Two Views on Homosexuality, the Bible, and the Church by Preston Sprinkle

Two Views on Homosexuality, the Bible, and the Church Reviews

• 
  Bob

  Summary: Four biblical scholars and theologians, two holding two a traditional understanding of human sexuality, and two holding an affirming stance, but all taking the biblical testimony about human sexuality seriously, articulate the basis on which they hold their positions, and respond to the statements of the other three in gracious dialogue.
  
  I don't think anyone will contradict the assertion that recent discussions around sexuality both within the culture and the church have been fraught with bitter rancor and contention. Denominations have fractured and hurtful attacks have been made on those holding either of the two major stances, traditional and affirming. There are books demeaning those holding one or the other of these views while arguing for their own.
  
  If for no other reason then, this book is a welcome alternative. Four scholars argue for variants of one of the two major stances in a dialogue that is unrestrained in the rigor in which one or the other view is held while speaking respectfully of the contributions of others, even those in disagreement. Furthermore, all four care deeply about the biblical witness on these matters, although they part ways in their interpretation of that witness. Strikingly, three of the four, including one of the affirming scholars would contend that the biblical witness precludes same sex unions but reach differing conclusions on how this might be applied in the contemporary context.
  
  The four scholars then in the dialogue and the basic positions they hold are:
  
  William Loader, a scholar who has studied sexuality in ancient Judaism and Christianity holds that the Bible prohibits all forms of same sex relations, but that this must be weighed against findings in biology and other fields related to sexuality and gender not available to the biblical writers, and thus he arrives at a position affirming same sex unions.
  
  Megan DeFranza is a theologian whose research on intersex persons (those whose physiology is neither clearly male nor female) challenges the assumption that all people are born exclusively male or female. She notes the recognition of eunuchs in scripture as a biblical example contrary to this traditional assumption. She also argues that the prohibition passages have to do with exploitative forms of sexuality related to slavery, trafficking, and power differences and do not focus on loving, monogamous same sex relationships.
  
  Wesley Hill, a celibate gay biblical scholar who shares something of his own narrative, contends that the prohibitive passages preclude any same sex relations and argues that these must be understood in the broader context of the Bible's affirmations about sexuality, marriage, and procreation. Both he and the next scholar draw on Augustinian theology as the best resource for articulating a biblical synthesis on matters of marriage and sexuality. Hill also eloquently argues for the place of "spiritual friendship"--deeply committed, non-sexual friendships between two same sex persons as well as the full welcome of same sex persons committed to the traditional view within families, sharing his own experience of being invited to be the godfather of a couple's children and thus drawn into that family.
  
  Stephen Holmes is a theologian who argues that the prohibitive passages are actually secondary (though important) to the biblical passages teaching about marriage. He also draws on Augustinian theology, despite its acknowledge defects for its formulation of the three-fold goods of marriage: children, faithfulness (a God-graced experience of learning selflessness), and sacrament (revealing the mystery of Christ's relation to the church). Holmes, while not advocating same sex unions, explores the possibility of some kind of accommodation for same sex couples who come into the church, along the lines of the church's accommodation for at least some who divorce and remarry, or those made in mission contexts for polygamous unions.
  
  Each of these scholars sets forth his or her own understanding and their reasons for that understanding--rooted significantly in biblical, cultural, and contemporary research as well as pastoral concerns.
  
  The essays underscore several things:
  
  With some exceptions, the question is less what scripture says than what this is taken to mean for the church and how this is appropriated pastorally.
  
  While the tone of these discussions was irenic, the disturbing reality was the support this gives to the "pervasive interpretive pluralism" scholars like Brad Gregory and Christian Smith level against Protestant Christianity. At the same time, these scholars model a serious effort at engagement that looks for common ground, and perhaps in the future, a reconciliation of their differences.
  
  The essays and responses all model pastoral concern and compassion and respect for the dignity and character of LGBT persons as well as the challenge all in the church are faced with by the scriptures calling for integrity in our sexual lives.
  
  Both Hill and Holmes press a corollary of traditional understanding of marriage and sexuality that is neglected in much Protestant discourse, the good of procreation and children.
  
  Loader and DeFranza do raise an important hermeneutic question of how in other areas (for example, our understanding of the cosmos, a heliocentric solar system, the age of the earth) many in the church have accommodated their understanding of scripture to these findings in science. Is there similar warrant in matters of sexuality? Hill and Holmes would argue that there is no basis for such a warrant concerning homosexuality, and arrive at different hermeneutical outcomes.
  
  Preston Sprinkle, editor of this work makes similar observations and also helpfully frames the discussion at the start, and points toward future work to be done. The need for this is clear. Often, the disputes of the church have taken a century or more to resolve. The discussion of justification, grace, faith, and works is five hundred years and running, with significant recent explorations of common ground between Catholic and Protestant. It occurs to me that a resolution will take further work along the lines of what these scholars done.
  
  I also believe the conversation needs to be expanded to listen to scholars and theologians from non-Western backgrounds. While this discussion included a woman and a self-identified gay person, it was a discussion among four white scholars. One of my own concerns in this discussion is the exclusionary and culturally imperialistic consequences of how the church in the West has often deliberated and acted in these matters and sometimes spoken pejoratively of the views of believers from other parts of the global Christian family. Their voices must also be heard and honored.
• 
  Beth

  The format of this book is enormously helpful as a teaching tool. It's incredibly valuable for students to read the essays together with the responses. A model for academic conversation.
• 
  Joel Wentz

  This is a thoughtful and thorough overview of the major perspectives on sexuality in the Western church today, as well as a great model for conversation on such a heated and divisive topic. Like many "multi-view" books, each author was given a chance to respond to the other essays, but one of the things that sets this one apart is that each essay writer was also given a chance to respond to the responses (rejoinder). The result is a robust conversation, and the reader gets to see nuances and complications within each argument. Both DeFranza's and Holmes' essays were stand-outs for me, as they brought refreshing new arguments. DeFranza helped me gain a better appreciation for the intersex angle on this whole conversation, as well as the extent to which the traditional view really relies on Augustinian theology (something both Holmes and Hill acknowledge in this book). Holmes' essay deeply resonated with me, particularly his articulation of the pressing pastoral needs in the church today.
  
  Given all the back-and-forth, the book's format could have been a mess. Remarkably, it's quite readable, though at times it does get fairly repetitive. Overall, I gained a ton from reading this, and would absolutely recommend it to anyone who wants to gain an overview of the sexuality-and-the-Bible conversation in our culture today.
• 
  Cole Ragsdale

  DMin Course Reading
• 
  R.W.

  A useful and irenic summary of the debate among Evangelical scholars. I wish one of the affirming contributions had been from a queer person; however, the fact that such a book is possible is a massive step forward, outlining clearly what some Evangelicals think is at stake.
  
  On a second reading in June 2019, I affirm what I say above, and add that the afterword mentions questions that may be useful to pursue for queer theologians interested in conversation with Evangelical traditions in North America and the UK.
• 
  Christina

  This is a good overview of the two positions. The discussion is respectful and scholarly. I'd say it's representative of the issues involved and the possible solutions.
• 
  Jenny

  *4.5 Stars*
• 
  Hope

  An interesting, nuanced view of homosexuality, the Bible, and the Church. I would recommend this book to those wanting a civil, well-researched view of this topic.
• 
  Mike Sampat

  At $5.28 for the Kindle version, it seemed like a steal. But Two Views on Homosexuality, the Bible, and the Church fails to give a well-rounded picture of the debate. This book aims to offer the academically inclined Christian a useful introduction to this hot-button issue, thus it appears “timely.” The book has had a fairly positive reception. One professional reviewer called it a “helpful summary of the current state of evangelical views on homosexuality.” Another said, "the proverbial deck was stacked against the traditional view of marriage." Unfortunately, the book represents the “traditional” position as holding that homosexual activity is merely impermissible, without the notion that homosexuality is a disordered behaviour resulting from mental illness or a problem of faith, as many traditionalists claim (Rom 1:26-27). We will return to this position, call it “standard,” since traditional has been co-opted. The reader is left trying to fill in blanks created by this omission, as the contributors barely acknowledge such a position or act as if the idea is merely an artifact of bygone thinking that the modern era has put behind us. The research these scholars put forward is fascinating, and their arguments are erudite and well-formed, but the book is left wanting without fully representing the debate. Still worth a read for the serious student, but only with the understanding that further research will be necessary to get the full picture.
  
  Read a more complete review here:
  Book Review: Two Views on Homosexuality, the Bible, and the Church
• 
  Steven Rongley

  Though, like the rest of the series, it is a solid introduction to the topic, this particular collection appears to lack the space necessary for some of the authors to fully develop their arguments. This problem is particularly noticeable for the defender of the Augustinian view, who is unable to compellingly justify why Augustine’s view is definitive, focusing instead on the implications of that view. This issue was surprising to me, as a number of other volumes in the series are a great deal longer, so I am still unsure why this one needed to be as short as it is. Nonetheless, all the authors are considerate and offer compelling readings of historical and biblical thought. Additionally, the citations offer great sources for further reading if one is interested in exploring the topic further. Overall, it’s a good introduction for educated laypeople and pastors looking to get better acquainted with the theology of marriage, though it’s hardly a sufficient place to stop.
• 
  Lydia Stucki

  While there are strong scholars at work here, three of the four of them are presenting biblical arguments against homosexuality. The first “affirming” position is only affirming on a technicality. So really this book is more conservative than it claims to be. Loader (the first “affirming” author) claims that not only same-sex acts but same-sex attraction is biblically condemned. So he’s really the most traditional of all of them—and the most damaging to someone with an affirming viewpoint. Which makes it awful that the book calls him “affirming”.
  
  Format is a good idea in theory. But really after each section the authors just repeat their views in shorter spaces, making those sections pointless.
  
  So the whole book was a great concept but poorly executed and really misleading for someone looking for a good view of both sides where the Bible is held as the basis for Christian life.
• 
  Kevin Carey

  Good for a deep dive
  
  I appreciated the way this book was constructed - with a lot of written interaction between the four authors based on each of their essays - and this book definitely goes deep into the topic. My take away from the book (which is definitely an over-simplification) is that one’s view on this topic is dependent on whether or not you have a literalist view of the Bible. I am not a literalist, so I really identified with Megan K. DeFranza’s essay and her arguments for the cultural differences between 1st Century Christianity and 21st Century Christianity - specifically differences on patriarchy, marriage, the rights of women, sexual exploitation/slavery, and subsequently the affirmation of same-sex marriages. Overall, a good book if you want to do some study on this hot-button topic.
• 
  Jonathan

  A very helpful summary of the major positions for and against broadening the Christian understanding of marriage to affirm same-sex relationships. It was helpful to hear from both Biblical scholars and theological ethicists on either side. Clearly the debate is not only about "what the Bible says" (exegesis) but how we should read the Bible ethically (hermeneutics), and how we should go about understanding what marriage actually is (theologically) in light of 2000 years of tradition.
  
  The dialogue was cordial and Sprinkle's afterword was especially helpful in rounding things out. This book definitely sparked thoughts I'd never had before and was very informative.  Overall I found Hill's and Holmes' treatments most persuasive although reading the pushback from Loader and DeFranza was very helpful for me as I continue to wrestle with this important topic.
• 
  Tyler Brown

  Anyone can claim to have a high view of Scripture; that doesn’t make it true. I was disappointed that, despite the editor’s claim, all the authors seemed to have a sub-par view of God’s revelation. One author reads it and says it needs updating; another reads it and attempts to reinterpret it to undercut its plain meaning. The authors taking the traditional view apparently don’t hold to the sufficiency of Scripture, preferring to interact with Augustine instead exegeting the passages in question. It appeared that all authors were egalitarian, which seems to be problematic in this discussion of gender/sexuality.
• 
  Ian

  This book is both an acknowledgement of the oppression and segregation members of the LGBTQI community feel within the Church and a candid attempt to remedy these failings.
  
  Framed as a debate between 4 esteemed Christians, the book highlights the myriad of different theological viewpoints on the issue. Each contributor provides separate conclusions on how best to include the LGBTQI community. Either within an affirmative framework or a non-inclusive one.
  
  The format is highly satisfying as each contributor develops their case and subsequently the other three authors respond followed by a final rebuttal.
• 
  Julie

  “But we need to make sure that the people looking on—especially our gay and lesbian friends and neighbors—are more impressed with Jesus, not less. Being a Christian goes beyond just holding on to Christian views, but to expressing those views in a Christian manner. Only then will people be able to see Christ not just in the content but also in the tone of our doctrine.”
  
  This took me a while to finish- lots of information and important viewpoints to sort through. I’m reminded to always be curious, learn, and ask questions and this read helped me do just that. I was impressed by the dialogue and wide range of mature and knowledgeable discussion.
• 
  Matthew McGill

  Really liked the format of this book - it created a space for very thoughtful discussion and respectful dialogue (especially between parties that disagree) on a culturally relevant topic. Some of the arguments were a little interesting, but it got me thinking and asking good questions. Not the best resource for a biblical survey of sexuality, but nevertheless an academic discussion arguing for either an affirming or a traditional sexual ethic. My favorite essay was Dr. Wesley Hill’s.
• 
  Emily Hartung

  This book presents two different views in a fair objective and Biblical light. This is perhaps one of the best books I have ever read on the teachings of Christianity on both sides and why. Highly recommend. This book does not have all the answers but what it does is perhaps better it causes you to stop and think.
• 
  Dustin Turner

  I found this multi-view book to be super helpful. The positions were nuanced and well supported. This book demonstrates how nuanced this discussion is and should be. Certainly pointed me in the direction of other published resources on the topic.
• 
  Michael Shawn Carbaugh

  This book was incredibly civil even though the four contributors all disagree on points of this debate. All of them have pastoral love in mind as they talk about this topic as more than just a theological assertion, but a matter that impacts how we treat people of sexual minorities.
• 
  Christina Powell

  An amazingly respectful conversation between four views that exist in our world. It's not a book that will give you any solid answers but it will introduce you to multiple perspectives - something I find both incredibly rare and valuable.
• 
  Peter J Goeman

  Doing a professional review of this book.