"Beautiful Union" (Joshua Ryan Butler)

TITLE: Beautiful Union: How God's Vision for Sex Points Us to the Good, Unlocks the True, and (Sort of) Explains Everything
AUTHOR: Joshua Ryan Butler
PUBLISHER: New York, NY: Multnomah Press, 2023, (288 pages).
 

Sex is beautiful. It is also sacred. When God created the human race, he was highly pleased. When sin entered the world, all hell broke loose. Whatever God had created became corrupted or tainted with sin. Sex is one of them. Just like how Adam and Eve allowed sin to turn their innocence into shame, more often than not, sex had negative connotations. What God had created as good and beautiful, descended into something people are generally ashamed of. So, they hide. They say that sex talk equals promiscuity. They presume that any thoughts of sexuality or sexual act are "dirty" until proven otherwise. We need a healthy correction to this beautiful gift of God. This book is an attempt to do just that. It studies the intent of God's gift, the beauty, the mystery, and the vision God has for us. In other words, sex is a beautiful thing from God and we need to recover this beauty culturally, mentally, and theologically. Butler first looks at the way modern culture has corrupted the original meaning and intent of sex. He compares the biblical and cultural use of language to describe sex. One of the distinctions is how the Bible does not shy away from the description, unlike the way modern culture treats the subject. Perhaps, this has something to do with the way sin has triggered the human tendency to hide things that they perceive as inherently shameful. Butler then makes his case by boldly pushing back against the cultural norms with two words: Generosity and Hospitality. Taking on biblical boldness, he tries to connect sex with the nature of grace. Using complementary language, one party receives while the other gives. Butler makes a theological stretch (albeit a stretch too far), to cement the roles of each gender into the giving and receiving metaphor. He spends some time describing what union is and why it is beautiful. Going back to the umbrella of God's creation, sex is indeed a beautiful gift from God. Freedom and grace accompany this beautiful gift. Using God's identity as the Triune God, he shows us how we are made to belong to one another. He then goes on to describe and also redeem words deemed taboo, like "orgasm," "making love," "semen," "vagina," etc. He also covers topics with regard to abortion, adultery, birth control, diversity, divorce, singleness, gay-sex, "the leave and cleave gospel," and the dangers of "cheap sex," the "sexual prosperity gospel," the latter being the comparison between purity keeping and legalism. In that aspect, I think Butler has given us lots of food for thought on how to think about such issues from a biblical standpoint.

Part One describes the beauty of sex as what God has created. Part Two looks at the ways the world has corrupted the thinking of sexual matters. Part Three is Butler's attempt to redeem human sexuality based on God's vision. He begins with a humourous take on sex based on his childhood perception of a trampoline in his parents' bedroom. He ends with a final declaration and we are all made in the image of God, and blessed with the reality of love.

My Thoughts
I remember one of the most poignant sayings about medicines, in general, is from the Canadian physician, Dr. William Osler who once said, "The person who takes medicine must recover twice, once from the disease and once from the medicine." The stronger the push, the stronger the push-back. This is exactly what is happening with this book and the reactions to it. First, let me comment on his attempt to describe the problem. I think Butler recognizes the importance to destigmatize sexuality and sex in general. In a culture inundated with sexual images that portray sex negatively, sex has become a taboo subject, especially among conservative circles. While most modern societies have progressed beyond the Puritan lifestyles of the Victorian era, there is still a sense of widespread reservation when people mention sex or the sex act. Many words and symbols used in modern times tend to paint sex somewhat negatively. Movies with explicit sexual scenes will have disclaimers that say, "Viewer discretion is advised." Feminists accused advertising agencies of sexualizing females through scantily clad women or provocative images. Pornography has moved from printed tabloids and magazines to the Internet. Commercials on birth control, hormone medication, and other stimulants tend to be shown discreetly during the day and particularly with certain movies with heavy sexual content. Even in language, some words associated with sex are connected with crudeness and vulgarity, not to be used in mainstream society. 

In a pushback against Butler's prescription, controversy has arisen over the use of certain language in the book. There is concern about sexualizing or stereotyping women using theological justification. Butler has all the right intent. However, his prescription has become an unwelcome theological stretch. He is right to point out that sex won't lead to our salvation. He is however out of line to compare the human act of sex with the nature of God. This is especially when he becomes too explicit with regard to the giving of oneself as if the sexual act is all about reaching the climactic ecstasy. He is right about mutual self-giving but his use of the words like "penetrates," "pours out," and "receives" can make some readers uncomfortable. Worse, it leads to certain stereotyping about who is the one giving and who is the one receiving. With regard to this point about how one party gives while the other receives, I would instead say: In a one-flesh union, both parties mutually agree to give and to receive in a loving union. In our modern culture, inclusivity and gender equality are increasingly sacred, so anything that compromises them will risk a vigorous pushback.

Having said that, part of the discomfort or angry pushback might be due to reservations over this topic. Some of us might not even be out of the cultural "shutting the lid on sex" woods yet. Moreover, our views and attempts to redeem sex are still based on an imperfect, sinful, or even wounded human lens. For example, a sexually abused individual might not take to heart easily the points mentioned in this book.

If there is one way to summarize the book, it would be this. The intent is good, and the description is fair, but the prescription is over the top. Will I recommend this book? Cautiously perhaps.

Joshua Ryan Butler is a lead pastor of Redemption Tempe, a thriving church near Arizona State University. He is also an award-winning author of two critically acclaimed books. He and his wife, Holly, along with their three children, reside in Arizona.

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of Waterbrook & Multnomah Press and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.