"We believe our sexuality reflects something deeply true—something significant, something divine—about all our human stories. And we believe sexuality does this whether or not we ever have sex."

Two Perspectives on Sexuality's Deeper Spiritual Purpose for All Christians

What if sexuality is about something much more important than sex?

For Christians navigating the complexities of sex and sexuality, Sexuality Beyond Sex offers a transformative perspective that seeks to reframe our understanding of God's design for human sexuality, whether you're married or single, celibate or sexually active, straight or LGBTQ+.

Sex and sexuality can be sources of frustration and confusion. Some Christians idealize sex and marriage, only to be disappointed. Singles may question why God gave them sexual desires they aren't supposed to act on, while celibate gay and same-sex-attracted Christians may wonder, If sexuality is for marriage and procreation, what's its purpose for those who never marry?

Dr. Gregory Coles and Dr. Julia Hejduk believe our sexuality matters deeply—even for those who are not having sex. In Sexuality Beyond Sex, friends Greg and Julia explore what our capacity and desire for sex can teach us about being human and, even more importantly, what sexuality can teach us about God. Together they offer the rich gifts of honest dialogue across differences, writing from their unique perspectives as a straight married Catholic woman (Julia) and a gay celibate Protestant man (Greg).

What you'll find in Sexuality Beyond Sex:



- A unique dual perspective offering a conversation across denominational, gender, and experiential lines.

- An exploration of sexuality encompassing Scripture, church history, and contemporary insights.

- A Christian vision of sexuality for everyone.



When God created our sexual bodies and called his creation "very good," he wasn't just talking about married people. He was talking about all of us. If you're a Christian seeking a deeper understanding of sexuality, join in on the conversation as Greg and Julia unpack the profoundly hopeful vision for human sexuality that Christianity offers—a vision that ultimately points us all toward Jesus, our heavenly Bridegroom.



Gregory Coles (PhD, Penn State) is a writer, speaker, and language scholar. He is the author of Single, Gay, Christian; No Longer Strangers; and The Limits of My World. Greg lives in Boise, Idaho, where he serves as senior research fellow at The Center for Faith, Sexuality and Gender.







Julia D. Hejduk (PhD, Harvard) is the Reverend Jacob Beverly Stiteler Professor of Classics at Baylor University. She has written several books on Latin poetry, most recently The God of Rome: Jupiter in Augustan Poetry, and articles for journals such as Christian Scholar's Review and Church Life Journal. She and her husband live in Waco, Texas.



Introduction



Part 1: The Great Wedding

1. The Fruitfulness of Chastity

2. Behold the Bridegroom

3. The Bridegroom's Best Men



Part 2: Consummations

4. Reclaiming Celibacy

5. Sex–Reality or Substitute?

6. Mystical Marriage



Part 3: Surrendering Our Selves

7. Christ's Body, Our Bodies, and the Eucharist

8. Thorns and Roses

9. Gay Saints?

10. Mary's Fiat



Conclusion

Epilogue: Two Letters