A Lily Among the Thorns: Imagining a New Christian Sexuality

by Miguel A. de la Torre

A new way for Christians to think about sexuality

Author Miguel De La Torre, a well-respected ethicist and professor known for his innovative readings of Christian doctrine, rejects both the liberal and conservative prejudices about sex. He instead develops an ethic that is liberative yet grounded soundly in the Bible; a sexuality that celebrates God’s gift of great sex by fostering intimacy, vulnerability and openness between loving partners. In A Lily Among the Thorns , De La Torre examines the Bible, current events, history and our culture-at-large to show how and why racism, sexism, and classism have distorted Christianity’s central teachings about sexuality. The author shows how the church’s traditionally negative attitudes toward sex in general—and toward women, people of color, and gays in particular—have made it difficult, if not impossible, to create a biblically based and just sexual ethic. But when the Bible is read from the viewpoint of those who have been marginalized in our society, preconceived notions about Christianity and sex get turned on their heads. Taking on hot-button topics such as pornography, homosexuality, prostitution, and celibacy, the author examines how “reading from the margins” provides a liberating approach to dealing with issues of sexuality.

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

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

De La Torre received a Masters in Divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a doctorate from Temple University in social ethics. The focus of his academic pursuit has been ethics within contemporary U.S. thought, specifically how religion affects race, class, and gender oppression. He specializes in applying a social scientific approach to Latino/a religiosity within this country, Liberation theologies in Latin America, and postmodern/postcolonial social theory.

De La Torre currently servers as the Professor of Social Ethics and Latino/a Studies at Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado.

Reviews

[Summer]

A fascinating and thought provoking read. I am blown away that this book was published in 2007, for the way it attempts an examination of injustice from an intersectional and liberative approach. It is full of scripture and citations, so much so that it is a dense and repetitive read in order for De La Torre to make sure his points are clear. So much to chew on and process. If anyone reads this and wants to discuss, please let me know! I will definitely seek out more on the author’s approach to “read the Bible from the margins.”

[Rhonda McCarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miguel De La Torre, as a Southern Baptist, working and writing in a more liberal institution and, with the lens of a liberation theologian bridges some of the gaps between “traditional” ideas about sexuality and an ethic of sexuality that is liberative by naming the oppression that is inherent in a patriarchal conservative sexual ethic. It is biblically and theologically grounded, using the trinity as a model for family relationships and focusing on the scripture that liberates us from hierarchy and sexism, rather than reinforces it. He discusses the impact of racism and ethnocentrism. He also, unlike some now working in the field of sexual ethics, includes the pleasure of sex in his framework, which he terms orthoeros, “correct erotic sex.” For sex to be orthoeros, in De La Torre’s view, it must occur “in a familial relationship of love and commitment, vigilant against any suffering of others due to that relationship.” It is focused “on strengthening, securing, and supporting a mutually giving and vulnerable familial relationship” and is based on sex that is “safe, consensual, faithful, mutually pleasing, and intimate” (p. 75). This does not preclude sex outside of marriage or homosexuality. While De La Torre is not afraid to take on scriptural passages that have been used in this way in the past, he is guided by the norm of liberation, rather than oppression. He does not hesitate to reject scriptural justification for sexual violence or oppression of people based on sexuality.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book, but I will say that it's only half of a good book. The first half is excellent. The author deconstructs "purity culture" and expands on the Church's discomfort with a positive view of sex and sexuality. Especially relevant are the discussions around the oppression of women and of bodies of color throughout church history. De la Torre is a liberation theologian, and it's through the lens of liberation for all that he writes about sex and sexuality. If I had only stopped there, I could have recommended this book.

But the second half completely falls apart. I appreciated the chapters on sexuality and singleness; the LGBTQ community; and on predatory sex though they still had their errors, not just grammatical but also errors of fact. Aside from that he engages in the same proof-texting that those in the extremely conservative purity culture engage in--making wild interpretive statements without support or proper references. De la Torre would benefit from hiring an excellent editor and issuing another edition of this book. It's needed but this is just not good overall. He claims to seek a middle way--not purity culture but not a liberal view that says anything goes as long as both parties consent, but he doesn't quite get there. I can only recommend select chapters and even then with a grain of salt. My search for a solid book on sex and sexuality continues.

[Zach · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I do agree with most of what De la Torre has to say, I was appalled at the poor quality of this book; there are multiple instances where De la Torre presents a reference out of context, and he often allows his own worldview and bias to color his interpretation of multiple texts, including parts of the Old Testament (at one point he makes the absurd claim that Ehud seduced the Moabite king Eglon, then stabbed and killed the king in an act of sodomy). Additionally, though I don’t normally get bent out of shape over the occasional misplaced comma, I was a little shocked at the number of grammatical errors I found in this book. Overall, Lily Among the Thorns had a lot of potential, but I can’t really recommend it.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a must-read for any Christian who has struggled with the issue of modern day sexuality and the Christian faith, especially as many of us are single longer. I don't agree with every interpretation of the scriptures the author makes, but it is always important and great to see different points of view. I skipped around and just read the chapters that interested and related to me the most.

[Paul Bindel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful framing of sexuality for more conservative or moderate Christians.
I enjoyed the sections on pleasure, which survey the Jewish Bible, the Christian Bible, and Christian writings throughout history.
de la Torre argues that family (gay or straight) is the Christian aim or expression of sexuality.
The book ended abruptly.

[Margaret Govero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, positive view of sexuality from a Christian perspective. A book that everyone in and out of a relationship should read.

[Edie]

Read for class. The author appears to be well-intentioned but I still found the book problematic. Needs to be revised and updated if it is going to continue to be used in the classroom. The author's male lens gets in the way of making convincing arguments even when the conclusion is sound.

[Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book I have read on the theology of sex! Very balanced, critical analysis of both the left and right extremes. Backed up with contemporary statistics.

[Kim Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fascinating. This scholar surveys what both the Bible, Christians throughout history, and culture today says about sexuality. I learned a lot.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm interested in reading his most recent book as well -- I think this book tries to cover too much but I liked his framework for sex being best in a justice based, familial relationship.

[Little]

I didn't finish the book, but I plan to revisit it when life is a little less full of babies. I read the first section and parts of the rest. I love the idea of reading from the margins: how would a person typically disenfranchised by the dominant culture(s) of a particular time and place understand the Biblical text? And Torre's exploration of historical Judiasm and historical Christianity's oppression of women, minorities, and others is fascinating.

[John Lussier · Rating 4 out of 5]

De La Torre examines Christian sexual ethics from the margins, considering how this forms and gives insight. Very interesting.