Tuesday, July 26, 2011

"An Expose on Teen Sex and Dating" by Andy Braner

With a headline as shocking as this one, readers are expecting a tongue-in-cheek read. However, Braner provides a sound set of arguments and observations on teenage relationships without too much information. While he is brutally honest about what is doing on, he does not provide explicit diagrams of explanations. The emphasis in this book is that, while purity rallies are well intentioned, they do not work. Braner suggests talking to kids about sex and explaining how God made it to be in marriage for joy and how relationships relate to Jesus and the Church (comparing physical wholeness to spiritual wholeness). Much advice is written as if for a parental audience, but any reader can learn from this book. Adults will learn how to navigate the wishy-washy psyches of adolescents, and teens will learn that pre-marital sex is more than just whoredom. While educational and rooted in Biblical principles, I'd suggest very young readers only go through this book with adult supervision.

4 comments:

psalm3418 said...

Braner's book lacked sound scriptural references and he managed to make the book more about himself than anything else. He minister's to ONE group of children; all of which are upper class, and this book is written specifically for those who also minister to those of similar backgrounds. Braner did a poor job of representing the teenage perspective despite his multiple claims to be an expert.

letsbereal633 said...

I disagree with the 1st comment. Braner ministers to kids who are mostly upper class, but many who are not. Regardless of socio-economic background, all of the principles of self-esteem, need for connection, and respect for oneself and others apply. Be careful when making blanket generalizations and using words like "all or none". My three teenage girls are not upper class and they have read and agree with the majority of the book. It is a conversational read meant to spark open discussion, which it does.

TJK said...

Thanks both of you for visiting this blog and sharing your opinions. Isaiah 65:17. ;)

AB said...

Thanks so much for your review. If your readers have any questions, I'd love to be available to blog, answer questions, or start a discussion. We need more people on this frontline to make a difference. Thanks.