and our world, Christians must understand the connection of spirituality and sexuality if we are to communicate relevantly to our postmodern culture. Jones gives an objective, honest appraisal of contemporary sexual trends and puts them up against God's clear (and beautiful) design for sex as a spiritual expression. Features and Benefits Helps Christians break out of typical parameters to help them understand and relevantly engage the culture. Nonbelievers will find this book objective and non-offensive, fairly representing postmodern worldviews. Thorough index and bibliography makes this book a powerful resource tool.

We live in a sexually mad world where God's gift of sex has been distorted through pornography, promiscuity, prostitution, abuse, trafficking, and rape. The church's position on sexual matters has been made clear throughout history: all sexual activity outside the boundaries of Christian marriage is sin. But rarely has the church honestly addressed the true needs of Christians who are struggling with sexual desires they believe to be counter to the Bible. So we hide our struggles and pretend to live above the erotic fray, or else we cozy up to the culture's redefinition of which sins are acceptable. But what does the Bible really say about sexual desire and sexual intimacy? God Loves Sex offers a truly liberating, godly view of holy sensuality by recovering the clear meaning of the Song of Songs as God-sanctioned eroticism. Then it uses that lens to answer questions posed by a fictional new Christian struggling with expectations of sexual purity. It asks provocative questions, such as What does it mean to be both holy and filled with rich sexual desire? and How can our sexual struggles take us deeper into the purposes of God? Pairing psychological insight with sound biblical scholarship, Allender and Longman bring it all out into the open, allowing Christians of any age and any marital status to discover sex the way God meant it to be.

When Carolyn Weber moved to Oxford University to study, she didn't expect to find God there. But she did. As she grappled with her newest and most important relationship, she also found that there was another invitation: to think bigger about love. In this book we follow Weber through courtship and into marriage and parenthood. Now a literature professor, Weber reflects on her relationship with a sometimes-absent father and how that has shaped her. Through her personal story, as well as spiritual, theological, and literary reflection, Sex and the City of God explores what life looks like when we choose to love God first.

"For the sake of our young people, for the sake of our churches, for the sake of society and our world, Christians must understand the connection of spirituality and sexuality if we are to communicate relevantly to our postmodern culture. Jones gives an honest appraisal of contemporary sexual trends and puts them up against God's clear (and beautiful) design for sex as a spiritual expression."-Back cover.