This volume is rooted in two convictions: first, sexuality is far more comprehensive and more fundamental to our existence than simply genital sex, and, second, sexuality is intended by God to be neither incidental nor detrimintal to our spirituality but a fully integrated and basic dimension of that spirituality. The authors address what our sexual…
Ideas of the Christian church are changing, and Letty Russell envisions its future as partnership and sharing for all memebers around a common table of hospitality. Dr. Russell draws on her interracial urban pastorate, her classes in theology, and many ecumenical conversations to help the newly emereging church face the challenges of liberation for all…
In this book, theologian Letty Russell redefines the commonly held notion of hospitality as she challenges her readers to consider what it means to welcome the stranger. In doing so, she implores persons of faith to join the struggles for justice. Rather than an act of limited, charitable welcome, Russell maintains that true hospitality is…
Justin Tanis, a transgendered ordained minister in the Metropolitan Community Churches, seeks to explore the spiritual nature of transgendered persons, to listen to the stories of others like himself, and to provide theological reflection on the ministries of, by and for this particular community. The book includes an introduction to trans issues, an overview of…
This book bridges traditional religious doctrine and secular postmodern theory regarding gender. Through an examination of the Hebrew and Christian scriptures and church history as well as the exploration of other religious traditions and cultures, Mollenkott honors the experience of people who do not fit within the traditional binary concept of gender: intersexual, trans-sexual, or…
In the early 2000’s, Mark Achtemeier embarked on a personal journey with the Bible that led him from being a conservative, evangelical opponent of gay rights to an outspoken activist for gay marriage and a fully inclusive church. In The Bible’s Yes to Same-Sex Marriage, Achtemeier shares what led to his change of heart: the…
Over Coffee is a narrative piece couched in the coffee-house conversation between Dave and a small-town pastor concerning a gay church member who desires to be partnered in the church. Over Coffee warmly introduces the reader to a biblical, faith-based dialogue for providing room on the pew in today’s most conservative churches for gay partnered…
“The book chronicles Cheri DiNovo’s own attempts as a minister to expand the membership of a rapidly shrinking congregation in a poor, inner city Toronto neighborhood. As a result, DiNovo discovers that, in her congregation’s decision to evangelize among the marginalized and “queer” in their neighborhood, church members are radically changed by realizing how “queer”…
“When our child told us they were attracted to the same sex, we were shocked. The usual questions flooded us: what would this mean for their life? Would they be safe? Would they ever have children? We truly had no idea what lay ahead. But here’s the realization that smacked us: we were now the…
Different groups interpret the Bible according to their core beliefs, emphasizing some ideas while allowing others to lie dormant. In this reflection on the meaning of Scripture, Peter Fitch argues that the Bible itself gives many clues as to the appropriate lens with which to read it: love. It is not meant as a rulebook,…