Скачать или смотреть The Goodness of the One-Flesh Union: When "No" is a Servant of "Yes"

One of the commonest complaints against Christianity in the modern world is that it is the religion of “no,” especially in regard to the sexual dimension of life. Meaning that while the rest of the culture is moving in a progressively permissive direction, the church seems to represent a repressive, even puritanical negativity toward human sexuality. Indeed, the prevailing narrative of our day is that to stifle another’s sexual expression (regardless of the form it takes) is tantamount to denying his/her true identity. And in the age of authenticity, such intolerance is seen as the very worst kind of tyranny.

Now, typically, Christian apologists respond to this defeater belief (which is something like: If I become a Christian than I can no longer experience true sexual intimacy) by defending not just the sacredness of the sexual union but also its value. That as Proverbs 5:18-19 says great joy can come “in the wife of your youth” that one can be forever intoxicated “by her love”. Meaning that true sexual delight is to be found (not in some unrestricted exploration), but rather in its divinely ordained expression.

Bradley J. Helgerson