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Sexuality and Sex Therapy: A Comprehensive Christian Appraisal Yarhouse, M. A. & Tan, E. S. N. (2014). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press Academic.
the authors, both psychologists, learned about sex therapy through the Institute for Sexual Wholeness, a subset of the non-profit organization Sexual Wholeness, Inc., which trains Christian therapists and ministry leaders "...to unveil God's truth about sexuality and bring healing" (www. sexualwholeness.com). The authors enter a unique discussion on the topic of sexuality and sex therapy divided into four different perspectives: theological, sociocultural, biological, and clinical. According to the authors, understanding these four different perspectives can help readers "appreciate" (p. 14) what Christianity actually says. A strength of the book is that the authors ask practical questions that allow readers to reflect on their own theology of sexuality and as a way to formulate a plan to steward their own sexuality, for example.
Can we derive a sexual ethic from sexual impulses? The authors argue that arousal and attraction are more than just the feelings a person has. Rather than merely turning to their own impulses and desires, Christians subscribe to telic congruence, meaning that they seek to live congruent to their values and beliefs. For the traditional Christian, sex is believed to be both procreative and unitive. The authors note, "Sex has a spiritual dimension to it such that any sex outside of the context of a...