In this era of distorted ideas about our inherent roles, identities, and purposes as men and women, it has never been as important that we seek reconciliation in marriage and families so there can be a more rational approach to the real problems the whole world suffers. We must disseminate God’s truth and extinguish the lies and myths that Satan has embedded into the hearts and minds of many people. Building on these ideas, in Male and Female Made in God’s Image, author Frances O’Dair offers her perspective on dating, marriage, and family, which she believes reflects the experiences of most married couples before the sexual revolution of the 1960s. She encourages men and women to reflect on the wise or self-serving natures of their past dating and mating choices. If we can stop the reckless self-gratifying use of human sexuality with our children, our loving direction and understanding of God’s truth can set them free from the temptations that have been passed down to recent generations. We must be ready to admit that sexual freedom is a myth and isn’t intended for the well-being of men, women, children, and the unborn. This faith-inspired treatise explores the true source of happiness, meaning, and fulfilment that God has planned for everyone within the sacrament of marriage and the family circle.

The creation narrative in the early chapters of Genesis proved irresistible to the church fathers. Following the apostle Paul, they explored the six days of creation and the profound significance of Adam as a type of Christ, the second Adam. With comment from Basil the Great, Ambrose, and Augustine, this ACCS volume on Genesis 1-11 opens up a treasure house of ancient wisdom.

For millennia, two biblical verses have been understood to condemn sex between men as an act so abhorrent that it is punishable by death. Traditionally Orthodox Jews, believing the scripture to be the word of God, have rejected homosexuality in accordance with this interpretation. In 1999, Rabbi Steven Greenberg challenged this tradition when he became the first Orthodox rabbi ever to openly declare his homosexuality. Wrestling with God and Men is the product of Rabbi Greenberg’s ten-year struggle to reconcile his two warring identities. In this compelling and groundbreaking work, Greenberg challenges long held assumptions of scriptural interpretation and religious identity as he marks a path that is both responsible to human realities and deeply committed to God and Torah. Employing traditional rabbinic resources, Greenberg presents readers with surprising biblical interpretations of the creation story, the love of David and Jonathan, the destruction of Sodom, and the condemning verses of Leviticus. But Greenberg goes beyond the question of whether homosexuality is biblically acceptable to ask how such relationships can be sacred. In so doing, he draws on a wide array of nonscriptural texts to introduce readers to occasions of same-sex love in Talmudic narratives, medieval Jewish poetry and prose, and traditional Jewish case law literature. Ultimately, Greenberg argues that Orthodox communities must open up debate, dialogue, and discussion—precisely the foundation upon which Jewish law rests—to truly deal with the issue of homosexual love. This book will appeal not only to members of the Orthodox faith but to all religious people struggling to resolve their belief in the scriptures with a desire to make their communities more open and accepting to gay and lesbian members. 2005 Finalist for the Lambda Literary Awards, for Religion/Spirituality

Includes music.

Argues that theology can respond faithfully to the living God only by paying due attention to human bodily experience Scripture points to the human body and lived experience as the preeminent arena of God's continuing revelation in the world, says Luke Timothy Johnson. Attentively discerning the manifestations of God's Spirit in and through the body is essential for theology to recover its nature as an inductive art rather than -- as traditionally conceived -- a deductive science. Willingness to risk engaging actual human situations -- as opposed to abstract conceptualizations of those situations -- is required of the theologian, Johnson argues. He celebrates the intimations of divine presence and power in such human experiences as play, pain, pleasure, work, and aging, showing how theology can respond faithfully to the living God only by paying due attention to human bodily experience.

For many today the issue of homosexuality is easily and clearly settled in scripture. The issue, for them, is one of scriptural authority. One either obeys the command found in scripture or one does not. Yet for others, the scriptural commands are not nearly as clear as claimed, and the issue is not obedience, but rather interpretation. It is not whether one will obey God's will, once known, but determining if, in fact, traditional interpreters have discovered God's will. Joe Miller, Jr., a retired pastor with a deep concern from LGBT persons in his community and church, tackles this subject by examining not just the scriptures, but also the people who interpret them and the theology and science they use to do so. He believes that a scriptural case can be made for the full acceptance of LGBT, and that to truly follow Jesus and care for “the least of these” demands nothing less.

Humans tend to be autonomous, independent and self-governing, and psychology can’t explain why because it’s a spiritual sin problem. The biblical view can incorporate the truth found by secular research, and facts found by secular research about the psyche (unknown world of a person - their mind) can also be incorporated to the biblical view and make better sense of it. Many things religious people discover share no common ground with secular studies. Secular psychology can’t deal with the meaning of life, moral standards, and guilt (which are all important to our psychological studies) because they leave God out.

For two thousand years, Christianity has been wrong about sex. To this day Christians grapple with defining gender, sexism, heterosexism, and what constitutes healthy sex. Miguel A. De La Torre-noted ethicist and scholar on the intersection of religion with race, class, gender, and sexuality-shines new light on these intimate issues in Liberating Sexuality, a provocative compilation of his writings that apply justice to the most private parts of our lives. Grounded in biblical scholarship, Liberating Sexuality will help you discover new ways of thinking about God beyond gender, heterosexism, masturbation, and many other topics. Wrestle with controversial topics such as an androgynous Jesus, ethical S&M, and confronting racism in one's sexual preference. Gain a critical understanding of how others view their own sexuality in ways you could never before comprehend.

The Lesters discuss how the increase of intimacy in marriage allows for communication, power, anger, and faith issues to be approached more creatively and effectively. With tested exercises and a clear discussion of contemporary perspectives on marriage, this book is an indispensable resource for couples and counselors. - Publisher.

Does the Bible provide a construct for marriage that is relevant for a confused world? This book reflects a pastor's conviction that biblical revelation culminating in Christ does speak to the issues and potentials for marriage in such a world. By focusing on what the biblical vocabulary of marriage, from Genesis to Revelation, may reveal of the Creator-Redeemer's intent for marriage, Ernest D. Martin develops a Christological paradigm for marriage that is consistent and applicable. Pastors, teachers, and counselors will find biblical faith perspectives useful in responding to the challenges and opportunities they face in the several phases of marital relationships. This short book will greatly benefit anyone seriously concerned with what the Bible says about marriage.