A Better Story: God, Sex and Human Flourishing

by Glynn Harrison

What if we . . .

. . . faced up honestly to our Christian subculture of shame?

. . . reimagined what it means to be made sexual in the image of God?

. . . remembered that we flourish when we live in harmony with God’s design?

. . . left behind the broken promises of the sexual revolution to tell a better story of our own?

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

216 pages, Paperback

First published January 19, 2017

Reviews

[Gareth Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sexual revolution has left the church on the back foot since the 1960s. Christians who uphold an orthodox view of Christian sexual ethics face being labelled as wrong, immoral, dangerous and even oppressive, for holding positions on sex and marriage that were the cultural norm within the last fifty years.

Harrison uncovers the roots of the sexual revolution, shows how its advocates have turned it into a compelling story that has ultimately failed to deliver on its promises. In the final third of the book, Harrison turns to show how the church can recover from the shock of this changing culture, to demonstrate the goodness of God's view of sex and relationships, and ultimately to display to the world the truthfulness of the gospel.

I wasn't looking forward to reading this book (who enjoys books about sexual ethics, morality, and culture?!!) but I found myself thrilled by it. Harrison writes in an engaging tone, with a clear measured manner, chapters are concise, and there's useful key points at the end of each chapter.

This book is jaw-droppingly good and should be essential reading for all thinking Christians.

[Samuel Kassing · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction on how to listen and engage in the cultural conversations around sex.

[James Bunyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was excellent!

[Jonathan Downing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, if a little on the academic side to start with. Parts three and four are excellent and the book is worth reading just for them. For an overall better and more readable introduction, check out Ed Shaw's Purposeful Sexuality before skipping to the second half of Harrison's.

[Lemon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slightly mixed feelings but ultimately not bad. Straightforward and, honestly, gives me the vibes of a writing advice book in some places. Not an apologetics against homosexuality, by the way, just an exploration on the meaning of sex within our cultural context and how to understand it through a Biblical worldview.

Yeah, some parts felt a bit off (the statistics, for example, could have used some reframing. Instead of saying they prove monogamous, hetero marriages with biological children are statistically more successful for the kids, maybe it could have acknowledge that could partly also be because children with parents asides from any of that are often ostracised, etc...so no wonder). But it could just be personal opinion.

But hey. I like reading opinions and scholarly work on them, and this was intriguing for sure!

[Eilidh Lockhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an outstanding book! So insightful into sex & sexuality and how we should approach this in a post-sexual revolution world. Really helpful for my generation where it's difficult to stand up and disagree with the secular world. Highly recommend all Christians to read!

[John Funnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Drenched in divine love this book speaks into our societies darkness as it pulls further away from its Christian roots and challenges us (the Christian) to rethink our approach on how to win the lost in this post-sexual revolution era.

A must read!!!

[Brother Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book can be thought of as a condensed and practical version of Carl Trueman's seminal work The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self. I would probably recommend this to people as it is half the length of Trueman's book and less technical in language. Glynn Harrison gives a brief history of the philosophical influences of the sexual revolution, shows what we can learn from it and how it challenges us as Christians, then argues it does not give what it promises. Instead, he warmly suggests that a biblical vision of sex, marriage, singleness and family will be lead to true flourishing. It is a "better story".

My one caveat about this book is that he didn't explain a few ideas and that was quite saddening because they were interesting ideas. For example, he talked about how we should use the arts as a medium for story telling—a way to engage the human heart with beauty—but doesn't explain how or what he really means by that.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glynn does a great job of explaining to a Christian audience where the 'sexual revolution' has come from, its plausibility structures and emotional resonance, and also a great job critiquing the 'revolution' and especially showing how it's failed to give what it's promised.

I would have loved more time spent in the third section of the book, building the 'Better Story'. It would be helpful to dig even deeper into the Bible and theology and give more flesh to how God's way of marriage, sex, and gender is good. I would have loved some 'better stories' of how this looks in practice.

A word of warning: this is a book about sex. Glynn is very comfortable using direct sexual language. It's a book for adults. He doesn't talk about anything you couldn't find in the Bible but, even then, some readers may be uncomfortable with the direct/explicit language.

[Stephen Lay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book. In summary: the sexual revolution sold a more compelling story than did the Christian moral vision, and now we are seeing that the sexual revolution's promises were totally empty. Christians need not just arguments and facts for our moral vision, but a compelling and beautiful *story* alongside it, since people are more governed by the stories they love than the facts one presents.

This book gives some good basic principles to work with for presenting a life-giving and sexually abundant presentation of Christian sexual ethics, all the while asking how we can present it in a way that won't immediately shut the ears of LGBTQ-etc listeners. Good stuff.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Addresses the current issues faced by Christians in society very well. I only wish he wrote a story that he talks about us creating.

[Mark W Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

[Dan Waugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glynn Harrison has done a wonderful service to the church. The book was important when released in 2016. I think it is essential one.

Harrison's books casts a vision for human sexuality that is compelling and winsome. He demonstrates how the vision of the sexual revolution has proven false - promises made were not kept.

Alternatively, the Christian vision of sex and gender is important to recover for the good of society and the flourishing of all people.

Harrison is honest about the church's many failings in upholding the biblical vision of sexuality, but points a way forward that is imaginative, compelling, and biblical.

[Samuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this. Harrison splits the book into thirds, understanding how we got here, providing a critique of the movement, and then introducing the alternative story. Thought his chapters on providing an alternative story were gold, really helping change the way Christians have thought about sex.

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

'The promise of flourishing operates in the 'big picture' of God's sovereignty. Only God sees the whole. He works to a different timeline from ours, and his promises are sometimes realized generations later. Also, many of the biblical promises of flourishing were made to whole communities, rather than to individuals. We mustn't take the promises of national prosperity and flourishing made during the Old Testament era and map them over simplistically to our personal circumstances today. Finally, God is interested in character much more than achievement and material prosperity. Paul wanted the Ephesians to 'become mature, attaining to the whole meaure of the fulness of Christ' (Ephesians 4:13). God works to bring Christlikeness to our hearts, not money to our bank balances. That is his vision of flourishing over the long term.'

In A Better Story , Glynn Harrison attempts to redirect the argument of Orthodox Christians to 'tell a better story' in response to their views on sex and marriage losing ground in modern society, and being considered bigoted by an increasing number of people. I can understand the confusion some Orthodox Christians may feel, that in the span of their lifetimes, their views have gone from the majority opinion to being branded as homophobic, transphobic or bigoted. Harrison argues that the content of Orthodox Christians' argument needn't change, because it is rooted in the Bible, but the way they present and deliver it needs to be modernised. He mentions that the gay agenda has gained traction because of mainstream media's representation, citing examples such as Will and Grace and gay pride parades. Orthodox Christians don't really have an equivalent of this in modern society (a term Harrison frequently uses but never concretely defines, a common element of the book at large, so he can use terms with vagueness to fit the content of his argument). One statement Harrison did make, that made me lose respect for this argument, was how he mentions the, 'spectacular levels of funding of advocacy groups' like Stonewall, but fails to mention how churches are tax exempt. If you're going to make arguments about which organisations has more historied, economic power, at least be fair about it.

Carrying on from this point, sometimes Harrison makes utterly bizarre assertions about modern society, like modern parents and society finding it acceptable for their children to be arms dealers or terrorists, without evidence. I find these assertions to really hurt his credibility. He comes off as someone trying to criticise something they don't really understand. He's trying to guide Christians into a new approach of why their worldview is losing power, but in doing so, he reveals his own inabilities to understand the opposing viewpoint, or why it's gained so much traction over the centuries. He rails against freedom of expression we all enjoy (as a veiled jab at LGBT people), but never freedom of speech, interestingly, although he does acknowledge Christians have used it to be hurtful, which is more than can be said for other Christian authors.

Nevertheless, he misrepresents the transgender experience by stating that 'some people are trying to argue that sex should be interpreted by the individual's inner perception of their gender'. Not many transgender people are trying to argue that their sex should be interpreted at all. If some transgender people are trying to argue this, it's absolutely a minority opinion. Transgender people want their gender to be interpreted in a different way to the gender that's been assigned to them at birth. That's arguably why the term has changed from transsexual to transgender, to help with this confusion. Later in the book, Harrison states that 'the logic of self-identification is being applied well beyond questions of gender (for example, to age, ethnicity and species)' but fails to mention how the transgender community pushed back against Rachel Dolezal (a singular case) for her claims of being 'trans-racial' (a term that was already in use by children who are adopted by parents of a different ethnicity and their experiences), or otherkin. I have also never heard of anyone applying the logical of self-identification to age, so I'd love to know what he meant by that. It reads like scare mongering about trans people.

Harrison also talks a lot about the 'sacred values' of marriage and how they 'protect everybody' as an argument against gay marriage, but he doesn't explain how gay marriage hurts people. He then goes on to state 'every child deserves both a mum and a dad - we are experimenting with a whole generation of kids' - when in fact, children can be raised by single parents, grandparents, foster parents, adoptive parents or same-sex parents with positive outcomes. Also, he doesn't seem to have spoken to any of the generations of children who are now adults having been brought up in these environments, or looked at much data surrounding them. The evidence he uses is always manipulated to fit his theological thesis - that marriage between a man and a woman is good for society, and the only acceptable form of family for Christians to endorse.

Throughout A Better Story , Harrison presents the sexual revolution as this well thought out monolith with a plan, because that's what he's advising Orthodox Christians to be. In reality, I think it's more likely that the changes in society are just the natural, social evolution of humans and empathy.

However, Harrison actually has a really good point on porn: 'Reports of pornography use among children, and the current epidemic of 'sexting' are accompanied ritualistically by calls for more sex education. The sad reality, however, is that most sex education, where it happens at all, is too little, too late and confined to the mechanic, rather than the meaning, of sex.' I agree with his sentiment, and I would be one of the people advocating for more sex education, and I don't see the harm in it being delivered in a less clinical way to children.

Harrison really strikes gold on the argument of Christians viewing our identity as made by God and discovered by us, vs. others who see their identity as self-made. I think this dichotomy is what lends itself to every other area where groups of people disagree. For example, Harrison says 'Characteristics such as race, gender, nationality and sexuality are important, but we reject the modern practice or elevating these part identities into whole identities.' I don't know how 'elevating part identities into whole identities' is a 'modern practice', and of course he doesn't clearly define it or give concrete examples. I would ask, who does this? And how do they do it? Furthermore, he clearly doesn't grasp the concept of intersectionality, which argues along the same lines of what he's arguing, but better, by talking about how these 'part identities' intersect to make up the 'whole identity' of a person.

He makes a really good, concise summation of Christians on gay marriage that I can accept and agree with: 'These foundational verses in Genesis also tell us that God created human beings 'male and female'. The fruitfuless spoke of here can only be found in the complementary union of one man and one woman. No other form of sexual union has the potential to bear children. And no other union offers a full picture of the complementary nature of reconciliation - the coming together of earth and heaven, of God with his people, of Christ with his bride. That is why the biblical ideas of marriage can't be re-rengineered to validate other kinds of commitments, say, between three people, or people of the same sex. In a secular society it is perfectly possible to enter into different types of civil contracrs in such circumstances, but these kinds of arrangesments are not the same thing as the biblical institution of marriage.' Obviously, this assertion starts to come into question when you consider 1/100 people being intersex. Harrison makes no statement of God's intention or creation there. Additionally, I think he's right in that same-sex couples can increasingly choose to get married in a way that's recognised by the state, rather than the church, but upon excluding such swathes of people, and their allies, he can't then wonder at the continuing decreasing influence and relevance of the church in modern society.

[Tim Sandell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant.

V readable book that helps Christians to get to grips with the sexual revolution - both in terms of understanding the culture and allowing the culture to critique us, as well as looking at the huge failings of the sexual revolution (despite its promises, people are having less sex, are less free and kids and poor are being downtrodden even more), and then looking at what the bible says about Christian sexual ethics before thinking about how we can share our better story.

One downside is that it doesn’t really engage with the transgender debate, but that’s probably reflective of how much the sexual revolution is still changing culture in the four (?) years between this book being written and my (very belated) reading it.

Chapters are short and there are helpful chapter summaries. V readable.

Buy, read, reflect and pass on to others.

[Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent on analysis of the situation: a decent summary of the Sexual Revolution and its direct impact on our society today. Good on the guilt of Christians and the ways we are to blame for making things worse.

It just seemed weird and a missed opportunity that he kept saying 'we need a better, imagination-firing, narrative' and he didn't point us more to the one that God's given us - the Bible!

Also I was surprised that he didn't discuss the eternal stakes we are talking about when it comes to these questions.

Still, great to see a well argued case for Christian sexual ethics in our confused times when many seem unwilling to stick their neck out.

[Frank Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an outstanding book, covering a Christian response to sexuality. The first part of the book is worth the price of the book by itself (and worth 5 stars), as it explains the emotion and reasons behind the massive change in sexual ethics in our societies that has taken place. The author does an excellent job in drawing the reader into empathising with current worldview, while showing that the rapid change in public opinion was due to these feelings, rather than any coherent, intellectual change. He argues that the shift was a result of a change in the fundamental stories or narratives that people are listening to and taking to heart, and that these stories are much more powerful in the public arena than intellectual debate and facts.

He then challenges the Christian community to become biblical and Christlike in their views, rather than being merely traditional and dogmatic (which easily lead to bigotry). Then, to learn to develop stories that display God’s love, while appealing to the current individualistic bent of our society by talking about fairness, care, love and justice (as opposed to tradition or loyalty). In developing these stories, the author develops a series of biblical arguments that can be used in building a story, which show how God’s vision is so much better for the individual and the society we live in. The book ends with an example of a possible narrative and then an encouragement to work on developing our own biblically based, loving narratives of good news to our dying world.

[Gailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

"We cannot engage with a great narrative by simply deploying more facts. We have to tell a different story. A better story. We must out-narrate those with whom we disagree. We shouldn't use narrative as a cynical debating device...but because Jesus himself pathed the way with some of the greatest stories ever told."

It is easy for Christians that hold traditional/orthodox values on marriage and sexuality to feel a little uneasy about the next 5-10 years. Many have been forced to internalise passionately held beliefs in the public and private spheres or face social exclusion. Fear for the next generation who, in increasing numbers, shaking off what they perceive to be the shackles of outdated, restrictive, and bigoted system of beliefs. With the church seemingly on the back foot, many Christians feel unequipped to face the oncoming tidal wave of secularism that threatens cherished institutions of marriage and the family.

Is this path inevitable? How can we stand firm against disastrous ideologies, but also honour the command to love those that promote them? For those who are asking such questions, Glynn Harrison's A Better Story: God, Sex and Human flourishing is a beacon of hope.

The book commences with a social, philosophical, and theological deep dive into the Sexual Revolution, examining its development and the extent to which it has delivered on its promises. Without getting bogged down in overly complicated terminology, Harrison showcases how radical individualism has caused us as a culture to look inward for meaning and fulfillment. This marks a radical departure from the Christian ideal of dying to self, in which the pursuit of finding your authentic self is not only desirable but a moral good. Drawing on Jonathan Haidt's research, he also reasons that changing attitudes on sexuality and marriage are becoming dependent on individualized moral foundations (like care and fairness) rather than community foundations (like loyalty, sanctity, and authority)

Examining the Sexual Revolution on its own terms is an interesting approach. By this, Glynn helps to show how its underpinning ideologies fail to deliver on their promises. Sexuality may have come to dominate media outlets, but it appears to have lost its appeal as fewer people seem to be having sex than before. More shockingly, despite marriage being reduced to the signing of a piece of paper in the public consciousness, rates of marriage among the middle and upper class have remained steady. While many have come to appreciate the emotional and social benefits of remaining in such a union for both themselves and their children, it is a shame that the lower classes have bought into this progressive vision of a more liberated society.

Some Christian readers may be shocked by Harrison's honest portrayal of the church's own unintentional role in exacerbating the ideas of the sexual revolution. Having once held a prominent and powerful position in the lives of many throughout the years, the church and its parishioners have recoiled at the increasingly sexualized world around them. They are right to be concerned with the breakdown of the family and the cultural embrace of what God has defined as sinful and harmful behavior. However, our response has often been emotional rather than intellectual, causing us to aggressively lash out in retaliation. Many Christians have a limited understanding of the biblical view of sexual relations, and while they may be able to clearly argue that fornication and lust are wrong, they were not able to clearly explain why. In fact, many Christian families are reluctant to have important discussions about sex at all, but it has rather been a topic of shame and taboo.

The 'culture war' mind-set has made Christians very quick to denounce sin and those who promote it but has done little to promote a positive alternative. In some cases, the church has greeted the outside world with swords unsheathed rather than welcoming arms that provide refuge for prodigal sons and daughters. That, and the failure to appropriately address many of the unavoidable questions of sexuality that arise in the lives of young people has led many to view the church as bigoted and unrelatable.

Rather than trying to hold on to their powerful position in the community, Harrison recommends that the church embraces the opportunities that come with being in the minority. Left-leaning minority groups rose to prominence by fostering a cohesive and well-defined movement with a strong group identity. More importantly, they valued the importance of storytelling, which captures the heart and soul of their audience in a way that an intellectual lecture cannot. In a similar sense, Christians have a wonderful story to tell the world - one that brings glory to our Creator and brings us into union with our true purpose. This is the thrust of Harrison's argument, in that Christians need to change gears if they are to reach their neighbours.

Harrison's passion for the Lord is evident throughout the book. He never compromises on biblical truth, but rather seeks to show that God's design is not only true but very good. His argument is also accompanied by just the right amount of psychological and sociological findings that truly help us understand what most people are thinking right now. He seeks to understand his neighbours not out of the necessity of 'knowing one's enemy' but out of a genuine desire to represent them accurately and potentially change their minds. From this perspective, Harrison provides Christians with practical methods of proclaiming Christianity's enriching view of sex and human flourishing for the individual and the collective.

I wish I read books like this sooner in my life, particularly during my time at university. This book not only made me appreciate God's design for sexuality, but it also helped me to realise how empty today's transactional model for sex truly is. A Better Story is a challenging read, but one crafted by a Christian who passionately cares about society, about people, and about God. Finally, it has helped me to see the value of not only winning the mind of those we share the gospel with but also their hearts. God has given us a great story, not only to tell but to live.

This will be a book that I will be referring to frequently for many months to come.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been reading a lot of books on sexuality. I appreciate this one for its unique angle - Harrison isn't trying to convince readers of an orthodox Christian stance on "hot button" issues, but rather demonstrating the shortcomings of the sexual revolution and casting vision for a better way to live.

Harrison explains how today's radical individualism is a repackaging of Gnosticism, updated with a clear and compelling message of compassion and freedom which makes followers feel like heroes for adopting it. He suggests ways to challenge secular people with the reality of how impoverished we've become as a result of this message, particularly how devastating it has been for the wellbeing of children in our society. His hope is that Christians will find new and creative ways to demonstrate the wisdom of living in harmony with the patterns of sexuality given to us in the Scriptures. A lot of good things to think about and discuss in here - recommend.

[Ben Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glynn Harrison delivers a powerful rebuke to the Church on their attitude to sex and flourishing that has failed to capture people’s hearts.

This is a difficult book to read and requires a lot of reflection and careful consideration. Even so, the author’s compassion is almost palpable and he paints a stunning picture of Godly sexuality.

[Bob O'Bannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are so many books on the topic of homosexuality that it’s hard to know where to start. This book brings something a little different in that it focuses on the reason for the success of the LGBT revolution, namely that a compelling story was told that captivated people’s hearts. If you’re riding an elephant, and the elephant runs in one direction, that’s the direction you will go (p.27), whether you like it or not. And if you capture people’s hearts with a story, that’s where their intellect will go.

So, according to Charles Taylor, “if you’re going to counter these stories, it’s not enough to offer rival evidence and data; you need to tell a different story” (p.46). That’s the challenge before Christians who are navigating the new sexual normal — we must tell a better story, and one that taps into the primary interests (care, fairness, oppression — p.29) of people who have bought the “marriage equality” narrative.

An interesting irony is the fact that “heroic individualism” is at the center of the LGBT story; that is, “finding your inner strength and being your own hero” (p.52). But later Harrison tells us about plausibility structures and the way ideas are kept alive only when they are “nurtured and sustained in your particular social setting” (p.71). I have no doubt both of these are true, but perhaps people are less individualistic than they think. If people’s opinions can be so easily changed by watching one propaganda piece like “Homecoming” (p.55-56), are they really thinking for themselves, or just being shamed into believing what cultural elites want them to believe?

Probably the best thing about this book is that it balances a strong orthodox position with a shrewd and humble approach to those who no longer find the Christian view of marriage plausible. Harrison expects that the sexual revolution will eventually unravel, and when that happens, “our culture may be ready to hear the good news again sooner than we imagine.” (p.133)

[Scott Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A helpful book on a biblical view of sexuality which offers a critique of the sexual revolution. Harrison sees the power of narrative and wants to show that the Christian story of sex and human flourishing is a better story, and we need to tell it like it is more glorious than the one the sexual revolution sold us.

The first part of the book aims to help the reader understand the ideology behind the sexual revolution, and to understand the positive moral vision it has for society. This section also looks at the power of narrative in the success of the sexual revolution.

In the second part of the book Harrison looks at a 'better critique'. He argues that past Christian attitudes to sex have been unhelpful and in part helped lay the foundations for the revolution. He argues that we have worried about issues like same-sex marriage, but have failed in areas like divorce and sex outside of marriage. Harrison sees the importance of the concept of flourishing and justice which he believes has been severely impacted by the sexual revolution. Children in particular are adversely affected by divorce, cohabitation and pornography. Identity has also become a huge issue and is leading to mental health issues as well as impacting social cohesion.

The third part of the book he outlines a positive Christian view of sexuality and the Christian story. There were some gems in this section. Particularly helpful is his thinking on how our sexual desire connect us with heaven and the gospel. Definitely thought-provoking stuff there. He also has some really helpful thoughts on singleness, and how both sex in marriage and abstinence in singleness showcase the faithful character of God's love.

I'd say this is a helpful antidote for Covenant teens and young adults growing up in the aftermath of the sexual revolution.

[Holly Jamieson · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this book - Harrison lays out a clear analysis of our current culture and thinking, as a result of the Sexual Revolution.

It was really helpful looking at the moral argument of the current movement - a strong concern for care, fairness and oppression - and I was shocked by the clear examples in modern thinking; ‘does it hurt anyone else? If not, I’m ok with it.’ Harrison helpfully points out the aspects of the revolution that have revealed a culture of shame in (warped) Christian thinking, and disregard of care for those struggling with sexual identity - our immediate jump to the logical/clinical argument. But yet he reveals the ways that this movement of sexual liberation has actually destroyed our sense of self and wrecked havoc for the next generation, particularly growing up without the stability of family.

There is a definite call to action for the orthodox church - to engage with these issues in a way that it has never needed to before. We need to have sensitivity and care for those involved in this movement, but also a strong understanding of our views so that we can lovingly stand firm in our stance on marriage and identity - as people made in the image of God, for the goodness of marriage or singleness.

[Leila Jayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

“…it is time for Christians to…offer a better story…The (sexual) revolution had some important lessons to teach us…Our churches often cradled a sexual shame culture, and we should own up.

“We were so busy building our moral vision around what we were AGAINST…that we forgot to ask what we were actually FOR…Then, and only then, will we be ready to rediscover a new narrative for a new generation”.

Harrison’s excellent book offers an honest analysis of both the negative impacts of the sexual revolution and the lessons that it taught Christians who had for too long associated sex with shame and the taboo.

He reminds us of God’s greater vision for sex and the reasons as to why he designed it the way that he did.

He looks at how both sex and marriage point toward the greater union between God and his people (the church), a union characterised by faithfulness and permanence.

He calls Christians not to simply emphasise the facts around God’s purpose for sex, but to tell a better story about how it impacts society as a whole, for the better and how it cares for both minorities and majorities.

[Taylor Russell · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the premise of this book is worthy of our time and thought, I felt like this effort failed in what it was trying to do. There were a few gems of wisdom through this book, particularly in addressing how singleness, marriages in crisis, and the church community as a whole can speak into the sexual ethics of Christianity (which is way I gave it 2 instead of 1 stars) but overall it was built off of stereotypes within the non-Christian communities, undeveloped arguments, and it spent much more time awkwardly building up to “a better story” than actually telling one. In a 200 page book about our better story, he spends a page and a half actually presenting his version of a better story which he then says probably needs some work.

In short, I think the foundations and premise of the book are helpful avenues in exploring this hard and relevant topic, but I would look elsewhere than this particular book.

[Hannah Ferreira-Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Read as part of a book group)
The book had some great points and was an interesting read.

Part one was a really thorough and interesting look at how the sexual revolution has shaped western society today in a huge way. It really helped me to understand how and why our culture hold the values of the sexual revolution, and the individual, so strongly.

I felt a bit let down by Harrison's 'better story' which was introduced in part three. It did provide a picture of healthy marriage and relationships as God has designed but surely THE 'better story' is even greater than a Christian sexual ethic. The good news of Jesus is way more life changing and will in turn impact every facet of your life including relationships but it wasn't presented as part of his better story. It felt like the book was encouraging the world to live as God's people but without faith in God and his bigger picture for the world.

[Liz Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this book as my "something to learn" book this semester after Sam Allberry recommended it on Twitter. It's written by a Christian psychology professor in Ireland and was pretty fascinating. I would give the first half of the book 5/5. I love thinking and learning about why people do what they do, and the first half focused on the sexual revolution and how/why it took root and the good and bad that have come from it. The second half (which I give 3/5) asked how we can tell A Better Story and how the story of God really is the best news for human flourishing, based on evidence from studies all across sociology and culture. I would definitely recommend it. There were so many places where I wrote "Fascinating!" or "So interesting!" in the margins. It's a hard book to summarize, but I think it's a worthy read. #lizreads2017

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent and challenging book setting forth traditional Christian sexual morality.

It challenges the church to set forth the story of how the sexual ethics of Biblical Christianity brings a better life of all and how this is backed up by scientific evidence.

The book paints a similar picture to Louise Perry's 'The Case Against the Sexual Revolution '.

It is interesting to see a Christian and non-Christian teaching similar conclusions.

This book should be studied by ministers and elders of churches to help present the positive nature of Christian morality to a world hurt and harmed by what is called by those who propose it. 'Sexual Freedom'. Churches having presented a reaction to the Sexual Revolution rather than the life affirming morality of the Bible as taught by traditional Christianity.

A book which has affected my thoughts on the subject.

[Tim Goldsmith · Rating 4 out of 5]

When it comes to shaping a culture's attitude toward sex, life and human flourishing, facts and figures might engage one's intellect, but they are less often the factor that inspire and change people. Just as important in the narrative framework that we place such things.
This book is a helpful work looking at how we understand our culture and how it has been shaped by a particular narrative since the sexual revolution. The challenge for the Christian is to think about the Bible's teaching and ask how we express this an both the spoken and the embodied narratives of our lives.
It doesn't attempt to be the final word on such things, but asks a lot of helpful questions. WEll worth the read!