Description
Book SynopsisAs debates around sexuality rumble on within certain sections of the church, and become increasingly entrenched and embittered, there is an increasing need from non-evangelicals and evangelicals alike to grasp the historical and cultural context in which current debates about sexuality are happening. Offering a detailed examination of the development, consolidation and fracturing of an evangelical anglican consensus on the sexuality,Defusing the Sexuality Debateseeks to explain why current disagreements are so intractible and offer some suggestions as to how all sides could facilitate a more constructive conversation. Building on an exploration of the development of tradition and biblical scholarship in evangelical anglicanism during the twentieth century, the book makes the case that conflicts over sexuality are symbolic of deeper disagreements over the place of christianity in the modern world.
Trade ReviewThis book could not be more timely and helpful for those on all sides of the debate. Mark explores the recent history of the evangelical writing on sexuality and desconstructs the idea of an unchanging evangelical consensus on these questions. He opens up an excellent third way for evangelicals to hold diverse views on sexuality questions without scapegoating others or unnecessary division. One of the most helpful books on this debate I’ve yet read. -- Steven Croft
"Mark Vasey-Saunders has written a timely, wise and essential book, taking current sexuality debates and placing them in a deeper cultural context. All parties should step back and read this clear and eirenic book with humility and openness.” -- The Right Revd Nicholas Baines
"Whatever our perspective on sexuality, Mark Vasey-Saunders is an essential conversation partner who raises crucial questions. Did the earliest Christians teach what is now presented as the traditional view on sexuality? What is really at stake in the current conflict? How can we avoid demonising each other? Defusing the Sexuality Debate approaches this thorniest of contemporary issues with integrity, humility and rigour. The result is a significant and consequential intervention – one of few contributions with the potential to open up genuinely new horizons. Mark’s careful research empowers us to think more deeply, and it won’t leave readers unchanged. At its heart is an eirenic plea: we can understand each other better; we can take a longer view; we can be the community of peace the gospel deserves and our world needs." -- Mark Powell
"Mark Vasey-Saunders has established himself as one of the sharpest and most insightful commentators now writing on the disputes over sexuality in the Church of England. If the Church is to be delivered from the compulsions that are tearing it apart, then earnestly heeding his call for Christian humility and heart-searching truthfulness may just be its best hope." -- Robert Song
Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 Evangelicals talking about sexuality: The creation of the consensus position 2 Evangelicals talking about scripture 3 Evangelicals talking to evangelicals 4 Evangelicals talking about modernity: The question behind the question 5 Advice to a divided church Appendix: A timeline for evangelicalism and sexuality in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries Further reading Index of Names and Subjects
