Teoloogia

Justice for Gays and Lesbians: Reclaiming Christian Fundamentals Crisis and Challenge in the Episcopal Church. Robert L. McCan

Justice for Gays and Lesbians (Robert L. McCan, PhD) is a "must read" for any thinking American, especially one who defines himself as "Christian." In a reasoned, scholarly, yet highly approachable way, Dr. McCan reviews the historical context of Biblical pronouncements on same sex relationships; the positions of main-stream churches; and the very real struggle the Episcopal Church US went through for over 40 years before arriving at the vote to install an openly-gay Bishop. As I wrote the author: "To my continued shame, I watched the Civil Rights movement of the 1960's with bemusement rather than conviction. Similarly, as a straight, non-believer I hardly have a dog in this fight..." But, truth is, having watched friends and family members struggle with issues related to their sexuality, I do have one, and --- since you're reading this-- I suspect you do too. This book (with excellent, timely "on demand" production by a division of Amazon--so no need to look for it elsewhere at a lower price) deserves a readership far beyond those who accept or are indifferent to its conclusions before reading. Dr. McCan's review of the compassionate and sometimes revolutionary example Christ set should be a "wake up call" for all "Christians;" still, in the end this pastor/scholar leaves room for your position even if not totally in agreement with his. (Review by a reader at Amazon.com)

Sex and the Sacred: Gay Identity and Spiritual Growth. Daniel A. Helminiak

"AN EXTRAORDINARY BOOK for which all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex people should be grateful. I especially commend the chapter 'The Trinitarian Vocation of the Gay Community.' Danial Helminiak has expertise in many connected fields--theology, biblical scholarship, psychotherapy, spiritual direction--and brings his erudition, insight, and wisdom to bear on thorny issues facing the gay community. Whatever he touches he illuminates with prose that is easy to read and understand." -- Father John McNeill, Author of the groundbreaking book The Church and the Homosexual and numerous other books on gay spirituality; ousted from the Jesuits by the Vatican for his ministry to gay and lesbian Catholics

Gay & Lesbian Theologies: Repetitions With Critical Difference. Elizabeth Stuart

Gay and lesbian theology has been one of the most distinctive voices to have emerged in Christian theology in the last 30 years. It has placed lesbian and gay experience at the heart of the theological process. Elizabeth Stuart, one of the most prominent theologians in this field, presents a critical survey of gay and lesbian theology. She charts the development of gay and lesbian theology from an early apologetic phase, to a more confident liberationist outlook which owed much to Latin American liberation theology and feminist theology, and finally to its current wrestling with queer theory.

This Remarkable Gift: Being Gay & Catholic. Maurice Shinnick

Gay and lesbians from Catholic backgrounds have struggled to reconcile their sexual orientation with the Church's strong anti-homosexual stance for generations. Some leave the church in despair while others suppress their sexuality in order to remain in the Church. Priest Shinnick argues that homosexuality should be seen as a gift from God, not a curse. He shows how attitudes to homosexuality have developed in different Christian denominations around the world and offers a careful re-reading of Catholic teaching. He calls for a genuine dialogue between the Church and gay and lesbian people and offers a guide to the paths such a dialogue could follow.

The Invention of Sodomy in Christian Theology. Mark D. Jordan

Jordan (Medieval Inst., Univ. of Notre Dame) traces the medieval invention of the concept of sodomy and its place in modern American context. He examines paradoxes in the moral teaching on sexuality, especially the theological context for same-sex genital acts, by exploring the history of Christian writings. Eleventh-century theologian Peter Damian coined the term sodomy in relation to the word blasphemy in an abstracted analogy to the sin of denying God through homoerotic desires. Jordan exposes the fallacies in this abstraction in the varied writing styles of Damian, Albert the Great, Alan of Lille, and Thomas Aquinas, tracing words taken out of context and rifts that have resulted. A scholarly but compelling study; for academic libraries. (Review by Library Journal)

A Theology of Gay And Lesbian Inclusion: Love Letters to the Church. D. G. Hanway

Hanway, a retired Episcopal priest, wants to equip Christians to advocate on behalf of gays and lesbians, and to speak with love and respect to those who disagree. He writes as a pastor, offering 10 open letters to the church in defense of homosexuals, often using their own words and descriptions of the prejudice they have encountered. These faithful homosexual Christians, Hanway says, did not choose their orientation, but have dealt patiently and faithfully with the difficulties of being misunderstood. Hanway also discusses the Bible's teachings on homosexuality, emphasizing that the Gospel is indeed "good news" for all people. The book is strongest when Hanway is sharing the personal stories of gay people who discuss their faith and their hopes for the future. (Review by Publishers Weekly) 
 

The Rainbow Kingdom: Christianity & the Homosexual Reconciled. David W. Shelton

"Can a person be gay and a Christian?"

This is a question that countless thousands of people have asked themselves in the course of their lives. Whether they are struggling with this issue themselves or if they know loved ones who are wrestling with their sexual orientation, there's now hope!

The Rainbow Kingdom: Christianity & the Homosexual Reconciled, a new book by David W. Shelton, answers that question and many others that we deal with as GLBT and GLBT-affirming Christians. In the first half, The Rainbow Kingdom addresses the "clobber" verses that are used to condemn gay and lesbian people throughout the world. Then, the message shifts from instruction to ministry, meeting many of today's issues head-on.

The Rainbow Kingdom: Christianity & the Homosexual Reconciled is a practical, Biblical approach to interpreting Scripture. There are no apologies, no attacks, and no condemnation. The Rainbow Kingdom sets aside complex theology and presents its message in an easy-to-read format that's appropriate for everyone. The message of this book is simple: reconciliation with Jesus Christ and with our deeply-held faith.

If you or someone you love is unsure whether or not they can be gay and Christian, you owe it to yourself to find the answer. With this book, you can begin that process to the kind of peace and contentment that Christ has for ALL of us!

David W. Shelton is a pastor, writer, columnist, activist, and artist.He currently lives in Clarksville, Tennessee, with his life partner and their five cats.

Religion Gone Bad: The Hidden Dangers of the Christian Right. Mel White

The bestselling author of Stranger at the Gate provides an inside exposé of the Christian Right's agenda-and a playbook in how to resist it.

This Fall's midterm elections will see much discussion about the enhanced power of the Christian fundamentalist Right, leaving many people to wonder: just who are these people and what exactly do they want? What are their ultimate goals? The Reverend Mel White, a deeply religious man who sees fundamentalism as "evangelical Christian orthodoxy gone cultic," believes that it is not a stretch to say that the true goal of today's fundamentalists is to break down the wall that separates church and state, superimpose their "moral values" on the U.S. Constitution, replace democracy with theocratic rule, and ultimately create a new "Christian America" in their image. White's new book, Religion Gone Bad, is a wake-up call to all of us to take heed.

The Silence of Sodom: Homosexuality in Modern Catholicism. Mark D. Jordan

The Silence of Sodom by Mark D. Jordan, a professor of theology at Emory University, is a smart, graceful, important book about homosexuality and modern Catholicism. It transcends discussion of sexual identity and contends that theology cannot, fundamentally, be argued--it must be lived. "Serious moral theology cannot be principally the framing and manipulation of quasi-legal propositions. It must begin and end in the discovery of particular lives under grace." Consequently, Jordan writes, "lesbian and gay lives will have to become audible to the church, readable within it, before their graces can be discerned and described." The way for gay lives to become audible in the church, Jordan argues, is to demonstrate an intimate relationship between "'homosexuality' and holiness--that is, human fullness." To demonstrate that relationship, gay people must rethink their notions of identity by questioning the descriptive power of terms such as gay and homosexual, and perhaps even abandoning such terms.

Counseling Lesbian Partners. Joretta L. Marshall

Joretta Marshall writes this book not only for pastoral caregivers, but also for the general public. She clearly defines words such as lesbian, homosexuality, heterosexism, sexism and identity. This book is a wonderful introduction for how the wider public can best relate to and affirm women who are in covenantal partnerships with other women. She also emphasizes the crucial importance of the role that pastoral caregivers play in counseling women in lesbian relationships. It is imperative, she says, that pastoral caregivers affirm lesbians in their relationships as well as challenge institutions, such as the church, to accept and affirm the relationships that women have with women.

(Review by Camille Reeves at Amazon.com)