Mere Sexuality

Todd A. Wilson (PhD, University of Cambridge) is the Senior Pastor of Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park, Illinois and the chairman and co-founder of the Center for Pastor Theologians, a ministry dedicated to resourcing pastors engaged in biblical and theological scholarship. He is the author of Galatians: Gospel-Rooted Living and Pastors in the Classics. Todd is married to Katie, his high school sweetheart, and they have seven children, three biological and four adopted from Ethiopia.

• Chapter 1 Why Mere Sexuality?*Introduction*How can a God Boy think gay is okay?*A loss of vision*What is mere sexuality?*More than solo Scriptura*Four core scriptural convictions*Different types of listeners*My prayer for this bookChapter 2 The Sexuality of Jesus*Introduction*Mere sexuality vs. mere morality*The missing person in sexuality debates*God chose a Y chromosome*Born of the virgin Mary*The resurrection enshrines mere sexuality for all eternity*Celibacy and sexual fulfillment*Jesus suffered when tempted*Resurrection brings sexual resolutionChapter 3 Male, Female and the Imago Dei*Introduction*‘Male and female he created them’*Male or female: fidelity to your sexuality*Male and female: complementarity in our sexuality*You aren’t who you desireChapter 4 “One Flesh”*Introduction*‘They shall become one flesh’: Marriage as comprehensive union*Exclusivity: leaving all other attachments*Permanence: holding fast to his wife*Not bigotry but biology: a gentle appeal to assertive advocates*Marriage exists for missionChapter 5 What is Sex for?*Introduction*The blessing of sex*When sex is severed from it unitive and procreative purpose*‘Course sex isn’t safe. But it’s good’*Sex is a public act*What does this mean for you?*A blessing from the LordChapter 6 Friendship, Celibacy and Same-Sex Relationships*Introduction*The difficulty with God’s No for gay Christians: celibacy and loneliness*Restoring friendship to its rightful place*A weak friendship culture makes celibacy much harder*Singles aren’t single in the body of Christ*A community where water is thicker than blood, and blood thickest of all*A place for loveChapter 7 Bent Sexuality (by Joel Willitts)Chapter 8 Homeward Bound*Introduction*Mere sexuality calls us to wait patiently*The possibility of healing, the promise of redemption*Homeward bound*Patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart

In Mere Sexuality, Todd Wilson takes on the challenge of articulating Christian norms regarding sex and gender. He does so in a clear, accessible way. Followers of Christ will be indebted to Wilson for helping us identify and articulate those norms in a dramatically changing culture in which such norms are all but lost.