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4.32 AVERAGE
4.32 AVERAGE
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
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, Transphobia
hopeful
informative
fast-paced
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
All the underlines and tabs for this one. You know those books that mark critical paradigm shifts in your life? The ones that expand your horizons in the best ways? This is one of those books for me. The past three or four years have held a lot of evolution, doubting, and rebuilding the way I see my faith. A big part of that was my evolving beliefs about the LGBTQ+ community and Christianity. This book was helpful for me in processing a lot of that.
I wish I'd read this book sooner, but I also think I read it at exactly the perfect time. I guess I was hesitant because while I felt that the church has caused a lot of hurt for the gay community, I also cannot escape the fact that my faith and the story of Christ continue to draw and compel me. The tension between caring for those I know in the gay community but not wanting to completely tear apart my faith was at times hard to reconcile.
Justin's own story as a gay Christian and his insights into Scripture and the message of Christ (and consequently God's heart) were packed with beautiful and important truth. So many times, these discussions end up creating even more polarization, but he manages to write an entire book full of compassion for everyone on either side of the discussion rather than angrily pointing fingers. I was left with a sense of hope and found that I don't need to scrap the Bible altogether or disregard bits and pieces of it in order to live out my faith with integrity. In fact, I think reading this book has renewed my desire to return to Scripture and the way of Jesus with a refreshed lens and view of the story of Christ.
Highly recommend for anyone. I loved this book and am so thankful my college pastor put this in my hands a few years ago.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Religious bigotry
Minor: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Outing
I come from a very different theological perspective than the author of this book, and both started and ended in different religious contexts. For the most part, I don't relate to the struggle he experienced in reconciling his sexuality and his faith. But I got a lot more out of the book than I expected to - I really appreciated and admired his compassionate and thoughtful perspective.
This book was assigned as a part of the curriculum for the Christian ministry I am a part of (missionyear.org check us out!) and reading it within that context really helped me to appreciate it. Because it draws Christians from a huge spectrum of theological beliefs, life experiences, as well as sexual and gender identities, it's critical to have a book that's capable of speaking across that spectrum, and I think Lee's proved capable of doing just that.
At least ten or fifteen times while reading this, I audibly expressed how impressed I was with Lee to the room I was reading in because he's just so damn generous and gracious and gentle. I was stunned at how he managed to so consistently choose forgiveness and kindness over judgment and bitterness, and yet it makes so much sense within the context of his story and the ways he felt, well, torn between wanting to be right and wanting to stay in relationship with so many who disagreed. It's really rare to find someone whose so committed and adamant about bridge-building and reconciliation that they're willing to undergo the kind of treatment and blatant hatred Lee faces and still keep on pursuing that. I hate that the reality is that it took him doing that to even dream of getting to the place he wants to, but am deeply grateful for his role in the Church for doing so.
Beyond being impressed with Lee's character as its demonstrated here, however, I was impressed with the ways he was able to so vulnerably and honestly share his compelling story while intertwining it with a straightforward approach of the concern at hand. Although there are some parts that are clearly written as a Q&A type style, and the (really valuable) chapters on Scriptural interpretations and hermeneutical approaches are less about his story, he really did avoid writing even those in a way that felt distractingly disjointed. In many ways, this reads as an absolutely brilliant piece of strategic rhetoric. Lee's words read as honest and earnest, and I don't doubt that the are, but they also read as the most inoffensive approach that could possibly be taken in a way that makes those with opposing viewpoints to be able to consider his own story without feeling threatened or attacked, or even criticized. Which, well, seems to be exactly the approach that's needed.
My inclination is towards anger, and I wouldn't have faulted Lee for a burn-it-all-down approach that gave voice to the more aggressive and direct pain, hurt, and fire that I have no doubt so many queer Christians experience. In a lot of ways, I think I would have preferred that "prophetic" take more than this "pastoral" one. And yet, I can't deny its effectiveness nor its simple, gentle, accessible beauty.
At least ten or fifteen times while reading this, I audibly expressed how impressed I was with Lee to the room I was reading in because he's just so damn generous and gracious and gentle. I was stunned at how he managed to so consistently choose forgiveness and kindness over judgment and bitterness, and yet it makes so much sense within the context of his story and the ways he felt, well, torn between wanting to be right and wanting to stay in relationship with so many who disagreed. It's really rare to find someone whose so committed and adamant about bridge-building and reconciliation that they're willing to undergo the kind of treatment and blatant hatred Lee faces and still keep on pursuing that. I hate that the reality is that it took him doing that to even dream of getting to the place he wants to, but am deeply grateful for his role in the Church for doing so.
Beyond being impressed with Lee's character as its demonstrated here, however, I was impressed with the ways he was able to so vulnerably and honestly share his compelling story while intertwining it with a straightforward approach of the concern at hand. Although there are some parts that are clearly written as a Q&A type style, and the (really valuable) chapters on Scriptural interpretations and hermeneutical approaches are less about his story, he really did avoid writing even those in a way that felt distractingly disjointed. In many ways, this reads as an absolutely brilliant piece of strategic rhetoric. Lee's words read as honest and earnest, and I don't doubt that the are, but they also read as the most inoffensive approach that could possibly be taken in a way that makes those with opposing viewpoints to be able to consider his own story without feeling threatened or attacked, or even criticized. Which, well, seems to be exactly the approach that's needed.
My inclination is towards anger, and I wouldn't have faulted Lee for a burn-it-all-down approach that gave voice to the more aggressive and direct pain, hurt, and fire that I have no doubt so many queer Christians experience. In a lot of ways, I think I would have preferred that "prophetic" take more than this "pastoral" one. And yet, I can't deny its effectiveness nor its simple, gentle, accessible beauty.
This is one of the best Christian non-fiction texts I have ever read, and Justin Lee effortlessly navigates difficult waters as he not only shares his own personal journey to a "Side A" understanding of Christian morality and homosexuality (Monogamous relationships)but also equally explains the "Side B" arguments often made (in favor of celibacy). The book also delves into the flaws of the "ex-gay" movement and addresses common mis-truths. He remains remarkably apolitical, and humble in his quest to find a way to build bridges between the LGBT community and the church. I don't care what side of the argument you find yourself on, this is a book you HAVE to read.
An important book. Justin is a great writer, and shares his story bravely with us all.
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Religious bigotry
Minor: Mental illness, Outing