For the Body: Recovering a Theology of Gender, Sexuality, and the Human Body

Description

An in-depth look at what it means to be created in the image of God and how our bodies serve as icons that illuminate God's purposes instead of ours. The human body is an amazing gift, yet today, many people downplay its importance and fail to understand what Christianity teaches about our bodies and their God-given purposes. Many people misunderstand how the body was designed, its role in relating to others; and we lack awareness of the dangers of objectifying the body, divorcing it from its intended purpose. Timothy Tennent covers topics like marriage, family, singleness, and friendship, and he looks at how the human body has been objectified in art and media today. For the Body offers a biblical framework for discipling people today in a Christian theology of the body. Tennent-theologian and president of Asbury Theological Seminary-explores the contours of a robust Christian vision of the body, human sexuality, and the variety of different ways we are called into relationships with others. This book will reveal a theological vision that: Informs our self-understanding of our own bodies. Examines how we treat others. Reevaluates how we engage today's controversial and difficult discussions on human sexuality with grace, wisdom, and confidence. For the Body is a call to a deeper understanding of our bodies and an invitation to recapture the wonder of this amazing gift.

Timothy C. Tennent (PhD, University of Edinburgh, Scotland) is President, Professor of World Christianity at Asbury Theological Seminary. He is the author of Building Christianity on Indian Foundations and Christianity at the Religious Roundtable. Dr. Tennent and wife, Julie, reside in Wilmore, Kentucky, with their two children, Jonathan and Bethany.

'In this accessible book, Tennent helps the church think about a desperately needed Protestant theology of the body. Tennent's theology for the body shows us practical guidance without legalism, seriousness about sex without making an idol of marriage, complementarity without complementarianism, sacramentality without works righteousness, and public theology without power mongering. The book will be a help to pastors and all Christians seeking God's good will for our bodies.' * BETH FELKER JONES, professor of theology, Wheaton College, author, Faithful: A Theology of Sex * 'The Holy Spirit works to manifest the divine bodily; the unholy spirits move to deny that Christ has come in the flesh (see 1 John 4:1-3). Tennent helps us apply this critical biblical principle in our contemporary world. The seven building blocks he sets forth unscramble so much of the culture's confusion on sexuality and gender, and in its place, he skillfully reveals a positive, compelling vision rooted in the 'profound mystery' (Eph. 5:31-32) of God's creative design for making us male and female.' * CHRISTOPHER WEST, ThD, president, Theology of the Body Institute, author, Our Bodies Tell God's Story * 'Timothy Tennent has given us what we have long needed: a profound account of our bodies and our identity that is more than a match for the alternatives screaming at us from within our culture. Writing in an economical and accessible style, he provides a vision of sexuality and marriage that constitutes an invaluable resource for the contemporary church. Like his hero, John Wesley, who readily drew on the best materials he could find to nourish his people, Tennent draws on the splendid work of Pope John Paul II to give coherence and balance to his proposals. Yet this is no mere repetition; Tennent speaks in his own voice and with assured authority, providing inimitable insights, examples, and updating. The result is essential reading for those in search of a fresh and persuasive treatment of one of the greatest challenges of our day.' * WILLIAM J. ABRAHAM, Albert Cook Outler Professor of Wesley Studies, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas * 'Against the backdrop of a toxic, sex-saturated culture and an increasingly secularized church, this book argues forcefully for a recovery of a biblically grounded understanding of humanity. The argument is constructive, provocative, and astute as it clears away the contemporary clutter to show us what is enduringly true about ourselves. This is a brave and much-needed book.' * DAVID F. WELLS, distinguished senior research professor, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary *