Megan Blakie reviews a book by Nadia Bolz-Weber, published by Random House, USA, 2019.

Reading this book can be cheap therapy, a discussion starter, or a refreshingly honest critique of the Church’s traditional stance on sex and sexuality. Or all three. Take your pick.

I knew nothing of Bolz-Weber before devouring this book in a weekend a couple of years ago. Bold, reflective and inclusive are adjectives I ascribe to this public theologian who, for a decade, served as a Lutheran pastor in the States (until 2018). She founded the House for All Sinners and Saints, a diverse yet encompassing congregation in Denver.

Reader warning: the author has tattoos, expounds the detrimental impacts of many of the Church’s teachings on sexuality, and liberally makes use of the term s**t in the book. In other words, millennial readers will probably not bat an eyelid; as a Gen X, I applaud Bolz-Weber’s bravery, candour and insightfulness.

The author uses storytelling - drawing on her own and others’ experiences - to illustrate how difficult it is for many (most?) people to fit within the Church’s traditional stance on sexuality. You know: the ideal that everyone should be heterosexual, cis-gender (the gender of their birth) and remain a virgin until marriage, at which time they can ‘flick the switch’ and magically experience a wonderfully enriching sex life.

“We [are taught to] deny our natures, identities and desires in order to not anger an easily disappointed God. The result is suffering … and it’s not of God’s making,” she writes in a chapter about the dissonance between the reality of people’s sexuality/sex lives and the sexual purity ideal taught (overtly or by inference) by the Church.

Biblical analysis and exposition sit alongside Bolz-Weber’s engaging and heartfelt stories, offering readers a framework for theological reflection. Four sections also give the book thematic structure.

Admittedly, the American-conservative Christianity that Bolz-Weber refers to in the book (and provides an antidote to) may not resonate with some Kiwi audiences. Despite this, many of her topics have the potential to spark thoughtful, honest conversations within our families and faith communities.