Sex therapists Rosenau (A Celebration of Sex
) and Wilson attempt to give Christian singles a new framework for understanding and expressing their sexuality. They encourage readers to step back and consider God's design for sex—intimacy as opposed to just physicality—and provide suggestions for meeting their intimacy needs in nonsexual ways. While the authors cover that age-old question, "How far can I go?" (the answer varies for different couples, but they advise avoiding anything that would be covered by a bikini), their real aim is to get singles to ask the question, "How do I grow, stay pure, and help my partner become more sexually whole?" The authors advise restraint, but stress that this should be viewed as disciplining "sexual surges" out of a desire to follow God rather than merely repressing desires to fit in with the church's standards. Some of the advice is not fresh or terribly helpful (i.e., singles groups can feel better by giving each other back rubs), and while the authors share examples from their own lives, the writing at times feels overly clinical. But this book may appeal to Christian singles trying to understand and live out God's purposes for their sexuality. (May)
