There are now an abundance of excellent resources to help Christians discern how to respond to gay people and the marriage of gay couples. I have explored dozens of books, videos, organizations, and websites. Here are my current favorites.
What are your favorite resources about the Christian community’s response to LGBT Christians? Please send me an email to let me know: RevJimLucas@gmail.com.
Video
Seven Passages: The Stories of Gay Christians, a film (available on DVD) directed by Dr. Stephanie Sandberg, a theater professor at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. To prepare for the theater piece that preceded the film, Dr. Sandberg and her team interviewed 125 gay Christians in West Michigan. They chose 25 of these stories to portray, using 7 (for the film 8) actors. The film interweaves these stories using the actual words the interviewees. The stories include not only compelling life experiences but also reflections on the seven passages typically used to condemn those who are gay. (Full disclosure: I am one of the people whose story is presented in the film.)
Books
What God Has Joined Together? A Christian Case for Gay Marriage by David Myers and Letha Scanzoni. Dr. Myers is a psychology professor at Hope College in Holland, Michigan and the author of college psychology textbooks. His sections of the book provide excellent summaries of research on the origins of sexual orientation, the effectiveness of “reparative therapies,” the benefits of marriage, and the reasons to support marriage for gay couples rather than civil unions. Theologian Letha Scanzoni provides a fine analysis of the Bible as it relates to gay people and gay relationship.
God and the Gay Christian by Matthew Vines. Mr. Vines is a young gay man who grew up in an evangelical Presbyterian home. This book is one of the finest summaries of the best and latest research by Christian scholars on the topic. It’s both in-depth and readable. Mr. Vines now runs the Reformation Project.
Bible, Gender, Sexuality by James Brownson. Dr. Brownson is a New Testament professor at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan. This book is one of the most in-depth, insightful, and original pieces of scholarship on the passages that are typically used in conversations about gay relationships. To be honest, it’s not an easy read, but it’s well worth the effort.
I Changed My Mind by David Gushee. Dr. Gushee is an evangelical professor and author of several books. The title of this book reveals its compelling character. It shows how a conservative Christian scholar went on a journey from condemning to affirming marriage for gay couples.
Torn: Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays-Vs.-Christians Debate by Justin Lee. Justin is a young, gay, Southern Baptist who founded the Gay Christian Network. His book is a fascinating recounting of his story together with compelling insights about how he came to understand his being gay in light of his conservative Christian faith.