Arizona Megachurch Pastor Resigns Following Backlash for Controversial Book on Sex, the Church
- Milton Quintanilla Crosswalk Headlines Contributor
- Updated May 09, 2023
Arizona megachurch pastor and author Joshua Butler has resigned from his ministry position due to backlash he received over his controversial book on sex and the church.
“We have found ourselves in an impossible situation,” Butler wrote to members of Redemption Church in Tempe in a letter announcing his resignation.
“On the one hand, I feel called to step more into these public conversations. On the other hand, I don’t want to drag Redemption into that public conversation with me,” he said.
He noted that the controversy had affected the church, and as a result, he and the church elders agreed that it was best for him to resign.
Last month, Butler released his book, Beautiful Union, which contends that “God’s vision for sex” could provide answers about the meaning of life. He was met with intense backlash after The Gospel Coalition published an excerpt of the book in March titled “Sex Won’t Save You (But It Points to the One Who Will).”
In the article, he likened the relationship between Jesus and the church to sexual intercourse between a man and a woman.
“She gladly receives the warmth of his presence and accepts the sacrificial offering he bestows upon the altar within her Most Holy Place,” Butler wrote. “Similarly, the church embraces Christ in salvation, celebrating his arrival with joy and delight.”
According to Religion News Service, critics argued that Butler’s article not only presented bad theology but an oversexualized view of religion centered on male pleasure. While the excerpt cited the Apostle Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians, theology professor Beth Felker Jones argued that Butler failed to address the points in the passages he presented.
“But the piece does not dig into Ephesians, paying close attention to the text,” theology professor Beth Felker Jones wrote. “Instead, it turns into a rhapsody over a very male-centered experience of sexual intercourse.”
Days after the article was posted, The Gospel Coalition removed it and issued an apology. Additionally, the Christian website announced that Butler had stepped down as a fellow with the Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics, a Gospel Coalition project named after retired pastor and bestselling author Tim Keller.
Butler also drew controversy for his article titled “The Ethics of Contraception,” which he wrote in relation to his book.
“A condom dams up the ‘river of life,’ preventing its life-giving waters from reaching the opposite shore,” he wrote. “With a diaphragm, a barrier is placed at the most intimate point of contact, preventing a full reception of the gift within the generative holy space of the womb.”
In his resignation letter, Butler noted that he plans to revise a future printing of the book following feedback. He also said he would be willing to talk to church members offended by the controversy.
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Boonchai Wedmakawand
