Sexual identity has become an idol in both the culture at large and in the Christian subculture. And yet concepts like "gay" or "straight" are relatively recent developments in human history. We let ourselves be defined by socially constructed notions of sexual identity and sexual orientation--even though these may not be the only or best ways to think about sexuality. Anthropologist Jenell Williams Paris offers a Christian framework for sexual holiness that accounts for complex postmodern realities. She assesses problems with popular cultural and Christian understandings of heterosexuality and homosexuality alike. moves beyond culture-war impasses to open up new space for conversations in diverse communities both inside and outside the church.
The End of Sexual Identity
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"God gave us genitals, but he didn't stop there. He made us human. What does that mean? And what is love of neighbor? What is a welcoming church? What are strengths of celibacy when supported by Christian community? Not just scholarly but also painfully and hilariously personal, this book shatters stereotypes for the sake of the kingdom." (Miriam Adeney, professor, Seattle Pacific University, and author of Kingdom Without Borders)
"Jenell Paris has produced a provocative and astute diagnosis of our situation in the US: living in 'an oversexualized culture with an undersexualized spirituality.' She refuses to argue in broad generalizations and to remain content with the polarized categories that Christian reflections on sex and sexuality so often produce. As a Christian cultural anthropologist she digs below the surface and brings a sophisticated interpretation of the cultural complexity of our sexual lives. Her most piercing contribution is in challenging the 'sexual identity framework' itself that traps both Christian and non-Christian reflection on sexuality. She exposes just how paralyzed Christians become by the categories borrowed from the cultural waters we swim in, particularly the socially constructed and historically recent categories of 'heterosexual' and 'homosexual.' As someone who describes herself as a 'sex only within marriage between a man and a woman' kind of Christian, Dr. Paris's insights will surprise and challenge readers from seemingly incompatible perspectives on these issues. She is consistently gracious, but definitely not nice." (Jamie Gates, M.Div., Ph.D., cultural anthropologist and director of the Center for Justice and Reconciliation at Point Loma Nazarene University)
"I love Jenell Williams Paris's suggestion that we not stuff anyone into any identity box other than the one for those Jesus calls beloved. It's exceedingly hard to say a fresh word on these matters. Paris has done so with wisdom and gentleness." (Jason Byassee, executive director of leadership education, Duke Divinity School)
"The End of Sexual Identity is a brilliant, bold, personal and biblically grounded work that is destined to become a classic in its field. By exposing the culturally conditioned nature of our modern Western 'sexual identity framework,' Paris completely reframes Christian debates about sexual ethics and thereby helps us (finally!) move effectively in our understanding of what it means to pursue sexual holiness. As a pastor, I have to confess that this is the most helpful, paradigm-changing and stimulating book on this topic I've ever read. I couldn't recommend it more strongly!" (Greg Boyd, senior pastor, Woodland Hills Church)
"This is a singularly important book, about sexuality but also about culture, and it is a model of charity, clarity and creativity. While this is certainly not the last word on Christian sexual ethics, it could be the first word of a better and more honest conversation about holiness and faithfulness amidst our age's sexual confusion." (Andy Crouch, author of Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling)
"Jenell Paris does us a great favor by reminding us that God didn't create heterosexuals or homosexuals. People did, and fairly recently, in fact. Paris reveals the church's cultural captivity to Western ideas of sexual identity and orientation--that what we want, sexually speaking, is who we are. Humbug. Paris challenges the church with the words of Paul: don't be captive to the patterns of this world. Both heterosexuality and homosexuality--and the panoply of other possible identities and acronyms--are social constructions that pose problems for a people whose identity is to be found in Christ. Instead, Paris reminds us that God has redeemed us, called us by name and claimed us as his own. That is an identity worth affirming. Paris challenges us to live beyond sexual identity, even as we pursue sexual holiness, and provides us with a vision for what a post-sexual-identity church might look like. This is a rich book, one that is long overdue. It is theologically sound, has deep ramifications for the church and will rattle some quarters. Good." (Mark D. Regnerus, professor of sociology, University of Texas, and author of Forbidden Fruit and Premarital Sex in America)
"Jenell Williams Paris brings a fresh perspective to the subject of sexual identity as she reminds us that we are all just people and far from perfect, 'each of whom is lover and loved.' She invites us to extend and receive grace even as she boldly encourages us to think a bit differently than we might about sexuality. I highly recommend it." (Lisa Graham McMinn, Ph.D., professor of sociology and author of Sexuality and Holy Longing)
"Honest. Smart. Provocative. Helpful. Important. Pitch-perfect. These are only a few of the words that came to mind when I read Jenell Williams Paris's book The End of Sexual Identity. This book is a must-read for engaging the issue of sexuality in our world today. Not only does Jenell call us to a better way to engage with sexuality, she casts a beautiful vision of what sexual wholeness and a post-sexual identity church can be." (Doug Pagitt, pastor, Solomon's Porch, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and author of A Christianity Worth Believing)
"It is exciting to me to read Christian scholars who take their faith and their discipline seriously. As a Christian and an anthropologist, Jenell Williams Paris does just that and applies her understanding to the challenging topic of sexual identity, drawing conclusions that, while controversial, warrant our attention and may lead the way to a more constructive conversation." (Mark A. Yarhouse, Psy.D., professor of psychology, endowed chair and director of the Institute for the Study of Sexual Identity, Regent University)
"Jenell Paris has produced a provocative and astute diagnosis of our situation in the US: living in 'an oversexualized culture with an undersexualized spirituality.' She refuses to argue in broad generalizations and to remain content with the polarized categories that Christian reflections on sex and sexuality so often produce. As a Christian cultural anthropologist she digs below the surface and brings a sophisticated interpretation of the cultural complexity of our sexual lives. Her most piercing contribution is in challenging the 'sexual identity framework' itself that traps both Christian and non-Christian reflection on sexuality. She exposes just how paralyzed Christians become by the categories borrowed from the cultural waters we swim in, particularly the socially constructed and historically recent categories of 'heterosexual' and 'homosexual.' As someone who describes herself as a 'sex only within marriage between a man and a woman' kind of Christian, Dr. Paris's insights will surprise and challenge readers from seemingly incompatible perspectives on these issues. She is consistently gracious, but definitely not nice." (Jamie Gates, M.Div., Ph.D., cultural anthropologist and director of the Center for Justice and Reconciliation at Point Loma Nazarene University)
"I love Jenell Williams Paris's suggestion that we not stuff anyone into any identity box other than the one for those Jesus calls beloved. It's exceedingly hard to say a fresh word on these matters. Paris has done so with wisdom and gentleness." (Jason Byassee, executive director of leadership education, Duke Divinity School)
"The End of Sexual Identity is a brilliant, bold, personal and biblically grounded work that is destined to become a classic in its field. By exposing the culturally conditioned nature of our modern Western 'sexual identity framework,' Paris completely reframes Christian debates about sexual ethics and thereby helps us (finally!) move effectively in our understanding of what it means to pursue sexual holiness. As a pastor, I have to confess that this is the most helpful, paradigm-changing and stimulating book on this topic I've ever read. I couldn't recommend it more strongly!" (Greg Boyd, senior pastor, Woodland Hills Church)
"This is a singularly important book, about sexuality but also about culture, and it is a model of charity, clarity and creativity. While this is certainly not the last word on Christian sexual ethics, it could be the first word of a better and more honest conversation about holiness and faithfulness amidst our age's sexual confusion." (Andy Crouch, author of Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling)
"Jenell Paris does us a great favor by reminding us that God didn't create heterosexuals or homosexuals. People did, and fairly recently, in fact. Paris reveals the church's cultural captivity to Western ideas of sexual identity and orientation--that what we want, sexually speaking, is who we are. Humbug. Paris challenges the church with the words of Paul: don't be captive to the patterns of this world. Both heterosexuality and homosexuality--and the panoply of other possible identities and acronyms--are social constructions that pose problems for a people whose identity is to be found in Christ. Instead, Paris reminds us that God has redeemed us, called us by name and claimed us as his own. That is an identity worth affirming. Paris challenges us to live beyond sexual identity, even as we pursue sexual holiness, and provides us with a vision for what a post-sexual-identity church might look like. This is a rich book, one that is long overdue. It is theologically sound, has deep ramifications for the church and will rattle some quarters. Good." (Mark D. Regnerus, professor of sociology, University of Texas, and author of Forbidden Fruit and Premarital Sex in America)
"Jenell Williams Paris brings a fresh perspective to the subject of sexual identity as she reminds us that we are all just people and far from perfect, 'each of whom is lover and loved.' She invites us to extend and receive grace even as she boldly encourages us to think a bit differently than we might about sexuality. I highly recommend it." (Lisa Graham McMinn, Ph.D., professor of sociology and author of Sexuality and Holy Longing)
"Honest. Smart. Provocative. Helpful. Important. Pitch-perfect. These are only a few of the words that came to mind when I read Jenell Williams Paris's book The End of Sexual Identity. This book is a must-read for engaging the issue of sexuality in our world today. Not only does Jenell call us to a better way to engage with sexuality, she casts a beautiful vision of what sexual wholeness and a post-sexual identity church can be." (Doug Pagitt, pastor, Solomon's Porch, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and author of A Christianity Worth Believing)
"It is exciting to me to read Christian scholars who take their faith and their discipline seriously. As a Christian and an anthropologist, Jenell Williams Paris does just that and applies her understanding to the challenging topic of sexual identity, drawing conclusions that, while controversial, warrant our attention and may lead the way to a more constructive conversation." (Mark A. Yarhouse, Psy.D., professor of psychology, endowed chair and director of the Institute for the Study of Sexual Identity, Regent University)
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Professor of anthropology at Messiah College in Grantham, PA. I love to buy books from amazon.com, love it even more when people buy mine!
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is the first time I have read anything by Janell Paris, but I have to say I was really pleased with what I read! I happened across this book immediately after having a discussion with a pastor friend concerning sexual identity. As a friend of mine recently "came out" to me, I began wondering how I could possibly ask him to find his identity in Christ rather than in his sexual identity, when I was perfectly comfortable finding my identity in my own heterosexuality. With Paris' help, you will find yourself deconstructing your own sexual identity to discover the beloved individual beneath. One of Paris' main points is that when you find you identity in the love of Christ, you no longer need to find your identity in your sexuality. Rather, individual aspects of your sexual nature can be observed independently and can be adjusted and surrendered with fluidity. The question is now no longer "Can gay people change?" but "Are we each willing to surrender every aspect of our multifaceted sexuality to the will of a loving God?"
After having read this book, I find myself more comfortable "coming out" as a "non-heterosexual." This doesn't mean that I will leave my wife or begin pursuing members of my same sex. Rather, it is my way of disassociating my identity from my sexuality. My identity is as a beloved child of God, not a heterosexual married male. And there is comfort and hope in that for both opposite-sex attracted individuals and same-sex attracted individuals.
The only thing that kept me from giving this book a full 5 stars is that I was really looking for a more straightforward guide to ministering to people with "non-traditional" sexual leaning. But ultimately, it drew me to a deeper (albeit more difficult) place of exploring sexuality, identity, grace, and hope. And for that, I'm thankful.
As a youth pastor, I highly recommend this book to anyone ministering to people struggling or dealing with issues of sexual and gender identity issues, as it will Biblically and thoughtfully re-frame the way you think about sexuality and people. Definitely worth reading.
After having read this book, I find myself more comfortable "coming out" as a "non-heterosexual." This doesn't mean that I will leave my wife or begin pursuing members of my same sex. Rather, it is my way of disassociating my identity from my sexuality. My identity is as a beloved child of God, not a heterosexual married male. And there is comfort and hope in that for both opposite-sex attracted individuals and same-sex attracted individuals.
The only thing that kept me from giving this book a full 5 stars is that I was really looking for a more straightforward guide to ministering to people with "non-traditional" sexual leaning. But ultimately, it drew me to a deeper (albeit more difficult) place of exploring sexuality, identity, grace, and hope. And for that, I'm thankful.
As a youth pastor, I highly recommend this book to anyone ministering to people struggling or dealing with issues of sexual and gender identity issues, as it will Biblically and thoughtfully re-frame the way you think about sexuality and people. Definitely worth reading.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By D. Maddalena
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Paris' book was very encouraging to me. I've felt dissatisfied with the state of the public dialog around issues of sexuality. It has begun to feel like a gang-war raging outside my door: each side demonizing the other, dismissing them with broad generalizations based on the "colors" they wear. Paris suggests a third way to the thoughtful Christian (and not Christians alone), who hopes to see the question of identity dealt with in a more rational way. Her simple point is that our identity is not determined by our feelings, desires, orientations, hopes, and dreams. God alone is the source of our identity, especially if we name ourselves Christian. So if any human comes to Jesus, if any person is willing to be identified as a follower of Jesus, the question becomes, "how then will they live?". This suggests that a deeper, harder, more honest dialog is in order -- not identifying anyone based on behavior (right, wrong, or in between) but on their willingness to be counted as belonging to Jesus. From that place of solidarity, each person, regardless of how they struggle for purity in the world, has the same task, to face God and to pursue deeper devotion every day.
37 of 45 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Where do Christians find our identity? Answer: We are adopted into God's family (Eph. 1:5). That summarizes Williams Paris's book in a nutshell. Even non-Christians should take this book to heart, because as St. Paul says, all humans "are God's offspring." (Acts 17:28). The thesis of Williams Paris's book is that both gays and straights should stop playing identity politics, should stop labeling other people, and should find their identity in Jesus Christ.
How to characterize such an original book? Williams Paris is about holiness in a sneaky way. Like C. S. Lewis she agrees that our desires--even our sexual desires--are far too weak, like a child contented playing with "mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea." (Weight of Glory)
The book has a postmodern slant that welcomes ambiguity. Look at the title. By "end" Williams Paris means "doing away with" sexual identity but she also critiques (given the subtitle) the "end" -- the "goal" or "telos"--of sexual identity. Look at those chapter titles with the pesky postmodern parentheses: "Sexual desire is (not) a big deal," and "Having sex is (not) a big deal," and "Celibacy is (not) a big deal." Those chapters argue for both sides. You may not be able to wrap a modernist mind around that.
The book Christianizes and popularizes David Greenberg's The Construction of Homosexuality. Sexual identity--Williams Paris would claim--is like modesty. All Christians admit that the form in which modesty takes is culturally determined, yet all Christians admit that modesty is irreducibly a virtue. Likewise, homosexuality--as we know it in the US and as the US now exports to the world along with gay-themed films and porn web sites--is only 150 years old. Could we also admit that homosexuality is a cultural construct? Williams Paris, an anthropologist, urges us to think so. Given that she deconstructs homosexuality, she patiently but far too briefly constructs the equivalent of modesty's virtue. Discussion questions at the end give much good food for thought. A professor at a Christian college, she has mastered the art of asking good questions whose answers open people up rather than closing them down, whose answers make us cognizant in the original sense of "cognizant," namely "knowing together."
Has cultural polarization about gays gone too far for the kind of peacemaking that Williams Paris proposes? Even within gay subculture, there are disagreements. Some gays are essentialists when it comes to sexual identity because that bolsters their argument that they can't change. Some gays, like David Greenberg, are constructivists because that bolsters their argument that the Bible doesn't speak of homosexuality as we know it today. Some Christians use Greenberg as a weapon. Williams Paris does not.
Even if you disagree with her, you will find her book to be a gracious, refreshing look at one aspect of the culture wars. Her argument is understated, which makes it stronger than an argument heavy with assumptions. I recommend the book without qualification.
Truth in advertising: I direct a post-gay Christian ministry affiliated with Exodus International. I have experienced same-sex attractions at various times in my life. I am married with three adult children. I love Jenell Williams Paris.
How to characterize such an original book? Williams Paris is about holiness in a sneaky way. Like C. S. Lewis she agrees that our desires--even our sexual desires--are far too weak, like a child contented playing with "mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea." (Weight of Glory)
The book has a postmodern slant that welcomes ambiguity. Look at the title. By "end" Williams Paris means "doing away with" sexual identity but she also critiques (given the subtitle) the "end" -- the "goal" or "telos"--of sexual identity. Look at those chapter titles with the pesky postmodern parentheses: "Sexual desire is (not) a big deal," and "Having sex is (not) a big deal," and "Celibacy is (not) a big deal." Those chapters argue for both sides. You may not be able to wrap a modernist mind around that.
The book Christianizes and popularizes David Greenberg's The Construction of Homosexuality. Sexual identity--Williams Paris would claim--is like modesty. All Christians admit that the form in which modesty takes is culturally determined, yet all Christians admit that modesty is irreducibly a virtue. Likewise, homosexuality--as we know it in the US and as the US now exports to the world along with gay-themed films and porn web sites--is only 150 years old. Could we also admit that homosexuality is a cultural construct? Williams Paris, an anthropologist, urges us to think so. Given that she deconstructs homosexuality, she patiently but far too briefly constructs the equivalent of modesty's virtue. Discussion questions at the end give much good food for thought. A professor at a Christian college, she has mastered the art of asking good questions whose answers open people up rather than closing them down, whose answers make us cognizant in the original sense of "cognizant," namely "knowing together."
Has cultural polarization about gays gone too far for the kind of peacemaking that Williams Paris proposes? Even within gay subculture, there are disagreements. Some gays are essentialists when it comes to sexual identity because that bolsters their argument that they can't change. Some gays, like David Greenberg, are constructivists because that bolsters their argument that the Bible doesn't speak of homosexuality as we know it today. Some Christians use Greenberg as a weapon. Williams Paris does not.
Even if you disagree with her, you will find her book to be a gracious, refreshing look at one aspect of the culture wars. Her argument is understated, which makes it stronger than an argument heavy with assumptions. I recommend the book without qualification.
Truth in advertising: I direct a post-gay Christian ministry affiliated with Exodus International. I have experienced same-sex attractions at various times in my life. I am married with three adult children. I love Jenell Williams Paris.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Refreshing, Insightful
This book is my favorite, of my ever-growing resources library for SSA and homosexuality reference. She has such a strong thesis, in the title that the book follows a very... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Grace
2.0 out of 5 stars
Loose with the proofs
Only a social scientist could like this book. There are so many offensive generalizations with no data behind them that it was very tiresome to read. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Jeffrey L Barnes
5.0 out of 5 stars
Insightful and Thorough
This is an excellent read. It's time people of evangelical persuasion got over themselves regarding homosexuality, and start dealing with others as human beings made in God's... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Bill Stauffer
4.0 out of 5 stars
Identity Centered In Christ
Jenell Williams Paris offers a very insightful and thought-provoking idea in "The End of Sexual Identity: Why Sex is Too Important to Define Who We Are". Read more
Published 2 months ago by Canuck Monk
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent resource dealing with post-modernism and Christianity
I am incredibly thankful for Ms. Paris's book. She is an erudite, articulate, and thoughtful author who tackles post-modernism instead of dismissing it as irrelevant. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Katherine
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great
Insightful, sensitive, true. A tremendous help to bring perspective to our pornified, hypersexualized, myopic culture. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Jim Strysko
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent read!
This book put into words the thoughts that had been forming in my mind for a while. It was excellent.
Published 5 months ago by Susan Titus
5.0 out of 5 stars
A vital piece of the conversation
There are lots of books out there addressing the biblical passages about same-sex sex. There are many addressing the Christian theology of same-sex sex and same-sex attraction. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Brian M. Howell
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Discussion Starter
*The End of Sexual Identity,* by Jenell Williams Paris, is an insightful look into the way our culture views and defines sexuality, and specifically sexual orientation. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Andrew
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loved this book --important reading for all
I loved this book! The author sure made me think and ask myself questions I've never asked before. This is a read that will open readers' eyes to things they've believed but never... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Jane Hinrichs
