Authentic Human Sexuality

by Balswick, Jack

• ISBN13: 9780830815951
• ISBN10: 0830815953
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-12-01
• Publisher: Intervarsity Pr

Summary

Sex pervades our culture, going far beyond the confines of the bedroom and spilling over into the workplace, the church and the media. Yet despite all the attention and even obsession devoted to sex, human sexuality remains confusing and even foreboding. What, after all, is authentic human sexuality?That is the question Judith and Jack Balswick set out to answer in this wide-ranging and probing book. Informed by sociology, psychology and theology, the Balswicks investigate how human sexuality originates both biologically and socially, lay groundwork for a normative Christian interpretation of sexuality, show how authentic sexuality is necessarily grounded in relationships, and explore such forms of "inauthentic sexuality" as sexual harassment, pornography and rape.Authentic Human Sexuality will prove an important work for ministers, psychologists, sociologists and students searching for an up-to-date and wise introduction to an essential--and endlessly fascinating and perplexing--facet of human identity.

Table of Contents

Introduction	9	(4)
Part I: The Origin & Formation Of Sexuality
Authentic Sexuality: Biological & Sociocultural Contributors	13	(23)
Principles of Authentic Sexuality	36	(16)
Toward a Theology of Authentic Sexual Relationships	52	(16)
Homosexuality: The Complexity of Explanations	68	(21)
Homosexuality: A Christian Response	89	(18)
Part II: Authentic Sexuality
Sexual Intimacy & Singleness	107	(22)
Premarital Cohabitation: Cautions & Concerns	129	(19)
Marital Sexuality: Maximizing Sexual Fulfillment	148	(15)
Extramarital Sex: Causes & Consequences	163	(20)
Part III: Inauthentic Sexuality
Sexual Harassment: The Uninvited Eroticizing of a Relationship	183	(21)
Sexual Abuse: A Violation Deep Within the Soul	204	(17)
Rape & Sexual Violence: Destructive Sexualized Power	221	(14)
Pornography & Erotica	235	(15)
Sexual Addiction	250	(15)
Part IV: Conclusion
The Sexually Authentic Society	265	(18)
References	283