Between Two Gardens

In Between Two Gardens, theologian and ethicist James B. Nelson seeks to stimulate a further reexamination of human sexuality and the Christian experience. Here he continues to explore concerns posed in his earlier work, Embodiment. Traditionally, the relationship between religion and spirituality has reflected this one-dimensional question: What does faith say about human sexuality? Nelson, however, takes a different tack and asks more pertinently: What does sexuality say about faith--theology, scripture, tradition, and the meaning of the gospel? With this more existential perspective in mind, he explores a wide range of sexual and medical issues.

Nelson discusses men's liberation; sexuality in Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant interpretations; religious and moral questions of professionals working with homosexual counselees; singleness of the church; the family; and attitudes toward abortion. Reflecting on these topics, he writes out of a healthy conviction that the process of integrating human sexuality and the life of faith is an important journey.

James B. Nelson is Emeritus Professor of Christian Ethics at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, Minnesota. He was formerly on the board of directors of the Center for Sexuality and Religion in New York and of the Sex Information and Education Council of the U.S. (SIECUS). Nelson has written widely on sexual and medical ethics.