The God Who Is Love created man male and female for love.

Human sexuality is a gift of Creation. The image of our God who is love is borne by "man" as "male and female," with no hint of either sexʼs imaging the divine more fully than-or apart from-the other. Through this gift, we may love and be loved deeply, may enjoy a profound oneness in marriage, and, from loveʼs natural self-giving, may give life to children, the greatest ongoing fruit of such love.

Despite all its goodness, many on this planet experience sexuality in brokenness and pain. We know sin and evil spoil and steal from Godʼs good creation, but we do not despair. The Good News of Jesus Christ reckons seriously with every enemy of human flourishing. His victory has won healing the Holy Spirit applies to the broken, through loving ministry.

These truths of Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration unify the essays in this book. Most began at the Scholarsʼ Consultation of the Empowered21 Asia Global Congress in Singapore in 2017. Here they explore Godʼs intention for our sexuality, ways we misuse and abuse this gift, and ways Spirit-empowered communities help heal brokenness and restore the divine image. Expressing theological and social science scholarship and front-lines ministry experience from the First and Majority Worlds, these essays probe gender theory, inequality, and fluidity and dysphoria; sexual exploitation of children and women and their resilience; homosexuality; fighting HIV/AIDS; promoting sexual wholeness; and more. Readers will deepen their biblical, theoretical, and practical understanding so they may minister healing and restoration with wisdom and compassion in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Part I. Laying a Foundation

Introduction / Wonsuk Ma and Kathaleen Reid-Martinez

1. God's Original Design for Human Sexuality and
Spirit-Empowered Leaders in the Old Testament / Lian Mung

2. A Historical and Hermeneutical Approach to the
Vice-Lists: A Pauline Perspective Concerning
Homosexuality and the Holy Spirit / Mark Hall

3. Leaving the Past Behind: A Historical Survey of
the Church's Response to Homosexuality / Clayton Coombs

4. Querying Queer Theory: Gender Expression and
Transgender Identity in Manifold Perspective / Michael McClymond

Part II. Learning from Real Life

5. Sexuality, Gender, and Marriage: Pentecostal
Theology of Sexuality and Empowering the Girl-
Child in India / Brainerd Prince and Atula Walling

6. Girls' Education and Sexuality in Burkina Faso:
The Contribution from Pentecostal Churches and
NGOs /Philippe Ouedraogo

7. Sexual Exploitation of Children in the
Philippines and the Role of Pentecostal Churches /
Lulu Suico and Joseph Suico

8. Resilience and Spirit-Empowered Communities:
Stories of Overseas Filipino Women Workers in
Pentecostal-Charismatic Churches / Doreen Alcoran-Benavidez and Edwardneil Benavidez

9. African Sexuality in the Context of HIV/AIDS / Joshua Banda

10. Good News from Africa: Is a Person's Sexual
Behavior Influenced by Their Attitude and
Behavior towards God? A Voice of Evidence / Joshua Banda

11. A Transformational Work of the Holy Spirit For
Freedom from Gender Inequality In Nepal / Bal Krishna Sharma and Karuna Sharma

12. Holy Sex: A Sermon / William Wilson

13. Marriage, Human Sexuality, and the Body / Timothy Tennent

14. A Case Study from Malaysia: Struggling Pastor
Who Pastors Strugglers / Teresa Chai and Tryphena Law

15. Spirit Baptism as a Framework for Ministry to
the Struggling / Megan Grondin

16. Women at Yoido Full Gospel Church:
Pentecostalism in a Confucian Context / Julie Ma

17. Postscript: A Reflection / Annamarie Hamilton

Notes
Contributors
Select Bibliography
Scripture Index