Question of Truth: Christianity and HomosexualityMany Christians accept that 'homosexual acts are wrong' on the authority of the Church. For many others such teaching contradicts what they know to be the obvious truth. In this book Gareth Moore closely and dispassionately examines the bases of Christian 'anti-gay' arguments. Moore critically explores the language that we use to describe and define human sexuality and what this means for what we think we know about sex, identity and morality.At the centre of this work is a thorough and revolutionary analysis of the Bible on homosexuality posing such questions as: Is there a unified biblical teaching on sex or homosexuality? Are we misreading the Bible by applying modern thinking and terms? Must Christians accept Paul's supposed rejection of homosexuality when they do not follow all of his teaching (for example his low estimation of marriage - 1, Cor, 7)?For Moore the criticism that gay practice is remote from Christian values is just as true of straight life. Gay Christians are often responsible and thoughtful moral agents and to propose otherwise is both unreasonable and deeply disrespectful. It is a precondition of being heard that we listen and in the end the gospel can only be preached effectively by those who listen. |
Contents
1 | |
1 A Question of Truth | 11 |
2 Homosexuality | 38 |
Introduction and Old Testament Texts | 56 |
New Testament Texts and Summary | 86 |
5 The Bible for Heterosexuality? | 118 |
6 The Bible Love and Experience | 151 |
7 Aquinas Natural Law and Sexual Natures | 177 |
8 Homosexuality Purpose and Happiness | 216 |
9 Some Modern Arguments | 247 |
Conclusion | 281 |
Notes | 283 |
Bibliography | 305 |
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