Lisa McMinn's book Sexuality and Holy Longing: Embracing Intimacy in a Broken World is definitely a positive contribution to the conversation between men and women sharing each other's worlds. She has a thoughtful chapter on "Sexuality and Culture" which I thought I would share some of her thoughts. For masculinity, she observes "Traditional masculinity puts men in a precariously lonely place. Because experiencing emotional closeness without sex is not understood or legitimated, men's ability to develop close friendships with either women or other men is hindered. The Church's goal of moving men toward sexually healthy and authentic lives is met when men can relate to women as partners rather than sexual objects and when men's relationships with other men are characterized by vulnerability and intimacy, rather than practicality or competition or a latent fear of homosexuality.
Men and women's willingness to give up control, to serve and nurture, to create, to give sacrificially for the sake of others, to invest in authentic relationships with others reflects a God who graciously serves, nurtures, creates, sacrifices, and invests in those whom God loves. These are acts of redemptive sexuality that maintain relationships and communities that are strong and vibrant" (174).
