Faithful: A Theology of Sex

Ordinary Theology

by Beth Felker Jones, Gene L. Green (Series Editor)

Many believers accept traditional Christian sexual morality but have very little idea why it matters for the Christian life. In Faithful, author Beth Felker Jones sketches a theology of sexuality that demonstrates sex is not about legalistic morals with no basis in reality but rather about the God who is faithful to us.

In Hosea 2:19-20 God says to Israel, I will take you for my wife forever; I will take you for my wife in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love, and in mercy. I will take you for my wife in faithfulness; and you shall know the Lord. This short book explores the goodness of sexuality as created and redeemed, and it suggests ways to navigate the difficulties of living in a world in which sexuality, like everything else, suffers the effects of the fall.

As part of Zondervan s Ordinary Theology series, Faithful takes a deeper look at a subject Christians talk about often but not always thoughtfully. This short, insightful reflection explores the deeper significance of the body and sexuality."

Genres: Theology, Sexuality, Christian, Nonfiction, Faith, Christianity, Religion

112 pages, Paperback

First published May 5, 2015

About the author

Beth Felker Jones teaches theology at Northern Seminary, near Chicago, and loves to write for the church.

Reviews

[Timothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reflects the rigorous thought life of a gifted theologian who can communicate in a way anyone can understand. Beyond the oppositional categories which characterize contemporary discussions of sexuality, Jones lifts the conversation out of the trenches and transcends sexuality-as-act approaches by raising larger concepts: truth, goodness, and beauty. Highly conversant with contemporary pop culture, the author utilizes a number of readable references to bring the material to life in creative ways - a perfect book for study groups, leaders and interested persons from all walks.

[Rebecca Carswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jones illustrates the beauty of Christian sexual ethics, bringing a fountain of much-needed wisdom and truth. It's thought-provoking and bold. It would be an easy and applicable read for both adults and teenagers. I could not put this book down, and it kept me smiling the whole way through! I would highly recommend this book for anyone!

[Michael Philliber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This 112 page paperback is a short, sweet, mildly sassy little thing. Beth Felker Jones, professor of Theology at Wheaton College, has compiled a handy set of chapters in "Faithful: A Theology of Sex". It's an easy-to-read dossier that takes on sex, both our birth sex and procreative sex, and is mature, unencumbered, and comprehensible.

The working premise of "Faithful" is that sex "has to do with who God really is and who we really are" (13); that sex "matters to God because bodies matter to God, because God created our bodies and has good plans for us as embodied people" (18). This means, according to Jones, that the "Christian faith is profoundly for the body and for the joys of the bodily life" (22). The author hammers out the implications of her thesis, walking the reader through celibate singleness, faithful marriedness, and the goodness of sexual differentiation between male and female.

Simultaneously, "Faithful" pushes against the commodification and cheapening of bodies and sex. As Jones asserts, if our "bodies don't really mean anything, then we will act as though we can assign them meaning at random" (15). The author exposes the demeaning direction of elitist and Gnostic trends in society, and among Christians, that deny the goodness of male bodies and the goodness of female bodies. When Gnosticism prevails "the result has been bad for female bodies, for girls and women" because "Gnostics see female bodies - far more than male ones - as the special problem that redemption needs to get rid of" (33). Jones further delves perceptively into sex gone wrong in what she calls "pornication" (43-50).

In the end, "Faithful" is a useful manual. On the one hand it lays bare the "sexual orthodoxy of our fallen world" that "wants to create a body that is something to be consumed." On the other hand it beautifully presents Christian sexuality as that which "recognizes that the body is meant to be a witness. Sex is a witness to what God does in our lives, a witness to the God who is faithful and keeps promises" (104). If you're thinking about biology and bodies and maleness and femaleness, then this is a good book. I happily recommend it.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is short, not exhaustive, with all the benefits and drawbacks of that format. But Felker Jones’ basic argument that Christian sexual morality completely eschews any commodification of sex (the act or the bodies involved) is astonishingly rich, with wide-ranging implications. Plus which, her theology of sex includes and affirms celibacy in a way that I haven’t seen done, or at least done well, very frequently.

[Zach Waldis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beth Felker Jones teaches at Wheaton College and focuses on women's studies. You couldn't have said that years ago about Wheaton, but it's a great thing. This book is theology at its best: pastoral, Biblical, succinct. She doesn't touch the current debate over LGBT sexual ethics, but traditional and Biblical values are assumed. This book is accessible enough for lay people and has enough meat to satisfy the serious theologian. It's a great resource, highly recommended.

[Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book. Similar themes to Winner’s Real Sex, but more compact and more robust. A useful corrective to both conservative and liberal distortions of sex. It’s brevity in misleading as this is an accessible work but one with a great deal of richness in depth and imagination.

[Angie Shoemaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I checked this book out from the library, but I’d like to own my own copy so that I can refer to it again and again. I really like how the author shows how the theology of sex applied both to married and single people.

[Olivia W · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Marriage is not a reward. Faithful marriage — like faithful singleness — is the way of the cross. Faithful marriage — like faithful singleness — requires us to die to self again and again, and faithful marriage — like faithful singleness — becomes a training ground for discipleship. In learning faithfulness to the spouse — a broken, annoying, limited human being — there is a lifetime of sacrifice, hard work, error, repentance, and forgiveness. Learning the limits of the spouse requires learning one’s own limits too."

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book of the basic theology behind sex. A very positive approach to understanding how sex fits into God’s overall plan for people. Excellent study resource for lay persons and small groups. Good for young adults, as well.

[Anna Josephine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basically this book was amazing. So smart, so articulate, so faithful to the text and the nature of reality. So many things I had heard and thought "yes!" but all together. And really interesting contemporary + historical examples.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short but thorough book addressing the theology of sex that is very appropriate for married and single Christians. As our culture tends to warp views of sex, this is a helpful recalibration.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't say I was on the hunt for another (...or any...) Christian book about sex but given the recent conversations about some very problematic theology and abuses in this area, I heard Beth Felker Jones' name come up as a recommendation for those who are hungry for a sound alternative.

Faithful: A Theology of Sex was a quick, enlightening read and one I would recommend to anyone who wants to understand what a sound Christian sexual ethic is even supposed to look like in this current #churchtoo era, regardless of your familiarity with the Bible or Christian theology.

My biggest takeaway from this book is the call to return to a balanced, beautiful theology of an embodied faith and life, where spirit and body are both united, redeemed, restored, qualified, blessed, and matter. The book rejects the modern fruits of slaveholder theology that emphasizes the spiritualizing of everything while diminishing the importance and value of our bodies on earth (...while also commodifying them). Our bodies matter - and not just the privileged ones our culture deems lovely and valuable. The Christian ethic of sex is rooted in this perspective and finds itself counter to cultures that either overemphasize or de-emphasize the needs of the physical bodies we inhabit.

What I loved:
* No cringe moments for me...not so with most books on the topic.
* The focus on God and Grace as the point of our faith, not our best attempts to be good people.
* Articulates a sound vision for God's standards, purpose, and design for sex. (again, no "ew").
* There are NO sexual orientation scapegoats here...if we have a body and live on earth, we are engrossed in the mire of sexual sin/brokenness in one way or another.
* Identifies and traces current cultural/christendom sexual morals to their foundations in Ancient Rome - and dissects a contrasting, authentic Christian sexual ethic (Placing Paul in the context of his time and audience).
* Sound critique of purity culture - identifies harmful legalistic traditions and presents a grace-filled alternative (short but powerful reference to Elizabeth Smart's memoir here).

Noteworthy:
* It is no secret our single brothers and sisters in Protestant spaces struggle with feeling seen and valued - Jones suggests there is some anti-Catholic reactionary habits baked in here, noting the pendulum swing away from celibate priests to over-emphasizing (idolizing) marriage as a qualification for ministry. As a Catholic and Protestant - found that interesting.

Overall, an important reminder to set aside the nonsense and discover who we are in light of the beauty of God, the grace given in Christ, and what scripture actually says about the faithfulness of God to restore all things. While others who try to speak on this are getting the attention, Beth Felker Jones is actually worth hearing.

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book suffers from a number of structural issues. For one thing, it’s extremely unclear as to whether this is meant to be a shorter, but rigorous academic and theological text - as I would assume because it is labeled ‘A Theology of Sex” - or a conversational, more general collection of thoughts - which the short page count and the style of the prose seems to suggest.

For another, its strongest two chapters are at the end. I understand saving your best punches for last, but in this case it severely limits the entire book. Being the only two chapters with adequate amounts of textual evidence, they are also the two chapters that lay the foundation for the discussion the entire first section of the book is trying to have.

The beginning of the book is full of generalizations, and addresses a broad cultural straw-man of ‘hook up culture’ without ever defining that culture, or paying any attention to concrete examples of behavior. The book is content to gloss over practical application in favor of lofty sounding ideals. Granted, some of this may come down to the evident conflict about genre - I may be expecting too much of it.

Overall, I just thought that it made a lot of irrelevant claims without adequately explaining either the justification for the thought or - more troublingly - the thought itself. Many many times I found myself confused as to what Felker-Jones was saying. It is another in a long list of Christian authors who argue for traditional sexual values without truly understanding why people might not hold them.

All in all, if you do read this book, I advise you to read it backwards.

(Oh, and if anyone can find me an example of a man having his testicles cut off for refusing to have sex, I want to submit it to the editor. The only examples of celibacy in this book were female, which further plays into the perineal Christian fear of female sexuality.)

[Chandler Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

"What if Christians taught that sexual holiness is not something we can achieve by our own desperate efforts? What if we taught that sexual holiness is a gift of grace?"

"Scripture dignifies marriage, letting us see that marriage--and the sex that binds a marriage--is about mutual, personal, consensual, covenantal relationship."

This is a fantastic and accessible treatment on an egalitarian view of sex, sexuality, and marriage. Beth Felker Jones writes about the reality and goodness of sex in Christian marriage, as well as about Christian faithfulness in celibate singleness and sexually active marriage. Jones is also fed up by purity culture and the way Protestant Christians have bought into the "sex as commodity" paradigm rampant in our sex-saturated culture. Jones calls Christians to a grace-filled faithfulness to Christ as we point to Jesus and his work on our behalf in our own embodiment and obedience to Christian sexual ethics. The book is a bit repetitive at times, and she also cites Augustine at several points to support points about sexuality that I do not think Augustine himself would support in his low, perhaps Platonic view of the body and sex. Still, this is a good work on a biblical and Christian view of sex that I would gladly recommend to anyone wanting to read an introductory book on a theology of sex and sexuality.

[Jerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weighty and thought-provoking, but scattered

The theology of sex is a crucial understanding in the life of the Christian. This book raises the topic to the forefront and applies the rigor of ancient wisdom, Biblical teaching, and modern sociology to questions of culture, of consent, and of Creation. It begins with the question of “What is sex for?” and charges into singleness, marriage, and covenant faithfulness as it applies to God’s plan for His people.

I especially appreciate that sources include Solomon, Jesus, Paul, Augustine, Calvin, and also a modern video series, news headlines, and one college’s sexual consent policy.

My only concern is that I often felt like I was reading in circles. The line of argument was often unclear, like this was a collection of thematically connected essays instead of a cohesive work. (I also hoped, despite the clear title, for a more-thorough theology of the body before jumping into a theology of sex, but I knew the title when I started, so that’s on me.)

Definitely recommended, but be prepared to do some work on your own. Which might be a good thing.

[Nathan Marone]

If a new Christian were to come to me and ask for a book that gives a concise view of Christian sexuality or a theology of sex, I'd probably give them this slim volume. It addresses two main issues. First, per the title, is the issue of what faithfulness means in the context of sex, both in marriage and out, especially against cultural views of sex as a market commodity. Second, Jones deals with the meaning of our bodies in relation to God. This is very good, ground zero theology. Jones is approachable and does an excellent job coving the relevant passages of scripture. This book does not touch on subsidiary issues for the most part. If you are looking for a treatment of homosexuality, masturbation, and other linked but specific issues, this is not going to help. But if you are looking for something that gives a solid outline of the fundamental concerns and concepts of Christian sexuality, this book is for you.

[Jana Payne · Rating 5 out of 5]

May be one of the best books I’ve read on looking at issues of sexuality from a theological perspective. The problem with many other approaches to what a Christian sexual ethic should look like is they either focus too much on behavior, or too much on the notion of relying on God (without a good idea of what that looks like or what God says specifically about sexuality). Jones does an excellent job going through different Biblical teachings that give us a strong theological foundation to talk about sexual ethics. Though she does not go too much into the biological or psychological aspects of sexuality, she is very clear and thorough in her examination of the spiritual. Addressing issues of the body, gender, sex, singleness, consent, and faithful marriage, Jones is clear and straightforward (and supports her assertions) in what God’s design is for us sexually in this super quick read.

[Nick Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s a ton of good here, a streamlined explanation of orthodox Christian sexual ethics. It would be really good for a church study (although it does require a decent desire to engage faith intellectually). I do want to read a fuller version of it, though, in which the author would actually extend her arguments and respond to other arguments, especially different theological anthropologies. I don’t know if that fuller version exists, but I wonder if her *The Marks of His Wounds: Politics and Bodily Resurrection* might be somewhat in that direction. Unfortunately it’s $60+.

[Carole Duff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this short guide very helpful, especially given the misinformation about faith and sex in popular culture. Sex is a sign of God’s grace, never to be commodified or wrenched from that framework. It’s not about rules or purity (none of us is pure) or reward. Jones: “In learning faithfulness to the spouse—a broken, annoying, limited human being—there is a lifetime of sacrifice, hard work, error, repentance, and forgiveness.” Sex is about equality, mutuality, delight, covenant love, consent, and freedom. In long and healthy marriages, such freedom only grows.

[Tim Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good short introduction. Shows how sex is for God. Also shows how singleness is not just possible but one of two ways of showing God's faithfulness to the world by remaining celibate, marriage is the other way. Good sex is a witness to God's faithfulness.

It is short and an introduction, so don't expect fully fleshed out ideas or the book to hit every possible question you might have. I give it 5 stars for what the book is. For me, the writer is also honest and pleasing to read, so that helps.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. What a fascinating, stunning book. I've been reading a lot of Christian books about sex/marriage/singleness/etc., and this is exceptional. Never has a book, sermon, article or pastor articulated so clearly the traditional Christian sexual ethic without the shame and heretical trappings of bullshit cultural norms. This book is complex and academic, but it is not difficult to understand and it is also short. Very, very good resource.

[Elisabeth White · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Theology of Sex" is a strange concept, but ultimately the book answers two questions: what does God say about sex and what does sex say about God. Felker Jones beautifully answers these heavy questions in the most easily digestible way. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in sex and Christianity, even teenagers! It is also a very short read that is packed full of wisdom. Absolutely worth it.

[Kristel Acevedo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a helpful and encouraging book on the theology of sex. It’s filled with scripture and makes important connections. An important book for pastors and ministry leaders to read and share with their churches. An important book for Christ followers to read. 4 stars instead of 5 because I didn’t love chapter 6. That was the one chapter that gave me pause in some of the thoughts shared. But overall, biblically sound and culturally relevant.

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am enjoying this book; some things I didn’t know regarding history. I do recall a book I was assigned to read as part of a course with Liberty University and a common phrase or theme is, these are “real people in real times in real places.” If memory serves me correctly it was authored by Dr. Ed Hindson. I’m half way through the book and hope to finish it tonight.

[Christopher Chandler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short read, but each page contains well-thought-out ideas about humans, our bodies, and sexuality. I thought Beth's approach was caring and clearly came from a place of talking to real people about all the challenges of sexuality.

The theme of faithfulness was a nice cord to follow across the book. I'd recommend this as a great starting place for a Christian theology of sexuality.

[Rondall Gammon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very accessible book, and everything you need to know is in the title and subtitle.
In a season where I was fully willing to surrender to what I was taught was a biblical sexual ethic, I was really hungry for a “reason” other than, it’s the right thing to do. I believe this provides a careful reasoning for being faithful in our bodies, for the married and single.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book about sexuality that I wish every Christian had and I wish I had been given when I was younger. I feel like SO many books about Christian sexual ethics come from a perspective of fear and legalism, but this one comes from the perspective of a beautiful vision for God’s ideal. What a breath of fresh air. I will be recommending this one a lot!

[Andrea Wahlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really really enjoyed this book; definitely will be reading it again, as it is one if those books that you get something different out of it each time you read it. It is a perfect book weather you are married or single.

[Emma Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book for school and loved how it describes God's faithfulness in both marriage and singleness. It truly shares how the gospel's theology of sex is freeing and empowering to Christians. Also a super easy quick read. Only 100 pages that are easy to understand!

[Graydon Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a concise but dense book about a theological vision for sex. Jones identifies the influences of Gnostic dualism and modern consumerism in Christian views of sex, and argues for its rightful place in understanding the nature of God, creation, and faithful love.