The Gospel & Pornography

by Russell D. Moore, Andrew T. Walker

The problem isn’t sex. 
 
God designed sex; and sex is good. Sex is a powerful union that brings men and women together. But when sex is distorted by sin, the misuse of our sexuality can alienate us from one another, causing immense harm and pain. Enter pornography—the most prevalent distortion of sexual sin in America. Pornography is not only a problem in terms of personal morality, but a social epidemic that is making the possibility of sexually-fulfilled marriages harder to achieve. It is rewiring our brains to think about sexuality in destructive ways. We have a very serious problem, and it’s not isolated to any one segment of culture. 
 
So, what now?
 
Editors Russell Moore and Andrew T. Walker of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) assemble leading voices to frame the issue with a gospel-centered perspective. The Gospel for Life series gives every believer a biblically-saturated understanding of the most urgent issues facing our culture today, because the gospel is for all of life.
 

Genres: Theology

128 pages, Hardcover

Published April 1, 2017

About the author

Russell D. Moore is President of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, the Southern Baptist Convention’s official entity assigned to address social, moral, and ethical concerns.

Dr. Moore earned a B.S. in history and political science from the University of Southern Mississippi. He also received the M.Div. in biblical studies from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and the Ph.D. in systematic theology from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

He blogs frequently at his “Moore to the Point” website, and is the author or editor of five books, including Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the Triumph of Christ, Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families and Churches, and The Kingdom of Christ: The New Evangelical Perspective. In addition to these, Dr. Moore is also the author of dozens of academic articles and essays within the field of systematic theology and Christian ethics. He also serves as Senior Editor of Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity.

Reviews

[J. Amill Santiago · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a little disappointed in this short book. All essays with the definite exception of Jarred Wilson's, were rather dull. Nothing I would disagree with was written, but it didn't feel hardly illuminating. I was hoping to see more statistics and research being cited, but there barely over 20-something footnotes, none of which were academic in nature. Now, Wilson's essay was excellent and might justify the price of the 100-pages little book. It did feel illuminating, practical, and helpful in ministerial contexts.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good content, just not much that stuck with me after reading it. There is lots of grace in this book which I appreciate. It really focuses on the heart issue of a porn addiction and what that does to men and women. I particularly liked the essay that called out how porn exploits users as well as those in the videos. I kept thinking 'won't this become a victimless crime once it becomes all AI?' and this book really took that down. I also liked Matthew Lee Anderson chapter on how to engage with a culture that embraces porn.

[Samuel G. Parkison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This little resource is immensely helpful. Shelf-level, flat-footed, wise, and hopeful. This book is readable and short and simple, but that does not mean it’s light or dismissible. This little book is heavy, and the insights found in it are incredibly important, absent, and not intuitive, which means it’s important. I will be recommending this little book to many.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

The authors did an excellent job of showing how our pursuit and desire for pornography is connect to our worship. The false promises and facade of satisfaction found there does so much damage to ourselves and others even though pornography claims to be a victimless experience.

[C.J. Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very grateful for works like this (and grateful for this series as a whole). Very readable books, which makes them even better to recommend. The best part about this book is it includes a chapter written by a woman for women, which is something missing from the Christian literature on this subject.

[Dan Mingo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a solid approach to the epidemic that is sweeping our world. The chapter by Jared C. Wilson and showing porn use as worship in essence was very good.

[James Brixey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book, Helpful read, worthwhile.