GLBT Christian Books
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Switzer, a theologian and counselor who has assisted many men and women in coming to terms with their sexuality and also has ministered to many parents of gays, aims his book at religiously conservative parents. He argues that sexual orientation is neither the parent's nor the child's fault; and, if parents must see their gay child as a trial of faith, love and Christian compassion rather than condemnation and hatred should be their response. Switzer uses biblical references throughout to placate and comfort even the angriest of parents.

 
Organized around the themes "created in God's image," "called as community," and "citizens of a commonwealth," this collection of two months' worth of prayers has theological depth and contemporary relevance. Both the prose introductions to the themes and the prayers themselves encourage honest struggle and genuine faith and confront the paradoxical relationship of life and death, suffering and love. Recommended for public and seminary libraries.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
 

 
John Boswell's highly acclaimed study of the history of attitudes toward homosexuality in the Christian West challenges received opinion and our own preconceptions about the Church's past relationship to its gay members, among whom were priests, bishops and even canonized saints. The historical breadth of Boswell's research (from the Greeks to Aquinas) and the variety of sources consulted (legal, literary, theological, artistic, and scientific) make this one of the most extensive treatments of any single aspect of Western social history. The product of ten years of research and analysis of records in a dozen languages, this book opens up a new area of historical inquiry and helps elucidate the origins and operations of intolerance as a social force.
 

 
Marcella Althaus-Reid is Senior Lecturer in Christian Ethics, Practical & Systematic Theology at the University of Edinburgh

 
This most recent book by Gray Temple is the most informed, candid and rational discussion of this emotional topic that I have read. In typical fashion for this author, it is both straightforward and kind. Drawing on the Anglican trilateral- authority of Scripture, Tradition and Reason as one thing about which Episcopalians still agree, Temple's approach is scholarly and pastoral as he dares to take the Bible seriously---not literally! He unpacks the topic of scriptural authority and invites people on both sides of this debate to embrace not merely a change of mind (he concedes that is not likely), but a "change of heart" and mind based on honesty and integrity in our dealing with this issue and how we decide what is "right and wrong". This is a must read for anyone who is serious about seeking reconciliation in the church.
 

 
This is a fine prayer book that is simultaneously steeped in the tradition of Christian hours and sensitive to the lives of lesbians and gay men. It contains the time-honored morning and evening prayer, but it is more than just a conventional Psalter. With its devotional prayers, this book of hours marks the times of joy and sorrow in the lives of gay and lesbian Christians. Bill Storey has included prayers for a coming-out party, the gift of a spouse, and a holy union; he has also incorporated prayers for times of sickness and abandonment by family and friends, as well as prayers for enemies. In these prayers for special occasions and for the everyday, Storey demonstrates a deep awareness of the spirituality, the joys, difficulties, and the predicaments of lesbians and gay men. His prayers tenderly address a God who loves the hearts, minds, and bodies of gay people.
 

 
In this thoughtful and timely book, Bishop Alexander explores his journey through the theological, scriptural, and pastoral aspects of the questions surrounding homosexuality and Christian faith. Writing in the weeks after the General Convention of the Episcopal Church confirmed the election of the church's first openly gay bishop, Bishop Alexander offers a personal view of his changing outlook-from exclusion to acceptance--on this important issue. He also offers thought-provoking perspectives on scripture and tradition. This Far by Grace will prove a vital resource for discussion and reflection by individuals, parishes, and dioceses.
 

 
Overall, the book is informative, spiritually and mentally, about homosexuality. It shows that one's sexuality and one's walk with Christ need not be mutually exclusive, and in many cases, CANNOT be mutually exclusive. For homosexual christians, the book shows the unconditional love of Christ, regardless of sexuality. For non-homosexual christians, the book is an inspiration on how they should "love" all their brothers and sisters in christ, regardless of sexuality. (That is why I said this is a must for all christians, and I would recommend it on the book shelves at all churches, too).

 
The last two decades have produced an enormous amount of literature about the role of male homosexuality in the classical and early Christian world--but almost nothing about lesbianism. Bernadette Brooten's Love Between Women remedies that oversight with a vengeance. Brooten's extraordinarily well-researched and breathtakingly argued book proves that female homoeroticism was well-established and thriving 2,000 years ago. Equally as important are her analyses of 19th century and contemporary scholars who have re-closeted lesbianism through ignorance and prejudice. Love Between Women is a breakthrough book that radically changes how we think about history and sexuality

 
Author Maurine Waun opens with some personal background, which serves both to explain her personal interest in the topic, as well as to help the reader identify what is (and, as importantly, what is not) being asked of him. She covers some basic problems with the way the Bible has been used to justify hatred of "sexual minorities" (Waun's term for gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered people), though there are more comprehensive studies available on this aspect.