Unprotected Texts: The Bible's Surprising Contradictions About Sex and Desire

by Knust, Jennifer Wright

• ISBN13: 9780061725395
• ISBN10: 0061725390
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-02-07
• Publisher: Harpercollins

Summary

Bible scholar Jennifer Wright Knust addresses the big questions that dominate today's discussions and debates when it comes to sex and the Bible: Is premarital sex a sin? When, and in what contexts, is sexual desire appropriate? With whom can I legitimately have sex? Are same-sex relations permissible? In an era where the phrases, "the Bible says," and "God says," are so often exploited, it is time to consider what the Bible actually does-or does not-say about monogamy, polygamy, homosexuality, gender roles, and sex. Unprotected Texts directly and pointedly takes on widely shared misconceptions about sex, arguing that the Bible cannot-and should not-serve as a rulebook for sexual morality, despite popular claims to the contrary. From the Song of Songs' lyrical eroticism to the rigid sexual rules of Leviticus-and everything in between-Knust parses the Bible's contradictory, often surprising messages. Skillfully revealing the latest insights from critical scholarship, Knust provides a compassionate and liberating model for navigating these deeply personal issues that affect us all.

Author Biography

Jennifer Wright Knust is assistant professor of religion at Boston University. She is an ordained American Baptist pastor, and holds a doctorate in religion from Columbia University and a master of divinity from Union Theological Seminary.

Table of Contents

Introduction Why the Bible Is Not a Sexual Guidebook	p. 1
The Bible and the Joy of Sex
Desire In and Out of Control	p. 23
Biblical Marriage
There Is No Single View on Marriage Presented in the Bible	p. 47
The Evil Impulse
Disordered and Ordered Desire	p. 79
Sexual Politics
God s Wife, Cursing the Canaanites, and Biblical Sex Crimes	p. 113
Strange Flesh
The Sons of God and the Daughters of Men	p. 153
Bodily Parts
Circumcision, Semen, and the Products of a Woman's Womb	p. 187
Conclusion So I Hear You Have Five Husbands …	p. 237
Acknowledgments	p. 249
Notes	p. 253
Bibliography	p. 303
Index	p. 335
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