Saving Sex
Sexuality and Salvation in American Evangelicalism
Amy DeRogatis
Reviews and Awards
"Saving Sex offers scholars and students of religion and sexuality excellent textual analysis of a body of literature that a less astute scholar would have relegated to the margins. DeRogatis' work is groundbreaking."--Sociology of Religion
"A must-read for scholars of evangelical Christianity and anyone interested in the emergence of new social movements in American culture."--Religion & Gender
"Contrary to the stereotype that they are unable or unwilling to talk about sex, evangelicals of every stripe are handing out advice on sexuality for every moment of a (heterosexual) person's life. In Saving Sex, Amy DeRogatis explores the world of evangelical sex manuals, from purity books for teens to childbearing books for young mothers, by authors from the LaHayes to T. D. Jakes." --Christian Century
"Overall, Saving Sex is written in a jargon-free, accessible style and moves neatly between the chapters, making it ideal for students and ordinary readers alike... A clear strength of the book is that DeRogatis avoids treating evangelicalism as a monolith, instead highlighting points of tension on views about sex." --Christianity Today
"A much-needed perspective on how evangelicals talk about sex beyond culture war rhetoric driven by issues such as the legalization of gay marriage. By shifting scholarly attention from evangelicals scriptural and political views on homosexuality, DeRogatis provides a welcome opportunity to investigate their relationship to sexuality and the public sphere beyond expected conflict that relegates their stance on sex as simply 'anti-.'"--Journal of Religion
"Resisting the temptation of a playful romp through evangelical marriage manuals, Amy DeRogatis seriously engages the sexual ambivalences of born-again Christianity, particularly the insistent pursuit of both purity and pleasure. Contemporary evangelicals have been instructed to approach sex as if their salvation-as well as that of the wider culture-depends on its proper performance. Saving Sex is an eye-opening examination of just how extensive and detailed that instruction has been." --Leigh Eric Schmidt, Edward Mallinckrodt Distinguished University Professor, Washington University in St. Louis
"From sexually transmitted demons to father-daughter purity balls to the use of trampolines as sexual props, Amy DeRogatis is a sympathetic, critical, and engaging guide through the world of evangelical sex manuals. She provides a vivid and nuanced account of how evangelicals convert secular sex advice for godly purposes and understand sex as part of salvation. This is an indispensable contribution to studies of evangelicalism and sexuality in America." --Tanya Erzen, author of Straight to Jesus: Sexual and Christian Conversions in the Ex-Gay Movement
"Fascinating from beginning to end, this book adds greatly to the understanding of Evangelical life today. Amy DeRogatis examines the almost overlooked subject of conservative Protestant heterosexuality. Putting sex on the scholarly agenda in a compelling way, she makes a fundamental contribution to the materialization of Religious Studies in general, and of Protestantism in particular. Long dismissed as prudish and disembodied, Protestantism is rediscovered here as sexually engaged and self-aware." --David Morgan, Professor and Department Chair of Religious Studies, Duke University
"At last, someone has put the tired myth of prudish and sex-shy evangelicals to bed... Immensely accessible and enjoyable."--Journal of Southern Religion
"One of the strengths of the book is that it does not fall prey to the academic curse of so much specificity and nuance so as to render it irrelevant to nonexperts...the monograph is an excellent starting place for anyone who is not familiar with contemporary evangelical sexuality teachings: appropriate for students, academics, and even an ambitious book club."--Religious Studies Review
