Oh God, Oh God, Oh God!: Young Adults Speak Out about Sexuality and Christian Spirituality. Heather Godsey and Lara Blackwood Pickrel, editors.
St. Louis, Missouri: Chalice Press, 2010.
Scholarly-2
I wanted to like this book. I wanted to use this book as a conversation starter at my former church. Sadly, it took me three tries to finish it. I’m sharing this review because I’d love for someone to write a book about what I had hoped this book would be.
In the introduction the editors said, “These voices are primarily from white heterosexual individuals” (2). This was my first problem with the book. I knew too many stories similar to the ones shared. I wanted my eyes to be opened people whose stories I have not heard.
While no book can include all topics, I was hoping to find stories about unplanned pregnancies (adoption, abortion, and keeping a child), couples who do not feel called to have children, dating (and even meeting potential dates) post-college, and how having a child changes things in relationships. The diversity of God’s children could have been highlighted in this book by sharing a variety of stories from a wider spectrum of people instead of just a select few.
This book would not work well as a conversation starter or small group book at my last church. That makes me sad. I’d love to hear suggestions for other books that talk honestly about sexuality and Christian spirituality.