Unprotected texts
Subtitle: the Bible's surprising contradictions about sex and desire
By: Jennifer Wright Knust
Edition: 1st ed.
Publisher: HarperOne
Published: 2011
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 343
ISBN-13: 9780061725586
Subjects: Criticism; Bible; Biblical teaching; Sex
Description: "UNPROTECTED TEXTS will directly and pointedly address widely shared misconceptions about biblical writings and sex, arguing that the Bible cannot--and should not--serve as a rulebook for sexual morality, despite popular claims to the contrary. This is a major book by a top biblical scholar that will shed much-needed light on what the Bible actually says about sex, desire, monogamy, homosexuality, and how we should interpret those thorny verses today. Written over the course of more than 2,000 years, the books of the Bible offer many different-and conflicting-versions of sexual morality. With clarity and precision, Knust addresses the big questions people continue to ask when it comes to sex and the Bible: Is pre-marital sex a sin? When, and in what contexts, is sexual desire appropriate? With whom can I legitimately have sex? Are same-sex relations permissible? What about multiple partners? Is extra-marital sex always wrong? And what is "sex" anyway? With repeated "ah-ha" moments for the reader, Knust reveals what the Bible really says about a topic of perennial interest"--Provided by publisher.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Introduction :; title: Why the Bible is not a sexual guidebook --; title: The Bible and the joy of sex : desire in and out of control --; title: Biblical marriage : there is no single view on marriage presented in the Bible --; title: The evil impulse : disordered and ordered desire --; title: Sexual politics : God's wife, cursing the Canaanites, and biblical sex crimes --; title: Strange flesh : the sons of God and the daughters of men --; title: Bodily parts : circumcision, semen, and the products of a woman's womb -- -- Conclusion :; title: So I hear you have five husbands...