Raamatukogu

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)

Coming Out Within: Stages of Spiritual Awakening for Lesbians and Gay Men. Craig O'Neill & Kathleen Ritter

Loss--feeling unacceptable to family, church, or workplace; losing loved ones to AIDS; being despised by segments of society--is universal among lesbians and gay men. Using an eight-phase model illustrated with real case histories, the authors explore loss as a catalyst for growth and personal and spiritual transformation.

Waiting for the Call: From Preacher's Daughter to Lesbian Mom. Jacqueline Taylor

“Well-written, absorbing, and a great pleasure to read . . . will appeal to Christians struggling to square their traditional beliefs with acceptance of homosexuality as well as to all those interested in adoption, lesbian marriage, and the changing shape of America’s families.” — Elizabeth C. Fine, Virginia Tech University

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 Male Christian Couples: Life Stories. Andrew K. T. Yip

“[T]he author has provided a surprisingly comprehensive overview of the dynamics of partnership between gay male christian couples.”–Sexualities

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.

No Ordinary Child: A Christian Mother's Acceptance of Her Gay Son. Jacqueline Ley

This book of reflections on a mother's journey from craving 'normality' for her gay son to celebrating him as a blessedly extraordinary creature of God is not only a chronicle of a remarkable change of attitude. It is also an argument for letting go of our preconceptions about other people - often those nearest and dearest to us - and acknowledging that what God plans for their lives may be something greater and more mysterious than we can ever imagine.

Ex-gays?: A Longitudinal Study of Religiously Mediated Change in Sexual Orientation. Stanton L. Jones

Can some motivated people alter aspects of their sexuality through religious ministry? With the publication of Ex-Gays? Stanton Jones and Mark Yarhouse have produced the most rigorous study to date to address this question. Knowing their results would generate controversy, the authors have thoroughly described the rationale for their procedures. While the authors fully acknowledge that change in sexual attractions did not occur for some individuals, they offer cogent and compelling reasons to believe that participation in religious ministry resulted in durable changes for others. The Jones and Yarhouse study will set the standard for all future work in this field and demands a serious reading from social scientists. For anyone interested in the study of sexuality, values and human change, this book is a must-read." -- Warren Throckmorton, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology and Fellow for Psychology and Public Policy, Grove City College, coauthor of the Sexual Identity Therapy Framework, and producer of I Do Exist

Spiritual Direction and the Gay Person. James Empereur

One does not have to be Roman Catholic to appreciate the many spiritual insights offered in this fine work. While not avoiding the moral issues which surround homosexuality, this book offers sound pastoral insight to the unique and challenging spiritual quests of homosexual persons. This book has much to say about the spiritual significance of the suffering experienced by homosexual persons as a result of bigotry and discrimination. Furthermore, the book does not give homosexual persons a "sexual license" but rather a perspective from which they can understand the centrality of their sexuality to their personhood. I enthusiastically recommend this book for anyone interested in the spiritual quest of the homosexual person. (Review by a reader at Amazon.com)

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.