Fifty Shades of Grey kicked off the ‘mommy porn’ phenomenon and is seen as a bit of saucy fun. But two evangelical Christians are calling on women to mail them their copies of the EL James bestseller in exchange for a free guide explaining how readers can achieve ‘spiritual’ sexual fulfillment instead, by turning to the Bible for guidance. Dr Juli Slattery, 45, from Colorado Springs, and Dannah Gresh, from State College, Pennsylvania, are authors of Pulling Back the Shades: Erotica, Intimacy and the Longings of A Women’s Heart, which is so popular it initially sold out on Amazon. Authors: Evangelical Christians Dr Juli Slattery (left) and Dannah Gresh (right) are calling on women to mail them their Fifty Shades of Grey books in exchange for the  free 'spiritual' Bible-based sex guide . In less than two weeks, the authors' team says nearly 350 people have signed up for their ‘Trade your Shades’ promotion that ends on Valentine’s Day - the same day the Fifty Shades of Grey movie hits theaters. Dr Slattery and Mrs Gresh say they wrote their book after realizing that members of their own evangelical community were hooked on the Fifty Shades series. Mrs Gresh - a sexuality educator who refuses to read the novels - says she was horrified to learn that ‘praying grandmas’ and ‘pastors’ wives’ were reading about bondage and the sexual adventures of the fictitious Ana Steele and Christian Grey. ‘The Fifty Shades phenomenon has done for women what internet porn did for men: fuel its use and normalize it,’ says Dr Slattery. ‘It’s time to add the Bible’s view on sex and intimacy and the spiritual road into meeting a woman’s deepest human needs and wants.’ Success: According to the book's authors, nearly 350 people in less than two weeks have signed up for their ‘Trade your Shades’ promotion that ends on Valentine’s Day . Dr Slattery is a psychologist and a married mother-of-three who read the EL James novels as research before writing Pulling Back the Shades. Although she was appalled by what she read, she says she wasn’t surprised to find she was also aroused. ‘I’m a normal person,’ she says. ‘Erotica by definition is designed to arouse. ‘So there’s no reason that I should have a different reaction than everyone else.’ But Dr Slattery warns against being sucked into a fantasy world - even if you’re a married Christian who sees it as a bit of harmless fun. ‘What it does is it teaches you to respond sexually to someone other than your partner,’ she says. ‘So just like a woman might say it’s not fair for my husband to compare me to some super airbrushed model he sees in pornographic literature, I would say the same is true when it comes to this sort of erotic fantasy. ‘It creates in your mind an appetite for something that’s not real. ‘It makes you less satisfied with the partner that you have and the good things that you have within your relationship.’ The other sort of Christian: Both authors were shocked and concerned by the widespread popularity of EL James' BDSM-based novels (pictured) Instead Dr Slattery says their book shows the link between the Bible and the sexual intimacy she believes that God intended us to have. ‘In our culture we have this Victorian view of God and of sexuality,’ she says. 'That God is good and our sexuality is very earthy and base and dirty. ‘That’s not from scripture. It’s really cultural. ‘From the time we were little we’ve been taught that our sexuality is somehow wrong and so we separate it from a pursuit of holiness.’ Instead Dr Slattery says married couples can spice up their love lives by exploring new things together, not relying on erotica or porn. ‘I think Christians should be the most sexually satisfied people in the world, because they understand God’s design for it,’ she says. Originally published in 2014, the demand for Pulling Back the Shades is so great it’s flown off the shelves. However, Dr Slattery says some evangelical Christians are upset that sex toys, masturbation and oral sex are openly discussed in her book. The psychologist and author, who started a ministry called Authentic Intimacy, says: ‘My job is to answer those kinds of questions on a daily basis. ‘So if that’s what women are asking, we want them to feel free to ask and [get an answer that] comes from a Christian perspective.’
Dr Juli Slattery, a psychologist, and Dannah Gresh, a sexuality educator, co-authored the free sex guide, which is titled 'Pulling Back the Shades'
Mrs Gresh refuses to read EL James' Fifty Shades of Grey but  was 'horrified' to learn of its themes .
Dr Slattery read the novel for research purposes and was 'appalled' but admits she was sexually aroused .
The novel, which warns against erotica and porn, sold out on Amazon when it was first published .
Fifty Shades of Grey kicked off the ‘mommy porn’ phenomenon and is seen as a bit of saucy fun. But two evangelical Christians are calling on women to mail them their copies of the EL James bestseller in exchange for a free guide explaining how readers can achieve ‘spiritual’ sexual fulfillment instead, by turning to the Bible for guidance. Dr Juli Slattery, 45, from Colorado Springs, and Dannah Gresh, from State College, Pennsylvania, are authors of Pulling Back the Shades: Erotica, Intimacy and the Longings of A Women’s Heart, which is so popular it initially sold out on Amazon. Authors: Evangelical Christians Dr Juli Slattery (left) and Dannah Gresh (right) are calling on women to mail them their Fifty Shades of Grey books in exchange for the  free 'spiritual' Bible-based sex guide . In less than two weeks, the authors' team says nearly 350 people have signed up for their ‘Trade your Shades’ promotion that ends on Valentine’s Day - the same day the Fifty Shades of Grey movie hits theaters. Dr Slattery and Mrs Gresh say they wrote their book after realizing that members of their own evangelical community were hooked on the Fifty Shades series. Mrs Gresh - a sexuality educator who refuses to read the novels - says she was horrified to learn that ‘praying grandmas’ and ‘pastors’ wives’ were reading about bondage and the sexual adventures of the fictitious Ana Steele and Christian Grey. ‘The Fifty Shades phenomenon has done for women what internet porn did for men: fuel its use and normalize it,’ says Dr Slattery. ‘It’s time to add the Bible’s view on sex and intimacy and the spiritual road into meeting a woman’s deepest human needs and wants.’ Success: According to the book's authors, nearly 350 people in less than two weeks have signed up for their ‘Trade your Shades’ promotion that ends on Valentine’s Day . Dr Slattery is a psychologist and a married mother-of-three who read the EL James novels as research before writing Pulling Back the Shades. Although she was appalled by what she read, she says she wasn’t surprised to find she was also aroused. ‘I’m a normal person,’ she says. ‘Erotica by definition is designed to arouse. ‘So there’s no reason that I should have a different reaction than everyone else.’ But Dr Slattery warns against being sucked into a fantasy world - even if you’re a married Christian who sees it as a bit of harmless fun. ‘What it does is it teaches you to respond sexually to someone other than your partner,’ she says. ‘So just like a woman might say it’s not fair for my husband to compare me to some super airbrushed model he sees in pornographic literature, I would say the same is true when it comes to this sort of erotic fantasy. ‘It creates in your mind an appetite for something that’s not real. ‘It makes you less satisfied with the partner that you have and the good things that you have within your relationship.’ The other sort of Christian: Both authors were shocked and concerned by the widespread popularity of EL James' BDSM-based novels (pictured) Instead Dr Slattery says their book shows the link between the Bible and the sexual intimacy she believes that God intended us to have. ‘In our culture we have this Victorian view of God and of sexuality,’ she says. 'That God is good and our sexuality is very earthy and base and dirty. ‘That’s not from scripture. It’s really cultural. ‘From the time we were little we’ve been taught that our sexuality is somehow wrong and so we separate it from a pursuit of holiness.’ Instead Dr Slattery says married couples can spice up their love lives by exploring new things together, not relying on erotica or porn. ‘I think Christians should be the most sexually satisfied people in the world, because they understand God’s design for it,’ she says. Originally published in 2014, the demand for Pulling Back the Shades is so great it’s flown off the shelves. However, Dr Slattery says some evangelical Christians are upset that sex toys, masturbation and oral sex are openly discussed in her book. The psychologist and author, who started a ministry called Authentic Intimacy, says: ‘My job is to answer those kinds of questions on a daily basis. ‘So if that’s what women are asking, we want them to feel free to ask and [get an answer that] comes from a Christian perspective.’
Fifty Shades of Grey kicked off the ‘mommy porn’ it initially sold out on Amazon. Authors: Evangelical Christians Dr Juli Slattery (left) and Dannah Gresh (right) are calling on women to exchange for the  free 'spiritual' Bible-based - a sexuality educator who refuses to read the novels - says she was horrified to learn that Dr Slattery is a psychologist and a married mother-of-three who read the EL James novels as research before writing Pulling Back the Shades.