Sex and the Iworld

Politics professor and pastor Dale Kuehne examines current issues pertaining to sexuality and society following the sexual revolution and asks, What kind of world are we creating? Is it a world that is actually harming us more than benefiting us? With an inclusive perspective and a cordial openness to responses from all points of view, Kuehne contrasts the long-established "tWorld," in which traditional morality reigned, with the present-day "iWorld," in which the immediate desires of the individual have been deemed paramount. He maintains that both fail to deliver the benefits of the proposed "rWorld," in which a larger web of healthy and nourishing social relationships provides the most personally fulfilling context for sexuality and relational well-being.?Kuehne surveys popular conclusions about gender and human sexuality drawn from both the natural and social sciences. He then addresses how postmodernity impacts social policy and issues such as sexual orientation, redefinition of the family, and more. Finally, he retells the story of Christianity through the lens of a relational theology, highlighting its implications for marriage, family, civil partnerships, friendship, and sexual boundaries. In concluding, he maintains that satisfying our lifelong quest for fulfillment centers on relational intimacy.??Sex and the iWorld will be an essential tool for courses on political science, social policy, and Christianity and culture. Most important, the book will help academics, students, church leaders, and laity develop a holistic strategy for engaging wider society about sexual ethics and public policy.
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Publisher Description

A pastor who is also a politics professor examines current issues pertaining to sexuality and society and asks, What kind of world are we creating? And is it the world we want to live in? With no finger-pointing, and a cordial openness to responses from all points of view, Dale Kuehne contrasts the "tWorld," in which traditional morality reigned and recent innovations would have been inconceivable, with the post-Enlightenment "iWorld," in which these innovations are promoted because the perceived immediate needs of the individual are paramount. Both, he finds, fall short of the "rWorld," the larger web of healthy and nourishing social relationships that provide the context for a biblical understanding of individual sexuality. This book will transform the conversation on sexuality among college students, campus ministers, church and ministry leaders, and all readers with an eye on culture and public policy. EXCERPT Even as the broader culture has deviated from the traditional understan