Rethinking Sexuality: Why Slattery’s Book Matters

I boarded a plane. De-boarded it 90 minutes later because of weather-related delays. Re-boarded it literally hours later, and finally made it to Dr. Juli Slattery’s Rethinking Sexuality conference in Minneapolis.

(I know. A conference. In the winter. In Minneapolis. Even Dr. Slattery joked about this during her talk).

I am so grateful I made it, though — not only to connect with fellow sex writers Chris Taylor and Ruth Buezis and other like-minded Christian wives, but also to listen as Dr. Slattery unpacked a much-needed conversation about how Christians can embrace a paradigm of sexual discipleship.

Kudos to Berean Baptist Church for hosting this conference and other churches across the country that also have brought Dr. Slattery in to speak on sexuality. We need more churches to courageously shed light on this sensitive and sometimes difficult topic, not only because it is relevant today, but more so because it has always been relevant to God.

The book Rethinking Sexuality: God’s Design and Why It Matters will better equip you to get at the heart of the below questions:

What does sexual discipleship mean?

How does God want me to walk in truth and love, especially with people who disagree with me on sexual matters?

Can God really work in my sexual brokenness?

Is every sexual issue ultimately a spiritual issue?

What is sexual integrity and why does it matter?

Can I have authentic dialogue about sex?

How do I grow in godly humility when it comes to sexuality?

What hope is there for sexual sin in my life? In the culture? In the lives of people I love?

I hadn’t planned to have Dr. Slattery’s book completely read by the time I reached Minneapolis, but 8 hours in an airport waiting for a flight was a bit of a hidden gift.

As someone who speaks and writes about sexual intimacy in marriage, I am always trying to better understand the larger context of sexuality.  I think Dr. Slattery may very well have written the ideal book to do just that. (But she would be the first to point out that nothing is a substitute for what God has already given us in His Word).

Her book Rethinking Sexuality is drenched in sound scriptural support, but a book about Christian growth is only relevant to the degree it urges us to go to the source Himself. And Dr. Slattery definitely urges us to do exactly that.

This is not a marriage book per se, but I believe marriages are benefiting because of it. Whether you are married or single, old or young, a lifelong believer or new to the faith, through the power of the Holy Spirit this book will compel you to look at sexuality in profound ways.

“Our conversations about sex must be rooted in a deep desire to see people know the love of Jesus and follow Him as disciples. We don’t talk about sex simply to condemn people or to prove a point. Nor do we adopt a cultural view that sexual choices and opinions don’t matter. We engage with sexual issues because they deeply overlap with what Jesus has commanded us to do: share His truth and make disciples.” — Dr. Juli Slattery

I appreciate much about Dr. Slattery’s book Rethinking Sexuality (and all her books, really), but possibly what I most appreciate is her authenticity — her willingness to be vulnerable about her own struggles and how God has revealed Himself in her quest to better understand sexuality.

I encourage you to pick up a copy of the book. You’ll learn about sexuality for sure, but more than anything you will learn about God’s heart and profound love.

I’m glad I sat in an airport for 8 hours and patiently waited to get on that plane to Minneapolis. It was worth it. Even in January!

For more reading, cruise through my list of past posts, as well as my page with a bunch of posts on orgasm.

Copyright 2019, Julie Sibert. Intimacy in Marriage Blog. Links may be monetized.

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