Love Thy Body: Answering Hard Questions about Life and Sexuality

by Nancy R. Pearcey

Overview

Why the call to Love Thy Body? To counter a pervasive hostility toward the body and biology that drives today's headline stories:

Transgenderism: Activists detach gender from biology. Kids down to kindergarten are being taught their bodies are irrelevant. Is this affirming—or does it demean the body?

Homosexuality: Advocates disconnect sexuality from biological identity. Is this liberating—or does it denigrate biology?

Abortion: Supporters deny the fetus is a person, though it is biologically human. Does this mean equality for women—or does it threaten the intrinsic value of all humans?

Euthanasia: Those who lack certain cognitive abilities are said to be no longer persons. Is this compassionate—or does it ultimately put everyone at risk?

In Love Thy Body, bestselling author Nancy Pearcey goes beyond politically correct slogans with a riveting exposé of the dehumanizing worldview that shapes current watershed moral issues.

Pearcey then turns the tables on media boilerplate that misportrays Christianity as harsh or hateful. A former agnostic, she makes a surprising and persuasive case that Christianity is holistic, sustaining the dignity of the body and biology.

Throughout she entrances readers with compassionate stories of people wrestling with hard questions in their own lives—their pain, their struggles, their triumphs.


"Liberal secularist ideology rests on a mistake and Nancy Pearcey in her terrific new book puts her finger right on it. In embracing abortion, euthanasia, homosexual conduct and relationships, transgenderism, and the like, liberal secularism . . . is philosophically as well as theologically untenable."—Robert P. George, Princeton University

"Wonderful guide."—Sam Allberry, author, Is God Anti-Gay?

"A must-read."—Rosaria Butterfield, former professor, Syracuse University; author, The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert

"An astute but accessible analysis of the intellectual roots of the most important moral ills facing us today: abortion, euthanasia, and redefining the family."—Richard Weikart, California State University, Stanislaus

"Highly readable, insightful, and informative."—Mary Poplin, Claremont Graduate University; author, Is Reality Secular?

"Unmasks the far-reaching practical consequences of mind-body dualism better than anyone I have ever seen."—Jennifer Roback Morse, founder and president, The Ruth Institute

"Love Thy Body richly enhances the treasure box that is Pearcey's collective work."—Glenn T. Stanton, Focus on the Family

"Essential reading . . . Love Thy Body brings clarity and understanding to the multitude of complex and confusing views in discussions about love and sexuality."—Becky Norton Dunlop, Ronald Reagan Distinguished Fellow, The Heritage Foundation

"Pearcey gets straight to the issue of our day: What makes humans valuable in the first place? You must get this book. Don't just read it. Master it."—Scott Klusendorf, president, Life Training Institute

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780801075728
Publisher:	Baker Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/02/2018
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	579,476
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Nancy Pearcey is a bestselling, award-winning author who serves as professor of apologetics and scholar in residence at Houston Christian University. She is also editor at large of The Pearcey Report and a fellow at Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture. Previous positions include visiting scholar at Biola University's Torrey Honors Institute, professor of worldview studies at Cairn University, and the Francis A. Schaeffer scholar at the World Journalism Institute. She is the author of several books, including the 2005 ECPA Gold Medallion Award winner Total Truth and most recently Finding Truth.

Table of Contents

Introduction: A Guide to the Wasteland 9

1 I Hate Me: The Rise and Decline of the Human Body 17

2 The Joy of Death: "You Must Be Prepared to Kill" 47

3 Dear Valued Constituent: You No Longer Qualify As a Person 83

4 Schizoid Sex: Hijacked by the Hookup Culture 117

5 The Body Impolitic: How the Homosexual Narrative Demeans the Body 155

6 Transgender, Transreality: "God Should Have Made Me a Girl" 193

7 The Goddess of Choice Is Dead: From Social Contract to Social Meltdown 229

Acknowledgments 265

Study Guide 267

Notes 283

Index 324

About the Author 334