So I emailed Richard Beck and some others writers I respect and asked for help. Richard is a psychologist, and so his reflections on theology, the Bible, church, community, and spirituality always include some new angle I never considered before.
Richard is Professor and Department Chair of Psychology there. He and Jana have two sons, Brenden and Aidan. Richard's area of interest--be it research, writing, or blogging--is on the interface of Christian theology and psychology, with a particular focus on how existential issues affect Christian belief and practice.
Richard's published research covers topics as diverse as the psychology of profanity to why Christian bookstore art is so bad. Also, it costs 40 bucks. Richard did such a good job discussing it on his blog, I asked if I could repost Part 1 of his reflections here.
You can read Part 2 over at Experimental Theology. I hope you learn as much as I did. I thought I'd devote a few posts to some of the main ideas in the book for any who are interested.
The book is a theological argument advocating for the inclusion of same-sex marriages into the Christian communion. Consequently, I don't expect everyone to agree with Rogers' argument. Regardless, what I found encouraging in Sexuality and the Christian Body was a vision of marriage that inspired me in my own marriage to Jana. More, Rogers offers a view of marriage that also lifts up singleness and celibacy.
