PRESS RELEASE: Author says the church’s obsession with sex is “nothing short of scandalous”
Added about 10 years ago by Sacristy Press
The Church has an unhealthy obsession with sex which has distracted from its real mission of tackling poverty and justice – that is the suggestion made by a new hard-hitting book published by Durham-based Sacristy Press.
The Judas Church: An Obsession with Sex by Kevin Carey argues that the Church of England has spent far too much time being distracted by the same sex marriage and women bishops debates and should focus more on social justice and poverty.
Kevin Carey is a Reader in his parish church and a former member of General Synod.
He criticises as “nothing short of scandalous” the church’s obsession on “two matters of relative unimportance” during the sharpest economic downturn since the early 1930s.
His book questions the purpose and intent of the modern church. Through an examination of the Bible book by book, he demonstrates that the Church has betrayed its core message by failing to focus on the big issues of the Bible and of society and instead becoming “myopic in its obsession with doctrinal minutiae.”
In his eighth book for Sacristy Press, Kevin, a strong supporter of both gay clergy and female bishops, said: “This issue has been such a distraction.
“I had this moment when I realised that, now we have got women bishops through, the church will be dominated by the issue of gay clergy and it will be even more destructive.
“It is not a major issue in the Bible but it is a die-in-the-ditch issue for some people. I am appalled.
“Since 2008 when the banks collapsed, we have seen the worse economic downturn that most of us can remember and the Government has sliced its way through the welfare system and yet we have argued about women bishops and gay clergy, neither of which feature much in the Bible, certainly not compared with the 400 references to social justice.
“I hope that this book will restore some perspective. It is really written for people care about social justice, no matter what their theological leanings.”
ENDS-ENDS-ENDS
Notes to Editors
Kevin Carey will be speaking about his use of fiction in theological writing at the Durham Book Festival on Sunday 12th October in Prior’s Hall, Durham Cathedral at 6pm.
Kevin can be contacted for interview request via Sacristy Press (enquiries@sacristy.co.uk).
Sacristy Press was founded in 2011 to publish historical and theological titles, both fiction and non-fiction. It is based in the historic academic city of Durham in North East England. Full details of its author events at the Durham Book Festival can be found at www.sacristy.co.uk/blog/2014/durham-book-festival.
More information about Sacristy Press can found on their website www.sacristy.co.uk For review copies of their titles, please contact Richard Hilton (richard.hilton@sacristy.co.uk) in the first instance with details of your publication or media outlet.
Please note: Sacristy Press does not necessarily share or endorse the views of the guest contributors to this blog.