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A review by sonofstdavid
Still Time to Care: What We Can Learn from the Church's Failed Attempt to Cure Homosexuality by Greg Johnson
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.5
Reverend Greg Johnson wonderfully shows how the church can and should love gay Christians. In an incredibly pastoral approach, he doesn't shy away from the utter destructive depravity of sin, nor does he diminish the utter hope the gospel brings. In fact, the robust theology of this book relies on the truth that we are simul iustus et pecator.
Johnson challenges the evangelical church to respond in this cultural moment not with erasure or fear but with truth and loving community. The ex-gay movement failed, largely because of its faulty name-it-and-claim-it theology that functioned with a low view of fallenness and a displaced eschatology. To replace one type of lust with another is a bit of a faulty project. Johnson is right to remind us that heterosexuality does not equal holiness. It too is the result of the Fall. (Sexual desire should only be for one's spouse, not just generally every one of the opposite sex.) On the other hand, one can be gay and a faithful Christian. There's a difference between homosexuality (a fallen tendency towards disordered desires, as well as a morally neutral lack of attraction to the opposite sex) and Homoeroticism (lust and sexual activity outside of biblical marriage). All Christians have sinful tendencies we struggle with, and Johnson even points out that for gay folk like himself, their worst sinful tendencies are often not even their same sex attraction, even though that's what gets all the attention! And it is good to be honest and forthright about our tendencies, especially with those like homosexuality that have both sinful aspects mixed up with neutral ones.
I found it especially helpful when he pointed out that progressivism and purity culture both suffer from an idolization of romance and sexual intimacy. Sex becomes THE defining human experience. Gay celibates are "repressed" according to the revisionists, and on the other hand celibates are "incomplete" as seen by many in the church. Instead Johnson casts vision for the beauty of Christian celibacy.
4.5 stars
I thoroughly recommend this book. It is a theologically orthodox and robust work that I believe offers a path for the future of evangelicalism.
My only gripe is that he seems to bite off a whole lot for one book: early history of positive Evangelical engagements with homosexuality, a detailed history of the ex-gay movement, the biblical theology of homosexuality, as well as how the modern church should respond.
Johnson challenges the evangelical church to respond in this cultural moment not with erasure or fear but with truth and loving community. The ex-gay movement failed, largely because of its faulty name-it-and-claim-it theology that functioned with a low view of fallenness and a displaced eschatology. To replace one type of lust with another is a bit of a faulty project. Johnson is right to remind us that heterosexuality does not equal holiness. It too is the result of the Fall. (Sexual desire should only be for one's spouse, not just generally every one of the opposite sex.) On the other hand, one can be gay and a faithful Christian. There's a difference between homosexuality (a fallen tendency towards disordered desires, as well as a morally neutral lack of attraction to the opposite sex) and Homoeroticism (lust and sexual activity outside of biblical marriage). All Christians have sinful tendencies we struggle with, and Johnson even points out that for gay folk like himself, their worst sinful tendencies are often not even their same sex attraction, even though that's what gets all the attention! And it is good to be honest and forthright about our tendencies, especially with those like homosexuality that have both sinful aspects mixed up with neutral ones.
I found it especially helpful when he pointed out that progressivism and purity culture both suffer from an idolization of romance and sexual intimacy. Sex becomes THE defining human experience. Gay celibates are "repressed" according to the revisionists, and on the other hand celibates are "incomplete" as seen by many in the church. Instead Johnson casts vision for the beauty of Christian celibacy.
4.5 stars
I thoroughly recommend this book. It is a theologically orthodox and robust work that I believe offers a path for the future of evangelicalism.
My only gripe is that he seems to bite off a whole lot for one book: early history of positive Evangelical engagements with homosexuality, a detailed history of the ex-gay movement, the biblical theology of homosexuality, as well as how the modern church should respond.