Ed Young's Controversial 'Sexperiment' Book Debuts on NY Times Best Sellers List
Sexperiment: 7 Days to Lasting Intimacy with Your Spouse by Ed and Lisa Young of Texas-based Fellowship Church, has seen their book debut on the New York Times Best Sellers List, although not everyone is a fan of the Young's vision of a God-centered, Bible-based marriage.
The book, which they promoted in a 24-hour live webcast event in a bed on the roof of their Grapevine megachurch, was released on Jan. 10, 2012, and has been the subject of much media discussion in the media.
Sexperiment: 7 Days to Lasting Intimacy with Your Spouse serves as a catalyst for people to begin a dialogue about sex and a challenge to make sex a priority in the marriage bed so couples will remain united beyond the bed. It encourages married couples to have sex for seven straight days – a challenge that made headlines in 2008 when Pastor Young first introduced it to his church – with the promise that the "amazing results" will last far beyond the week.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
During the 24-hour "bed-in," Ed Young claimed that Sexperiment will start a "sexual revolution" for the Church and bring God back into the marriage bed.
Besides debuting on the New York Times Best Sellers List, the book has already attracted a host of customer reviews from different perspectives.
"Marriage without good sex is like a house without heat in the winter. You might be able to survive in it, but it's not nearly as enjoyable. Ed and Lisa are among the best when it comes to encouraging us to keep the 'heat on' in the house," wrote Pastors Kevin and Sheila Gerald from Champions Centre in one of the many reviews posted on the Sexperiment website.
One of the top reviews on Amazon.com, where Sexperiment enjoys a solid 5-star rating, is by a user who shares that he/she is neither a conservative nor a religious person, but still rated the book highly for what it tries to achieve.
"It has always saddened me and even made me wince, when reading, listening to some Christians only talk about sex as sinful, dirty etc. Hope this book is a start in helping change that attitude and makes folks look at marriage (not) as something to be avoided rather than celebrated," reader "MotherLodeBeth" wrote.
Married couples also had grateful words to write about Ed and Lisa Young's book:
"My wife and I are always looking for help in regards to the intimacy and health of our marriage. Though doing sex God's way is a crucial part of the liberating message of this book, the contents of Sexperiment have also helped us in so many other ways. Our patience and communication with one another has been revolutionized as we have put in to practice the thoughtful and practical steps laid out by the authors Ed and Lisa Young." "scottwilson247" posted.
"As a man I don't usually run out and buy books about intimacy. However when I hear about 7 days of sex I get a little more motivated to read! This material helped my wife and I take some HUGE steps in our marriage. I've never seen or heard anything like this. Tons of practical stuff that we can use right now. I highly recommend Sexperiment!" "cobra2911" wrote on the Barnes And Noble website.
"Sexperiment opened my eyes to the truth about sex and how God designed it for marriage. From a female perspective, I love the way Pastor Ed and Lisa give real handles on growing intimacy with your spouse. It encourages me to know that as my husband and I read through this book, we are strengthening our marriage," added user "jd46884" from a female perspective.
Some negative reviews from critics have suggested that the book is not so much promoting sexual freedom, as it is insisting that sexual intimacy remain within the confines of a Christian, heterosexual marriage.
"But having actually read these books, I can tell you they are not the wild sex manuals the media frenzy suggests - in fact, they are treatises against homosexuality, pornography and premarital sex. None of this is exactly surprising, but amid the sexy buzz surrounding these books, it's important to underscore just how sexually stunted they are," wrote Tracy Clark-Flory, writer and reviewer on the Alternet.com website, who also describes herself as an "arrogant, unrepentant atheist and fornicator."
The author goes on to accuse the Youngs of bigotry and "sticking to the same hoary rhetoric about good sex and bad sex," and refusing to accept and celebrate all types of consensual, adult sex.
In another review on the Sexperiment website, however, Samuel Rodriguez, President of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, wrote that the purpose of the book is not simply to celebrate sex, but to view it from a Christ-centered position.
"Sexperiment facilitates a biblically sound transparent conversation on sexuality, marriage, family and faith. More than an idea, this book serves as a clarion call for redeeming the narrative of sexuality via the optics of a Christ centered antidote against infidelity and divorce," Rodriguez wrote.
Sexperiment has been on the NY Times' Best Sellers List for two weeks and currently ranks number five.
