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devirnis's review
5.0
"Whether I was right or wrong in my interpretation of Scripture about gay marriage, one thing was clear: We Christians were failing to show grace to the gay community the way Jesus would. At the very least, Christians ought to be listening to their gay friends, seeking to understand them, to know their joys and their struggles. If we couldn't do that much, how could we hope to be vessels for God's lavish and unconditional love?" pg. 210
tymgabriel's review against another edition
4.0
Justin Lee presents a well-organized and highly identifiable account of the complexities under-girding evangelical, Christian faith and sexual orientation. His narrative proves deeply theological without dwelling on minute intricacies of theology. Rather than putting forward an exegesis involving Biblically "split hairs," Lee tells us his personal struggle to reconcile his faith and sexual orientation, which does not involve blindly deciding "pro" or "anti" gay, but rather frames his attempts to ask the right questions in the spirit of prayer and faith.
Lee's Torn may not play well beyond Judeo-Christian circles, as his entire argument around the sanctity or condemnation of same-sex relationships centers solely on how one should view these through a Judeo-Christian lens. More specifically, this book will speak most to those with a very conservative view of the Bible as sacred writ and Jesus as the absolute savior of humankind. Still, Torn fills a much needed gap in the "Gays-vs-Christians" argument. I vote it a must-read for all Christian believers interested in increasing their knowledge of reconciling faith and sexual orientation. Further, those outside of the Christian faith or those with no faith at all may find a greater understanding of why some insist that indeed they can identify as Christian and be gay.
Lee's Torn may not play well beyond Judeo-Christian circles, as his entire argument around the sanctity or condemnation of same-sex relationships centers solely on how one should view these through a Judeo-Christian lens. More specifically, this book will speak most to those with a very conservative view of the Bible as sacred writ and Jesus as the absolute savior of humankind. Still, Torn fills a much needed gap in the "Gays-vs-Christians" argument. I vote it a must-read for all Christian believers interested in increasing their knowledge of reconciling faith and sexual orientation. Further, those outside of the Christian faith or those with no faith at all may find a greater understanding of why some insist that indeed they can identify as Christian and be gay.
yosoytico's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
4.75
Torn is both a deeply personal memoir and a powerfully informative educational text for the Church. I believe Lee has successfully captured "the way forward" on LGBTQ+ topics in the church, balancing truth and love and making space for everyone at the table on a highly heated issue. His honesty in sharing his own life and journey encouraged me deeply as a Queer Christian. I would recommend this book to everyone in the church, but especially pastors, parents of LGBTQ+ youth, and lay leaders. May we all strive to embody the loving and gracious path that Lee has laid out for us!
lgbtqautistic's review against another edition
5.0
This book is amazing. EVERY Christian needs to read this book.
bookdragonemiri's review against another edition
5.0
I am a devout Christian, and am currently struggling with my sexuality. I didn't know what to think, and I didn't know how to do proper research in the Bible. This book gave me peace. Whether I am straight or not, I now have peace with whatever I find I am. This book is truly wonderful. The amount of care he put into this book shows, and I was enraptured by his testimony. I am going to recommend this book to whoever I can. I thank the Lord for bringing this to me.
wordboydave's review against another edition
4.0
Highly recommended for anyone who has questions about how to approach homosexuality from an evangelical Christian perspective. This utterly charming memoir—where Lee shows how, as a gay evangelical, he tried various things and ultimately came to his few cautious conclusions--is both passionately argued and utterly clear. No book on a topic this fraught has a right to be this charming, but Lee manages it. And this is why I recommend it to anyone who needs to raise this discussion in their family or some other small-group setting: because Justin will disarm everyone who reads him, and then you can have an actual conversation.
zawh's review against another edition
4.0
A great way of weighing up both sides of the “debate” while also acknowledging that everyone within the church needs to learn how to approach this something like this in a way that actually represents Jesus of the bible - with unconditional love & grace. Your belief or whichever side of the debate you fall on should be irrelevant to ensuring people feel the love, support and compassion of God through people within any church.
unsociable_and_taciturn's review
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.25
i think this book was very well written; as someone who wanted to learn more about this (unfortunately controversial) topic from a christian perspective, justin lee definitely delivered. he was great at expressing his personal viewpoint on the issue while not pushing it on the reader; in fact, for the first half of the book i really thought this book was going to take a “side b” approach. i love how he focuses on loving people, listening to them, and having humility in all of these conversations. definitely an awesome book!!!!
Content Warnings
Minor: Homophobia and Transphobia