A new novel explores sex and abstinence in the evangelical subculture.
They shall know we are Christians by our love, or in some cases by our sex. Evangelicals are not only marked by conservative political views, anti-evolutionist beliefs and Ten Commandment fights. We are getting a reputation for sexiness. (Visit our past post "Making Sunday Sexy," for another example.)
The most recent witness of our sexiness is Tom Perrotta, a novelist whose newest book, according the New York Times, is not just about sex, but about evangelicals and sex.
With his latest novel, "The Abstinence Teacher," out Tuesday from St. Martin's Press, Mr. Perrotta returns to the anxious and striving contemporary suburban landscape that he has made his literary home, this time tackling the evangelical movement, which has produced chastity events like the one in Wayne.
But why is he interested in the evangelical movement on abstinence? Surprisingly, it is not primarily because he wants to mock the Christian mantra, "Save sex for marriage!" (though there could be some of that). Rather, he seems to be irresistibly intrigued with the evangelical glorification of sex.
Raised Roman Catholic (he has since lapsed), he was exposed to the self-abnegating form of religion that the evangelicals, he said, had turned on its head, particularly in regard to sex. "Catholic theology is that sex should be for procreation," he said. "But this evangelical culture really embraces orgasms and pleasure. I was really interested in that strain of Christianity that didn't want to fight American culture and that's a vibrant, prosperous and actually kind of sexy culture."
How he came to discover this sexy culture is even more interesting, and even more indicative of the growing presence of evangelicalism in the public's eye.
Mr. Perrotta said the idea for the novel emerged from the 2004 presidential election, when evangelical voters were widely credited with swinging the result for George W. Bush.
"I was surrounded by people who kept saying, ?Who are these people?'" recalled Mr. Perrotta, who has lived in Belmont, Mass., for the past eight years with his wife and two children. "I did feel somewhat inadequate as a novelist, just like I'd missed something huge happening in the country. I really did set out to kind of investigate that world."
[Perrotta] said he had no idea how an evangelical Christian audience would respond to the book. One character in particular, the aggressively pious Pastor Dennis, seems in some respects to fit a typical liberal perception of an evangelical preacher. But Mr. Perrotta said he actually admired the character's integrity and authentic caring for Tim. Above all Pastor Dennis is not a hypocrite, Mr. Perrotta said. "Like a lot of secular Americans after that first wave of evangelical televangelists crashed and burned, like Jimmy Swaggart and Jim and Tammy Faye, there was this sense of, ?I know who those people are, they're just a bunch of hypocrites,'" he said. "It took me a long time to understand that a lot of them were completely genuine.
What is especially curious about Perrotta's observations is that it appears that our biblical glorification of sex might prove to be an unexpected entrance point for engaging a sex-obsessed culture.
Posted by Kristen Scharold on October 15, 2007 2:18PM
Comments
First off this book sounds interesting. Second it is nice to see someone outside the Christian world actually begin to see our view of sex, not just the 'sex is bad, don't do it' stereotype. We Christians value sex just as much as anyone, we just confine it to marriage. It is a healthy, spiritual and emotional act of love that was created for a husband and wife to enjoy in marriage. Third evangelicalism is sexy, just skim Song of Solomon’s...that is all the proof you need.
Posted by: Reed at October 15, 2007
Sex is a remarkable entry point for gospel discussions—if our sexual ethic is distinctive (as it should be, biblically) and logically developed enough (which we must work to do) that we can have intelligent discussions. In a culture where many people find their (sexual) relationships unsatisfying, unstable, and hurtful, culturally savvy Christians have a great opportunity to discuss a topic that is closely related to the heart of Christianity: God's covenant relationship with his people.
This also raises the issue of integrity within the Body. Culture is aware of our sexual morality. All the more, we must follow Paul's instruction that there not be even a hint of sexual immorality among us. Perhaps we can gain a better reputation in sexual ethics than we have in other, political issues.
Posted by: david at October 15, 2007
I agree that it's good to see someone in the secular world recognize that evangelicals do teach that sex is something bad or dirty, but we need to be careful. Mr. Perrotta states that he was "interested in that strain of Christianity that didn’t want to fight American culture..." We are not necessarily embracing American culture per se, not if he's referring to American secular culture. It just means that this may be one area in which American secular culture can relate to Christianity, and see that it is not about DOs and DON'Ts. We need to build on this connection but tread carefully and adhere to the Truth. Our (the Church's) worldview all too often overlaps with the secular world's when we should maintain a strictly Biblical worldview. When given this excellent opportunity, we must ensure we stand on solid ground and be careful not to mislead anyone...least of all ourselves.
Posted by: kj at October 17, 2007
We primarily need to be aware of the fact that the over-hyping of sexuality within Christian youth culture leads to traumatically disappointing sexual debuts and an adulterated view of fractured sexuality for the rest of their disillusioned, presumably married lives. The proverbial trope of sex as the “carrot on a stick” in evangelical adolescent sexual culture is by far one of the greatest lies and most dangerous heresies facing both our youth and churches today. It is a bowing to Ba'al and a curtsey to culture that amounts to nothing more than a Relational/Sexual Prosperity Gospel, which is destroy covenantal love and commitment at an alarming rate. But until it does, I’ll keep enjoying my dog-eared copy of “Your Best Sex Life Now.”
Posted by: REllis at October 17, 2007
God had created man and woman to be fruitful and multiply to fill the earth. God directed them to have sexual life to have children. The sex should takes place between wife and husband. mean while enemy entered into the family of Adam and eve defiled them into sexual immorality. Talking about sex is OK. giving big hype is not good.when we see the animal kingdom, they dont have rules about sex. God has creaated us to be like him. There is no much need to talk about sex. when we talk more about sex we are giving more importance to the sex language. the language we talk doesnt sit quitely in our mind, it takes us to imaginary, heuristic levels lastly leads us into sexual emotions to commit sin.
Truly speaking there is no much need to talk about sex.
The more you talk about sex the more importance going to what not important.America or any country is like a eden garden.we are the Adam eve and there are many forbiden trees are there in our midst.This is where we need to be obedient to the word of God. Recently a young lady started troubling to go with her. intially I was moved towards her. later I understood that she is agent of devil. |Then I asked God to deliver me from her chaging.The the |Lord said to me "david where ever you go forbidden tree will be there just dont gove attention to it.Yet that lady didnt stop her trails to chage me. one day when I was in my office at free time I am typing Psalms:119 entire part. the enemy came started whisper in my ears for 4 hours to go to young lady to have sex with her. I said to the devil I will listen to my father and my brother Jesus but not you and gave a rebuke to the devil. Really I was very much tired of hearing the whispers of the devil. I went to home and shared to my wire what was happend and we prayed together. The Lord answered our with His word from |Psalms' 94: when you foot slippeth I am holding you with my grace. Now a days talking about sex getting more and more importance. It is the devil getting importance out of it to corrupt people.
Posted by: davidkatcha at October 17, 2007
REllis said:
>
Amen and Hallelujah! So much of the teaching on sexuality in Christian circles is of the "God has the best sex partner out there if only you will do things His way" variety. The idea is that if young people live their lives "right" God will reward their goodness by giving them the perfect sexual partner with whom to share a lifetime of perpetual bliss.
It's a variation on the "health, wealth, and prosperity" teaching - do what God wants and God will reward you wildly and abundantly. While God does reward those who obey Him, He sometimes does not give us what we want. What about young people who will never marry, or who will have a partner who is unfaithful to them, in spite of their obedience to God?
This teaching replaces the Gospel with a works-based reward system that says, in effect, God gives good things to good people and (presumably) bad things to bad people. It makes the real gospel ("God justifies the wicked" in Romans) that much harder to understand, and it reinforces our natural tendencies to become just like the Pharisees - seeing ourselves as "good" and others as "bad."
I wonder about the studies that show the abstinence education is not that effective over the long haul. It delays the age at which young people have intercourse, but not significantly - I think the figure I heard was about six months. That is a good thing, to be sure, but waiting until you are six months older to have sex is not the same as being abstinent!
Posted by: William E. Jones at October 18, 2007
Does God approve artificial contraceptives, so part of this sexy evangelism evermore, to the point that the American white population in America is steadily and surely daying out, where the present American population growth is now fully dependened upon immigrants, and greatly that of illegal immigrants? Yes, this contraception production business in the USA alone must run into the millions a year if not billions. Yes, most certainly the reason that now more married American couples can do without having children than the ones that want children, is due to the usage of artificial contraceptives, right? Now again, the question: Is the God of America pleased with such, especially with the Christians in America? Will some one be willing to respond to my comments? Yes, I suggest this article by Christine J. Gardner, entitled: God's Protection, in the Wall Street Journal dated 8/18/06 as to the history of contraceptives!
Posted by: H. D. Schmidt at October 20, 2007
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