I have read a couple of other books by Nancy Pearcey, namely Saving Leonardo and Finding Truth and have been very impressed, so I was delighted when I saw her latest book published at the start of this year, Love Thy Body, and I have not been disappointed.
The book addresses the issues of abortion, euthanasia, hook-up culture, homosexuality and transgenderism. So nothing too controversial then! The book engages the mind and looks in depth at the underlying worldview or philosophy behind the world’s approach to this matters. The fundamental thesis is that the world adopts a two storey approach, this thesis was applied in other books of hers that I have read. Examples of this include material/spiritual, facts/values. Of particular importance in the current book is the body/person split. In the common worldview these two are separated, this is most apparent in the abortion issue. The outcome is that the world regards the body of being of little value. This contrasts greatly with the Biblical view that places great value on our bodies (they are a gift from God), and Biblical teaching on the matters discussed presents a unity and harmony between our bodies, morals and life.
So the book both exposes the contradictions and poverty of much of the world’s thinking, and presents the harmony and richness of the Biblical approach. And while it does require us to engage our brains, each chapter also has several real life examples and stories to illustrate the truth. Furthermore, there is also some very useful historical information, especially on how countercultural the gospel teaching on sex and related matters was, and on how it enhanced “human rights”.
While the West is doing all it can to jettison its Christian heritage, and getting ever closer to outlawing the teaching of Christian value on these matters, we should take heart and be encouraged. The gospel is a gospel of life, and life for all who will believe. As Paul says in Romans 1:16:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes
Below is the briefest of summaries of the issues considered, but I strongly encourage you to get the book and read it.
Abortion
Now recognised that a fetus is human from the moment of conception, largely due to understanding of DNA (science eventually backs up God’s truth). So the distinction now drawn by proponents of abortion is between a human and a person. They say a fetus is human but not a person, and only a person has rights, not a human.
Euthanasia
Depends upon a human becoming a non-person. This can seem sensible in cases like a persistent vegetative state, but leads to very dangerous places. For instance, it leads to the state deciding when someone is no longer a person, and therefore it is perfectly legitimate to end their life.
Hooking up
Separation of sex and relationship, sex seen as a purely physical act.
Biblical view : sex is precious and confined to marriage. Sex is an expression of the lifelong commitment of two people to each other.
Worldview : sex is no big deal. Even “love and commitment” are no longer considered important in the hook-up culture, indeed they are even seen as a negative. The results is that sex is meaningless.
Homosexuality
The male and female bodies were designed for each other. The differences are crucial, and are also mirrored in our psychological make-up as well. To engage in homosexual behaviour is to deny that the form of the body has anything to do with anything. Homosexuality devalues the body. The Biblical view gives a high value to the body, the worldview demeans the body.
Transgenderism
This discounting of the value of the body reaches it climax in transgenderism, in saying that transgenderism is normal and good. Trans ideology or queer theory argues that gender has nothing to do with biology. Again it says that the body does not matter [ though the self-contradiction is shown in the decision to take drugs to inhibit natural hormones, and replace them with ones not naturally produced by the body, and then by the use of surgery to alter the body].
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