About Unprotected Texts
• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne (January 25, 2011)
Bible scholar Jennifer Wright Knust addresses the big questions that dominate today’s discussions and debates when it comes to sex and the Bible: Is premarital sex a sin? When, and in what contexts, is sexual desire appropriate? With whom can I legitimately have sex? Are same-sex relations permissible? In an era where the phrases, “the Bible says,” and “God says,” are so often exploited, it is time to consider what the Bible actually does—or does not—say about monogamy, polygamy, homosexuality, gender roles, and sex.
Unprotected Texts directly and pointedly takes on widely shared misconceptions about sex, arguing that the Bible cannot—and should not—serve as a rulebook for sexual morality, despite popular claims to the contrary. From the Song of Songs’ lyrical eroticism to the rigid sexual rules of Leviticus—and everything in between—Knust parses the Bible’s contradictory, often surprising messages.
Skillfully revealing the latest insights from critical scholarship, Knust provides a compassionate and liberating model for navigating these deeply personal issues that affect us all.
About Jennifer Wright Knust
Jennifer Wright Knust is assistant professor of religion at Boston University, specializing in New Testament, biblical studies, and early Christian history. An ordained American Baptist pastor, she has served churches in Philadelphia and Maine. She holds a doctorate in religion from Columbia University and a master of divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York. She is the author of Abandoned to Lust: Sexual Slander and Ancient Christianity.
Jennifer’s Tour Stops
Tuesday, January 25th: Proud Book Nerd
Wednesday, January 26th: Regular Rumination
Thursday, January 27th: Simply Stacie
Tuesday, February 1st: Quotidian Grace
Friday, February 4th: The Book Faery Reviews
Tuesday, February 8th: The Rev. Chuck Currie
Thursday, February 10th: The Huffington Post
Thursday, February 17th: Pastoralia
Thursday, February 17th: In a Godward Direction
Tuesday, February 22nd: The Broken Telegraph
Friday, February 25th: The Church of No People
Monday, February 28th: Shuck and Jive
Tuesday, March 1st: Ponderings on a Faith Journey
Thursday, March 3rd: Hugo Schwyzer