This book is not a Christian book, but it makes points and reaches conclusions that all Christians would agree with. Indeed, the fact that it is not written by a Christian makes this all the more interesting.

Overview

Louise Perry is a feminist writer who contributes to the left-leaning New Statesman. There is no quoting the Bible or theological reasoning here; rather Perry’s argument stems from natural law or common sense, whereby she rages against the devastating effects of the sexual revolution on women in particular. At times she makes use of arguments that most Christians would not support – such as evolutionary psychology. At other times you will find her quoting C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton or Josephine Butler with approval.

While thoughtful and compassionate, The Case Against the Sexual Revolution is actually quite a disturbing read. At points it is necessarily explicit about what goes on, and you will find yourself reading about things that many of us would prefer never to think about.

Logical arguments

The chapter titles tell the story of the book. First is Sex Must be Taken Seriously. Here she criticises the idea that sex is nothing more than a recreational activity, leaving us with a society that claims that sex is meaningless. Intuitively we all know that is false. In fact the #MeToo movement shows that asking for sex from an employee is not the same as asking for a coffee.

The second chapter says Men and Women are Different. Sadly, in today’s society some people would beg to differ. Thirdly, in Some Desires are Bad, Perry critiques the idea that we should all do whatever we feel like.

Women much prefer committed relationships.

Then comes Loveless Sex is not Empowering. Here she questions “the claim that a culture of casual sex is somehow to the benefit of women as a group.” She quotes from a study which showed that “the mean number of lifetime sexual partners is six times and eight times higher among gay and bisexual men, respectively, compared with straight men.” She concludes: “Thus sexual behaviour among gay men is an exceptionally good indicator of what happens when the limiting factor of female sexual preference is entirely removed” (p.76). Women much prefer committed relationships.

Chapter five tackles the idea that anything consensual is ok. The chapter is titled Consent Is Not Enough. Sadly, this is not what is taught in RSE lessons in schools where the only ethic provided is that of consent. Perry argues that although consent may be a legal defence, “it is not a convincing moral defence” (p.96). She rages at the porn culture which means that the average man watches 70 minutes of porn a week (p.106).

Then comes Violence Is Not Love. Another common-sense statement that sadly needs explanation in today’s world. The most shocking statistic in the book for me was that over half of 18-24-year-old UK women report having been strangled by their partners during sex (p.124). Chapter seven argues that People Are Not Products, in which the author makes the case against the prostitution industry.

The most shocking statistic in the book for me was that over half of 18-24-year-old UK women report having been strangled by their partners during sex.

Marriage is good

Finally, we reach the conclusion that, after all, Marriage is Good. Perry argues against mainstream society, in favour of monogamous marriage. She points out that “When monogamy is imposed on a society, it tends to become richer” (p.182). She criticises no-fault divorce laws, noting that “When marriage vows are no longer truly binding, couples seem to become less confident in their relationships” (p.165).

She even criticises the prevalence of abortion, saying that even if we may disagree on the moral status of a foetus, “we should all be able to agree that an abortion is not a good thing for a woman to go through given such medical risks as uterine damage or sepsis, not to mention the emotional consequences, which are not trivial” (pp.180-81). Her advice is “get married. And do your best to stay married” (p.184).

Summary

The book is not a difficult read at 190 pages of text, before notes and references. It is, however, an emotionally challenging read. Perry’s criticism of the sexual revolution is devastating, and more powerful than what is heard in most church pulpits.

What we need now is a counter-movement to the sexual revolution.

However, what is clear to me at least is that, without Christianity, Perry lacks an objective moral compass. Arguments from natural law can only get so far, and she is clearly aware of this at points. Having bought into Christian sexual morality, I hope she takes the next step and realises that she needs the Christian God.

What we need now is a counter-movement to the sexual revolution. But for all Perry’s strengths in pointing out the failures of that revolution, a counter-movement needs to present a more powerful argument for sexual purity. For this we need the objective truths and morality that can only be found in Christianity.

‘The Case Against the Sexual Revolution’ is published by Polity and is available from Amazon for £12.79 (inc p&p).