Over the last decade, I have read a number of books that consider the consequences of the major changes to sexual practice and understanding since the 1960s. Recently, I read Louise Perry’s book, The Case Against the Sexual Revolution: A New Guide to Sex in the 21st Century (Polity Press, Cambridge, 2022).
While it is not a ‘Christian’ book, and there are some aspects or suggestions that I question, it is illuminating for its focus on raising awareness of the impact of ‘the sexual revolution’ on women. In particular, I commend this book to younger secularly focused women to read, ponder, and discuss and would be interested to read their reflections on her thesis. Louise’s book has already stimulated considerable wider discussion, and she has been interviewed on a wide variety of platforms. Often interviewers have highlighted the chapter titles, which are all fascinating, including:
- Sex Must Be Taken Seriously
- Men and Women Are Different
- Consent Is Not Enough
- Marriage is Good
There are references to faith and practice; Robert P. George is quoted, for example, in the context of marriage. Louise’s wide reading is evidenced by the extensive footnotes and is illustrative of what is quite a substantial argument for her thesis in a relatively short 190 pages of text.
After reading the book, I thought it would be helpful to refresh my reviews of two significant works about the wider impact of the sexual revolution: one an overview in general (and of the world), and one on the church, namely the United Methodist Church in the USA.
The Sexual Revolution and Pornography
Big Porn Inc: Exposing the harms of the global pornography industry by Melinda Tankard Reist and Abigail Bray (Eds), Spinifex Press, 2011.
When I first started reading this book, I found it difficult to finish, not because it is boring, but because some of the chapters are very difficult to read. It is a book that needs your full attention and consideration because of the almost overwhelming seriousness of the issues it addresses.
It is a collection of articles and essays, some written for the volume, some revised from previous articles, and others edited from unpublished writings and material in order to bring together all the areas that encompass the tentacles of the reach of pornography all over the world.
Together the editors and authors present a wealth of highly disturbing papers that illustrate and connect the dots, linking the different parts of our sexualized culture and highlighting the increasing abuse of women and children that has come about through pornography, exploitation, and sex trafficking. This book was developed over ten years ago, and now with the increased proliferation of access to fast internet, smart mobile phones, and apps that target women in particular, it is quite obvious that the situation would only have become worse. Louise Perry’s book illustrates this sadly too well, with the analysis of some websites and so-called ‘networks’ like OnlyFans.
If you think that pornography is not a major problem today and has no impact on society and culture, let alone the church, you are unfortunately living in a cocoon.
We Need to Blush Again
Forgetting How to Blush: United Methodism's Compromise with the Sexual Revolution, (Bristol House, Fort Valley GA, 2012)
Karen Booth's book is a fascinating account of a major US denomination's journey in tandem with the sexual revolution within the wider society. The title is excellent and one that we could well use in parts of our society as well. It comes from Jeremiah (in several references, but one will suffice: Jeremiah 6:15 "Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when I punish them," says the Lord.
This book is very helpful and detailed as church events are related to the influence of societal and educational changes, especially through certain key leaders such as the now quite discredited so-called sex "researcher" Kinsey. It was also illuminating to learn that for the United Methodist Church (UMC), one church figure in particular was clearly very influential - Rev. Dr Ted McIlvenna, who became a celebrated gay rights figure (though not homosexual himself).
The book follows the major studies and programs initiated by the UMC and shows how the liberal direction was started and developed. Due to its size, number of ministers, specialized ministries, and range of congregations, sadly there were many more people able to be involved in liberal and sexual experimentation and to press for change. It was sobering to read a more detailed analysis of the protests by various liberal groups and their supporters that have been conducted at the four-yearly General Methodist Conferences since the early 1970s. Despite the protests, mainly due to the worldwide membership, the General Conference of the UMC continued to affirm a normative and traditional Christian sexual ethic. This seemed to promote even more extreme libertarian and liberal activism among some UMC ministers and members and has eventually led to the evangelical section of the church looking to exit.
Unfortunately, due to Covid-based delays to a decision-making conference and now other issues, the exit to the proposed new Global Methodist Church has not had the smooth pathway originally envisaged.
There is an important section at the end in the context of "remembering how to blush" that considers the issues associated with the idea of the "third way" that I found very insightful. There is promoted in some liberal quarters the idea that a third way of living with different sexual practices will be found that will allow everyone to live in harmony and peace (my paraphrasing). I can appreciate the ideal of this if the person is sincere and genuinely though perhaps naively wants to maintain denominational unity, but for those of us who have seen this debate over too many years in many denominations, I have come to the conclusion that the third way often simply means that those who hold traditional and biblical understandings of sexual practice are helped to compromise even further by ‘well-meaning' liberals who are simply manipulating the arrangements to suit their own desired outcomes.
Let us hear again the call to be holy and may the broken and deluded people caught in the sexual revolution, even in the Church, regain true life, liberty and love.
Peter Bentley is a Sydney (Australia) based writer and commentator on church, media and cultural issues. He is a former President of the Australasian Religious Press Association.
