Sex, God, and the Conservative Church

Erasing Shame from Sexual Intimacy

By: Tina Schermer Sellers

Narrated by: Tina Schermer Sellers

As a psychotherapist and professor of marriage and family therapy and sexuality at a Christian University, Tina Schermer Sellers, PhD, has spent a career listening deeply to the often untold, most tightly held, shame-filled stories of people’s lives. Over the last 30 years in particular, these stories have revealed the devastating effects of abstinence education, the purity movement of the evangelical church, and the simultaneous removal of media regulations that allowed for an influx of sexual violence against women to enter all forms of commercial media beginning in the 1980s. This destructive tidal wave of events became our de-facto sex educator, and a sexually shamed saturated rape culture to become the result.

In this fascinating account, Dr. Sellers examines the history that brought America here, and the role the empire Christian church and capitalism have played as socio-political bedfellows. Evidence is presented to show how power and control was chosen over sexual health and wellness; and body suspicion and misogyny chosen over sacred sexuality and worthiness. In this investigation, Dr. Sellers reveals several beautiful mystic Hebrew stories demonstrating a relentless God who developed sexuality and bodies on purpose to give humans one of the most powerful and passionate experiences of love - but how these potent ancient narratives were buried out of view.

We find in this book written for clinicians and the public, that sexuality is meant to bless us, that we can heal sexual shame, find God in and through intimate touch, and that nothing can separate us from God’s love. We are radically valuable and radically imperfect - and always worthy of love.

©2015, 2016, 2020 Tina Schermer Sellers (P)2018 Tina Schermer Sellers

Incredibly Helpful

I was born and raised in the conservative church, and I didn't even realize how badly it impacted my relationship with sexuality until it caused damage in my marriage. This book has been incredibly helpful with reconsidering all the things I thought were true about sexuality and God, and have a more complete understanding of the topic. There were several times listening to this where I felt my heart sink because I finally could see just how misleading nonbiblical ideas about sex have harmed so many potential marriages. truly a good read if you relate to that at all.

Great content

Great content. Solid practices for reclaiming one’s body from sexual shame and improving intimacy. The only problem is the quality of the audio, especially at the beginning and end of some chapters.

Read this if you have ever wondered if you are alo

This book has been incredibly helpful to me.
I needed this book years ago. I have always struggled with my sexuality as young as nine I am 28 now and I have never viewed sex in such an amazing way. there is such beauty here! I dealt with shame most of my young life and this book referred to me by a dear friend has helped me immensely. this book is definitely worth listening to and I would recommend listening to it while you're out and about but also take the time to come back and take notes later on!
Thank you so much Tina!

Great book and Topic (Audio needs some work)

This was a great book on a topic that is needed for many people. The only thing I did not like about this book was the Audio quality. It's wasn't terrible. but it could have been much better.

Such an important book!

This book is so healing and helpful for anyone who has grown up in or around the church. The recoding is more casual which I prefer because it really sounds like someone is reading to you.