Theological print Adams Elizabeth Going to Heaven: The Life and Election of Bishop Gene Robinson goingtoheaven.jpg Brooklyn, NY Soft Skull Press 2006 308 pp. 1-933368-22-5 Gene Robinson is the first openly gay bishop in Christendom and his election has set off a worldwide firestorm of reaction – in the words of The New Yorker, it “pos[es] the biggest crisis for Anglicanism since the Reformation, [bringing] the worldwide church to the edge of schism.” Robinson wore a bulletproof vest to his consecration and has been subjected to death threats for the past several years. One dissenting bishop went so far as to state “the Devil has entered the church.” In these pages, Elizabeth Adams seeks to understand the man and the circumstances that have provoked these disparate reactions. Based on extensive interviews with Bishop Robinson and the people around him, Going to Heaven depicts a man who is, as he puts it, “neither the angel nor the devil some would make me out to be.” Adams illuminates his early days as a Kentucky sharecropper’s son, living without running water until the age of ten; his struggle with his sexual orientation; his calling into the church; the tumultuous events surrounding his election and consecration; and now the potential disintegration of the church as the rhetoric from the evangelical wing of worldwide Anglicanism grows ever more heated and lawsuits are filed throughout the United States. In Going to Heaven, Elizabeth Adams offers a compelling story of challenges overcome by hard work, humor, and deep faith, but also a story of one man’s journey into his own “otherness” – and the emergence of a ministry that speaks to countless people who believe in a message, indeed a Gospel, of love and inclusion. It is an exquisitely rendered portrait of a man whom fate has thrust into the center of one of the defining social and political struggles of our time: the role of human sexuality within faith, and that of faith within our society. http://www.softskull.com/detailedbook.php?isbn=1-933368-22-5 _blank print Alexander Marilyn Bennet James Preston We Were Baptized Too: Claiming God's Grace for Lesbians and Gays Louisville Westminster John Knox Press 1996 139 pp. 0664256287 With a foreword by Bishop Desmond Tutu, who deemed it a "cry of the heart" of people who were baptized and redeemed, then rejected, this is a useful book for congregations studying what it means to welcome and include gay and lesbian Christians. http://www.ppcbooks.com/Details.asp?BookID=0664256287 _blank print Alison James Faith Beyond Resentment: Fragments Catholic and Gay New York Crossroad Publishing 2001 239 pp. 0824519221 A stunningly original re-imagining of the Catholic faith by one of the most lucid and exciting theologians writing in English today. Widely acclaimed for his work examining the fundamental themes in Catholic theology, in Faith Beyond Resentment James Alison offers an account of Christianity that is moving, liberating, and deeply personal, yet rooted in Catholic tradition. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0824519221/qid=1133897876/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-2047862-5702422?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 _blank print Alison James On Being Liked New York Herder & Herder 2003 150 pp. 0-8245-2261-3 On Being Liked, is the transforming and joyful sequel to Faith Beyond Resentment: Fragments Catholic and Gay, which established the Catholic priest and writer James Alison as one of the most striking, original, and intellectually irresistible voices in the church. Alison invites us to let go of a commonly-held account of salvation that is nonsensical, scandalous and damaging. He takes us step-by-step through a bold adventure of re-imagining the central axis of the Christian story, not as 'How does God deal with sin?' but as 'How do we take up God's invitation to share in the act of creation?' All the while, to our growing astonishment and wonder, we discover ourselves as liked-not only loved-in the eyes of God. http://cpcbooks.com/store/mall.cfm?ProductID=0-8245-2261-3&do=detail _blank print Allen Peter Lewis The Wages of Sin: Sex and Disease, Past and Present Chicago University of Chicago Press 2000 202 pp. 0226014614 “In its fights about how to respond to AIDS, American society was reenacting a drama that had been written centuries before. I learned that there was a long tradition in the West of seeing disease as God's punishment for sin - especially for sexual sins. I learned that every era had sorry tales to tell about how the sick and dying were condemned for their illnesses, and made to suffer as much in mind and heart as they were suffering in their bodies. I learned of the deep-seated conflicts in the great traditions of medicine and religion - the conflicts between compassion and condemnation, healing and blame. And I learned that despite America's apparent modernity, many people in this country - including many of those in power - were convinced that the healthy were saved and the sick were damned. All of these things, I found - history, conflict, condemnation - directly affected the course of this new epidemic, and took an enormous and tragic toll on Americans' health and lives.” http://www.press.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/hfs.cgi/00/13992.ctl _blank print Bawer Bruce Stealing Jesus: How Fundamentalism Betrays Christianity BawerSteal.jpg New York Crown Publishers, Inc. 1997 340 pp. 0517706822 From the author of the widely acclaimed A Place at the Table, this is a major work, passionately outspoken and cogently reasoned, that exposes the great danger posed to Christianity today by fundamentalism. The time is past, says Bruce Bawer, when denominational names and other traditional labels provided an accurate reflection of Christian America's religious beliefs and practices. The meaningful distinction today is not between Protestant and Catholic, or Baptist and Episcopalian, but rather between “legalistic” and “nonlegalistic” religion, between the Church of Law and the Church of Love. On one side is the fundamentalist right, which draws a sharp distinction between “saved” and “unsaved” and worships a God of wrath and judgment; on the other are more mainstream Christians who view all humankind as children of a loving God who calls them to break down barriers of hate, prejudice, and distrust. http://www.randomhouse.com/crown/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780609802229 _blank print Bess Howard H. Pastor, I Am Gay pastorimgay.jpg Palmer, Alaska Palmer Publishing Company 1995 221 pp. 0964412306 Pastor, I Am Gay is written from the perspective of an every day working pastor. Bible scholars, theologians, sociologists, anthropologists, psychologists and politicians have filled our book shelves with books about gay persons and their place in society and church. Pastor, I am Gay is unique and stands alone. Pastor Howard Bess remembers very well that he has been given the ministry of reconciliation and has been denied the option of condemnation or rejection. The story-telling style of the book makes for good reading. The reader meets a great array of real life people with whom Pastor Bess worked, once the first parishioner came to him and simply said “Pastor, I am gay.” The book becomes a guide for church folk, who are looking for answers that are Biblical, thoughtful and compassionate. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0964412306/qid=1132164289/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-5522310-2838527?v=glance&s=books _blank print Boswell John Christianity, Social Tolerance and Homosexuality: Gay People in Western Europe from the Beginning of the Christian Era to the Fourteenth Century BoswellCST.jpg Chicago University of Chicago Press 1980 424 pp. 0-226-06711-4 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) makes this on 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. http://www.press.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/hfs.cgi/00/231.ctl _blank print Brundage James A. Law, Sex, and Christian Society in Medieval Europe Chicago University of Chicago Press 1987 698 pp. 0226077845 “Brundage's book is consistently learned, enormously useful, and frequently entertaining. It is the best we have on the relationships between theological norms, legal principles, and sexual practice.” - Peter Iver Kaufman, Church History http://www.press.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/hfs.cgi/00/2672.ctl _blank print Bullough Vern L. James Brundage Sexual Practices and the Medieval Church sexualpractices.jpg Buffalo Prometheus Books 1984 289 pp. 0879752688 In the last twenty years our society has become much more open and tolerant of the variety of ways in which sexuality can be expressed. However, traditional values still continue to exert a strong influence on our attitudes and behavior. Many of these traditional views are rooted in Christian values that took hold during the medieval period. We would better understand these views and their effect on our lives if we made an effort to explore their religious history and development. Sexual Practices and the Medieval Church analyzes the Christian assumptions about sexuality, chronicles the early institutionalization of these assumptions, and explores the theological debate of the meaning of marriage and the role of sex in marriage. The theological conception of sex, including issues such as rape, seduction, impotence, and prostitution, is then examined as it came to be developed by canon lawyers and justified by medical and scientific writers. The book concludes with an overview of late medieval sex practices as seen in the literature of the period and in demographic studies. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0879752688/102-5522310-2838527?v=glance&n=283155 _blank print Childs James M. Faithful Conversation: Christian Perspectives on Homosexuality jmcfaithful.jpg Minneapolis Augsburg Fortress Press 2003 96 pp. 0800635809 Bitter battles over the churches' stance toward its gay and lesbian members have tested the churches' fundamental orientation and even threatened to split whole denominations apart. The blessing of homosexual unions and ordination of gays and lesbians have proven to be special flashpoints at both local and national levels. Part of the widespread perplexity over the issues stems from their complexity. They involve questions not only of personal ethics and church polity but also of Christian history, conflicting readings of the biblical data, and uncertainty over basic anthropological frameworks, especially as driven by findings of the social sciences. This volume, initiated by the ELCA seminary presidents in response to a churchwide mandate for study of the issues, is aimed at engendering real reflection and conversation by providing Christians with the basic tools to engage the many dimensions of this question for themselves and with each other. Based on sound scholarship but written in a readable fashion for a broad audience of laypeople and pastors, the volume includes five essays, an authors' forum about how specific issues in the church are affected by these perspectives, a select bibliography of further readings, and directions on how this resource might be used. http://www.augsburgfortress.org/store/item.asp?clsid=125726&isbn=0800635809 _blank print Clark J. Michael Defying the Darkness: Gay Theology in the Shadows Cleveland Pilgrim Press 1997 117 pp. 082981163X http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/082981163X/102-5522310-2838527?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance _blank print Comstock Gary David Gay Theology Without Apology gaytheology.jpg Cleveland Pilgrim Press 1993 183 pp. 0-8298-0944-9 “In these fresh and bold essays, Comstock finds God's liberating connection in scripture-from-the-underside, in nontraditional traditions, and in body experience. Candidly self-revelatory, he shows how only in taking our own lives seriously can we be lovers of the world. Gay Theology without Apology is both judgment on churchly oppression and a charter of hope for gay/lesbian/bisexual Christians on the edges of the church. It is also truly an apologia, a persuasive case for the richer, more erotic, more just and loving humanness of every one of us.” - James B. Nelson http://thepilgrimpress.com/product_detail.taf?site_uid1=9&hallway_uid1=38&search_id=&catalog_uid1=392&link_type_uid1=&person_id=&u_currency_id=190&_UserReference=8BCF461BCA3AC97B4356CB6C _blank print Comstock Gary Unrepentant, Self-Affirming, Practicing Lesbian/Bisexual/Gay People within Organized Religion unrepentant.jpg New York Continuum 1996 282 pp. 0826408818 “With its succinct, accessible language and rich collection of empirical research findings on lesbigay peoples, Unrepentant would be an excellent addition to academic libraries and could be appropriately used as well in an undergraduate religion or sociology classroom.” - Journal for Scientific Study of Religion http://www.continuumbooks.com/Books/detail.aspx?ReturnURL=/Search/default.aspx&CountryID=2&ImprintID=2&BookID=118343 _blank print Curb Rosemary Nancy Manahan Lesbian Nuns: Breaking Silence Tallahassee Naiad Press 1985 387 pp. 0930044622 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0930044622/102-5522310-2838527?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance _blank print Delong Amy Smith Tex Sample editors The Loyal Opposition: Struggling with the Church on Homosexuality loyalopposition.jpg Nashville, TN Abingdon Press 2000 192 pp. 0687084253 No issue more polarizes American Protestants today than the church's stance on homosexuality. In recent years a number of denominations have engaged in prolonged and divisive debates on the subject and it appears that these debates will continue to occupy their attention. The contributors to this volume call for the formation of a "loyal opposition" that is serious in its commitment to the difficult process of reconciliation and forgiveness. Faithfulness to the gospel, they remind readers, requires nothing less than that Christians will be committed to the full inclusion of all persons in the body of Christ - not least of all those who disagree theologically and ethically. The book offers readers a multi-faceted argument that the gospel requires a commitment to the full inclusion of all persons in the body of Christ. It focuses on how members of mainline denominations can respond to official denominational positions with which they disagree. Readers are offered an alternative response besides staying in the denomination and remaining silent or leaving the denomination because one disagrees with its official position on this issue. Contributors include: J. Philip Wogaman, Roy Sano, Stanley Hauerwas, Jeanne Audrey Powers, Victor Paul Furnish, Dale Dunlap, Gil Caldwell, and Joretta Marshall. Foreword by Leontine Kelly. http://www.abingdonpress.com/search.aspx?scope=all&query=delong&pid=9780687084258 _blank print Dinovo Cheri Que(e)rying Evangelism: Growing a Community from the Outside In queeryingevangelism.jpg Cleveland Pilgrim Press 2005 207 pp. 0829816879 Qu(e)erying Evangelism chronicles DiNovo's own attempts as a minister to expand the membership of a rapidly shrinking congregation in a poor, inner city Toronto neighborhood. When members decided to evangelize among the marginalized and "queer" at their gate, church members are radically changed. The book answers the following questions: How do we understand evangelism biblically and in a completely new way? How does one be a queer theologian in a traditional pastorate? How does one grow a congregation with real differences of opinion? How does the presence of the transgendered/transsexual challenge both theology and praxis of a mainline denomination? http://thepilgrimpress.com/product_detail.taf?site_uid1=61&hallway_uid1=62&search_id=&catalog_uid1=580&link_type_uid1=&person_id=&u_currency_id=190&_UserReference=8BCF461BCA3AC97B4356CB6C _blank online First Tuesday Group What We Wish We Had Known: Breaking the Silence, Moving Toward Understanding (The Blue Book) 5th Mt. Kisko, NY Mt. Kisko Presbyterian Church 2004 90 pp. Now in its fifth edition, The Blue Book is one of our most popular print resources at Presbyterian conferences and General Assembly. Written in a question-and-answer style with 56 questions (with answers) about LGBT people, families, issues, and theological and Biblical perspectives, The Blue Book is a great place to start for people seeking to understand sexual orientation and LGBT concerns. This most recent edition was updated in spring 2004, and includes information on issues such as the 2003 Lawrence vs. Texas case and civil marriage rights. Includes appendices of welcoming and affirming religious and secular groups. http://www.pcmk.org/Blue_Book_V5.pdf _blank print Fortunato John Embracing the Exile: Healing Journeys of Gay Christians embracingexile.jpg San Francisco HarperSanFrancisco 1982 137 pp. 0816426376 “Embracing the Exile bears witness to the integrity of its author, a gay man who is a psychotherapist. This book reflects the depths of Fortunato's faith, hope, and love of the God whom he meets in his sisters and brothers. It is a gentle-flowing book, an inspirational book of compassion and courage. I recommend it to church people, therapists, and above all to the 'exiled' gay men and lesbians seeking hope and encouragement.” - Carter Heyward, Episcopal Divinity School http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0816426376/102-5522310-2838527?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance _blank print Germond Paul Steve de Gruchy editors Aliens in the Household of God: Homosexuality and Christian Faith in South Africa Cape Town David Philip 1997 328 pp. 0864863306 This groundbreaking volume explores, and challenges, the prejudice and discrimination that gay and lesbian people experience with South African churches. Drawing from a broad and diverse base, these stories and essays suggest that the problem the church faces is not "homosexuality" but "heterosexism" - the practice that assumes heterosexuality is normative and homosexuality a perversion. Heterosexism dictates the way is which we read the Bible, do theology, preach sermons and practice pastoral care. What the book does is to confront heterosexism by exploring what constitutes authentic human experience. Ultimately it is about our struggle to be human. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0864863306/qid=1133898153/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-2047862-5702422?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 _blank print Goss Robert Jesus Acted Up: A Gay and Lesbian Manifesto San Francisco HarperSanFrancisco 1993 240 pp. 0060633182 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060633182/102-5522310-2838527?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance _blank print Goss Robert E. Queering Christ: Beyond Jesus Acted Up queeringchrist.jpg Cleveland Pilgrim Press 2002 263 pp. 0-8298-1498-1 In Queering Christ, Robert E. Goss summarizes a decade of his thinking as a queer Christian theologian, sharing his queering of four critical areas: sexuality, Christ, the Bible, and theology. These areas form the quadrants of his own spirituality that aims at the queer reconstruction of Christianity and reflects a life that strives to integrate the depths of spirituality and sexuality with a practice of justice. Many aspects of the work are guaranteed to be highly controversial within and outside the GLBT community. http://thepilgrimpress.com/product_detail.taf?site_uid1=9&hallway_uid1=38&search_id=&catalog_uid1=509&link_type_uid1=&person_id=&u_currency_id=190&_UserReference=8BCF461BCA3AC97B4356CB6C _blank print Harvey Andrew editor The Essential Gay Mystics essentialgaymystic.jpg Cleveland Pilgrim Press 1998 290 pp. 0785809074 A collection of over sixty mystical writings from Sappho to Whitman, Virgil to Audre Lorde, this book celebrates the poetry and songs of those who love others of the same sex, covering the period of time from early Greek writers to the twentieth century. This is an excellent gift for reflection or for planning a union/commitment ceremony. http://thepilgrimpress.com/product_detail.taf?site_uid1=9&hallway_uid1=38&search_id=&catalog_uid1=381&link_type_uid1=&person_id=&u_currency_id=190&_UserReference=8BCF461BCA3AC97B4356CB6C _blank print Hazel Dann Witness: Gay And Lesbian Clergy Report From The Front Louisville Westminster John Knox Press 1999 147 pp. 0664257879 Based on interviews with more than a hundred gay and lesbian clergy, the author's subjects describe personal challenges faced by gay and lesbian clergy, their efforts to do constructive work in theology in order to build faith communities where gay men and lesbians can flourish spiritually, and the growth of congregations led by gays and lesbians in various denominations. The book concludes with predictions about the future shape of mainline churches. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0664257879/102-5522310-2838527?v=glance&n=283155&n=507846&s=books&v=glance _blank print Helminiak Daniel A. The Transcended Christian: Spiritual Lessons for the Twinty-First Century transcended.jpg Los Angeles Alyson Books 2007 304 pp. 155583860X From the noted author of the best-selling What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality comes this insightful, powerful, and remarkably honest reflection on culture, sexuality, and church. What do you do when you've outgrown your religion? When your life experience exceeds that of your clergy? When the learning that life forced on you challenges your religious beliefs? When you can no longer deny that something new is afoot and your church is out of touch. These are the questions that Daniel Helminiak raises, and then, in a concise way, interprets for anyone (not just those in the gay and lesbian community) who feels like an outcast within their own church. Helminiak ties his theories with classic biblical stories, parables that reveal both a compassionate Christ and a hypocritical church. Through inspiring essays and reflective teachings, Helminiak demonstrates how one can transcend doubt and regain his or her own spirituality and faith. http://www.amazon.com/Transcended-Christian-Spiritual-Lessons-Twenty-first/dp/155583860X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-9030205-6312166?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1176391400&sr=8-1 _blank print Heyward Carter Saving Jesus from Those Who Are Right: Rethinking What It Means to Be Christian savingjesus.jpg Minneapolis Augsburg Fortress Press 1999 275 pp. 0800629663 In this theological resource for spiritual transformation and social change, Carter Heyward rethinks the figure and import of Jesus for church, academy, and society. Rather than focus on the endlessly variable pictures of Jesus in contemporary biblical scholarship, and in radical opposition to the Jesus of the “Christian Right,”" Heyward presents “Jesus as our brother, infused with a sacred power and passion for embodying right (mutual) relation, and ourselves with him in this commitment.” She goes on to “explore, concretely, how we might live this way.” http://www.augsburgfortress.org/store/item.asp?clsid=111652&isbn=0800629663 _blank print Heyward Carter Staying Power: Reflections on Gender, Justice, and Compassion stayingpower.jpg Cleveland Pilgrim Press 1995 175 pp. 0829810277 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0829810277/102-5522310-2838527?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance _blank print Heyward Carter Our Passion for Justice: Images of Power, Sexuality, and Liberation Cleveland Pilgrim Press 1984 288 pp. 0829807055 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0829807055/102-5522310-2838527?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance _blank print Hunt Mary E. Fierce Tenderness: A Feminist Theology of Friendship New York Crossroad Publishing 1992 204 pp. 082451078X http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/082451078X/102-5522310-2838527?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance _blank print Jordan Mark D. The Invention of Sodomy in Christian Theology Chicago University of Chicago Press 1997 190 pp. 0226410404 In this startling original work of historical detection, Jordan explores the invention of Sodomy by medieval Christendom, examining its conceptual foundations in theology and gauging its impact on Christian sexual ethics both then and now. This book is for everyone involved in the ongoing debate within organized religions and society in general over moral judgments of same-sex eroticism. http://www.press.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/hfs.cgi/00/13254.ctl _blank print Lerner Rabbi Michael The Left Hand of God: Taking Our Country Back From the Religious Right lefthand.jpg San Francisco HarperSanFrancisco 2006 416 pp. 0060842474 The unholy alliance of the Political Right and the Religious Right threatens to destroy the America we love. It also threatens to generate a popular aversion to God and religion by identifying religious values with a pro-war, pro-business, pro-rich, anti-science, and anti-environmental stance. Yet, however distorted both the Right's analysis and its solutions to America's spiritual crisis may be, it wins allegiance by addressing the human hunger for a life with some higher purpose. The Left, by contrast, remains largely tone-deaf to the spiritual needs of the American people. It is the yearning for meaning in life, not just the desire for money or power, that lies at the core of American politics. Addressing the central mystery of contemporary politics - why so many Americans vote against their own economic interests - The Left Hand of God provides an invaluable, timely, and blunt critique of the current state of faith in government. Lerner challenges the Left to give up its deeply held fear of religion and to distinguish between a domination-oriented, Right-Hand-of-God tradition and a more compassionate and hope-oriented Left-Hand-of-God worldview. Further, Lerner describes the ways that Democrats have misunderstood and alienated significant parts of their potential constituency. To succeed again, Lerner argues, the Democratic Party must rethink its relationship to God, champion a progressive spiritual vision, reject the old bottom line that promotes the globalization of selfishness, and deal head-on with the very real spiritual crisis that many Americans experience every day. Lerner presents a vision that incorporates and then goes far beyond contemporary liberal and progressive politics. He argues for a new bottom line in our economy, schools, and government. This is a fundamentally fresh approach, one that takes spiritual needs seriously in our economic and political lives. Presenting an eight-point progressive spiritual covenant with America, Lerner provides a blueprint for how the Democratic Party can effectively challenge the Right and position itself to win the White House and Congress. By appealing to religious, secular, and spiritual but not necessarily religious people, The Left Hand of God blazes a trail that could change our world and reclaim America from the Religious Right. http://www.harpercollins.com/global_scripts/product_catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=0060842474 _blank print McNeill John J. Taking a Chance on God: Liberating Theology for Gays, Lesbians, and their Lovers, Families, and Friends Boston Beacon Press 1988 213 pp. 0807079456 Father John J. McNeill thoughtfully explains how both tradition and Scripture support the love between people of the same sex and shows that a positive gay identity is compatible with Christian faith. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0807079456/102-5522310-2838527?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance _blank print McNeill John J., S.J. The Church and the Homosexual 4th Boston Beacon Press 1993 266 pp. 0807079316 “Father McNeill's outstanding work, which convincingly establishes that the Bible does not condemn homosexuality, has brought comfort to thousands of Gay and Lesbian Christians since its original publication in 1976. In this fourth edition, the author calls on the Vatican to make a public act of repentance for its homophobia. Blessed be that John McNeill's courageous classic is available again.” - Carter Heyward, Episcopal Divinity School. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0807079316/102-5522310-2838527?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&sv=glance _blank print Mollenkott Virginia Ramey Omnigender: A Trans-Religious Approach omnigender.jpg Cleveland Pilgrim Press 2001 198 pp. 0829814221 This book bridges traditional religious doctrine and secular postmodern theory related to gender. Through an examination of the Hebrew and Christian scriptures and church history, and the exploration of other religions and cultures, the author honors the experiences of people who do not fit with the traditional binary concept of gender: intersexual, transsexual, or otherwise transgendered individuals. This edition includes a new preface, new section on the sexuality of Jesus, updated factual information, and insights from more than 36 recent sources. http://thepilgrimpress.com/product_detail.taf?site_uid1=9&hallway_uid1=38&search_id=&catalog_uid1=624&link_type_uid1=&person_id=&u_currency_id=190&_UserReference=8BCF461BCA3AC97B4356CB6C _blank print Mollenkott Virginia Ramey Sensuous Spirituality: Out from Fundamentalism New York Crossroad Publishing 1992 204 pp. 0824511689 Mollenkott's story is part autobiography of her journey away from fundamentalism and toward self-acceptance as a lesbian feminist, part proclamation of the importance of liberation and diversity within the human family, part a discussion of "interpretive communities" with focus on the les-bi-gay community, and part theological reflection on the role of the erotic in spirituality. Mollenkott enriches her discussion with reference to John Milton's scriptural interpretation in defense of divorce for incompatibility. She also offers a comparison between the "handmaid of the Lord" in Luke's description of Mary and of the handmaids in Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. This latter comparison leads to themes of freedom and its power in Mollenkott's analysis, themes that support diversity, sensuousness, and the mystical. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0824511689/102-5522310-2838527?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&sv=glance _blank print Nelson James B. Body Theology bodytheology.gif Louisville Westminster John Knox Press 1992 220 pp. 0664253792 In this book, James Nelson offers an incarnational way of doing theology. He takes body experiences seriously and views sexuality as central to the mystery of human experience and to the human relationship with God. He seeks to identify what scripture and tradition says about sexuality, focusing on three areas of concern: sexual theology, men's issues, and biomedical ethics. He blames a faulty dualism that separates body and spirit for distorting the meanings of masculinity, making modern medicine confusing, and fueling militarism, racism, and ecological abuse. https://www.ppcbooks.com/Details.asp?BookID=0664253792 _blank print Nelson James B. Embodiment: An Approach to Sexuality and Christian Theology NelsonE.jpg Minneapolis Augsburg Fortress Press 1978 303 pp. 0806617012 Few would doubt that this is a time of transition in our understanding of human sexuality. The confusion about sexual morals and mores is the more obvious evidence of this. But there is something else. For too long the bulk of Christian reflection about sexuality has asked an essentially one-directional question: what does Christian faith have to say about our lives as sexual beings? - from the preface http://www.augsburgfortress.org/store/item.asp?ISBN=0806617012&CLSID=125736&PRODUCTGROUPID=-1 _blank print Paulsell William editor Listening to the Spirit: A Handbook for Discernment pausellcov.jpg St. Louis Chalice Press 2001 79 pp. 0827221312 Listening to the Spirit presents a process of discernment that helps to listen to the Holy Spirit for guidance as we consider the questions, "What is the gospel message to our church as we relate to gay and lesbian Christians?" This question is addressed through a process that will help Christians approach the issues thoughtfully, theologically, and prayerfully. There are no set answers or preconceived outcomes. A companion video is also available. http://www.cbp21.com/ProductDetail.asp?ProductID=2218 _blank print Scanzoni Letha Virginia Ramey Mollenkott Is the Homosexual My Neighbor? Another Christian View revised San Francisco HarperSanFrancisco 1994 256 pp. 0060670789 This classic work was seminal in prodding Christians to re-examine their traditional prejudice and rejection of gay and lesbian people; examines social stigma, Biblical issues, science and homophobia. http://www.harpercollins.com/global_scripts/product_catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=0060670789 _blank print Siker Jeffrey S. editor Homosexuality in the Church: Both Sides of the Debate hinthechurch.gif Louisville Westminster John Knox Press 1994 232 pp. 0664255450 Outstanding authorities on scripture, tradition, reason, biology, ethics, and gendered experience discuss one of the most divisive debates in the church today: the place of homosexuals in the community of faith. Each perspective is explored by two writers, one more conservative, the other more liberal. https://www.ppcbooks.com/Details.asp?BookID=0664255450 _blank print Simpson Archbishop Bruce J. The Gay Face of God gayface.jpg North Charleston, SC BookSurge Publishing 2004 258 pp. 1932657096 This is the story of a man born of an act of violence who grew up as a gay man to become an Archbishop in the Old Catholic Church in America. Archbishop Simpson’s theology and beliefs on the subject of the GLBT community and its place in the world and in particular the Church, flies in the face of most traditions and governmental positions. These positions and beliefs have been formed out of his unique experiences growing up in the military, police departments, brief connection with the Saudi Royal family, federal government and the Roman Catholic Church. http://www.booksurge.com/product.php3?bookID=GPUB01134-00001 _blank print Smith Ted A. editor Frequently Asked Questions about Sexuality, the Bible, and the Church: Plain Talk about Tough Issues faqs.jpg San Francisco Covenant Network of Presbyterians 2006 Twenty-six scholars from nineteen seminaries and colleges offer short, accessible essays to inform discussion about the appropriate participation of gay and lesbian Presbyterians in church life and leadership. Intended for lay readers, the essays address core biblical and theological questions with clear thinking, lively faith, and deep concern for the church. http://covenantnetwork.org/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=CNOP&Product_Code=pfaq-single&Category_Code=P _blank print Spong John Shelby Living in Sin? A Bishop Rethinks Human Sexuality JSSpongLIS.jpg San Francisco HarperSanFrancisco 1990 256 pp. 0060675071 Is celibacy the only moral alternative to marriage? Should the widowed be allowed to form intimate relationships without remarrying? Should the church receive homosexuals into its community and support committed gay and lesbian relationships? Should congregations publicly and liturgically witness and affirm divorces? Should the church's moral standards continue to be set by patriarchal males? Should women be consecrated bishops? Bishop Spong proposes a pastoral response based on scripture and history to the changing realities of the modern world. He calls for a moral vision to empower the church with inclusive teaching about equal, loving, nonexploitative relationships. http://www.harpercollins.com/global_scripts/product_catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=0060675071 _blank print Timmerman Joan The Mardi Gras Syndrome: Rethinking Christian Sexuality mardigrassyndrome.jpg New York Crossroad 1984 128 pp. 0-8245-0645-6 In the Middle Ages, Christians were required to limit sex to Tuesdays. Thus the "Mardi Gras Syndrome," which in different but still debilitating ways lingers on today. With frankness and courage, the author shatters the narrow focus and evokes the true nature of sex as not only a ritual action but a source of social justice which bonds partners to each other and changes their relationships to the powers of nature and the divine. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0824506413/102-5522310-2838527?v=glance&n=283155&n=507846&s=books&sv=glance _blank print Walther C. F. W. The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel St. Louis Concordia Publishing 1986 448 pp. 0570032482 A transcript of Walther's Friday evening 'Luther Hour' lectures, delivered at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo., from Sept. 12, 1864, to Nov. 6, 1885. This represents perhaps Walther's greatest contribution to the church. http://www.cph.org/cphstore/product.asp?part%5Fno=151601&find%5Fcategory=&find%5Fdescription=&find%5Fpart%5Fdesc=Proper+Distinction+Between+Law+and+Gospel _blank print White Mel Stranger at the Gate: To Be Gay and Christian in America MWhiteSAG.jpg New York Penguin/Plume 1995 352 pp. 0452273811 Until Christmas Eve 1991, Mel White was regarded by the leaders of the religious right as one of their most talented and productive supporters. He penned the speeches of Ollie North. He was a ghostwriter for Jerry Falwell, worked with Jim Bakker, flew in Pat Robertson's private jet, walked sandy beaches with Billy Graham. What these men didn't know was that Mel White - evangelical minister, committed Christian, family man - was gay. In this remarkable book, Mel White details his twenty-five years of being counseled, exorcised, electric-shocked, prayed for, and nearly driven to suicide because his church said homosexuality was wrong. But his salvation - to be openly gay and Christian - is more than a unique coming-out story. It is a chilling exposé that goes right into the secret meetings and hidden agendas of the religious right. Told by an eyewitness and sure to anger those Mel White once knew best, Stranger at the Gate is a warning about where the politics of hate may lead America… a brave book by a good man whose words can make us richer in spirit and much wiser too. http://www.penguinputnam.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,0_0452273811,00.html _blank print Wink Walter editor Homosexuality and Christian Faith: Questions of Conscience for the Churches Minneapolis Augsburg Fortress Press 1999 133 pp. 0800631862 Issues surrounding homosexuality threaten to divide the Christian churches and the people within them. This unique resource presents short pieces from some of the nation's most prominent church leaders - Protestant and Catholic, mainline and evangelical - who address the fundamental moral imperatives about homosexuality. Together they invite the reader to open his or her heart to the Spirit, to tolerance, and to Gospel values. Through personal testimony, factual clarification, and moral suasion, they provide much-needed clarity on the biblical witness and biblical authority, the nature or character of homosexuality and sexual orientation, and many related topics. Contributors include Elise Boulding, Ignacio Castuera, John B. Cobb Jr., William Sloane Coffin, Peggy Campolo, Bishop Paul Egertson, James A. Forbes Jr., Maria Harris, Barbara Kelsey, Morton Kelsey, Gabriel Moran, David G. Myers, Richard Rohr, O.F.M., Ken Sehested, Carole Shields, Donald W. Shriver Jr., M. Mahan Siler Jr., Lewis B. Smedes, and Walter Wink. http://www.augsburgfortress.org/store/item.asp?ISBN=0800631862&CLSID=125725&PRODUCTGROUPID=-1 _blank online Flunder Bishop Yvette Someone Has Stolen Jesus By Bishop Yvette Flunder, City of Refuge United Church of Christ, 2006. “You see He died day before yesterday... We placed him in a snug comfortable tomb, secure from the elements and external influences. We put him where we could find him. All of his miracles are behind him. He's dead... and death is the end...” http://www.hrc.org/Template.cfm?Section=Religion4&CONTENTID=31649&TEMPLATE=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm _blank online editors The Christian Paradox: How a faithful nation gets Jesus wrong August 2005, by Bill McKibben mckibben.htm _self online editors Both "New" and "Everlasting:" Law and Religion in the Creation of Neo-Mormon Doctrine of (Homo)Sexuality (June 2005) http://www.camlaw.rutgers.edu/publications/law-religion/articles/RJLR_6_1_8.pdf _blank online Paige Chris editors Sex, Humility and Awe by Chris Paige in The Other Side (1997) http://www.theotherside.org/roots/roots_mj96.html _blank online Amideo Ann editors The Odd Christian Out by Ann Amideo in The Other Side (1999) http://www.theotherside.org/archive/sep-oct99/amideo.html _blank online editors And God Loves Each One http://www.godloveseachone.org/ _blank online editors Are we asking the right questions about homosexuality? PDF format http://www.umph.org/pdfs/circuitrider/4814AWAt.pdf _blank online Thomas John H. Contemporary Commitment and Catholic Substance By John H. Thomas, Assistant to the President for Ecumenical Concerns UCC jhthomas.htm _self online McKibben Bill editors The Christian Paradox: How a Faithful Nation Gets Jesus Wrong By Bill McKibben, from Harper's Magazine, August 2005 http://www.harpers.org/ExcerptTheChristianParadox.html _blank print Thompson Cook Ann Made In God’s Image: A Resource for Dialogue About the Church and Gender Differences madeingods.gif Washington, DC Reconciling Ministries Network 2003 In Made in God's Image: A Resource for Dialogue about the Church and Gender Differences, Ann Thompson Cook communicates a gently assertive expectation that we as Christians need to get up to speed on something too rarely discussed but very important for the life of the church and its ministries. Combining valuable information, personal sharing, and resources, this booklet is a perfect starting place for any congregation, family, or individual seeking to better understand transgender issues and to provide a supportive environment for all of God’s children. http://www.madeinimage.org _blank online editors Whosoever - Online Magazine Whosoever was founded as a bi-monthly magazine in June of 1996. Our first issue hit the newsstands in July. Subscribers grew to nearly 50 people by February of 1997, and the magazine was being carried in just over 30 bookstores from Georgia to California. However, financial pressures proved too great for the fledgling print version of the magazine and with the March/April 1997 issue we became an online magazine for gay, lesbian and bisexual Christians. [In November of 1997, we added transgender people to our outreach.] Overhead online is far less, and with the responses we have received, we seem to be reaching far more people than the print version ever did in its short life. http://www.whosoever.org/ _blank online editors Evangelicals Concerned Resources http://www.ecwr.org/resources/homosexuality.html _blank online editors World Religions and the Struggle for Equality Many religions around the world, including Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism and mainline Protestantism, along with Roman Catholicism, have long been dealing with issues related to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality. First appearing in Conscience Magazine, this article by the Human Rights Campaign's Religion and Faith Program staff gives a brief historical overview of how these world religions have wrestled with homosexuality. Conscience Magazine, published by Catholics for a Free Choice, is a powerful voice on contemporary issues, including reproductive rights, sexuality and gender, feminism, the religious right, church and state issues and U.S. politics. http://www.hrc.org/TemplateRedirect.cfm?Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=30927 _blank multimedia Wildacres Leadership Initiative Coming Out, Coming In: Faith, Identity, and Belonging comingoutcomingin.jpg Carrboro, NC MINNOW MEDIA LLC 30 min. This 30-minute documentary gives voice to gay and lesbian Christians in North Carolina and aims to reframe the current contentious debate on homosexuality in our churches. Underneath the biblical debates and theological disputes lie distrust, even hatred among parties. This program seeks to replace the bitter rhetoric with respectful and open dialogue. DVD http://www.coming-out-coming-in.net/ _blank multimedia God and Gays: Bridging the Gap godsandgays.gif Washington, DC Human Rights Campaign 2006 The long-awaited video God and Gays: Bridging the Gap is now available. This video explores sexuality and spirituality through the eyes and experiences of people who want relationships with the religious institutions that reject them. Through their often difficult spiritual journeys, many find courage through God to live openly. God and Gays puts the face and heartbeat of humanity onto the emotionally charged issue and offers answers to several common questions, including: What is the "gay agenda"? Is being gay a choice? What does the Bible say? Is it possible to be gay and religious, or must we choose? DVD http://www.hrcactioncenter.org/ct/t1aY9h517Rhs/ _blank multimedia editors Gather Us In Saint Paul Lutherans Concerned/North America 2004 A unique collection of CD's reflecting some of the most current perspectives on issues of human sexuality and the full inclusion of all sexual orientations and gender identities within the church in general and the ELCA specifically. Wisdom mixed with humor and good solid theology makes these an excellent set to add to your resource collection. This 5-CD set includes keynote addresses by Bishop Robert Rimbo, the Reverend Heidi Neumark and the Reverend Doctor Erin Swenson, as well as two Bible studies by the Reverend Barbara Lundblad. These presentations were delivered at the 2004 Lutherans Concerned North America Biennial Assembly at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minnesota on July 22-25, 2004. 5 Audio CDs http://infox.lcna.org/ _blank multimedia editors Listening to the Spirit Video listeningvideo.jpg St. Louis Chalice Press 2003 Companion video to Listening to the Spirit: A Handbook for Discernment (see above), designed for use by small groups using the handbook as a curriculum for their small group studies. VHS http://www.cbp21.com/ProductDetail.asp?ProductID=2218 _blank multimedia Alston Macky Questioning Faith: Confessions of a Seminarian (Director's Cut) questioningfaith.jpg USA Cinemax Reel Life 2002 84 min. What's a young preacher to preach in these times? After experiencing life at its most devastating, how can anyone believe in God - or in anything, for that matter? And what is it about human nature that leads one person to find religion in the midst of such chaos, and another to lose it? These and other questions are explored in this award-winning documentary film which explores how people find meaning in life when absolutely nothing seems to make sense. Rental/DVD http://cart.frameline.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=T560 _blank print Hinnant Olive Elaine God Comes Out: A Queer Homiletic godcomesout.jpg Cleveland The Pilgrim Press 2007 210 pp. 0829817301 “Readers will welcome this book, not only for its wisdom and compassion, but also for its practical suggestions about how to initiate liberating conversation about sexual differences. Pastors especially will gain deep insight into how preaching a fully inclusive gospel can draw our communities into a more faithful realization of the reign of God. Hinnant demonstrates again and again how preaching is above all a theological act, a giving witness to the justice and compassion of God.” - Thomas H. Troeger, Yale Divinity School and Institute of Sacred Music http://thepilgrimpress.com/product_detail.taf?site_uid1=61&hallway_uid1=62&search_id=&catalog_uid1=690&link_type_uid1=&person_id=&u_currency_id=190&_UserReference=0F6DE25DC2865C4F476831BB _blank print Love Rev. Dr. Cindi Would Jesus Discriminate?: The 21st Century Question wouldjesus.jpg Victoria, B.C. Trafford 2008 165 pp. 1-4251-6439-0 Successful entrepreneur and corporate executive turned minister, Rev. Dr. Cindi Love relates her own story along with the early success of a powerful campaign that she believes can change America. Rev. Dr. Love narrates her personal passage from fundamentalist evangelism to founding a successful business (#73 on INC 500's 1990 list of Fastest Growing Private Companies); she tells of her experiences as a corporate executive and her ultimate entry into the ministry and leadership of a worldwide Christian denomination. She also details the inception and implementation of the Would Jesus Discriminate? Campaign and describes how the campaign encourages dialogue between people of all walks of life-from neighbor to neighbor and from secular to faith-based organizations; provides a useful frame for a political discourse in the religious context of America; and confronts the insidious harms of prejudice and discrimination, and insists that non-heterosexual people are no mere "afterthought" of God. Part marketing study and part spiritual journey, but never professorial or preachy, Would Jesus Discriminate? the 21st Century Question asks readers to consider how the church came to (finally!) repent of offering scriptural support for various forms of oppression (slavery, segregation, the subjugation of women) and then draws a clear parallel between that history and today's focus on the issue of full inclusion for non-heterosexuals. Rev. Dr. Love points out that Jesus, Christian Scripture's central figure, consistently welcomed individuals considered unclean by society; she argues with thoughtful, passionate conviction that Jesus didn't discriminate and neither should we. http://www.trafford.com/07-2967 _blank print Robinson Gene In the Eye of the Storm: Swept to the Center by God eyeofthestorm.jpg New York Seabury Books 2008 192 pp. 1596270888

Gene Robinson is bishop of the tiny, rural Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire, but he's at the center of a storm of controversy raging in the Episcopal Church and throughout the worldwide Anglican Communion involving homosexuality, the priesthood, and the future of the Communion. This book offers an honest, thoughtful portrait of Robinson, the faith that has informed his life, and the controversy that continues to rock his Church.

 http://www.churchpublishing.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Product&Productid=3286 _blank print Ferguson David Fritz Guy and David Larson editors Christianity And Homosexuality: Some Seventh-day Adventist Perspectives xianity&homo.jpg Roseville, CA The Adventist Forum 2008 375 pages 0-9673694-2-8

Here's an exciting new entry into the discussion of the church and its relationship to its non-heterosexual members! The Seventh-day Adventist church was, early on, a supporter of social justice issues like slavery and the rights of women. For over 100 years it has supported religious liberty for all citizens - but as the church grew and its pioneers died, so did the fervor for these issues. Yet, Adventists still cling to a heritage that truth is progressive; and when new light comes from understanding Scripture the church wants to be ready to accept "present truth." This collection of chapters and responses covers a wide range of topics from scriptural analysis to personal experience, written by respected professionals from within the Adventist community. It seeks to open the door to discussion, without making any claim to provide ultimate answers. Each chapter and each response concludes with a series of questions that can be used to stimulate discussion. This should make the book suitable not only for Adventists, but for many religious communities.

“I learned so much from Christianity and Homosexuality: Some Seventh-day Adventist Perspectives! It is wonderful to have a resource to recommend to my Seventh-day Adventist friends that is so closely tied to Adventism's rich heritage, tradition and unique witness. It has challenged and deepened my own understandings of the Gospel and homosexuality and will do so for Christians from other traditions.” - Harry Knox, Director, Religion and Faith Program, Human Rights Campaign

“For Christians of all denominations who struggle to understand those children of God who happen not to be straight, this book will be of great help. Its survey of the history and theologies that have impacted Adventism, the insights of medical practitioners and social workers, and the true stories of real families will broaden the perspectives of even those who disagree with some of it's conclusions.” - Tony and Peggy Campolo, authors and lecturers

 http://www.sdagayperspectives.com/orders.htm _blank print Ellison Marvin Mahan Judith Plaskow editors Heterosexism in Contemporary World Religion: Problem and Prospect heterosexism.jpg Cleveland The Pilgrim Press 2007 232 pp. 0829817700

Homosexuality is not a problem; heterosexism is, and this problem is often supported by religious statements and practices against sexual minorities. This book seeks to draw out strands in each major religion that are antidotal to such practices and attitudes.

Contributors to this volume, all of whom are authorities in their religious traditions, include:

Ghazala Anwar (Islam), Kelly Brown Douglas (African American Christianity), Marvin M. Ellison (Protestant Christianity), Ann-Marie Hsiung (Taoism and Confucianism), Mary Hunt (Roman Catholicism), Yu-Chen Li (Buddhism), Daniel C. Maguire (Roman Catholicism), Judith Plaskow (Judaism), Anantanand Rambachan (Hinduism)

 http://thepilgrimpress.com/product_detail.taf?site_uid1=61&hallway_uid1=62&search_id=&catalog_uid1=747&link_type_uid1=&person_id=&u_currency_id=190&_UserReference=E17B5A8363B9CB20486558A5 _blank print Weiss David To the Tune of a Welcoming God: Lyrical Reflections on Sexuality, Spirituality, and the Wideness of God's Welcome tothetune.jpg Minneapolis Mill City Publishing 2008

To the Tune of a Welcoming God, by poet, theologian, essayist, and activist David Weiss, explores the divisive questions of whether and how the church might welcome the GLBT Christians at its doorstep—and already in its pews. Writing with academic training, prophetic passion, and poetic insight, Weiss invites readers to revisit these questions through poems, essays, and hymns that are at once engaging and provocative. While rooted deeply in his own Lutheran context, Weiss’s words reach far beyond, challenging, encouraging, and empowering persons regardless of their particular tradition. With a forward by Pastor Anita Hill.

 https://www.millcitypublishing.com/order/default.aspx?siteid=136 _blank print Hanaway Donald G. A Theology of Gay and Lesbian Inclusion: Love Letters to the Church atheology.jpg New York Routledge 2006 132 pp. 978-0-7890-2998-0

This book, authored by a retired Episcopal priest, challenges traditional church teachings that brand homosexuality as immoral, using pertinent scripture from the central Gospel to promote a full acceptance of gay and lesbian Christians. This powerful book questions the assumption that gay Christians are morally inferior, presenting testimony from gay men and lesbians about prejudice they’ve experienced at the hands of the Church—and its straight members. Written as a series of ten letters, the book addresses the strengths and weaknesses of the church and appeals for a new understanding and commitment to the acceptance of its gay members.

 http://www.gender-and-sexuality-arena.com/books/A-Theology-of-Gay-and-Lesbian-Inclusion-isbn9780789029980 _blank print Bass Diana Butler A People's History of Christianity: The Other Side of the Story peopleshistory.jpg New York HarperOne 2009 368 pp. 0061448702 For too long, the history of Christianity has been told as the triumph of orthodox doctrine imposed through power and hierarchy. In A People's History of Christianity, historian and religion expert Diana Butler Bass reveals an alternate history that includes a deep social ethic and far-reaching inclusivity: "the other side of the story" is not a modern phenomenon, but has always been practiced within the church. Butler Bass persuasively argues that corrective—even subversive—beliefs and practices have always been hallmarks of Christianity and are necessary to nourish communities of faith. Among other topics, she explores the alternative Christian practice of celebrating human sexuality as a gift from God. http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780061448706/A_Peoples_History_of_Christianity/index.aspx _blank