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 […]
enGendered by Sam A. Andreades—A Book Review
Gender binaries— a sacred weapon [Full review on Amazon] The information and ideas presented in “enGendered” by Sam A. Andreades are based upon the author’s view of gender differences as he interprets them from the Bible. Collectively, Andreades calls his beliefs “theology of gender.” He hopes readers will gain wisdom about gender and gender roles […]
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 […]
How and When the Word Homosexual Was First Introduced into the Bible
Since releasing my book, Walking the Bridgeless Canyon, in 2014, every time I’ve spoke during extended presentations and referred to the translation and combining of two Greek words, arsenokoitai and malakos, as one word “homosexual” in the 1946 New Testament Revised Standard Version (RSV) of 1 Corinthians 6: 9-10, I would say that I believed this specific translation […]
People to Be Loved by Preston Sprinkle—A Book Review
When I began “People to be Loved—Why Homosexuality is Not Just an Issue” by Preston Sprinkle (Zondervan, 2015), I was tentatively encouraged by the author’s gracious tone and seeming willingness to break away from the evangelical party line on exclusionary practices on LGBTQ people. After all, Sprinkle includes hopeful declarations throughout the book: “We are […]
Single, Gay, Christian: A Personal Journey by Gregory Coles—Book Review
Gregory Coles, author of Single Gay Christian—A Personal Journey of Faith and Sexual Identity by Gregory Coles (IVP Books 2017), seems to be a likeable and “delightful” young man. I’ve watched several videos and read his very short book (117 pages) which tells of his journey from the beginning of his understanding about his sexual […]
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 […]
Transformed Documentary is Uninformed — A Review
“TranZformed: Finding Peace with Your God-Given Gender” (2017), produced by David Kyle Foster (founder and director of Mastering Life Ministries and the producer of “Pure Passion” TV, and member of the advisory board for the Restored Hope Network (RHN)) is the story of “15 former transgenders (who) join experts (to) bear witness to what Jesus […]
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 […]