Honour, not sex. Why applying Deuteronomy 22 is more complex than you thought. And why this matters.
There are a fair few strange laws concerning sex and marriage in the Old Testament books of law. Problem is, […]
Bible
How I used to interpret Deuteronomy 22:13-21, and how I explain it now (in fewer than 500 words)
Deuteronomy 22:13-21 is one of the scarier passages for impressionable young Christian women, as it seems to hold up pre-marital
About that virginity test in Deuteronomy 22: it’s not what you think
There was some justifiable outrage recently when rapper T.I. said that he had a gynaecologist annually test that his daughter’s
About that virginity test in Deuteronomy 22: it’s not what you think Read Post »
Deuteronomy 22, Moonlight, Virginity in the Old Testament
On wives ‘depriving’ their husbands of sex because she ‘doesn’t feel like it’
This post is a response to another Christian blogger who I hope you haven’t heard of. I’ve made two videos
On wives ‘depriving’ their husbands of sex because she ‘doesn’t feel like it’ Read Post »
Sunlight, The church and consent
Why do I care so much about Old Testament laws? (And the rape laws in particular)
The Old Testament laws on sex, adultery and rape, particularly those in Deuteronomy 22:13–29, are a sensitive topic to say
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Deuteronomy 22, Moonlight, My blogging, Rape in the Old Testament
“But if I have not consent…” A short poem about why consent is essential in sex
This post was inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1–8, Paul’s famous passage about love. And now I will show you the
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Starlight, The church and consent
Handle with care: how to approach Mark 9:42-49
These are the very graphic verses where Jesus talks about … …(content warning!)… …cutting off your hand, plucking out your
Handle with care: how to approach Mark 9:42-49 Read Post »
Starlight, The Bible and hope
I heard a talk on penal substitutionary atonement; it tainted the ‘good’ in Good Friday
So, last week I heard a man in paid ministry explain why Good Friday is good. I took notes. I
I heard a talk on penal substitutionary atonement; it tainted the ‘good’ in Good Friday Read Post »
Firelight, The church and hope
Let’s talk about sarx! When Paul criticised ‘the flesh’ he wasn’t being body-negative
(Photo credit: Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash) I reckon one of the biggest chasms between Christian thought and sex-positive thinking
Let’s talk about sarx! When Paul criticised ‘the flesh’ he wasn’t being body-negative Read Post »
Sex (and divorce) in the New Testament, Sunlight
Dear Christians: non-conformity is not the path to transformation
The book of Daniel often gets cited as the model for Christians to follow because he doesn’t acculturate, famously refusing
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Sunlight, The church and hope
Dear Christians: Daniel is not the distinctive role model you think he is
One of my bugbears about the church in the UK and US, is the strong emphasis of non-conformity. We’re told
Dear Christians: Daniel is not the distinctive role model you think he is Read Post »
Sunlight, The church and hope
How the word ‘proxy’ helps me talk about equality
Photo credit: Martin Jernberg https://unsplash.com/@martinjernberg Over the last few years I’ve found that there are some words that I’ve started
How the word ‘proxy’ helps me talk about equality Read Post »
Uncategorised
Remember that Deuteronomy 22 law where a girl marries her rapist? It’s not about marriage. Or sex.
Statue of Juliet, Verona. Photo by World of Magic on Unsplash. ‘Proud can I never be of what I
Love: fire or fruit? Bishop Curry’s sermon was missing a person, IMHO
You bet I watched the royal wedding last Saturday! And I loved it. I’ll admit, if I’d heard the words
Love: fire or fruit? Bishop Curry’s sermon was missing a person, IMHO Read Post »
Uncategorised
Priestesses in the church? Why CS Lewis’ argument was right, but his conclusion wrong
Originally published in 1948, CS Lewis’ essay “Priestesses in the church?” makes the argument that if women represent God to
Priestesses in the church? Why CS Lewis’ argument was right, but his conclusion wrong Read Post »
Firelight, The church and exclusion
What exactly is a pledge? Exploring the types of commitment seen in the Bible
I’ve been thinking a lot recently about purity pledges. For the uninitiated, these are when Christian teenagers (both male and
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Sunlight, The Bible and other studies
Books of 2017: Titles of interest to theology lovers and Bible students
I read all of these from cover to cover. Only kidding! The themes for 2017’s theological reading seem to have been
Books of 2017: Titles of interest to theology lovers and Bible students Read Post »
Uncategorised
Good Gifts for Growing People: A sermon on Romans 12:1-8
So, there is this idea that women have the ability and commission to preach just as much as men. This
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Uncategorised
Always reforming: 95 statements on hope, sexuality and consent
It is 500 years to the day (well, sort of, if we don’t worry about the shift to the Gregorian
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Sunlight, The church and consent
I always loved the Torah – and now I feel lied to (a complaint about translation)
I’ve always loved the first five books of the Bible (aka the Torah). I don’t feel lied to because suddenly
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Why purity-as-separation undermines the church’s covenant calling
Last Christmas I realised something that made me so angry I wanted to pick up my laptop and smash it
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