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About the author
Branson Parler (Ph.D., Calvin Theological Seminary) serves as Director of Theological Education and Professor of Theology at The Foundry, a nonprofit ministry focused on partnering with churches to provide accessible biblical and practical training for church leaders at every level. Prior to that role, he was professor of theological studies at Kuyper College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for thirteen years. He also serves as director of faith formation at Fourth Reformed Church in Grand Rapids. He writes and teaches on a variety of topics related to the Bible, theology, ministry, and engaging culture. He loves spending time with his wife, Sarah, and their six kids.
Summary
Every story entails a way of life and how every way of life implies a big story.
In Every Body's Story, Branson Parler focuses on three predominant myths of sexuality in our secular age--individualism, romance, and materialism--and three dominant myths in Christian circles--anti-body theology, legalism, and the sexual prosperity gospel--exploring how those stories shape our practice. Our views of sexuality and our practices around sex are never just about sex. How we use and view our bodies reveals who/what we think God is (or is not) and who we are.
If we truly understand the biblical logic of marriage, sexuality, and singleness--that they are meant to embody the gospel--then we will better understand why this witness is so vital. As God's self-giving faithfulness is put on display by both married and single Christians, those formed by our secular age will have to ask: What if it's true? What if there's more? What if God really does love us that much? Rather than viewing our sexuality as an isolated matter of ethics, we can see how the gospel places our sexuality in the context of God's rescue mission of the world.
