Bringing Sex into Focus: The Quest for Sexual Integrity

by Caroline J. Simon

In a culture that includes sex in everything from advertising to climbing the corporate ladder, it's easy to feel fuzzy about the true purpose and place of sexuality. In this book philosopher and ethicist Caroline J. Simon identifies six "lenses" through which people understand sex and covenantal, procreative, expressive, romantic, power and "plain sex." Guided by a virtue ethic, she applies those lenses to a variety of sexual scenarios, from flirtation and desire to marital sexuality, helping us to see what filters we run issues of sexuality through and how, properly ordered and weighted, they can help us achieve sexual integrity. Here is a book for anyone interested in developing a holistic, biblical sexual ethic that brings into focus the bewildering array of cultural sexual presentations we're surrounded by every day.

Genres: Sexuality

176 pages, Paperback

First published December 21, 2011

Reviews

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

So often, Christian sexual ethics are reduced to what not to do and who not to do it with. This book is very different. Simon uses the analogy of a phoropter--the device used in optometrists office that slide combinations of lenses in front of our eyes until vision comes into focus. She proposes six lenses through which we may look at sexuality: the covenantal, the procreative, the romantic, the plain sex, the power, and the expressive lens.

Most often, biblical perspectives only focus on the convenantal and procreative. Yet anyone who thinks deeply about these things realizes the depths and complexity of sexuality that these other lens both capture and distort. The author explores sexuality through these various lenses. She begins by thinking about the Christian ideal of marital sexuality and the virtue of chastity where sexual union in marriage is not possible. She then considers the issues of flirtation, seduction, homosexuality, casual sexuality and the commodification of sex.

Rather than writing off the other lenses, she explores these issues through them consider what integrity looks like through these lenses, uncovering the ambiguities that remain unresolved with these lenses. For example the power lens lays bare all the ways people misuse power in sexual relationships, even seemingly consensual ones. And the discussion of "plain sex" views explores consent and what this means and all the ambiguities that can occur.

In the end, Simon holds out the vision of integrity in the expression of our sexuality--that what we do with our bodies is truly integral with who we are, and aspire to be as persons. A great book for exploring these issues with collegiate and other young adults.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! The author approaches the topic with grace and wisdom.

[Clint Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short and readable little book attempts to deal with the intersection of Christian ethics and human sexuality in a wise, succinct, and highly intelligent way. For the most part, Caroline Simon succeeds in her effort that she put forward in Bringing Sex Into Focus, challenging readers to think and process issues in human sexuality in a thoughtful and winsome manner.

Simon begins her book by proposing six "lenses" that people view sexual behavior through. Two of these views are explicitly Christian: understanding sexuality as expressive of covenant and as a procreative act. Other ways of viewing sexuality are often held by Christians, but are less explicitly Christian, and at times work against a world view that lifts up the Word of God for the authority of what is ethical. Such "lenses" include: a romantic lens, the plain-sex view, the power view (which is many ways is an argument against the plain sex view), and and expressive lens (my sexuality is a way of expressing my individualism and identity).

The rest of the book addresses how people live out their sexuality, both in relation to Christian ethics, and in relation to these other lenses as well, and how those behaviors demonstrate healthy and/or unhealthy and holy and/or unholy ways of living out one's sexuality.

Simon begins with tackling what most Bible-believing Christians believe are the channels that healthy sexuality should flow through. Namely, virginity and chastity outside of marriage, and fidelity and the becoming of "one flesh" from within the boundaries of marriage. After this, she tackles some more controversial expressions of human sexuality such as flirtation and homosxuality. Then she tackles what she calls, "deficient" views of human sexuality.

Simon writes well, and gets her readers to think. She has clear convictions, and expresses her conclusions as times, but always with a class and grace that will be appreciated by the reader.

This is a book I will keep on my bookshelf and refer to from time to time for several years.

[Michael Henebry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good book. The author describes how the world looks at sex through six different lenses: covenantal, procreation, romantic, plain, power, and expression. People look through more than one lens at a time, which is a natural thing according to the author, kind giving everyone a unique view of sexuality. Anyone who has had an eye exam will know how unique one's vision is with all the different combinations of lenses a optometrist uses to discover their patient's unique prescription. The book explains how different subjects such as marital sexuality, virginity, chastity, flirtation, seduction, homosexuality, and casual sex are viewed through these lenses. It's a pretty informative read on how people look at sex in our world.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A unique book that offers a heuristic for identifying six different (often overlapping) ways in which our culture thinks about sex and sexuality. Simon also writes clearly about how these lenses are combine with three different (also interacting) ethical approaches. A smart, sensitive, and thought-provoking book.

[Darren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the author's technique of discussion through the use of virtue ethics. I would have appreciated a little more discussion of the difference between procreative and covenantal viewpoints, and an analysis of different Christians' ethical takes on Humanae Vitae would have been helpful.

[Curtis · Rating 3 out of 5]

See full book review here: http://curtisknowsnothing.blogspot.co...

[Justin Farley · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://justinfarley.blogspot.com/2012...