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Alex Chediak

Helping young adults thrive at college and beyond

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Josh Harris “Not Writing a Book or Starting a Podcast”

August 1, 2019 by Alex Chediak

On July 17 the former best-selling author and pastor Josh Harris announced that he was separating from his wife. On July 26 he confirmed that this separation was in fact a divorce and–in bigger news–that he no longer considered himself to be a Christian.

On July 19, in between Josh’s two instagram announcements, Sojourners published a long interview with Josh Harris. I know from experience that interviews like this are completed months in advance. The timing of their publication is often designed to maximize exposure.

The interview included this exchange:

Villarreal: You say in the documentary that there are a lot of people who want you to throw out everything that was kind of the basis for your book. But I’m curious when you say “everything,” do you mean your belief in Christianity as a whole or about premarital sex in general? I’m curious what you include in that.

Harris: I think that there’s a push by some people to say being sex positive means — the kind of the historical sexual ethic related to sex outside of marriage, related to homosexuality, is basically laid aside, and embracing a healthy view of sex means just accepting all that as fine within the Christian tradition. … I do think though that, for me, in that change of interpretation of such a fundamental level when it comes to sexuality, it’s just hard for me to … In a way it’s almost easier for me to contemplate throwing out all of Christianity than it is to keeping Christianity and adapting it in these different ways.

I don’t know if that makes sense, but I think I’ve just been so indoctrinated in a certain way of interpreting scripture and viewing sexuality that it’s just hard for me to see the scriptures and its kind of overall, you know, commands and principles and so on and see how that can be consistent.

I think that I probably need to engage with some of those people — like I have people send me their e-books showing why premarital sex is fine, and I just don’t have the energy right now. Like, I do not want to read your book. I do not want to. I do not want to engage in a massive, you know, theological expedition to think about all these things. So it just sounds really exhausting to me, honestly.

But I think what you saw in that moment in the film is it is a real struggle for me. I’m really struggling with — I think that rethinking some of these things and having had my faith look so specific for so long that now as I’m questioning those specifics, it feels like I’m questioning my entire faith.

A week later we’d learn that Josh did, in fact, no longer consider himself to be a Christian. In response, I wrote him an open letter. I forwarded the link to several people who know Josh personally. My letter defended Josh’s (imperfect) writings on dating/courtship, though I acknowledged that some of his teachings lacked nuance. But I also tried to convince him that he may have had a formulaic approach to his marriage and to the Christian faith–leading him to abandon both when the formula no longer “worked.”

In my letter I also asked Harris to not start a podcast. To use this time instead to reflect upon the message of the New Testament, particularly the gospel accounts of Jesus Christ.

A day later Josh clarified that he would not be writing a book or starting a podcast. I doubt Josh read my letter, but who knows, maybe he still will?

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Also by Alex

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With One Voice

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Praise for With One Voice

This relatively short book packs a powerful bang for the buck, providing much biblical and practical advice for young men and women seeking to glorify God in relationships.

Alex and Brett Harris
Best-selling authors of Do Hard Things

Alex and Marni Chediak offer sound biblical advice and a clear Christian framework for working through the maze of confusions surrounding modern marriage.

R. Albert Mohler, Jr., President
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Publishers have been cranking out books with all sorts of directions to help Christians navigate the treacherous waters between the buoys of singleness and marriage, and I know of none that is more clear, concise and helpful than With One Voice.

J. Ligon Duncan, III Ph.D.
Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church

With One Voice is clearly written and God-centered. Our eighteen year-old daughter just read it and restrained herself from underlining nearly the whole thing!

Dr. Bruce A. Ware
Professor of Christian Theology
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

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