Beautiful Union, Joshua Ryan Butler
Beautiful Union, Joshua Ryan Butler
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Beautiful Union
How God's Vision for Sex Points Us to the Good, Unlocks the True, and (Sort of) Explains Everything

Author: Joshua Ryan Butler

Narrator: Joshua Ryan Butler

Unabridged: 7 hr 31 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/11/2023

Synopsis

A powerful call for Christians to understand sex as a window into God's story of redemption, and a validating guide to living with authentic love in a changing culture—from the influential pastor and author of The Skeletons in God’s Closet.

Beautiful isn’t likely the first word that comes to mind when we think about sex.

Our reactions are as varied as our experiences and backgrounds. Perhaps the word brings up past baggage. Perhaps it holds yearning for a dream that has never come true. Maybe we would rather not talk about it. Maybe it’s all we want to talk about. Around us, our culture is divided by this topic. On one side, “progressive” voices seek to dismantle historic Christian teachings to fit current norms. On the other side, “conservative” voices can reinforce messages of shame, judgement, and repression.

Beautiful Union offers a third way, one that is both true and beautiful. It gives us a provocative, positive look into the deepest Christian understanding of sex . . . and what sex reveals about God, our world, and even ourselves. Through biblical teaching and livable, joyful answers to our tough questions about sexuality, author and pastor Joshua Ryan Butler shows how sex illuminates the structure of creation, the nature of salvation, the abundance of God’s kingdom, and God’s heartbeat for the world.

Discover afresh the beautiful invitation of our sexuality . . . as God intended it to be.

About The Author

Joshua Ryan Butler is a pastor and the author of two critically acclaimed books, The Skeletons in God’s Closetand The Pursuing God. He and his wife, Holly, along with their three children, reside in Arizona.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Francois on April 20, 2023

I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley. I was reluctant to read it as I have been quite disappointed in most of Christian literature around marriage and sex. I don’t think this book is much different, despite the author’s sincere effort; this book is just way too light and optimistic and ma......more

Goodreads review by Will on April 28, 2023

Joshua Ryan Butler's "Beautiful Union" is a book that has garnered both praise and criticism, and after finishing the book, I find myself agreeing with both sides, albeit to a lesser extent. "Beautiful Union" is not as bad as the worst reviews, but it falls short of the enlightenment promised by the......more

Goodreads review by Kayla on May 25, 2023

This book is a compulsively readable, comprehensive explanation of the Christian ethic of sex, using an angle I’ve never heard before. Much of Beautiful Union is based around Pope John Paul II’s theology of the body, which is a strange concept, especially if you grew up in purity culture (like me).......more

Goodreads review by Jake on April 26, 2023

2.5. I was curious to read the entirety of this book in light of the controversy surrounding its release. While I don't believe the excerpt posted in the TGC article is an accurate depiction of the book as a whole, I did have issues with certain aspects of Butler's message. I felt as though he focus......more

Quotes

“The timeless biblical truth of God’s story of sex has been lost in our modern era. However, the sexual confusion and pain of our day demand that we return to this brilliant narrative, embracing not simply biblical rules for sex but God’s heart for our sexuality.”—Dr. Juli Slattery, president of Authentic Intimacy and author of God, Sex, and Your Marriage

“Beautiful Union is simply astonishing. It’s the Protestant magnum opus on sexual ethics we’ve been waiting for and one of the most important books I’ve ever read.”—Brett McCracken, senior editor at the Gospel Coalition and author of Uncomfortable and Hipster Christianity

“Thank you, Josh—you just made my preaching and leading easier. This is the cultural clarity we’ve all been waiting for.”—Albert Tate, lead pastor of Fellowship Church and author of How We Love Matters

“What a timely and much-needed book! Beautiful Union powerfully shows how sex was intended to be a window into the beautiful dynamics of God’s love for his people . . . Whether you are married or single, this is a must-read that will give you clarity on the meaning and purpose of sex.”—Kristin Nave, creator of SheLovesBible and co-director of Abiding Free Ministries
 
“One of the best books I have read on anything in the last year, Beautiful Union combines a biblical theology of marriage with a compelling piece of sexual apologetics, and it does so with a pastoral warmth and sparkle that few books on this subject attempt, let alone achieve. Indispensable.”—Andrew Wilson, teaching pastor of King’s Church London and author of God of All Things

“Beautiful Union is one of the best, most accessible theologies of marriage I have ever read! With the mind of a scholar and the heart of a friend, Josh Butler reveals God’s view of marriage in a way that few people can.”—Preston Sprinkle, PhD, president of the Center for Faith, Sexuality, and Gender
 
“With joy, enthusiasm, and the wisdom drawn from years of pastoral experience, Beautiful Union will help readers discover what Saint Paul was talking about when he described the union of man and woman as a mega-mystery (see Ephesians 5:31–32). In the process, readers will discover the cure for what ails our sexually confused world.”—Dr. Christopher West, president of the Theology of the Body Institute and author of Our Bodies Tell God’s Story
 
“Josh’s deep work invites us to step back and see the larger narrative so that we can more easily experience the current work, restoration, and beauty of God in our real lives. I’m so thankful for Josh’s clarity, wisdom, and compassion communicated through this insightful and truly transformational work.”—Francie Winslow, host of the Heaven in Your Home podcast
 
“Beautiful Union by Joshua Ryan Butler is a marvel. Its simplicity is its profundity; its truth is its love. I finished these pages in tears, my imagination renewed and expanded to consider the pursuing, self-giving love God has shown to his people through Christ.”—Jen Pollock Michel, author of In Good Time

“Sex might be the number one reason many people in the West have left the church or at least begun to doubt the goodness of God’s Word. But if you look deeper, you’ll find signs that the sexual revolution has failed its promises of liberation. You’ll love how he uses biblical theology to reveal God’s good design for sex.”—Collin Hansen, editor in chief at the Gospel Coalition

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