Review: Torn: Rescuing the Gospel from they Gays vs. Christians Debate

I was asked to write a review of Justin Lee's book, "Torn" for a Canadian Christian

newspaper.  This particular paper is one that I used to read at my Pake and Beppe's place (Friesian for grandparents) when I was growing up.  It particularly, but not solely, caters to people of Dutch and Reformed background.  It's a paper that demonstrates the intellectual legacy of a group of Christian immigrants who built churches, Christian schools, and other social institutions such as a labour union, an office to pursue matters of social justice, and social service agencies for the disabled, unwed moms, those struggling with addictions etc.

The folks who read this paper will come from a variety of perspectives.  Sometimes you find progressive thought in surprising places.  Sometimes you encounter a stronger conservatism than you might have expected.  But these are people who have a deep and strong faith.  People who want to honour Christ and build his Kingdom.  And with that in mind, and a strict word count, I offered this review of Justin's book.  And, since you can't access it without a subscription .... here it is:

Many things have changed since the onslaught of the culture wars over homosexuality.  Culture around us has become much more gay-positive.  People coming out as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender is much more common.  And more people have positive relationships with gay people than ever before.  But this does not mean that the culture war is over in our churches.   In a world of social media, it isn’t difficult to encounter harsh words targeted towards one group or the other.  The tensions, both inside and outside of the church, on the subject of gay marriage continue to make navigating this complex terrain challenging and often confusing.

Even where churches have clear doctrinal positions, many Christians feel uncertainty or confusion about what they should think about gay marriage.  Other Christians quietly disagree with their church’s position.  Some Christians worry about where the church might be headed on this matter.  And others may feel impatient and frustrated by positions they deem to be disconnected and irrelevant to our current context.

In the midst of this reality are the lives of gay Christians.  They are often torn between their loyalty to their faith and the churches they grew up in and their honest acceptance of the reality of their same-sex orientation.  Justin Lee is such a young man.  Justin grew up in the Southern Baptist denomination and was in every way a committed Christian on track to enter full-time ministry.  His journey of self-discovery regarding his sexuality turned his world upside down.  But it did not ship-wreck his faith. 

In his publishing debut, “Torn: Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays vs. Christians Debate”, Lee shares a story that challenges assumptions and typical ministry interventions.  Justin is representative of today’s gay Christian.  Strong faith.  Determined to be part of the church.  Maintaining Christian values around sexual purity.  Strong self-awareness.  Resisting pressure to submit to potentially harmful change programs.  In-depth study of the scriptures.  Open to a committed same-sex relationship.

And there is the rub for many Christians.  Justin’s commitment to his faith is undeniable.  His conclusions from his engagement with scripture concerning a future relationship ….. well that may be a whole other matter.

 

If you’re looking for a book that will decisively argue a scriptural case for gay marriage – this isn’t the book.  No doubt those who want to pick apart his experiences to critique his conclusions will have ample ammunition.  Justin’s journey is not that of a scholar.  He is the Christian who sits next to you in the pew – who happens to be gay.   His story is personal and compelling – and one that the church cannot afford to ignore.

So if you’re looking for a book that will help you enter the life of a gay Christian who may be very similar to you – this is a great book.  Justin’s story challenges people in the church to reflect on the lived reality of a committed Christian, seeking God’s will for his life as a gay person.  Justin’s story invites us into the tension that he experienced as he struggled to integrate his faith with the awareness that he would go through life as a gay person. 

In addition to his personal story, Justin did enter ministry and became the founding director of the Gay Christian Network.  This online community welcomes gay Christians regardless of whether they believe God’s word calls them to celibacy or they are open to marry a partner of the same-sex.  Justin has been at the forefront of cultivating a community where such differences are secondary to their primary commitment to Jesus Christ.  After a decade of engaging with thousands of gay Christians, Justin has some very practical steps for the church to take to be more hospitable to gay people – regardless of where you land on the gay marriage question.

 

The reality is that this culture war is not going away.  Justin’s book can serve as a personal invitation to transcend the debate and enter the relational reality of our gay Christian sisters and brothers.  This invitation will mean taking some risks and navigating tension and disagreement.  But this is the place where the church should be. 

Compassion as Justice-Love

I thought it was time to write a slightly shorter, less dense, lighter post than my last few series.  And as usual, a number of disparate things have been floating around in my mind.  So hopefully I’ll be able to weave these various threads together into some kind of cohesive whole.

There has been some buzz today about Rob Bell articulating his support, as many had assumed anyway, for gay marriage.  Speaking at an Episcopal cathedral in San Francisco Bell said, “"I am for marriage. I am for fidelity. I am for love, whether it's a man and woman, a woman and a woman, a man and a man. I think the ship has sailed and I think the church needs -- I think this is the world we are living in and we need to affirm people wherever they are."  

Seeing various comments on facebook, some expressed delight, some frustration that it took him so long, some have dismissed him from evangelicalism, and some predicting a pathway to the future of Christianity in the west.  Indeed, the range of these responses indicates just how much of a litmus test this issue has become.

Sexual Ethics & Generous Spaciousness: Part 3

I have decided to take another paper that I wrote for my doctoral program and break it down into several parts for the blog.  I have tried to make it a bit more readable - but it will likely still feel a bit academic.  I hope, however, that it will cause people to think and start some robust conversations:

Read Part 1 and Part 2

An Ethics of Generous Spaciousness:

In light of my conviction that our sexual ethics must be reflected upon communally and enlivened in our interdependent lives together, acknowledging the reality of diversity in perspective is a critical factor in the development of my thought.   The dissonance and lack of integrity and consistency in position is, I believe, eroding the capacity of Christians to think courageously and respond with confidence to our rapidly changing sexual landscape.  In the midst of this uncertainty, the public witness to the life-transforming grace of Christ is distorted, particularly in the message to gender and sexual minority persons.

An ethics of generous spaciousness prioritizes a hermeneutic of justice and hospitality in engaging Scripture and tradition.  Generous spaciousness views these as overarching themes of the biblical witness. Justice means that all people are treated equitably such that they are valued and extended dignity and respect.  Hospitality means that all people are welcomed into the process of reflection, invited to listen, to discern, to wait, and to learn from others. 

Generous spaciousness fearlessly opens discussion regarding the resources of reason through disciplines such as biology, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and philosophy.  In such discussion, it is acknowledged that there are competing ideas, theories, and interpretations concerning human sexuality.  Such acknowledgement creates room for people to differ in their understanding of human sexuality.   

Sexual Ethics & Generous Spaciousness: Part 2

I have decided to take another paper that I wrote for my doctoral program and break it down into several parts for the blog.  I have tried to make it a bit more readable - but it will likely still feel a bit academic.  I hope, however, that it will cause people to think and start some robust conversations:

Read Part 1

Applying Sources and Norms to the Question of Gay Marriage:  

Current and contextual ethical reflection recognizes the need to pay attention to all of the contributions that arise from scripture, tradition, reason and experience.  Additionally, there is an acceptance and expectation that conflicts will arise among these sources and that good ethical reflection will do the rigorous work necessary to resolve such conflicts.[1]  Each of these sources has a unique offering for the ethical task but also has limitations and weaknesses as well. 

Sexual Ethics & Generous Spaciousness: Part 1

I have decided to take another paper that I wrote for my doctoral program and break it down into several parts for the blog.  I have tried to make it a bit more readable - but it will likely still feel a bit academic.  I hope, however, that it will cause people to think and start some robust conversations:

Ethical reflection within a framework of faith in Jesus Christ is appropriately an evolving practice.  Christians who truly seek to follow the way of Christ will recognize that this way is never static or formulaic.  The way of Christ is always contextual and always open to the ongoing revelation of God’s story in our day and in our time.  Jesus promised the coming of the Holy Spirit who would continue to reveal, lead and guide his followers.  That this impacts our ethical reflection should come as no surprise or threat to those who recognize that this truth we seek to embody in our Christian faith is found in a person, not a proposition, and found through dynamic relationship, not rigid laws.

If this is the case with ethics in general, it is all the more so when it comes to reflection on sexual ethics.  God’s interaction with people through the stories revealed from Genesis to Revelation presents a variety of sexual mores, customs and practices.  The Biblical witness fails to present one permanent, universal sexual ethic.  Walter Wink says, “The Bible has no sexual ethic. Instead, it exhibits a variety of sexual mores, some of which changed over the thousand year span of biblical history.  The Bible only knows a love ethic, which is constantly being brought to bear on whatever sexual mores are dominant in any given country, or culture, or period.”[1]

Many who profess Christian faith, however, do proclaim one sexual ethic.  It can be summarized as the conviction that marriage is to be between one man and one woman for life, marriage is the only appropriate context for sexual intimacy, and any sexual expression outside of this context is immoral.  This sexual ethic has been the backdrop for the shaming, exclusion and marginalized status of those who are single, divorced, or outside of the heterosexual majority.