| THE
BIBLE is an EMPTY CLOSET.
In this classic statement, EC founder Dr. Blair states simply and clearly,
“There are no homosexuals in the Bible."
Ruth and Naomi were no lesbians. David and Jonathan weren't gay. Neither
were Jesus and John, the men of Sodom, cult prostitutes, slave boys and their
masters, nor call boys and their customers. ...as Calvin Theological Seminary
Old Testament scholar Marten H. Woudstra says: "there is nothing in the
Old Testament that corresponds to homosexuality as we understand it today"
and as SMU New Testament scholar Victor Paul Furnish says: "There is
no 'text on homosexual orientation in the Bible." Says Robin Scroggs
of Union Seminary: "Biblical judgments against homosexuality are not
relevant to today's debate. They should no longer be used ... not because
the Bible is not authoritative, but simply because it does not address the
issues involved. ... No single New Testament author considers [homosexuality]
important enough to write his own sentence about it." (excerpt from The
Bible is an Empty Closet by Dr. Ralph Blair).
We, as LGBT Christians, are often attacked by our non-LGBT members of Christ's
family, with the Bible being used as their weapon in an attempt to separate
us from the love of Christ. The Bible was not intended to be used as a weapon,
nor as a tool to separate us from Christ; rather, its sole purpose is to gather
all to Christ and His unconditional love.
All of us as members of Christ's family are called to learn the scriptures
for ourselves and hold them in our heart , and doing so will enable us to
reach out to everyone in all communities and demonstrate that Christ's love
and grace is for all of us.
Therefore, the information we are providing below is an annotated bibliography
with links for the self-learner. and arranged by topic. We've also included
book reviews and an FAQ section to briefly summarize some Biblical topics.
Please click on the links below to begin your own journey of learning and
owning scripture for yourself.
| Bible, Theology & Ethics: |
| |
The
Bible is an Empty Closet, Dr. Ralph Blair. In this classic statement,
EC founder Dr. Blair states simply and clearly, "There are no homosexuals
in the Bible." |
| |
Like
the Wideness of the Sea, Lewis B. Smedes. Writing in the journal of
the Reformed Church of America, an evangelical ethicist asks:
| |
Is a partnership of two homosexual persons morally similar -- in
relevant ways -- to the marriage of divorced and remarried heterosexual
people?
Does the Bible's word about homosexuals lay down a rule for excluding
partnered Christian homosexuals from the church's fellowship?
Or does it witness to God's original intention for sexual orientation
without laying down abiding rules for the church? |
|
| |
Exploring the Morality of Homosexuality, Lewis B. Smedes.
"These are some things I have come to believe after studying the Holy
Scripture, after reflecting on Christian tradition, and after trying to
enrich my knowledge and discernment with the insight of love. I may be wrong.
I may not be seeing reality as clearly as I think I am. I am willing to
learn from those who are willing to share their discernment with me. But
this is what I believe." |
| |
Why evangelicals
must think again about homosexuality, Roy Clements. |
| |
| |
Because Christian hostility towards same-sex relationships rests
on an interpretation of the Bible that is in many respects open to question.
Because there is a diversity of opinion among Christians about the
issue which will cause division within the church unless an attitude
of greater tolerance and mutual respect prevails.
Because current practice of pastoral care is damaging homosexual Christians
and so alienating the gay community generally that evangelism is impossible. |
|
| |
What
the Bibles Says -- and Doesn't Say -- about Homosexuality (.pdf), Mel
White. "Many good people build their case against homosexuality almost
entirely on the Bible. I want to show as best I can that we gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgender Christians take the Bible seriously, too. I’ve
spent more than 50 years reading, studying, memorizing, preaching and teaching
from the sacred texts. All I ask is that you consider what my research has
taught me about those passages used by some people to condemn God’s
gay and lesbian children. Then, decide for yourself." |
| |
'But
the Bible says ...'? A Catholic reading of Romans 1, James Alison (January
2004). "You need a very modern liberal reading of the Bible in order
to make it a weapon against gay people, and those who refuse to do this
are, by and large, much more traditional in their Biblical reading habits.
But this sounds so counterintuitive in our world that I’d like to
take time to show that there is at least one perfectly respectable Catholic
way to read this text which enables us to see it in quite a different light." |
| |
The
Body's Grace, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, 1989. "[T]he
absolute condemnation of same-sex relations of intimacy must rely either
on an abstract fundamentalist deployment of a number of very ambiguous texts,
or on a problematic and non-scriptural theory about natural complementarity,
applied narrowly and crudely to physical differentiation without regard
to psychological structures. I suspect that a fuller exploration of the
sexual metaphors of the Bible will have more to teach us about a theology
and ethics of sexual desire than will the flat citation of isolated texts". |
| |
Dirt,
Greed & Sex, L. William Countryman, 1998 (excerpt). Subtitled "Sexual
Ethics in the New Testament and their Implications for Today," Dr.
Countryman’s popular book argues that while ancient Christian purity
codes were meaningful in their time, they are of questionable relevance
today. |
| |
The
Bible and Homosexuality: the Herzog-Brauch Debate. Two respected academics
-- Dr. Manfred Brauch and Dr. William Herzog -- examine the biblical references
to homosexuality and discuss how their understandings of the texts are influenced
by their differing concepts of biblical authority and interpretation. |
| |
"Doing
a New Thing": A Bishop Changes His Mind, Jack Truell. Retired United
Methodist Bishop Jack Truell reflects on scripture, tradition, reason and
experience. "God is revealing new truth in many areas of life. One
which is increasingly clear is that He is speaking to us in the issue of
homosexuality. I am aware that many people are uncomfortable even mentioning
this matter and wish it would just go away. I am aware of that, because
I have felt exactly the same way." |
| |
Homosexuality
and the Bible: A Case Study in the Use of the Bible for Ethics, , Loren
L. Johns. Examines the biblical arguments regarding homosexuality and their
contentious debate within the Mennonite tradition. |
| |
Hermeneutics
and Romans 1, Thomas D. Hanks. What are the commonly accepted guidelines
for biblical interpretation, and specifically, how do they apply to controversial
modern questions about human sexuality? Instead of limiting the investigation
to only the biblical author’s intention ("exegesis," what
the text meant to the original author and readers), the author raises the
more complex question of how modern readers should respond to the text in
the light of their scientific understanding and different historical context
("hermeneutics"), using Romans 1 as a test case. |
| |
Violence
to the Bible, or Inspired by the Bible?, Thomas D. Hanks. Does the Bible
support the church’s traditional prejudice and violence against gay
people? Dr. Hanks argues that a few biblical texts have been arbitrarily
selected, violently misinterpreted, and then used as a pretext to rationalize
common human fears and hatreds. A more thorough study of the texts and the
history of their interpretation amply supports the conclusion that the Bible
itself has suffered repeated violence from its official translators and
interpreters. Properly interpreted it provides no rational basis whatsoever
for promoting prejudice and violence against sexual minorities. |
| |
Homosexuality
and the Bible, Walter Wink. What guidance does the Bible offer the church
as it considers the morality of homosexuality? Dr. Walter Wink states that
the current debate raises in an especially acute way the question of how
Scripture informs our lives. Christian morality is, he says, "a way
of expressing the integrity of our relationship with God. It is the attempt
to discover a manner of living that is consistent with who God created us
to be." |
| |
What
is an Evangelical?, , Roy Clements. There seems to be a determined attempt,
at least by some within the evangelical camp, so to embed a particular [negative]
view of homosexuality within the evangelical identity that there is no room
left for dissenters. Indeed, the very existence of "gay evangelicals"
has been conspicuously ignored in the entire debate. It seems, therefore,
an appropriate moment to ask: "What is an evangelical?" |
| |
The
Church and the Homosexual: An Historical Perspective, John Boswell.
The author describes the development of the Christian "tradition"
against homosexuality. "I would like to dispose briefly of the notion
that the Bible had something to do with Christian attitudes toward gay people
… [but] so many people have a feeling that the Bible is somehow involved
that its teachings on the subject matter must be addressed in detail." |
| |
The
Bible Condemned Usurers, Too, John Corvino. The author suggests that
the church’s reinterpretation of Bible verses against usury (rather
than slavery or divorce) is the best analogy for its re-examination of biblical
passages in the homosexuality debate, a model that "preserves not only
the inerrancy of the Bible but also the authenticity of experience." |
| |
Faith
& Queer Theology (in traditional Chinese), , Tong Kwang Lighthouse
Presbyterian Church, Taiwan. |
| |
Let
The Reader Understand: A Statement of Interpretive Principles, Episcopal
Diocese of New York. The task: "to outline as clearly as possible the
means by which many of us, in our particular part of the Anglican Tradition,
understand, interpret, and apply the Holy Scriptures. The Principles of
Interpretation that follow provide an outline of a method for, and the limits
to, our understanding of God’s Word Written." |
| |
| |
| Dialogue: Church and Small Group Study Resources. |
| |
Studies
on Homosexuality and the Church (ELCIC), Erwin Buck, 2001 (.pdf). A
comprehensive group study guide covering biblical, historical, scientific,
pastoral and theological concerns related to homosexuality and the church,
organized in five sessions. (The Rev. Dr. Erwin Buck is Professor of New
Testament at Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon.) An appendix includes
a lengthy bibliography and a "Guide for Caring Conversations,"
an ELCIC model for listening to the experiences of gay and lesbian people
and their families. Extensive training material is also available for Bringing
Caring Conversations to Our Congregations, an in-service workshop for
clergy and lay leaders. |
| |
Journey
Together Faithfully. Study guides, essays, and resources for discussion
on issues related to sexuality from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(2001). |
| |
Bridges
Across the Divide. The de-militarized zone in the culture wars over
homosexuality. Bridges-Across the Divide is a cyberspace initiative providing
models and resources for building respectful relationships among those who
disagree about moral issues surrounding homosexuality, bisexuality and gender
variance. |
| |
Talking
Together as Christians about Homosexuality. Bibliography of primarily
Lutheran parish resources (.pdf). "We have asked for discerning conversation
within the church about sexuality and called for an end to discrimination,
assault, and harassment of homosexual persons. But questions related to
leadership issues of ordination as well as blessings for same-sex unions
remain. How will we as Christians continue to grapple with these complicated
issues of human sexuality? How can we be faithful, compassionate, and gracious
as we wrestle with the place of homosexual persons in the community of faith?
This collection of resources includes materials that reflect the church’s
ongoing conversation." |
| |
Tony
& Peggy Campolo: Is the Homosexual My Neighbor? This Baptist evangelist
and his wife disagree on the issue of same-sex relationships. Their popular
seminar about their opposing views demonstrates "that it is possible
for two people to differ intensely over a crucial issue and not get a divorce." |
| |
How to
Avoid the Charge of Homophobia, Roy Clements. "Evangelical Christians
who are opposed to homosexual behaviour sometimes complain that they find
it impossible to express their moral objections on this score without being
accused of homophobia. To some extent the complaint is probably justified.
However, in many cases I suspect that the charge of prejudice is one these
Christians bring upon themselves, either by the content of their opinions
or the style in which they are voiced." |
| |
Legal
Equality: A Public Justice Response to Discrimination Against Gays and Lesbians,
Citizens for Public Justice, 1996. An exploration of how Christians, as
a people called to justice, mercy and faithulness, can respond to discrimination
against gays and lesbians. Drawing extensively on the founding principles
of Citizens for Public Justice, "Legal Equality" maps out an approach
that respects the values and beliefs as well as the rights and responsibilities
of all members of society. Includes a "political discernment exercise"
to stimulate personal and group discussion. |
| |
Same
Sex Relationships - The Unresolved Questions, Richard Harries. The Anglican
Bishop of Oxford observes that potentially divisive debate over sincerely-held
and rationally-argued positions requires interpretative charity –
"taking the strongest argument and, if necessary, stating in even more
persuasive terms than the person with whom you disagree." Bishop Harries
demonstrates this technique in this comprehensive review of the discussion
around same-sex unions in the Church of England. |
| |
Resources
for Reconciliation, bibliography from the Episcopal Bishop’s Commission
on Gay and Lesbian Ministry in the Diocese of Los Angeles. |
| |
| |
| Blessing Same-Sex Unions: |
| |
Does God
Have a Plan for Same-Sex Relationships?, Andrew G. Lang. "Ultimately,
the purpose of same-sex covenants, like the covenants of heterosexual marriage
and celibate community, is conversion and sanctification. Through these
relationships we cooperate with God's design for human life. They are a
means of grace, and we could not be fully human without them." |
| |
Recognizing
God’s Blessings, Daphne Burt. A Lutheran pastor reflects on her
experience of blessing same-sex unions and offers a rationale for naming
the committed, faithful, long-term relationships of same-gender couples
as holy. |
| |
A Conservative
Case for Recognition of Gay Relationships in the Church, R. Stephen
Warner. "Although some church people support the so-called gay agenda
as one part of a broader radical project, there are good reasons for conservatives
to support the inclusion of homosexual persons in all aspects of the rights
and rites of the church. I will focus on two: upholding fidelity to persons
and recognizing devotion to the church." |
| |
Covenant
Love: Ruth 1, Roy Clements. The biblical story about Ruth and Naomi
is about the difference that interpersonal commitment can make to our experience
of the meaning of love. The book argues that it's possible to rediscover
that blend of deep intimacy and long-term security that only committed love
can provide. |
| |
Couples'
Ministry Resource Guide, DignityUSA (Catholic). A resource booklet supporting
Dignity’s National Couples Registry. Offers a sample program of preparation
for a holy union, examples of rites, and resources for developing a ministry
of pastoral care and support for same-sex couples. |
| |
The
Psychology of Gay Marriage, Paul Varnell. "As marriage comes closer
to being a real option for gays and lesbians, it is important to think through
how it may affect our relationships and useful to keep in mind some cautionary
considerations." |
| |
Unveiled,
Andrew Sullivan. "Conservatives say that marriage must be a male-female
bargain to work, so same-sex marriage is doomed to fail. They're wrong.
It's marriage itself that binds couples together." |
| |
| |
| Book Reviews: |
| |
Permanent, Faithful, Stable, Jeffrey John. One of the most
powerful arguments for the acceptance and blessing of same-sex relationships
by the Church. Canon John argues that a partnership based on the same commitment
as heterosexual marriage is no less sacramental, no less a way of holiness,
and no less worthy of the Church's blessing. He calls the Church to offer
same-sex couples a positive theological understanding of their relationship
as well as practical acceptance and support. |
| |
People
with a History: John Boswell. This resource guide includes reviews and
bibliographic information on the scholarship of one of the most influential
and controversial historians of the church and homosexuality. It references
Christianity, Social Tolerance and Homosexuality (1980) – in which
Boswell challenged the traditional view that Christianity has always and
everywhere denounced homosexuals – and Same-Sex Unions in Pre-Modern
Europe (1994), a study of the medieval rites which Boswell argues were used
as public liturgies to celebrate erotic relationships between people of
the same sex. |
| |
The
Bible and Homosexual Practice, Robert A.J. Gagnon. Reviewed by Dr. Ralph
Blair. One Canadian theologian considers Gagnon's book required reading
for anyone wanting to engage the current debate. Dr. Blair disagrees: "A
book should not be judged by its cover, its jacket's many blurbs, or its
superabundance of words and footnotes by which it thinks it will be heard…
The more Gagnon goes on and on, the more he misinterprets, misrepresents,
misconstrues, and misapplies. Yet for all his verbiage, he offers little
more than what's been said before and what's been refuted by biblical scholars,
historians and scientists." |
| |
Love
in the Ancient Mediterranean, Wayne R. Dynes. Bernadette J. Brooten's
Love Between Women: Early Christian Responses to Female Homoeroticism brings
to light a wealth of surprising information about attitudes toward lesbianism
and the role of women generally in the Hellenistic and Roman worlds. Reviewer
Dynes argues that contrary to Brooten the supposedly anti-homosexual verses
in Paul's Letter to the Romans 1:26-27 do not refer to lesbians at all.
Dynes bases his reading on the meaning of similar passages in earlier Biblical
and contemporaneous religious literature. |
| |
Take Back
the Word: a queer reading of the Bible, Robert E. Goss & Mona West.
From the introduction: "This anthology attempts to provide examples
of a Queer biblical hermeneutic that engages the entire Bible and its message,
not just selected texts and characters. It is a strategy that ‘outs’
the Queer community by articulating the community's lived experience in
and beyond the closet as well as its particular concerns when encountering
and appropriating the biblical text." |
| |
Welcoming
But Not Affirming: An Evangelical Response to Homosexuality, Stanley J.
Grenz. Reviewed by Dr. Ralph Blair. "Grenz’s own summation
effectively counters his seeming certitude: 'We seem no closer to a definitive
conclusion as to what homosexuality actually is.' Why then, is he so sure
that all homosexual behavior is sinful?" |
| |
Homoeroticism
in the Biblical World: a historical perspective, Martii Nissinen. Reviewed
by Dr. Ralph Blair. "Published by a major Lutheran press, [Nissinen's
book] is comprehensive and succinct in surveying the primary texts on homoeroticism
from the world in which the Bible was written." |
| |
| |
| Ecumenical Views: |
| |
Religious
Groups' Policies on Homosexuality. Dozens of essays describing the current
policies, beliefs and practices of various faith groups about homosexuality,
maintained by the Ontario Consultants for Religious Tolerance. |
| |
Why Lutherans
Can’t Talk About Sexuality, Thomas D. Pearson. "If neither
a textual ethics, nor a morality grounded in love, nor natural law theory,
can supply a basis for our conversation about sexuality in the ELCA, what
other resources do we have available to us? There is not much, I’m
afraid. But discuss sexuality we will, and must." |
| |
Catholicism,
Homosexuality and Dignity, Daniel A. Helminiak (1996). Responses to
frequently asked questions about being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender
and Catholic. The author summaries official Catholic teaching on homosexuality,
then offers hope: "[C]ompared to people in other Christian denominations,
Catholics are the most accepting of homosexuality. Besides, many Catholic
priests, religious, and lay ministers are sensitive to the needs of homosexual
people, and good-willed American bishops are quietly doing what they can
to provide ministry to lesbian and gay Catholics." |
| |
Islamic
Doctrine on Gays, Paul Varnell. "Historically, Islamic culture
(or better, cultures) seem to present two different faces toward homosexuality:
a deeply hostile, punitive aspect rooted in religious texts and edicts,
and a more benign aspect ranging from bemused tolerance to open approval
and celebration in literature. The fundamentalist strain is on the upswing
at the moment, but it has not always been so." |
| |
| |
| Homosexuality and Sexual Orientation: |
| |
Answers
to Your Questions about Homosexuality and Sexual Orientation. Basic
information in Q&A format from the American Psychological Association. |
| |
Accepting
What Cannot Be Changed, David G. Myers. The author is Professor of Psychology
at Hope College (Reformed Church of America) and one of the most widely-read
educators in psychology. In this article he tells how the accumulating scientific
data challenged this "moral conservative" to examine his assumptions
about sexual orientation. See also his Sexual
Orientation: a textbook summary. |
| |
What we
wish we had known: “The Blue Book” (.pdf), Presbyterian
Church of Mt. Kisco, New York. "Because of the fear and loneliness
around the subject of sexual orientation, our church has produced a helpful
and healing resource … to help families and congregations heal broken
relationships and affirm the differences that make us human together. It's
an extraordinary book about, well, about ordinary people. It is intended
for those who know very little about the subject, as well as those whose
families and personal lives have been deeply affected by misunderstanding." |
| |
Homosexuality
and Adolescence, American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement, October
1993. Homosexually oriented youths face unique psychosocial challenges,
primarily the result of societal stigma, hostility, hatred, and isolation.
The gravity of these stresses is underscored by current data that document
that gay youths account for up to 30% of all completed adolescent suicides.
Counseling may be helpful for young people who are uncertain about their
sexual orientation or about how to express their sexuality. Caregivers should
provide factual, current, nonjudgmental information in a confidential manner.
Therapy directed specifically at changing sexual orientation is contraindicated,
since it can provoke guilt and anxiety while having little or no potential
for achieving changes in orientation. Includes "Stages of Homosexual
Identity Formation." |
| |
Negotiating
a Religious Identity: the Case of the Gay Evangelical, Scott Thumma.
In this article for Sociological Analysis, the author examines the psychosocial
process of "integration" by which persons reconstruct an evangelical
religious identity to include a formerly incongruent homosexual identity.
This accommodated, but still distinctively evangelical, identity enables
persons to resolve the dissonance between their Christian beliefs and their
homosexual feelings. |
| |
Sexual
Prejudice: Understanding Homophobia and Heterosexism, Gregory M. Herek.
Although opposition to discrimination based on sexual orientation is increasing,
prejudice against lesbians and gay men remains widespread. The author offers
a brief introduction to sexual prejudice, the phenomenon that is often labeled
homophobia or heterosexism. |
| |
| |
| G/L Voices: |
| |
On Being a Gay Christian, Bruce Bawer. The author describes
the personal impact of the church's traditional teaching on homosexuality
on gay Christians, particularly gay youth. He describes the tension many
gay Christians feel, that "while our committed relationships seem for
us to reflect God's love more truly than anything else in our lives, the
Church as a human institution continues to suggest that the very aspect
of us that makes that love possible is profane in the eyes of God."
Drawing on his experience as a gay Christian, Bawer concludes, "[T]he
only Christian way for the Church to respond to the fact of homosexuality
and the identicality of homosexual love and commitment to heterosexual love
and commitment is to bless gay unions…" |
| |
Evangelical
Christian Gays, Paul Varnell. Christian psychologist Dr. Ralph Blair
has been working to reconcile gays and lesbians with the evangelical churches
that so often reject them for over 25 years. His most popular pamphlet is
a folded sheet of paper whose cover says, "What Jesus Christ Said About
Homosexuality." On the inside it is totally blank. |
| |
Alone
Again, Naturally, Andrew Sullivan. "When I came to be asked, later
in life, how I could be gay and Catholic, I could answer only that I simply
was. What to others appeared a simple contradiction was, in reality, the
existence of ... two connected, yet sometimes parallel, experiences of the
world." |
| |
Gayness
and God, Steven Greenberg. "Rabbi Greenberg shares his own often
painful journey to the acknowledgement of his sexuality. He discusses halachic
teachings regarding homosexuality, and offers a path to possible new halachic
strategies that will permit Orthodox Judaism to respond positively to gay
people." |
| |
“Safehaven”
in Singapore, Andrew Wong. "In recent times with the rise of Christian
fundamentalism as a political force and pervasive influence -- even in Singapore
-- gay, lesbian and bisexual people have become the focal point of the demonization
of the Other. GLB Christians often grow up with a double burden… To
be rejected by family, friends and society is one thing but to be rejected
by the very ground of your being — God — often becomes unbearable.
It is for this reason that Safehaven exists — to bring relief and
empowerment to GLB Christians in Singapore." |
| |
What
Does a Girl Need?, "Lego" (Blessed Minority Christian Fellowship,
Hong Kong). "Lego often ponders on what qualities constitute a good
Christian -- she does not know. However, she believes God's creation is
to let human to live truthfully. She will strive to love herself, others,
and to love the world. This will make life abundant and meaningful." |
| |
Stepping
Out (of Ex-Gay Ministries) in Faith, Randolph Baxter. In this very moving
and powerful testimony, Dr. Baxter takes us on his very personal journey
from believing that he could only accept one ‘G’ in his life
– God or Gay – to his present position as a confident person
of renewed and refreshed faith. He tells of his arguments with God, his
experiences with ‘ex-gay’ ministries, his internal struggles,
his new understanding of the ‘clobber’ passages of scripture
leading to the revelation that he could now live the full and complete life
that Christ had designed for him; that the two ‘G’ words could
coexist after all! |
| |
Gay
and Lesbian WWW Links -- Denominational Resources. |
| |
|
Frequently
Asked Questions About the Bible and Homosexuality
|
|
