Faithful Love in Modern Times
The Song of Songs, with its rich poetry and intimate expressions, provides an unexpected look into romantic love as God designed it—passionate, faithful, and unifying. It runs counter to secular Western culture in its idolatry of sexual pleasure, but also challenges the undertones of purity culture that's shaped the church. The former often separates intimacy from commitment, while the latter risks reducing purity to a set of rules and creating negative connotations with sex. Both can leave people with distorted views of sex and self-worth, and ironically, both place too much weight on sexual relationships.
In this post, we’ve curated a list of insightful books that challenge these extremes, grounding our understanding of relationships in the redemptive and beautiful vision presented in the Bible. Whatever you're navigating, these resources will encourage you to rethink your assumptions and what it means to pursue meaningful relationships.
The Case Against the Sexual Revolution - Louise Perry
Louise Perry critiques sexual revolution modern feminist sexual norms, especially regarding the harms faced by women in the name of “freedom.” Perry addresses topics like hookup culture, pornography, and feminist attitudes toward prostitution, arguing for a renewed respect for marriage and commitment. Perry convincingly identifies the societal costs of unrestrained sexual freedom, however, her secular worldview doesn’t have the resources to give a gospel-shaped solution. For more detail, visit Al Stewart’s review here.
A Better Story: God, Sex and Human Flourishing - Glynn Harrison
Harrison’s thesis is that biblical faith constitutes a demonstrably better story than that which has propelled the sexual revolution, and that we need to do all that is necessary both to keep Christians adhering to the truth and also to show the world that there is a better way to be human. For more detail, read the full review by Peter Jensen here.
The Best Sex for Life - Patricia Weerakoon
Get our books delivered to your Sunday service
Books from both our bookstall and member's library are available at the church office but you can also click and collect from your regular Sunday service.
For the bookstall, select 'click and collect' when checking out.
If you opt for 'place hold' for books in our library, the book will get delivered to your main congregation the next Sunday.
Pick up your items from the welcome table at your service. For any issues or queries, please email books@cornerstone.org.nz.