In a prior post, I wrote about an exploratory trip to Yale University that was taken to dig into the translation notes on the Revised Standard Version (RSV) of the Bible (1947 NT, 1952 full Bible). It was in the RSV that the word “homosexual” appeared for the first time in any translation, or in […]
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When Harry Became Sally by Ryan T. Anderson—A Book Review
Ryan T. Anderson, research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, when asked why he was working on “When Harry Became Sally—Responding to the Transgender Moment,” wrote “The simple answer is that I couldn’t shake from my mind the stories of people who had de-transitioned. They are heartbreaking. Those most vulnerable to the transgender moment need a […]
Fiercely We Will Battle
January Book #2 Update Ed Oxford and I went to Yale University in September 2017 to check an assumption I had made about the word “homosexual” being placed in the Revised Standard Version (RSV) (1946)—the first usage of “homosexual” in any Bible translation, in any language. (Read the story here.) While searching through the archives, […]
Same-Sex Attraction and the Church by Ed Shaw—A Book Review
Plausibility or Entrapment? “Same-Sex Attraction and the Church—The Surprising Plausibility of the Celibate Life” (2015 IVP Books) by Ed Shaw is an honest account of a gay man’s struggle with his sexual orientation. [FULL review also on Amazon.] Shaw, a pastor in England, avoids the term “sexual orientation” and instead uses nuanced language like “same-sex […]
Freedom Realized by Stephen Black — A Book Review
Stephen H. Black wrote “Freedom Realized: Finding Freedom from Homosexuality & Living a Life Free From Labels” (Redemption Press, 2017) to offer “clear evidence for the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the transformation that is available for broken lives in this day of “hip-hop” gospel relativism.” Black asks “is freedom from homosexuality […]
The Nashville Statement–A New Christian Manifesto on Human Sexuality
Thirty years ago, in 1987, a joint meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood convened in Danvers, Pennsylvania to discuss the new problem of widespread feminism making its way from the American culture into conservative Christian circles. Christian feminists had begun to challenge the church’s organizational patriarchy that […]
God and the Transgender Debate by Andrew T. Walker — A Book Review
“God and the Transgender Debate–What Does the Bible Actually Say About Gender Identity?” authored by Andrew T. Walker, Director of Policy Studies with the Ethics and Religious Liberties Commission (ERLC) of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), has been positioned as a book that will help readers “learn more, (and) love better” (p 16) as he […]
The Heart of Female Same-Sex Attraction by Janelle Hallman — A Book Review
I decided to read Janelle Hallman’s book The Heart of Female Same-Sex Attraction — A Comprehensive Counseling Resource (InterVarsity, 2008) because it was cited several times in the Restored Hope Network (RHN). [Review posted on Amazon.] For those unfamiliar with RHN, the organization formed in 2012 in the wake of the collapse of Exodus International. […]
Restored Hope Network — What to Know Before You Go
The annual conference for Restored Hope Network (RHN) is June 16-17 in San Diego, California. The mission statement of RHN, a coalition of 58 member ministries, makes it clear that a non-heterosexual orientation is outside the will of God (meaning sinful and perverted) and that one can not be both lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) […]
Debating Religious Liberty and Discrimination by John Corvino and Ryan Anderson — A Book Review
“Debating Religious Liberty and Discrimination” (2107) uses a point-counterpoint approach between John Corvino, Professor and Philosopher Chair at Wayne State University and the team of Ryan T. Anderson, Research Fellow at Heritage Foundation and Sherif Girgis, Ph.D. philosophy candidate at Princeton. Both sides state they share a “distaste for the typical ‘with us of against […]
You Don’t Have to Be Gay by Jeff Konrad — A Book Review
I read this book because a mother with a gay son told me she recently read the book and found value in it. She challenged me to read it as an authoritative personal account of a former gay man. So, I read it. Oh my goodness! How could a book written in 1987 (a full […]
Joe Dallas’ Background and Reviews of His Books
Over the past 25 years, Joe Dallas has built a career in speaking, writing and counseling gay and lesbian Christians, their families, and churches seeking understanding at the intersection of sexual orientation and the Bible. He has authored eight books since 2003 and has a counseling business in Orange County, California. Recently, I read his two […]
Speaking of Homosexuality by Joe Dallas — A Book Review
In “Speaking of Homosexuality – Discussing the Issues with Kindness & Clarity” (Baker Books, 2016), author Joe Dallas presents the Traditional and Revisionist (his usage of terminology) perspectives and a look at “the pros and cons in the gay debate” with suggested responses. Dallas defines the Traditional view as seeing that “homosexual acts, like numerous […]
When Homosexuality Hits Home by Joe Dallas — A Book Review
“When Homosexuality Hits Home –What to do When a Loved One Says, ‘I’m Gay’” by Joe Dallas (Harvest House Publishers, 2015) is an expanded edition of the initial 2004 book. In the book, Dallas gives advice on how parents with gay children, the spouse with a gay partner, or other family members are to respond […]
Hope for the Same-Sex Attracted by Ron Citlau — A Book Review
“Hope for the Same-Sex Attracted” (Bethany House, 2017) by Ron Citlau is subtitled “Biblical direction for friends, family members and those struggling with homosexuality” with the intended market of “pastors, church leaders, parents of a same-sex struggler, and Christians who want to work very hard to make their church a place where same-sex strugglers can […]