Book Description
Get the most you can out of reading At the Altar of Sexual Idolatry by using this carefully engineered workbook. Each chapter is broken down into four parts Study QuestionsWhat do the Scriptures say?Personal ExaminationGroup Questions Use this workbook as you read and experience a richer, fuller understanding of how to win the victory over sexual sin. Perfect for support groups or men's small groups. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

At The Altar Of Sexual Idolatry
Good book
I got more out of my other book breaking free from sexual addiction by Willinignham.the workbook is kind of hard to do.

My Life is Again With God
Where do I start with a book of this calibre!!!

I have been a christian for 10 years now and I have had a troublesome life, in terms of my brother dying and my mother having a breakdown... I can go on but I don't wanna bore you to death. Since these tragic events took place, I was not the same person. I basically fell head over hells into depression and I did not realize it until later on in my life.

This is when I began to dabble in porn to keep me satisfied and keep me from losing my mind and devling deeper into depression and suffering. "I am in no way justifying myself just telling you how it is".

As the months and years went by my descendance into porn and fetishes etc became obsessive and become the focal point of my day. No matter what I was doing or who I was talking to My mind and feelings were in a place of sexual fantasy.

I have accumulated £6000 > $10,935.70 "I am from the UK" of expenses on internet sex, fetish, sites and also video's, CD's.

I became entralled with it and my life was about sex and my sexual fantasies. Not My family, GF, or Friends.

I was a very selfish and arragant so and so because all I wanted to do is get off and explore the world of sex and fantasies. My Lust and Urges were only satisfied momentarily.

I believed this was a good therapeutic ritual of destressing myself and saisifying my monsterous urges.

This went on and on.

I knew I was going to far into my obssessive behaviour when I started to explore the darker side of sex. I was getting into things of which I would neverever be excited by if I was in my sane mind. I tried to stop and even went without indulding in my fifth for a week or so, but the temptation and seductive nature of beautiful women and sex etc, always pulled me in and then spat me out. I was a slave to my desire. Visting Prostitues, Mistresses.

This is when I knew I had no control over my obsession, I was very much a fully fledged sex addict.

Now This is the point where I tried to stop and exit this world.
However this was an impossible task for me as I have conditioned myself with this lifestyle to such a degree that all I ever knew on how to get comform, destress and feel a temporary kind of love is by doing these things. I became very lazy, didn't want a relationship at all. I just wanted what I wanted. I was battling with myself all the time trying to come out of this mess I have created.

I didn't realize how far away from god I was until I even thought about him. All I ever thought about was myself and needs.

This is when I began to pray and ask for forgiveness, to repent my sins. It worked. The pull of my sexual deseries became tolerable. However I fell foul of my sin again and again and again. As the Devil knew my weaknesses and my fantasies etc.

I was weak and lost in the world of darkness and emptiness.
Until I made a super strong effort to break free and throw away myold lifestlye completely.

I became close with god once again and god gave me a sample of what kind of peace and love to expect If I obey him and live a life of righteousness and truth. The Feeling was amazaing, I felt soooooo at ease and at peace, It was truly amazing.

I let temptation get me again, I knew at this point I needed some serious help. However I was to paraniod going to my paster or counsellor. So I went looking for some selfhelp books, this is where I found this Monumental Book From This amazing Person Stsve G. God is Speaking Through him on so many levels.

This book has now changed my life completly, I know its hard to believe but it has. The book dissects the mind of a person dealing with sexual addiction, This is the ultimate book about dealing with sexual addiction or sin, I am now close with god and I know the tactics of the enemy. This book will identify why you are having this problem and also give you the tools and weapons on how to destroy thetemptation of lust. Also very importantly how to have a healthy sexual godly relationship with the one you love. I urge you to buy this book, this will completly change your life if you are dealing with this kind of problem. Lust is a hideous monster that can never be satisfied only leaving you empty with no self respect and with even more pain and sufferings. Thank you Lord God Almighty for this book and for Steve G.

Real, Powerful, & the best spiritually based book I've read
Where do I begin?This book needs to be read by every single person that considers themselves Christian.Even non-Christians should read this book.Steve Gallagher does an exceptional job with unveiling the roots to problems associated with sexual sin.However, the roots can be applied to any habitual sin.What's great about this book is that he does not sugar coat this issue.He speaks the whole truth and you can feel the realness and sincerity in his words.He backs up everything with scripture, provides useful examples to illustrate his point, and includes quotes from spiritual scholars that drive points home.

This book is written by a man for men.He deals with all types of sexual behavior from pedofiles to Don Juans's (womanizers) and he just makes everything so clear.Never will I have a hardened heart towards men like this for I understand they are under attack.

I first heard about this book because my friend's dad does ministry at a prison where he uses this book to help minister to sex offenders.Every week, his class grows in size and the men have actually attested to ALL that Steve Gallagher has said about this type of sin.As a woman, I purchased this book to understand this type of sin so I can help my brothers in Christ, to help me release the strongholds I had in my mind with regard to men who commit these types of sin, and to forgive the pedofile in my past.I have a younger brother coming up and one day I will have a son.This book equips you with wisdom beyond what you would ever imagine.Steve Gallagher is a true soldier and makes it clear that we are at war.Spiritual war.What's even more fantastic about this book is that there is food that every person, every Christian can eat regardless of how they "think" they're living.Wait until you get to the chapter on Pride.He discusses "Know-It-All" Pride, "Unsubmissive" Pride and several others.He even has a chapter on how a man should love his wife.As a woman, it is good to see this so that my expectations are set at the right level.I could go on about eveything that made this book good but put it like this:I never bother to take the time to highlight books and make notes.It took a lot for me in some chapters to not just highlight the whole page yellow.This author does not waste any words.Everyone of them have relevance.My book has notes in the margin ad highlighted and underlined sections.I actually plan to develop some type of personal book report to help fortify what I've learned.I have purchased 3 extra copies so far to help brothers who I know can gain knowledge on how to free themselves from this bondage.

He helps to paint the picture of how the devil, in his calculating and strategic way, can corrupt the minds of God's children.The author of the book "The Art of War" said:"In order to win any battle, one must know the enemy's terrain".Steve Gallagher, this blessed and beautiful man of God, exposes the devil fully.If this book is not on your shelf, you will either remain in darkness or you will be walking in the light with sunglasses on. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

it is a good start to solve one of the biggest problems
Thank you Dr. Goodman for trying to give an initial solution to the huge problem of sexual addiction, it is a hard and difficult subject to treat & explain; however, I think that some extra sections on spirituality,moral convictions and the relevance of believing in God and leading &practicing a normal Christian life (both internally & externally) tohave also a good marital life and to be able to control the sexualaddiction so much advertise on TV, MOVIES, BOOKS and almost everywhere, Ithink it also helps to put more emphasis on the good balanced moral &spiritual life of the persons to be able to fight against addictions ingeneral, as Dr. Chopra mentions in his book on adddiction that the THOUGHcauses the DESIRE and then the desire causes the action of the addictivebehavior. Many people would appreciate if Dr. Goodman could include theseextra topics in your next bood on sexual addiction, because there is stilla lot of terrain to cover. Thank you very much Dr. Goodman for a good starton a topic that needed to be addressed urgently worldwide.

Scholarly, comprehensive approach to sexual addiction.
This work proves itself to be a substantial addition to the expandingfield of literature on sexual addiction theory and treatment.This is ascholarly and meticulous presentation designed for careful review byclinicians rather than by the general public.It is likely to beparticularly well-received by psychiatrists and others of psychoanalyticaltraining who may not have a full appreciation for some of the more popularauthors in the field.It will admirably serve the additional purpose ofintroducing psychoanalytic theories of sexual deviancy to the clinician whomay not be strongly grounded in this approach.

The book starts with athorough review of the issues surrounding the terminology of sexualaddiction, including the clinical arguments for and against classifyingsuch behavior as either addictive, obsessive-compulsive or impulsive.Itthen reviews etiological theories of sexual addiction, includingbiological, sociocultural, cognitive-behavioral, and psychoanalytic, thelatter of which occupies almost a quarter of the book.The author notesthat this emphasis is designed in part to address the fact thatpsychodynamic psychotherapy "is given little attention by more contemporaryapproaches to treating sexual addiction....."

Dr. Goodman's extensivelydocumented and intelligently presented approach then integrates thebiological and psychological understandings of addictive disorders ingeneral and sexual addiction in particular.According to this theory, "theaddictive process originates in an impairment of the self-regulationsystem......(which) leads individuals to depend on external actions toregulate their subjective states....."Explanation is given of the threemain components of this self-regulation system: affect regulation,self-care, and self-governance functions.Behavioral implications ofimpairments in each of these functional areas are then explored in somedetail.

Turning to issues of the diagnosis and epidemiology of sexualaddiction, Goodman addresses differential diagnostic issues, prevalencerates and comorbidity issues.The rest of the book focuses on treatmentmodalities, including medication (both antiandrogenic and affect-regulatingagents); behavior modification (including aversion conditioning, covertsensitization, imaginal desensitization); cognitive-behavioral therapies;groups; couples therapy and psychodynamic psychotherapy.

Goodman'sintegrated treatment involves addressing "both the addictive sexualbehavior and the underlying addictive process", bringing together all ofthe above components of treatment into "one theoretically coherent,clinically unified approach."It is here that the book moves from thetheoretical to the imminently practical, reviewing behavioral symptommanagement such as relapse prevention (including risk-recognition,urge-coping, and slip-handling), and psychodynamic psychotherapy (includinghelping clients to understand, integrate and internalize insights andself-regulatory functions that lead to adaptive rather than symptomaticbehavior).

After examining the relationship between behavioral symptommanagement and psychotherapy, the author offers a useful approach tointegrating pharmacotherapy into the overall treatment of sexuallyaddictive behavior.Countertransference is touched upon, as are cautionsabout limited outcome measures which complicate prognosis.The lastsection of the book addresses illustrative clinical vignettes showing howan integrated treatment approach is tailored to a variety of cases.

Thisbook earns its place among the top shelf of titles worth reading byclinicians wishing to ground themselves in theory and practice strategiesfor the treatment of sexually addictive behavior.With fifty pages ofreferences, it serves admirably as a coherent, theory-driven approach whichadds order and intellectual rigor to a subject that is complex and remainsinadequately conceptualized.While far from being able to serve as adefinitive text, this book lays out an important framework for futureoutcomes-oriented research ... Read more

Book Description
Sexual addiction causes many problems and struggles for individuals. Often these begin by an indulgence in cyber-sex, phone-sex, and pornography. These have a huge impact on the victim, particularly when he/she is discovered, and create a negative affect on marriage and family life. Mr. Daly will discuss the healing that God can bring that causes one to rethink these actions and how to repair a marriage broken by this addiction. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Prayer and abstinence is NOT therapy...
I expected much different from this book.

With one or two exceptions, the "extreme cases" cited, described in vague terms rather that presented with detailed information, sound no worse that the escapades of the average american male. Most of the cases sounded like women your grandmother would have called "permiscuous".

On the other end of the spectrum, the author appears to be condemning ANY woman for ANY attempt to explore her sexuallity outside the bonds of marriage and the missonary position. God forbid she should even find pleasure in her experiences!

While there were some statistics included concerning the habits and tendencies of women with "sexual addictions", there seems to be very little offered in the way of specific issues or accepted methods of therapy.

Nowhere did I find any scientific description of what constitutes an "addiction". Nor was there any specific outline that would definitively answer the question of what constitutes a "sexual addiction."

The author has an ever prevelant bias towards god, religion and prayer. He even goes so far as to recommend PRAYER as a type of therapy to help his patients. Instead of presenting examples of specific theraputic actions or techniques, he recommends prayer and the church as a means of "help". Hardly acceptable clinical methods for controlling any "addiction".

While the modern woman is FINALLY beginning to accept and enjoy her sexuallity to the same degree that men have for centuries, there appears to be underlying themes of "sex is bad", "women should not enjoy it" hidden between the lines of this book. This type of writing could set women's progress with thier sexuality back 50 or 100 years.

This book would be very good propaganda for a catholic nun to use as a means of scaring young school girls away from the "evils of sex".

I found little use for this book. If you are looking for clinical information or any type of true psychological insight, look elsewhere.

If you are wondering if you have a "sexual addiction", do NOT read this book! I'll save you the trouble, per this book, if you are female and sexually active, even if only with yourself, you do!

Outstanding description for Woman's sexual addiction
Dr. Weiss provides an indepth and accurate look at female sexual addiction. There are very few books on the market which target women's sexual addiction. In addition, he goes through what sexual addition forwomen is, and how we (women) react to the concept and the recovery.

Dr.Weiss uses testimony from women sex addicts to provide readers someone inwhich to relate to.

I highly recommend this book even if you just thinkyou might have a problem with sexual addiction. ... Read more

Book Description
We all fall in love. We make a lifetime commitment. We work through lifes ups and downs. But how do we cope with the discovery that our mate has lost his/her soul to the consuming power of multiple addictions? How do we survive the ultimate pain that accompanies sexual addiction?

Love Over Lust is a true story. The stage is set as Mike decides to re-involve himself with his addictive chemical of choice: alcohol. Mike and Karen are going through a stressful period in their lives. Mike's addictive personality is activated as he progresses from social drinking to daily drinking to drunkenness. What began as an innocent curiosity with pornography quickly escalated into a costly relationship with a nude dancer.

The seductive nature of sexual lust nearly destroyed their 14-year marriage. As Mike's secrets are uncovered, Love Over Lust tells the story of Karen Valiant's mission to understand and overcome the chaotic events in their lives.

She shares her shattered spirit with you and her prescription for healing:

...Healing begins with a recovery commitment of the couple.

...Time is the great healer.

...Love is the miracle.

Customer Reviews (1)

How Love Can Conquer Sex Addiction.
LOVE OVER LUST is a gripping story of a couple who face the worst and come out still loving each other. This wife discovers that her faithful, church-going husband has a secret addiction - pornography.She can hardly say the word, let alone believe her husband is capable of being involved in this dirty habit.

Karen searches for guidancefrom self-help books, doctors, clergy, etc.But unlike alcohol and drug addiction, this topic is very rarely faced or discussed. She has little resource information as to where to even begin dealing with the unspoken.

The author kept a journal of her steps in healing, as well as her roller-coaster feelings throughout the ordeal.She tells of her husband's courageous and painful climbup the mountain to win back her trust, and their love that finally conquers.

LOVE OVER LUST is one of the few resources for this kind of addiction.Karen Valient handles it with pain and honesty - and love. ... Read more

Book Description
Biblically based counseling to help those entrapped in sexual addictions.Hope For The Heart is a tax-exempt Christian ministry founded by June Hunt. ... Read more

Book Description
YIKES! The original manuscript was reviewed by an Atlanta PhD. and sexologist who commented: "Some of this is very good, especially the Ode. But it's half-baked. Also you don't need to go to a priest for help. Yes, I do think you may be Bi-sexual." *** Others have said: "Whew, just awful, a stream of consciousness that is very upsetting. I wouldn't buy it any price!" - A Catholic Priest and Author. "Somebody had to do it." A girl at Kinko's. "I was just getting it on and then it turned me off." A former truck driver. *** The book is in two themes: the first is an embellished narrative with graphic intermission. The second is a play with the Freudian characters of the Ego, Superego and Id narrating a truer, less embellished version that is somewhat preachy and moralistic. The intent of the book remains a mystery. Although as an aging, still sexually confused person, I hope it may speak a message of hope. Finally, the genre is one that a male or female can really relate to having experienced similar drives, desires and imaginings that have not been expressed so graphically or truly. "Yeah, I tried that, and thought about it. I would never tell anybody because I would turn purple and die of shame." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Dick Management-- A 21st Century Issue
Dick Management is one the most significant issues of the 231st century. Any reading that one can do on this subject and its relation to pornography is important.

Sean O'Reilly
author of How to Manage Your DICK ... Read more

Book Description
Maybe he’s a board member or a deacon.Maybe he’s the choir director.Maybe he’s teaching Sunday school or passing the offering plate.Pastor...maybe it’s you.How are you dealing with the sexual sin epidemic that is sweeping across churches today via the Internet and other venues?According to aLeadership Journalsurvey, almost two-thirds of all pastors struggle with Internet pornography.Men everywhere are living in bondage and fear of exposure.If you are flirting with this devastating addiction, or if you’re counseling others who have already crossed the line, Ralph Earle and Mark Laaser help you understand the core issues related to sexual sin and give insight into developing a biblical view of healthy sexuality.InThe Pornography Trap , you’ll find the help you have prayed for. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Required reading for every minister
Absolutely outstanding.Easy to read and timely.Everyone in the ministry or considering ministry should have this as required reading. ... Read more

Book Description
With many fresh insights from 20 years in counseling, this updated version adds new chapters and goes even deeper in unearthing the roots of sexual sin. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

this is THE book...
if you are a Chrisitan who is sincerely struggling against your sin but can't get an abiding victory, this is THE book to get you going in the right direction. the focus of the book is on besetting sexual sin and it is the best i have ever seen on this subject, but it has much wisdom to use against all type of besetting sin.

this book is not a "fun" read at all, but it is good strong medicine that can change your life if you are serious about changing.

Discernment Necessary
From my perspective this book can be helpful to men struggling with sexual idolatry. Mr. Gallagher provides great encouragement to those that are downcast and bound up by all forms of sexual lust. I know that I found what he had to say encouraging and convicting.

However, one word of caution for those who are struggling with sexual sin. Steve Gallagher presents vivid stories about sexual lust, but those who are struggling with sexual lust will find themselves stirred up to lust by the stories because of the vivid detail. The stories, in my opinion, are too descriptive. He could have given readers the stories, but with less details to get his point across. So please be careful to read this book with a person that will keep you accountable.

If you do not think that you can find someone to keep you accountable to read this book (or you do not find a accountable because of shame and fear (which is a form of pride)). I would recommend reading another book. I would recommend the following...

1. Overcoming Lust in a Sex Crazed World by C. Matthew McMahon (Puritan Publications)
2. Sex is not the problem, Lust Is by Joshua Harris
3. The Purity Principle by Randy Alcorn

These books provide not only practical tips, but they seek to form a theological foundation for understanding sexual desire, (which God created), which will help men and women to consistently put to death the desires of the flesh.

This is not a bad book, but can possibly fill your mind with more sexual distortions (even though that is not the intent of the book) because of the overly detailed stories.

A powerful guide to finding inner peace
Now in a revised and expanded 20th anniversary edition, At the Altar of Sexual Idolatry is a guide for Christian men about the struggle to overcome sexual addiction through faith and spirituality. Author Steve Gallagher, founder and president of Pure Life Ministries, discusses his strict views on sexuality and means by which faithful individuals can overcome their base desires and live a more godly life. It should be noted that At the Altar of Sexual Idolatry emphatically condemns all forms of sex outside of marriage - including masturbation. "The devil can dangle a carrot in front of your face, but there is something inside you that actually wants that carrot. You aren't lustful because some demon comes on you. You are lustful because you have within you a desire for what isn't right." A powerful guide to finding inner peace despite the dual rampant onslaught of today's sexually charged culture from without, and the utterly selfish sexual cravings from within.

A beam of hope in a sex-saturated world.
Everybody does it.

This has become the excuse for sexual sin within the church in our current culture.Internet or video porn, chat rooms, phone sex...perhaps you've tried them.Perhaps your pastor has.Perhaps your husband has.

God has one clear intention for human sexuality, and no matter how seemingly small or harmless, misuse of it is sin.And it can lead to addiction.

If you are sturggling with getting control over your viewing habits, fantasy life, or other misuses of God's gift of sexuality in marriage, this book can truly help you.It helped me.It contains practical advice based on Scripture and personal experience of the author.

We weren't made for darkness.Step into the light and be free from this body of death.

Every man's problem
I have read several books that tell of the problem all men struggle with: sexual idolatry or at least lust. Christians are no different!In my opinion, every Christian man ought to read this book. This book grabs the bull by the horns, and in a Biblical way. You'll be fully satisfied with this book! ... Read more

Book Description
True accounts of those who have been liberated from pornography, sexual addiction and so on. ... Read more

Book Description
This discussion evolves around the fact that a sexual addict needs to understand there is hope for recovery from his/her addiction by reading Bible, having faith in God and realizing that His love is unconditional. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Eye Opening
This is a handbook which I believe is needed in our community. With so many suffering from various forms of addiction, this book seems to be an important tool to complete healing for victims and their families. It really opened my eyes to the lies and truth behind this addiction. If you or someone close to you is struggling, this is a MUST READ book. ... Read more

Book Description
Unveiling sexual addiction within a marriage is a heart-rending emotional experience. Questions need answers, decisions have to be made and solutions found. Realizing this is possible with the Lord's help will enable you to deal with this traumatic dilemma. ... Read more

Book Description
An explanation of how to devise support programs for the sexual addict is given. Also included is an examination of a double life and how to escape from living this way. Focusing on forgiveness through our Lord and the role of the family in healing the addict is also covered. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellant book for therapists and survivors of sexual abuse.
An excellant book for both therapists and survivors of childhood sexual abuse.The information is presented in a very sensitive fashion that is less likely to evoke a strong negative effect in survivors.It invites thereader to explore the devastating effects of sexual abuse at their ownspeed.The author reiterates the importance of self care and supportthroughout the healing process and gives many suggestions as to how to dothis in healthy manner.A fine and gentle introduction to a troublingsubject. ... Read more

Book Description
In this book, Andreas G. Philaretou uses autobiographical reflection to investigate the negative impact of traditional masculine gender socialization on men's lives. Through an analysis that uses a feminist postmodern ideology of gender deconstruction and reconstruction, Philaretou sheds new light on the understudied area of male hurt, which is often experienced within the context of interpersonal relationships in dating, marital, and familial settings, and tends to be manifested in the form of male sexual anxiety, sexual addiction, and relational abuse. ... Read more

Book Description
As Internet usage has exploded in recent years, so has the prevalence of compulsive online sexual behavior-a problem first addressed five years ago by Patrick Carnes and coauthors of the breakthrough book, In The Shadows of the Net.Updated with the latest information, trends, and developments, the second edition equips readers with specific strategies for recognizing and changing compulsive sexual behaviors.Personal stories reveal how desperate life can become for online sex addicts-divorce, career loss, and financial ruin are common outcomes.More importantly the authors set forth a path for breaking free from compulsive online sexual behavior and sustaining lifelong recovery. ... Read more