Sex God: Exploring the Endless Connections between Sexuality and Spirituality

I suppose I should start by saying that this isn't even a book I purchased for myself, as religious non-fiction doesn't tend to be my genre of choice. I picked this up for my husband a few months ago, and after he finished it, twice over, he asked me to read it so that we could discuss it. I wasn't really sure what to expect from a book named "Sex God," but I figured it couldn't be bad - the author is Rob Bell, pastor at Mars Hill, which is the church I attend (irregularly). I enjoy his sermons, and hoped his writing style would be similar.

To start off, the title is a bit misleading; attention grabbing, but just slightly misleading. The focus of the book, as the full title suggests, is the connections between sexuality and spirituality. show more The definition of "sexuality" isn't the conventional one, though; Bell's definition of sexuality is a bit broader, more like the connection with others that we are all in search of. Not what I was expecting, but it was interesting. Rather than sexuality, I would say this book is more about personal relationships, marriage and love, and how they relate to and are paralleled in our relationship with God. The book also manages to be religious, without being terribly preachy; most points and messages are delivered via anecdotes and short stories, including pop culture references.

While the book wasn't what I was expecting, it was a good read. I found it insightful, and thought provoking. My only real beef with the book is that it doesn't seem to focus on any one topic, which is likely due to the anecdotal, slightly meandering style of writing. You'll start at one point, and sort of wander around a bit, and eventually come full circle; while there are some thought provoking points made, I just wish that he could have gone into more depth. My other minor quibble is how he does his footnotes. All of his footnotes are at the back of the book; you'll read a passage, see the number for the footnote, flip to the back of the book, and find out exactly which passage of the Bible he's referencing. That's it. Not even the text of the passage, just the book, chapter and verse number. If I had to flip all the way to the back of the book, I want it to be for more than just 2 words. Shorter footnotes, like references to Bible verses, could have easily been placed at the bottom of the page, or even in-line with the text. All in all, though, I would definitely consider this to be a worthwhile read. show less

This book is good but problematic. While Bell fills his chapters with deep truths about the connection between our relationship with God and our relationship with other people, his process of getting to these truths is often questionable. He makes far too many assumptions and interpretations based on the ideas he wishes to convey rather than on the actual facts of the original material (often narratives). He also uses a roundabout manner of developing his main points which creates a lack of cohesiveness in some chapters. If I had read this book earlier in my quest to understand the relationship between God and sexuality, I might have liked it more, but as someone who has spent a few years looking into this topic, I found this book show more insightful but unsatisfying. show less

Bell is big on "'This' is really about 'that'." So many seemingly normal experiences in our lives actually have a lot to say about our sexuality. I love this book because certain Christians have made sex an overly hot-button or tabboo issue. But Bell makes a great case for a redeeming sexual ethic without sounding preachy at all.

An analysis of the connections between sexuality and Christianity.

The author does well at showing how modern views of sexuality and the goal of sexuality in modern culture really involves yearnings and desires that are far deeper.

He shows well how marriage and sex were always intended to be a physical representation of the spiritual connections that ought to exist between a human and his God and his fellow man.

Controversial often, but compelling throughout. If one can stomach the title and the explored associations, it's worth the read.

Relax, folks, this is not a call to worship Yahweh like some kind of fertility idol. It’s just another of Bell’s weird book titles.

I’m a Bell fan, but I confess this wasn’t one of my favorites. If we’re gonna talk about this stuff, well, there are lots of interesting passages in the Bible about sex, sexuality, and the sexes. But Bell ignores all the interesting discussion, and zeroes in on two basic themes:

1. Sex is a reality of life. We’re not animals and we’re not angels. (I’d argue that we’re both, but I’ll save that for another time). The Bible says we’re higher than the animals, and we’re higher than the angels! Sex should not degenerate into animalistic urges, but neither should we pretend we’re sexless show more beings like angels. It’s a special, if confusing, gift.

2. But don’t do it until you’re ready for marriage. In the Bible, sex was the final, binding act of a marriage. It is not the ceremony that joins two people together forever, it is the carnal act, and this is God’s way.

Bell plays more of the role of a pastor than a teacher in this book, so I found it less interesting than his other works. But maybe it’s just what you’re looking for. show less

A very interesting book on sexuality and its relations to God. I am not sure that I agree with the author but I do appreciate his candor on his views. I would suggest a contrast between this book and Real Sex by Lauren Winner.

A superb exploration of spirituality and sexuality from Christian perspectives. Rob Bell's book is rooted in practical examples and situations, and is informed by a deep understanding of Christian writings. His style is clear and engaging, drawing the reader in and then bringing you up short with new insights. I loved it.