Conclusions

This chapter draws conclusions from across the book. In bringing together the various states of singleness, we see how current debates about both gender and same-sex attraction have impacted discussions of singleness in ways that are detrimental to a Christian vision of singleness. We also see that single Christians have been drawn to life in communities, broadly understood. At the same time, Christian communities have often failed at supporting single life. Yet single life tells the church important things about what it means to be a follower of Jesus together with other followers. Spiritual friendship, new understandings of family, and better thinking about the Gospel are part of what we learn. The author also suggests future paths for research.

Aesthetics · Friendship · Gospel · Social science · Sociology · Theology · Philosophy · Religion, Society, and Development