From the bestselling author of Confronting Christianity, a provocative and clarifying reappraisal of Christian sexual ethics for a disenchanted age.

In a culture of confusion about sex, consent, and identity, Longing and Belonging offers a provocative yet deeply compelling argument: that Christian sexual ethics—so often dismissed as repressive—are in fact the source of our most cherished modern values.

Drawing on history, philosophy, and the Bible, apologetics powerhouse Rebecca McLaughlin argues that The First Sexual Revolution - the one kicked off by the radical power of the Gospel - cemented the worth of every body from senator to slave, overhauling the long held ancient belief that consent was only required for some. She draws a line from the rampant sexual exploitation that existed during Jesus's time to our modern ills, including pornography, sex work, and hookup culture; and argues that divorcing Christ from notions of freedom, consent, and the inherent value of every person leads to sorrow and disillusionment, not liberation. Finally, she shows how the vision that transformed the culture of the ancient world can heal ours, too. 

Courageous, compassionate, and profoundly clarifying, Longing and Belonging is for readers who sense that modern sexual freedom has delivered less intimacy, not more—and who are willing to reconsider a far older story that holds the power to redeem us.